Bangkok's Pantip Plaza to undergo major facelift to draw customers

[webfact]

Pantip Plaza to undergo major facelift to draw customers



BANGKOK: -- Pantip Plaza, Bangkok’s largest indoor IT product market, is planning a 500-million-baht facelift to meet changing consumer behavior.

Mr Yongyuth Chaichana, managing director of Thippatana Arcade Co, operator of Pantip Plaza said under the 500 million baht facelift budget, a brand refreshment will also be made to better define the 30-year-old complex,

He said the company will spend 300-500 million baht to start renovate Pantip Plaza in the busy Pratunam shopping area, in May and expect to complete early next year.

He emphasized the need to start renovation now that Pantip Plaza is suffering with a 20% reduction in both sales volume and the number of visitors.

He said the companies wanted to reduce the proportion of IT-related products sold at Pantip to 70% this year, down from 90%. The remaining 30% of space will be reserved for food areas, books, bicycles and lifestyle products.

Even though IT products play an important role in people’s daily lives, the industry is on a downward trend, he said.

IT products have now become a commodity, so there is less differentiation between products being sold, he said

Consumers increasingly prefer to purchase technology products at their nearby residential areas or at IT shops in big department stores.

Since its location is in a busy and convenient area with a variety of mass transport and foreign visitors accounted for 30% to Pantip, he believed Pantip will become even more popular under the Asean Economic Community starting late next year.

But at the present unfavorable economic conditions, Pantip will hold its annual Pantip Hot Sale with attractive offerings and heavy discounts at its three plazas from Saturday until April 6.

Pantip Plaza is also at the top of the US government’s “notorious shopping areas.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/pantip-plaza-undergo-major-facelift-draw-customers/

-- Thai PBS 2014-03-26

[hanno]

About time, too. Great place to source electronics, but it gives me the creeps.

[ozsamurai]

They are turning a well known computer/ tech hotspot into a suburban shopping mall. The tourists go there for the tech, the locals go there for the repairs facelift yes, but turning it into a strip Mall, and joining the ranks of the many (Discovery, Platinum, MBK et al) all within closer proximity to the CBD is going to be its downfall..... did you know there is a mall on the opposite side of the intersection before Pantip...... dead... cause its just the same as all the others...

Shame, people will now just move to Ban Moh for REAL tech/repair

Oz

[farang000999]

Interesting article. Pantip Plaza is like a giant thrift store in its current state. Most stores are selling products that are obsolete.

I have no idea why anybody would shop there for computer products unless a complete noob.

Edited March 26, 2014 by farang000999

[JesseFrank]

What they gonna spend the money on ? An excavator to tear the slum down I hope.

[sms747]

will it still be the hub of illegal fakes?

[dddave]

Bangkok has a surfeit of glossy, cookie cutter malls that all sell the same goods. What makes Pantip; Pantip are the individual little shops on the upper floors who sell unique lines of products and yes...a lot of older stock that can not be found anywhere else...the kind of stuff you don't ever think about until you need it. How many times on this forum have people asked where they can find a memory stick or power supply or mother board for a five year old computer? You won't find such things in Power Buy or IT City.

These shops survive because the rents are low and because there are so many under one roof, customers come to Pantip because they know they have a decent chance of finding what they need. Renovation means higher rents and many of those small shops will not be able to remain...that will be our loss.

"Creepy"?? A "slum"?? What are you on? If you only want to walk on polished marble floors then stick with Paragon, Gaysorn, Emporium and all the other temples to homogenized retail excess.

Pantip is like an old style market bazaar and of one thing we all can be sure...after it is gone, the lamentations for its loss will flow more loudly than the protest of it's imminent change.

[Tomtomtom69]

If they reduce the proportion of IT related goods, then what will be the point of visiting the then so-called "IT hub"? If it's going to turn into just another mall, I think I'll stick to my closest suburban mall, which features free parking and without all the traffic issues. Besides, Pantip doesn't really sell anything that say Mega Bang Na or Fashion Island doesn't. If I'm in the market for a new computer, I'll easily find both a great range and similar prices to Pantip.

[Curt1591]

Pantip is one of my favorite malls. But, not the one in Pratunam.

I like Pantip Ngamwongwan.

I happens to have a make up closer to what has been proposed for Pratunam. And, believe me, it is nothing resembling "cookie cutter". In fact, the top floor almost seems like an indoor Chatuchak!

[impulse]

I'd be happy if I didn't have to dodge a dozen aggressive porn hawkers just to get to the IT stuff.

[thesetat2013]

will it still be the hub of illegal fakes?

It will take a lot more than 500 mil baht to get rid of people selling fakes there

That money isnt enough to keep those men from shoving porn dvds to everyone as they walk by

Sent from my GT-S5310 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Dogmatix]

Interesting article. Pantip Plaza is like a giant thrift store in its current state. Most stores are selling products that are obsolete.

I have no idea why anybody would shop there for computer products unless a complete noob.

Value for money is rather poor. Looking for a high end ultrabook there the other day I found a special dumbed down Thai edition of the Acer UX301 LA with only "full" HD screen, selling for a bit more than the full spec version sells for in the US with the higher res WQHD screen. I don't know if the WQHD screen really adds much but, if I have to pay for it, I think I deserve to have it. The import duty on computers is zero, so there is no excuse for this price gouging of Thai consumers. I am going to buy my ultrabook from overseas.

[NCFC]

Pantip is an iconic store but it's heydey was during an era which is now fading away. The owner is right, computers are now a commodity item. The upper floors of Pantip are mostly empty of customers even though I personally love wandering around the place.

Hopefully the owner can find a balance. Bring in the stores that sell stuff people want to buy nowadays but keep a floor for the little repair shops and the computer geeks

[WhizBang]

He said the companies wanted to reduce the proportion of IT-related products sold at Pantip to 70% this year, down from 90%. The remaining 30% of space will be reserved for food areas, books, bicycles and lifestyle products.

So they are going to take the iconic IT center and turn it into another me too shopping center? A couple of years from, one will be luck if there is one floor left devoted to IT.

Fortune and MBK are also undergoing 'facelifts', and in so doing, losing their charm. Progress is not always good.

[goutngrump]

I long ago switched from Pantip to Fortune Town, Rama 9 metro. Smaller but no crowds, no porn, and no fahrang pricing. Tesco Lotus in the same building - I buy accessories there because they have a 7 day no quibble return policy (some staff cannot believe that is possible in Thailand, but you can insist).

[sam sen]

 

They are turning a well known computer/ tech hotspot into a suburban shopping mall. The tourists go there for the tech, the locals go there for the repairs facelift yes, but turning it into a strip Mall, and joining the ranks of the many (Discovery, Platinum, MBK et al) all within closer proximity to the CBD is going to be its downfall..... did you know there is a mall on the opposite side of the intersection before Pantip...... dead... cause its just the same as all the others...

Shame, people will now just move to Ban Moh for REAL tech/repair

Oz

right, it's full of vacant shops and hardly any customers. the location doesn't help but the design and customers its aimed at? hopeless.

 

[goutngrump]

I long ago switched from Pantip to Fortune Town, Rama 9 metro. Smaller but no crowds, no porn, and no fahrang pricing. Tesco Lotus in the same building - I buy accessories there because they have a 7 day no quibble return policy (some staff cannot believe that is possible in Thailand, but you can insist).

[JoeThePoster]

Hope they make a bigger section for porno DVD's and pirated software, with clear signage.

[MGP]

I would be happy if they just improve the food facilities. The Food Court is awful, and the S&P restaurant at the ground floor is insipid.

[chainarong]

I don't no, there is a lot knocking this project on T.V., but I would like to think that they are looking into the future, so that when the tourists come back to Thailand in ten years time, they will gasp in amazing Thailand , of course over the next few months it could be burnt to the ground as well.

[givenall]

Interesting article. Pantip Plaza is like a giant thrift store in its current state. Most stores are selling products that are obsolete.

I have no idea why anybody would shop there for computer products unless a complete noob.

I never understood why there are 10s of stores selling same crap, same at mbk 4th floor

Sent from my C1904 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[speedtripler]

there is no point in doing it up with 500 million baht worth of refurbishments if people cant get anywhere near it because of 50-100 taxis,touts ,tour guides and tuk tuks parked 3 abreast shouting at the tourists or trying to sell them porn ............

get rid of them first and improve the access so people can get in and out without wasting half a day or more and then consider upgrading the decor ......

[Katipo]

Yayyyyy.... the Arabs can buy their porn in a more classy environment.

[belg]

yes we need more same same shopping malls with 100 restaurants and beauty whitening/slimming shops

[sprq]

All they need to do:

* Quadruple the number of lifts

* Double the number of escalators

* Cut the noise

The only real problems of this mall are the terrible vertical access and the appalling bedlam of noise. The touts that a lot of people complain about are easily avoided/ignored.

Shifting the whole place next to a BTS or MRT station would be an excellent idea too but I don't think the budget will allow it.

[Utley]

A large layout map by floor as you enter would be nice so you can find the item you came for without wandering around aimlessly for hours.

[pkspeaker]

the us always has better deals on electronics than thailand, larger market, even though the goods are made in asia, the us has always had the better deals.. just remember to factor in the us sales tax-put on top of the listed price, here it is included in the listed price here.

Interesting article. Pantip Plaza is like a giant thrift store in its current state. Most stores are selling products that are obsolete.

I have no idea why anybody would shop there for computer products unless a complete noob.

Value for money is rather poor. Looking for a high end ultrabook there the other day I found a special dumbed down Thai edition of the Acer UX301 LA with only "full" HD screen, selling for a bit more than the full spec version sells for in the US with the higher res WQHD screen. I don't know if the WQHD screen really adds much but, if I have to pay for it, I think I deserve to have it. The import duty on computers is zero, so there is no excuse for this price gouging of Thai consumers. I am going to buy my ultrabook from overseas.

[HeavyDrinker]

I've not been there in almost 6 years since the advent of reliable high speed internet in Thailand coupled with the tech lads at work being able to solve any IT problems I've had in seconds, rendered it's usefulness to me obsolete as I'm sure many others too.

I'm staggered the place has lasted so long to be honest.

That said, it was an OK place for gadgetry and the like. It worked well for me and the missus. She'd pop off and fill her face while I pottered around waiting an eternity for my goods to be ready or to find what I needed....

I think most people are raising an eyebrow and sucking a thoughtful tooth at the use of the word 'facelift' as ideas of what a 'facelift' means in Thailand usually means ripping the place to shreds and leaving it utterly unrecognisable from how it once was, not always for the best.

See what they've done to Muang Thong Thani around Impact for evidence of that....It used to be quite a funky little neighbourhood with some nice little bars and restaurants plus a belting fresh seafood restaurant with some delicious beer-girls, and an OK market too, now it's just a souless parade of TESCO/BigC/TOPS locals and 7-11s

[kkerry]

They might be taking a lead from IT Square at Laksi. When it was relaunched it had a much higher percentage of computer shops than it has now, with a wider range of shops and a good supermarket. It can get really crowded there at times so seems they made the correct move.

[wileycoyote]

All change