Whatever happened to The Avenues?

[newnative]

36 minutes ago, giddyup said:

What I don't get is why locally made items like furniture are more expensive than in western countries. Surely low labour costs should make similar items cheaper.

I think furniture is much cheaper here than USA.  And, when I say that I mean everything from sofas and chairs , to custom kitchen cabinets, to bedroom furniture, to granite-topped dining room tables, you name it.  Store bought or custom made, I find it's cheaper here.  I did condo renovations in USA and I would have never even considered doing a custom kitchen there--it would have been way, way out of my budget.  Not here.  In America it was usually laminate counters.  Here, it's always granite because I can easily afford it--and the labor to install it.

[anotheruser]

Slowly dying.
As an occasional visitor I notice that quite clearly.
Use the entrance from Soi 15 and it has a "deserted" look/feel.
 
Open air shopping centers in hot climate.
Epic failure.
And too many competitors.
Another mall, another mall, another mall ...
Even Pattaya seems to have limits.

Open air shopping center isn't the kiss of death. The Green Belt in Manila does very well and it is open air. I stayed near the Avenue one time at some place called reef something or other and it had nothing to sell.

That was years ago but the street market places just added to a cheap nasty feel. The shops in the complex proper had nothing really to offer just some nike shops next to a gym.

The fact that it is an outdoor mall didn't do it in. The fact it was an outdoor mall with no seating, fountains, attractions, character, class etc. are the reasons it failed.


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[LongTimeLurker]

4 hours ago, giddyup said:

What I don't get is why locally made items like furniture are more expensive than in western countries. Surely low labour costs should make similar items cheaper.

 

Ans when you buy them cheaper in western countries they are stamped "Made in Thailand" !!!

[bkk6060]

15 hours ago, champers said:

Had the big breakfast at RH the other day. Enormous would be a more accurate description and very good it was too.

 

Yes, and its 295 b.  Can get similar in town for 100 b.

The burger here is 395 b!

 

I checked it out last night at 930 pm.  About 8 people inside drinking.

Sorry, but I believe this place is way over priced for the market.  The location and prices will probably be its demise same as the former tenants.

[giddyup]

14 hours ago, newnative said:

I think furniture is much cheaper here than USA.  And, when I say that I mean everything from sofas and chairs , to custom kitchen cabinets, to bedroom furniture, to granite-topped dining room tables, you name it.  Store bought or custom made, I find it's cheaper here.  I did condo renovations in USA and I would have never even considered doing a custom kitchen there--it would have been way, way out of my budget.  Not here.  In America it was usually laminate counters.  Here, it's always granite because I can easily afford it--and the labor to install it.

I paid much more for a similar bed here than in Australia, bedroom furniture like side tables, nearly double for similar items at home. Same for sheets, towels etc.  There is cheap furniture here, if you don't mind rubbish made from particle board.

Edited January 2, 2017 by giddyup

[newnative]

1 hour ago, giddyup said:

I paid much more for a similar bed here than in Australia, bedroom furniture like side tables, nearly double for similar items at home. Same for sheets, towels etc.  There is cheap furniture here, if you don't mind rubbish made from particle board.

I'm from USA so I don't know OZ prices. Furniture here is cheaper than USA. Lots of USA furniture is particle board with a thin wood veneer.  I usually have custom furniture made here because I can get the exact dimensions and design I want, made with the wood I want, at a reasonable cost.  Could never do that in USA as the cost would be too high--if I could even find someone to do it. 

[JSixpack]

18 hours ago, chrisandsu said:

I can't  see how any stores in thailand actually make money ! For example  samsonite suitcases I bought back home are a quarter of the price they sell for in the mall . A tourist would have to be off his head to go shopping in a mall in thailand ! I was in central mall in Chang Mai yesterday was there for a good 5 hours and only see two shopping bags . Restaurants and food courts must be the only ones making money 

 

Upscale malls have always been an impossibility to our near-sighted members following the ol' My Eyeballs At Random Intervals rule of mall success. Hence the confident prophecies that Siam Paragon (and Central World and of course CentralFestival Pattaya Beach) would fail when it was opened (another white elephant!) for example (note the invocation of "food court"):

 

Quote

cclub75

 Posted January 17, 2006

 

dannishgung said:

I really doubt Siam Paragon can survive. All the major brand names like Channel, Hermes, LV, Gucci, Ferragamo, Versace ect all schedule to open in there. The major target of over 70% sales still target foreign tourists especially Japanese and other foreign customers.

 

Indeed. And what about the "Zara" and "Mango" shops (not yet opened) ?

Thoses are 2 cheaps clothes brands (from Spain), in Europe ! It's very tasty to see thoses in "Siam Parangon".... the Parangon of the "Asian luxury bad taste".

 

Anyway, I agree, I foresee zero future for this shopping mall (it was full of people... underground in the food court).

 

As for prices... even electronic devices are cheaper in Europe (even with a VAT of 19.6 % !) Because the market is bigger, with volumes.

 

      --http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/57131-good-bye-bangkok-shopping/

 

It's wrapped up in other rules of TVF Poster Economics such as Fixed Pie (fundamental principle; read more here), Only One Needed, Got One Already, Only Farangs Have Money, Looking Not Buying, etc.

 

 

16 hours ago, chrisandsu said:

Nothing new but when a town like Pattaya is built on tourism it won't get very far trying to intice holiday makers with a far more exspensive shoppping trip . 

 

Posters (and writers in the Mailbag section of the Pattaya Mail) have been predicting a dire future for Pattaya for decades.

 

Actually it's got quite far already and looks on track to continue its development by doing more of the same. Of course it depends on how "far" is defined. We do have a brigade firmly believing in the perpetual Pattaya Downhill Spiral. By that view Pattaya "died" many years ago, you see. But then corpse of Pattaya still gets perpetually exhumed, declared DEAD, autopsied, and then reburied again . . . and again . . . and again . . . right up to the present day.

 

[giddyup]

58 minutes ago, newnative said:

I'm from USA so I don't know OZ prices. Furniture here is cheaper than USA. Lots of USA furniture is particle board with a thin wood veneer.  I usually have custom furniture made here because I can get the exact dimensions and design I want, made with the wood I want, at a reasonable cost.  Could never do that in USA as the cost would be too high--if I could even find someone to do it. 

I actually showed the price disparity in an earlier post. A handmade solid wood (Oak) bedside table was by far cheaper in the UK than a similar item (Rubberwood) here. Generally speaking I find most consumer items cheaper at home than here. The only things I found noticeably cheaper here were fridges and washing machines.

[Nice Boyd]

Anyone know the name of that new British restaurant? 

Robin Hood, Retox guys


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[newnative]

13 minutes ago, giddyup said:

I actually showed the price disparity in an earlier post. A handmade solid wood (Oak) bedside table was by far cheaper in the UK than a similar item (Rubberwood) here. Generally speaking I find most consumer items cheaper at home than here. The only things I found noticeably cheaper here were fridges and washing machines.

Sounds like there are good prices in OZ and the UK.   From a USA perspective, I find furniture to be cheaper here and you have the option to have custom pieces made at a reasonable cost--something I couldn't afford in USA.  I always have bedside tables custom made here as the ones in the stores are mostly only around 40 centimeters tall and I usually need a 60 centimeter height--and drawers.

[Jingthing]

1 minute ago, Nice Boyd said:

Robin Hood, Retox guys


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Yes, that had already been answered. 

[giddyup]

3 minutes ago, newnative said:

Sounds like there are good prices in OZ and the UK.   From a USA perspective, I find furniture to be cheaper here and you have the option to have custom pieces made at a reasonable cost--something I couldn't afford in USA.  I always have bedside tables custom made here as the ones in the stores are mostly only around 40 centimeters tall and I usually need a 60 centimeter height--and drawers.

Where have you had them made? I'm after a pair of bedside tables.

[newnative]

3 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Where have you had them made? I'm after a pair of bedside tables.

We've used several different ones but I don't want to make any recommendations. 

[sharecropper]

1 hour ago, JSixpack said:

 

Upscale malls have always been an impossibility to our near-sighted members following the ol' My Eyeballs At Random Intervals rule of mall success. Hence the confident prophecies that Siam Paragon (and Central World and of course CentralFestival Pattaya Beach) would fail when it was opened (another white elephant!) for example (note the invocation of "food court"):

 

      --http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/57131-good-bye-bangkok-shopping/

 

It's wrapped up in other rules of TVF Poster Economics such as Fixed Pie (fundamental principle; read more here), Only One Needed, Got One Already, Only Farangs Have Money, Looking Not Buying, etc.

 

 

 

Posters (and writers in the Mailbag section of the Pattaya Mail) have been predicting a dire future for Pattaya for decades.

 

Actually it's got quite far already and looks on track to continue its development by doing more of the same. Of course it depends on how "far" is defined. We do have a brigade firmly believing in the perpetual Pattaya Downhill Spiral. By that view Pattaya "died" many years ago, you see. But then corpse of Pattaya still gets perpetually exhumed, declared DEAD, autopsied, and then reburied again . . . and again . . . and again . . . right up to the present day.

 

Are you going to upgrade your standard, repetitive comments for the New Year? Or can we just enjoy the same one again and again? I just feel sure you have more to offer than obsessing about other posters' old opinions all the time.

[Yahooka]

I paid much more for a similar bed here than in Australia, bedroom furniture like side tables, nearly double for similar items at home. Same for sheets, towels etc.  There is cheap furniture here, if you don't mind rubbish made from particle board.

Agree. I come from a high cost country (Norway) and furniture there are cheaper and of better quality than the one I've found in Thailand...... And that goes for most of the other household items as well.

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[Roger Lee]

I miss Shenanigans with their texmex food and awesome frozen margaritas.

 

Apparently it's all about location, location, location.

[BruceMangosteen]

2 hours ago, giddyup said:

The only things I found noticeably cheaper here were fridges and washing machines.

 

Fridges do in fact work and have a long life, available at a reasonable price.

 

Washing machines on the other hand, don't even wash clothes, they merely slosh them around in soapy water, (I'm told this is Aussie style?) vs a truly American washer which has vigor and thrust the clothes about causing a true wash. I"ve seem some of these real machines on sale here for about 35,000.Baht. Anything else you may as well have your maid/GF(if she's not spoiled yet "call the house boy")/wife(if she's willing to do such work after marriage"hire a maid") clean your clothes by hand. 

[giddyup]

17 minutes ago, BruceMangosteen said:

 

Fridges do in fact work and have a long life, available at a reasonable price.

 

Washing machines on the other hand, don't even wash clothes, they merely slosh them around in soapy water, (I'm told this is Aussie style?) vs a truly American washer which has vigor and thrust the clothes about causing a true wash. I"ve seem some of these real machines on sale here for about 35,000.Baht. Anything else you may as well have your maid/GF(if she's not spoiled yet "call the house boy")/wife(if she's willing to do such work after marriage"hire a maid") clean your clothes by hand. 

Oddly enough, I don't work in a coal mine, abattoirs or on an oil derrick, so my clothes only require a gentle wash, not pounded by rocks down at the river.

[KittenKong]

46 minutes ago, BruceMangosteen said:

 

Washing machines on the other hand, don't even wash clothes, they merely slosh them around in soapy water, (I'm told this is Aussie style?) vs a truly American washer which has vigor and thrust the clothes about causing a true wash.

 

My 6000B top-loader works just fine, thanks.

[JSixpack]

2 hours ago, sharecropper said:

Are you going to upgrade your standard, repetitive comments for the New Year? Or can we just enjoy the same one again and again? I just feel sure you have more to offer than obsessing about other posters' old opinions all the time.

 

You can't upgrade perfection, pal. :) And I'm gon' keep on laughing at silliness and pointing out its historic tradition on our great forum. Very helpful for our noobs.  

 

Now I think it's time to stop your stalking and obsessing about me in particular, as you have no cogent arguments. I've put up with it for a while but looks like I may need to get you, as others, some professional help from our therapists standing by, if you know what I mean. Sorry your posts got refuted and I used some o' them ol' Big Words but just gon' have to finally get over it I guess--or set me to Ignore. :)

[LongTimeLurker]

Has the new micro-brew pub at The Avenue started producing it's own beers yet?

Edited January 2, 2017 by LongTimeLurker

[londoedan]

3 hours ago, sharecropper said:

Are you going to upgrade your standard, repetitive comments for the New Year? Or can we just enjoy the same one again and again? I just feel sure you have more to offer than obsessing about other posters' old opinions all the time.

True that - like a worn-out record.

[BruceMangosteen]

7 hours ago, KittenKong said:

 

My 6000B top-loader works just fine, thanks.

You aren't in England any longer mate. American's like their clothes clean. Cheers.

[chrisandsu]

10 hours ago, JSixpack said:

 

Upscale malls have always been an impossibility to our near-sighted members following the ol' My Eyeballs At Random Intervals rule of mall success. Hence the confident prophecies that Siam Paragon (and Central World and of course CentralFestival Pattaya Beach) would fail when it was opened (another white elephant!) for example (note the invocation of "food court"):

 

      --http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/57131-good-bye-bangkok-shopping/

 

It's wrapped up in other rules of TVF Poster Economics such as Fixed Pie (fundamental principle; read more here), Only One Needed, Got One Already, Only Farangs Have Money, Looking Not Buying, etc.

 

 

 

Posters (and writers in the Mailbag section of the Pattaya Mail) have been predicting a dire future for Pattaya for decades.

 

Actually it's got quite far already and looks on track to continue its development by doing more of the same. Of course it depends on how "far" is defined. We do have a brigade firmly believing in the perpetual Pattaya Downhill Spiral. By that view Pattaya "died" many years ago, you see. But then corpse of Pattaya still gets perpetually exhumed, declared DEAD, autopsied, and then reburied again . . . and again . . . and again . . . right up to the present day.

 

Bkk and Pattaya have very different demo graphs don't try to Compare the two

as Pattaya has zero

industry other then tourism . 

Edited January 2, 2017 by chrisandsu

[digbeth]

14 hours ago, chrisandsu said:

Bkk and Pattaya have very different demo graphs don't try to Compare the two

as Pattaya has zero

industry other then tourism . 

 

But the surrounding areas are full of Industry, and people who work there do live in Pattaya or are in half an hour drive of Pattaya

To be fair, Bangkok probably has less Industry output than Chonburi

[DMC1]

 

But the surrounding areas are full of Industry, and people who work there do live in Pattaya or are in half an hour drive of Pattaya

To be fair, Bangkok probably has less Industry output than Chonburi

That's right and if we're also on about tourism then this needs to include the many Thai people from Bangkok and other areas that visit Pattaya at the weekends/holidays.

Back to the Avenue it's always been a strange one that place. I think I've been there less than 10 times since it opened and probably half of those was to have a look in the supermarket.

[chrisandsu]

4 hours ago, digbeth said:

 

But the surrounding areas are full of Industry, and people who work there do live in Pattaya or are in half an hour drive of Pattaya

To be fair, Bangkok probably has less Industry output than Chonburi

You mean siricha and rayong that already has plenty of malls ? my point is the over saturation . It's a bit like saying we need more shop houses ....I don't want to get into

An arguement on who has way more high paying and wealthy people as that would be pointless ! as we all know bkk is streets ahead of the eastern seaboard but if you want to convince yourself otherwise then ill just agree with you .

[JSixpack]

On 1/2/2017 at 9:28 PM, chrisandsu said:

Bkk and Pattaya have very different demo graphs don't try to Compare the two

as Pattaya has zero

industry other then tourism . 

 

I'm not comparing them two "demo graphs." But after all you were referring to "ANY stores in thailand" actually making money and specifically "central mall in Chang Mai." I'm simply pointing out, as your own post verifies, that to our average TVF Poster any new mall anywhere has always been one too many and is destined to fail--for the same reasons everywhere in thailand.

 

CentralFestival Pattaya Beach, which I mentioned, "oversaturated" the Pattaya market because of all of our economists' usual rules: Fixed Pie (fundamental principle in the TVF economics Standard Model; read more here), Only One Needed, Got One Already, Only Farangs Have Money, Looking Not Buying, etc. You see we already had Royal Garden (in the upscale market) and that was all that would ever be needed. Central was gonna charge Bangkok prices!!! Impossible. Hence it was firmly predicted to fail; indeed some of our most distinguished economists still delude themselves that they've discovered fresh confirmation that it's going to fail just any time now as predicted nearly 8 years ago.

 

Yet it's doing better than ever. OMG. We seemed to have, like, missed something.

 

So guess you'll just have to consider it one o' them unfathomable Mysteries Of The Orient. Nor would I place any faith in dire prophecies. Well, I'm off to see a movie at the "deserted" mall today.

Edited January 4, 2017 by JSixpack

[champers]

La La Land?

[TheJayMan]

Here are two reasons, besides the ones already mentioned, that make the Central Festival Mall better than the Avenues Mall.

 

1.) The Avenues doesn't have the parking for the Double Decker Tour buses or the connections to draw them.  The intelligent, beautiful and wealthy Chinese tourists that are adored and worshiped by most Thais.  They are among the most desirable customers for shops to have.

 

2.) The Avenues allows street vendors to set up there shops on the lawn area and sidewalk in front of their mall.  The vendors sell cheap Chinese made clothes and souvenirs.  They undercut  the prices of the items in the shops in the mall.

 

 

Edited January 4, 2017 by TheJayMan