This morning after dropping someone off at Arcade Bus Station in Chiang Mai, I thought I'd go over to the new Central Mall to go to the movies rather than go all the way to the airport one. Anyway, I saw a large crowd of people lined up at the door, which didn't open for another half hour, just so they could be first in when it opened.

When I got in, it has exactly the same shops selling exactly the same goods as any other Central Mall. So what's the big deal? Is this a Thai thing, or is the whole world infected with the shopping mania?

Seerms a bit sad to me that people have to line up in the heat just to be able to buy overpriced branded goods when everything is cheaper at the markets.

It's crazy, and it's not just Thailand.

Well , for me personally, the same thing happened in Hua Hin at their small mall.....I got there at 10:30 (American thinking the mall would be open) and low and behold it would be another 1/2 hour before opening.

Point is..... thinking like an American where all the malls open at 9 am ...thought for sure the mall in Hua Hin would be open NOT........TIT

They are hoping that their "willl" be something different, and not just a carbon copy of all the other mall's, as for markets, well, you get what you pay for dont you. If cheap crap copies and inferior seconds is your thing , up to you !