MAYA mall opening today!

[tangcoral]

Anyone braving the crowd?

[scotinsiam]

That will make the traffic up there even more of a nightmare... shit

[CMKiwi]

Im steering well clear of the area, I live in Mae Rim but GF has some business out in Hang Dong area. Will go down the main drag towards the city but turn off at the Government offices and take the 1st ring road all the way around to the Big C / HomePro intersection. Its a longer route but sure to be less hassle with traffic.

IMO the intersection of Canal Rd / Huay Kaew, and the intersection of Super Highway / Huay Kaew / Nimmana Haeminda are possibly the worst in CM at anytime. Puts me off the area. Seen quite a few accidents at both areas, mainly idiots on scooters turning into Huay Kaew from the wrong lane as a car drives straight ahead. But TIT....

[arunsakda]

Watching the opening extravaganza rehearsal last night was fun. Looks like they brought a production company in. Dozens of models, and dancing drummers with extravagant costume. All broadcast above on big screen.

[2020]

After everything I read about Promenada, I'm heading there!

[LazyYogi]

Nothing to see here. It's very much half-finished.

I wrote more detail in the other thread.

Maybe these 2 threads should be merged?

[tangcoral]

Edited January 23, 2014 by tangcoral

[chiang mai]

Crazy, one or more of the three have to fail, Promenada, Central Festival or Maya, there isn't enough customers nor money, let's not even begin to discuss Airport Mall and Kad Suan Kow..

[Oscar2]

Crazy, one or more of the three have to fail, Promenada, Central Festival or Maya, there isn't enough customers nor money, let's not even begin to discuss Airport Mall and Kad Suan Kow..

it's totally crazy for a small city like this. OTT! not nearly enough customers or money to justify so many shopping centers. i've already stated which of them i think will be the first to fail. but this new one doesn't seem very promising either. we went to Doi Pui the other day and driving past the Rincon? intersection it seems the only way to get in is to drive up Huay Kaew and make a U turn, come back and turn left into the parking structure. its almost impossible to drive up HK these days at any time of the day before the shopping center. how many people will be stuck in the intersection to queue up to make the u-turn? i think most will give up. its only a shopping center....many others easier to access. walking in? forget it! Thais hate to walk. chok dee.

[tangcoral]

The above pictures were taken at 10:30am, just 30 minutes after the 10am grand opening.

The place definitely felt small and squarish but cozy. I did a whole walk through in less than 30 minutes.

Not enough seating for basement floor eatery area, just a really long narrow table with stool on each side.

About 70% of the stores are opened. The panoramic rooftop view is nice however the view from the 6th floor is limiting, sunbathers would appreciate it more.

Apparently one restaurant were issuing buy 1 get 1 free coupons to their grilled meat buffet thus the long line but it didn't last more than an hour as they stopped handing them out.

Edited January 23, 2014 by tangcoral

[MickeyMaow]

I can't think of anything more boring than a new shopping centre. They're all the same, world over.

[pete66]

The Mall builders have seriously overestimated demand in Chiang Mai. If Maya isn't the last new one for a long time I will be very surprised. How many cinemas do we need?

[Berkshire]

Crazy, one or more of the three have to fail, Promenada, Central Festival or Maya, there isn't enough customers nor money, let's not even begin to discuss Airport Mall and Kad Suan Kow..

it's totally crazy for a small city like this. OTT! not nearly enough customers or money to justify so many shopping centers. i've already stated which of them i think will be the first to fail. but this new one doesn't seem very promising either. we went to Doi Pui the other day and driving past the Rincon? intersection it seems the only way to get in is to drive up Huay Kaew and make a U turn, come back and turn left into the parking structure. its almost impossible to drive up HK these days at any time of the day before the shopping center. how many people will be stuck in the intersection to queue up to make the u-turn? i think most will give up. its only a shopping center....many others easier to access. walking in? forget it! Thais hate to walk. chok dee.

Actually, I've always thought that Chiang Mai could use a few more malls. Two for a city this size just wasn't sufficient, if you don't include the Tesco's and Big C's. But traffic around the Maya is going to be a disaster. I hope I'm wrong, but it's already pretty bad before the Maya even opened. Hopefully everyone not doing business in the area will simply avoid that mess.

[whatsupdoc]

The Mall builders have seriously overestimated demand in Chiang Mai. If Maya isn't the last new one for a long time I will be very surprised. How many cinemas do we need?

Surprise then.... Platinum fashion mall is being constructed near Chiangmai business park (super highway).

[sweatalot]

Where is it?

I' m not living in CM

At the junction super highway Huay Kaew road?

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Crazy, one or more of the three have to fail, Promenada, Central Festival or Maya, there isn't enough customers nor money,

How do you know this? The mall investors likely did their research, along with expected increase in population and wealth over the coming 5 years. Not saying they can't be wrong, but they likely gave it more thought than the average Thaivisa pundit.

Also, competition is good. If two of them prove to be much better than the others then it's just fine if the lesser ones don't make it.

Excluding KSK for now (as it doesn't really compete unless work is done on it), that means four proper malls in the Chiang Mai area. (And pretty much the whole of Northern Thailand). Wikipedia has the population of the Chiang Mai Metropolitan Area (which includes Lamphun) at a million people. Plus tourists. Plus that also for people in, say, Lampang it's an hour and a half to drive over and go shopping.

Four malls does not seem completely unreasonable. Sure, maybe one of them doesn't make it, or shifts focus away from a general mall. That's okay. Maybe the other two new ones only turn a profit in 10 years. That's probably okay too.

[Farangster]

Just what Chiangmai needed another shopping centre for Thai's to wander around and not purchase anything

[chiang mai]

Crazy, one or more of the three have to fail, Promenada, Central Festival or Maya, there isn't enough customers nor money,

How do you know this? The mall investors likely did their research, along with expected increase in population and wealth over the coming 5 years. Not saying they can't be wrong, but they likely gave it more thought than the average Thaivisa pundit.

Also, competition is good. If two of them prove to be much better than the others then it's just fine if the lesser ones don't make it.

Excluding KSK for now (as it doesn't really compete unless work is done on it), that means four proper malls in the Chiang Mai area. (And pretty much the whole of Northern Thailand). Wikipedia has the population of the Chiang Mai Metropolitan Area (which includes Lamphun) at a million people. Plus tourists. Plus that also for people in, say, Lampang it's an hour and a half to drive over and go shopping.

Four malls does not seem completely unreasonable. Sure, maybe one of them doesn't make it, or shifts focus away from a general mall. That's okay. Maybe the other two new ones only turn a profit in 10 years. That's probably okay too.

My common sense tells me although I have been known to be wrong on the odd occasion in the past

This morning I went to Promenada again at around 11:30am, to Rimping to do some shopping, I love that because I get the whole mall to myself and the security guard even packs my groceries and offers to carry them to my car, the check out girls seem overjoyed to see me and always engage me in conversation and two even remember my name - a security guard on roaming "patrol" even stopped right in front of me and practiced his best rent a cop salute!

But as for the CM malls being the only ones in the North, I have to disagree. There's a lovely and large Central Mall in Chiang Rai and there's a series of lesser malls in Lamphun, Lampang and a host of of them in Chiang Mai.

OK so if the planners have done their jobs and the number is right, who am I to argue. Perhaps when they do planning these days they work on the basis of a longer payback and all developers have got in early to beat the anticipated rush, my instinct however tells me that's not the case, I think some folks have screwed up.

Edited January 23, 2014 by chiang mai

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

KSK has nothing to worry about.

I was excited about Maya thinking it might have both a Tops and Rimping. There is going to be a mini Rimping on the 4th floor.

What a joke. Just a bunch of overpriced retailers. It's basically a boutique mall.

I still have hope after a some of them go under.

Might open up some affordable leases for shops I might want to actually visit.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Where is it?

I' m not living in CM

At the junction super highway Huay Kaew road?

Yes. (Rincome intersection, named after the old hotel that was on that corner.)

So that's the end of Nimmanhaemin Rd, start of the super highway.

Edited January 23, 2014 by WinnieTheKhwai

[chrisbacke]

For anyone unfamiliar with the area, it's where Huay Kaew and Nimmanhaemin meet (GPS: 18.801869,98.967657). Google Maps is still showing it as Huay Kaew Plaza (anyone here remember that? When did that go away?), but it's on the northwest corner. Coming by songthaew, just say 'Rincome' for the intersection. It's about a kilometer from the northwest corner of the square, and there are plenty of songthaews waiting to take people to their next destination.

[Larry]

For the first time, we can go shopping, take in a movie, etc. without taking the car or spending time trying to find parking. We live about 300 meters away from Maya in Mooban Nantawan. Going food shopping, arranging for delivery and walking home in ten minutes. What a pleasure! Did anyone see the new Rimping Supermarket?

[skraach]

Crazy, one or more of the three have to fail, Promenada, Central Festival or Maya, there isn't enough customers nor money,

How do you know this? The mall investors likely did their research, along with expected increase in population and wealth over the coming 5 years. Not saying they can't be wrong, but they likely gave it more thought than the average Thaivisa pundit.

Also, competition is good. If two of them prove to be much better than the others then it's just fine if the lesser ones don't make it.

Excluding KSK for now (as it doesn't really compete unless work is done on it), that means four proper malls in the Chiang Mai area. (And pretty much the whole of Northern Thailand). Wikipedia has the population of the Chiang Mai Metropolitan Area (which includes Lamphun) at a million people. Plus tourists. Plus that also for people in, say, Lampang it's an hour and a half to drive over and go shopping.

Four malls does not seem completely unreasonable. Sure, maybe one of them doesn't make it, or shifts focus away from a general mall. That's okay. Maybe the other two new ones only turn a profit in 10 years. That's probably okay too.

Lampang recently got its own Central Plaza mall, and Chiang Rai.

Edited January 23, 2014 by skraach

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

For the first time, we can go shopping, take in a movie, etc. without taking the car or spending time trying to find parking. We live about 300 meters away from Maya in Mooban Nantawan. Going food shopping, arranging for delivery and walking home in ten minutes. What a pleasure! Did anyone see the new Rimping Supermarket?

You might be disappointed.

The Rimping which is not open yet is in a small space on the 4th floor. My guess is that it's a glorified and overpriced mini mart.

What a hassle to get your groceries back out to the street or to a vehicle in the garage.

[khrab]

For the first time, we can go shopping, take in a movie, etc. without taking the car or spending time trying to find parking. We live about 300 meters away from Maya in Mooban Nantawan. Going food shopping, arranging for delivery and walking home in ten minutes. What a pleasure! Did anyone see the new Rimping Supermarket?

Just read !!!

--- quote ---

CobraSnakeNecktie:

I was excited about Maya thinking it might have both a Tops and Rimping. There is going to be a mini Rimping on the 4th floor.

--- unquote ---

[Card]

The Mall builders have seriously overestimated demand in Chiang Mai. If Maya isn't the last new one for a long time I will be very surprised. How many cinemas do we need?

I guess they are looking towards Asean and an influx of Chinese tourists, and maybe Russians and Indians. Eventually the Russians will want to travel beyond Pattaya. All three sets of tourists want luxurious shopping malls and many spend a lot.

[true blue]

just been to maya,very disappointed not a patch on festival,can not belive they have wasted all that space,on such a poor choice of retail outlets,shame really thought it was going to be a good alternitive to ksk,propaly the cinema may be a hit,but not much else,

[Card]

I understand there are open air restaurants, pubs and cafes on the roof garden. I wonder if they will play loud music into the early hours, keeping the neighbours up all night.

[Chicog]

I hope they build some pedestrian overpasses or expect a few hit and runs in the future.

[CMBob]

For the first time, we can go shopping, take in a movie, etc. without taking the car or spending time trying to find parking. We live about 300 meters away from Maya in Mooban Nantawan. Going food shopping, arranging for delivery and walking home in ten minutes. What a pleasure! Did anyone see the new Rimping Supermarket?

You might be disappointed.

The Rimping which is not open yet is in a small space on the 4th floor. My guess is that it's a glorified and overpriced mini mart.

What a hassle to get your groceries back out to the street or to a vehicle in the garage.

Huh? I was there 30 minutes ago, the Rim Ping supermarket is on the bottom floor, and it opened exactly at 4PM. It's not as large as a couple of other Rim Ping stores in the area but I wouldn't call it a "mini." About the same size as the one at Promenada?

I wandered through the entire place and only saw a few spaces that weren't opened as yet. I would note that the roof garden place isn't open and access (the escalators) to that area is blocked off.

Edited January 23, 2014 by CMBob