Back to promenada

[ericpasansai]

I drove past today and felt like a treat to have with a coffee. It was about 2:30 and really really empty but maybe all malls are empty are empty at that time. Anyway I went to rim ping bakery and bought was labeled a "cheese muffin". I drove home, made a pot of coffee and I'm not exaggerating it was not edible. I chewed it but it had a waxy coating over the top. When I tried to pry the paper off the bottom most of the muffin came away. So let me encapsulate I bought a Cheese muffin, it was labeled raisin muffin. It had no taste. It was like chewing cardboard. So I had a ginger snap instead

[Mestizo]

I'm really glad I left Chiang Mai and moved down to Bangkok. By the sounds of it, life up there in Chiang Mai is becoming incrediably tough and borderline unbearable.

Hope things get better for you soon!

-Mestizo

[2020]

I don't get it. You didn't have a cheese muffin, nor did you have a raisin muffin. So you didn't really have a muffin at all, even though you say you are not exaggerating and bought a muffin without tasting it?

[eyecatcher]

I'm really glad I left Chiang Mai and moved down to Bangkok. By the sounds of it, life up there in Chiang Mai is becoming incrediably tough and borderline unbearable.

Hope things get better for you soon!

-Mestizo

No its just eric, he has the current accolade of most boring and miserable poster.

Sorry eric lad...getting thro the thai visa initiation is a bumpy ride and you have to mix serious with humour....and also have courtesy of replying to your questions.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

^ I'm getting more and more convinced he's doing a low-intensity type of trolling.

Even on his topics that are potentially interesting he doesn't typically follow up.

[richard10365]

Sorry to hear about your negative experience ericpasansal. Try the milkshakes on the second floor in the milk shop...very tasty.

I love Chiang Mai and while I think Promenada had a terrible grand opening, now I think it is a great mall to hang out in. It's not too crowded, lots of choices to eat, and it looks very nice. Everything I eat there taste great!

[Oscar2]

I love Chiang Mai and while I think Promenada had a terrible grand opening, now I think it is a great mall to hang out in. It's not too crowded...

ain't that the truth...it's not too crowded. i doubt there are ever more than 100 people there each day. don't see how it will make it.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

I love Chiang Mai and while I think Promenada had a terrible grand opening, now I think it is a great mall to hang out in. It's not too crowded...

ain't that the truth...it's not too crowded. i doubt there are ever more than 100 people there each day. don't see how it will make it.

Right, though for as long as it lasts, it now actually makes a lot of sense to go either for food (some nice Japanese places and a Duke's) or get groceries at Rim Ping and still be able to park easily nearby.

It's great!

[northernjohn]

I'm really glad I left Chiang Mai and moved down to Bangkok. By the sounds of it, life up there in Chiang Mai is becoming incrediably tough and borderline unbearable.

Hope things get better for you soon!

-Mestizo

If it is not to big of an inconvenience to you could you tell all the people from Bangkok how good it is down there and how bad it is here so that they will go back to Bangkok?

They are making a mess of are traffic.

[Chicog]

So....

Anyway I went to rim ping bakery and bought was labeled a "cheese muffin".

and yet

So let me encapsulate I bought a Cheese muffin, it was labeled raisin muffin.

So basically you're just blathering, aren't you?

[mesquite]

^ I'm getting more and more convinced he's doing a low-intensity type of trolling.

Even on his topics that are potentially interesting he doesn't typically follow up.

Yep, WTK, I think you figured it out.

[sustento]

[chiang mai]

I also was at Promenada today during mid afternoon and indeed it was very quiet, I also went to Rimping to do my shopping and the check out girls seemed glad of the company - I fear for the future of Promenada.

But I was also in the bakery section of Rimping, buying a loaf of five grain bread and four of their custard pies, both are simply to die for and really fresh, given the number of staff standing around trying to keep themselves busy it's no surprise. Have to say that on balance my experience of Rimping is that I am almost never dissatisfied with the quality of their goods.

[iainiain101]

went in Wine Connection around 2.30 today and asked for a meal and the wine or beer list. No achohol between 2 and 5 we were told so we went elsewhere.

[funcat]

...and the ice rink it's a 'no go'...should of open this month,but when asked,nobody knows when..I've picked inside,looks like a storage and nobody around....sad,my daughter was really waiting for it,since the Festival rink is so crowded....

[onthedarkside]

3 off topic posts removed.

[LarryBird]

Promenada is one of the real catastrophes of modern times. How could something that horrendous be built? Terrible parking, ridiculous lay out, lame shops, lousy food court, over priced kids area... nice work, lol.. Let's watch them stay open for a zillion years with vacant stores, and never lower the rent..

Will be fun to watch.

Nice execution.

[15Peter20]

Half the shops in the food court have closed down since its opening. The remaining vendors confirm that it is because of lack of customers.

[Oscar2]

Sorry to hear about your negative experience ericpasansal. Try the milkshakes on the second floor in the milk shop...very tasty.

I love Chiang Mai and while I think Promenada had a terrible grand opening, now I think it is a great mall to hang out in. It's not too crowded, lots of choices to eat, and it looks very nice. Everything I eat there taste great!

Me and the misses like it as well. We like the fact that its not crowded, and we like the landscape design. Noticed that even when the mall seems empty, there are quite a few people eating in the restaurants. I think once H & M move in it will bring more people. Give it some time, it will grow.

we all like a quiet place to ourselves but that does not provide the income to make a large place like Promenada a going concern. as for the restaurants, here is my observation: - i was there last week for about 9 hours over a 3 day period of time. we had business meetings and chose the Promenada as it was a good 1/2 way point for us and our associates. we patronized a couple of coffee shops for the meetings and afterwards we walked all over and each day we also shopped in Rimping which is very nice. during the entire time we were there, we never saw a single customer in any of the restaurants with the exception of the Dukes. the Japanese restaurants upstairs did not have a single customer. there were about 10 employees in each but not one customer. the few people walking around there were practically mobbed by restaurant employees attempting to lure people in. we went to the food court and only about 1/2 the vendors were open. there were no more than 4 people eating at the time. we didn't like the feeling and left. there are many, many vendors throughout the mall who have already packed it in as evidenced by their deserted stalls. the large bar downstairs has closed.

it seems like a poorly thought out and executed plan. sure i like it because it is quiet but how long can it go on?

[eyecatcher]

I have never been and doubt I ever will, but surely the developer must have done a marketing feasibility study at the beginning, and I am sure the banks would have wanted some comfort that a loan could be repaid.

Are there many moo baan estates around there? There must be

Then for each shop lessee, why did they take on a lease....they must have seen the potential either that or they are so stupid and just follow the rest of the sheep.

These businesses need to build in a massive first two year loss before a turnaround and it seems many cannot afford that and then the spiral increases, shops close because other shops closed....sheep again.

United we stand....divided we fall

[LarryBird]

There are a lot of moobans out that.. One thing about that place, (and I could be wrong), is that it's tricky to get into unless you're coming from the direction of the airport..

I have talked with Thai people who said they like to go there to read because it's so quiet. In my opinion, the only thing it has going for it is that it looks cool from the outside.

[Chicog]

The definition of a white elephant. At least Maya has a reasonable number of people in close proximity.

[clokwise]

Visited there for the first time last month and everything I'd heard about the place was true - bad parking, empty shops, etc. We decided to have dinner at one of the new Japanese restaurants. Once settled in I realized the other customers in the place were in fact all off-duty staff and their friends hanging out - my wife and I were the only real customers. Food was ok, but I had to rush home with a very upset stomach. Yeah, I guess I actually prefer the noise and crowds at Central Festival, and perhaps a lesser chance of eating expired food too.

Someone who works at a shop there told me that the group which built Promenada are now soliciting investors for a similar mall in Myanmar. Anyone else heard this?

[Oscar2]

Visited there for the first time last month and everything I'd heard about the place was true - bad parking, empty shops, etc. We decided to have dinner at one of the new Japanese restaurants. Once settled in I realized the other customers in the place were in fact all off-duty staff and their friends hanging out - my wife and I were the only real customers. Food was ok, but I had to rush home with a very upset stomach. Yeah, I guess I actually prefer the noise and crowds at Central Festival, and perhaps a lesser chance of eating expired food too.

Someone who works at a shop there told me that the group which built Promenada are now soliciting investors for a similar mall in Myanmar. Anyone else heard this?

bad parking? at first this was the case. but now, there are more vacant parking spots than anywhere else. piece of cake to pull in and get a spot near the door which is handy if you are shopping at Rimping.

[Chicog]

Food was ok, but I had to rush home with a very upset stomach.

That's your definition of "OK"?!

[PostmanPat]

Promenadas great if you want Coffee Shops (about 20 in there!), followed by a visit to an Optical Shop (about 5 in there, mostly next to each other!), then a visit to a Pharmacy Type Shop (about 5 in there, some next door to each other!)

For most other things, go to Airport Plaza (bigger and better), Festival Mall (much bigger and much better) . Dont know who thought up the Promenada concept and the distribution of retail outlets within, but they did a pretty poor job in my view!

Its the shop holders I feel sorry for. They will have committed to lengthy expensive leases, and many if not all will be losing money.

The idea that its a place to eat and drink is flawed too. You cant have a bottle of wine between 2 and 5 (Thai Law I know but thought you could have a drink in a restaurant?), and there have been stories on Thai Visa about people going to restaurants there in the evening and virtually having the lights turned out half way through dinner!

Is there a way to save this place? I hope so, because I dont like to see people losing money, but I think it needs a pretty major rethink at the earliest opportunity.

Edited January 16, 2014 by PostmanPat

[beau thai]

There are a lot of moobans out that.. One thing about that place, (and I could be wrong), is that it's tricky to get into unless you're coming from the direction of the airport..

I have talked with Thai people who said they like to go there to read because it's so quiet. In my opinion, the only thing it has going for it is that it looks cool from the outside.

'is that it's tricky to get into unless you're coming from the direction of the airport..' Actually, it's easy to get into from all directions if you use the 'side' entrance

[WinnieTheKhwai]

The definition of a white elephant. At least Maya has a reasonable number of people in close proximity.

Let's wait and see what will happen with traffic at Rincome intersection for the ones not walking there.. (i.e. almost everyone)

[LarryBird]

There are a lot of moobans out that.. One thing about that place, (and I could be wrong), is that it's tricky to get into unless you're coming from the direction of the airport..

I have talked with Thai people who said they like to go there to read because it's so quiet. In my opinion, the only thing it has going for it is that it looks cool from the outside.

'is that it's tricky to get into unless you're coming from the direction of the airport..' Actually, it's easy to get into from all directions if you use the 'side' entrance

Thanks, I'll have to do some adventuring.

[Tywais]

Post and reply having a go at a sponsor removed.