ICONSIAM in Bangkok is a relatively new mall that’s part of a residential and commercial mixed-use development. It opened in 2018 and has around 525,000 square metres of retail floor space.

Its location along the banks of the Chao Phraya River makes it very accessible. It’s about 5 kilometres or a 14-minute drive from central Bangkok. 

You can also reach it through public transportation via land or water: the BTS or Sky Train Gold Line, several bus routes, and shuttle boats from the Sathorn and Si Phraya Piers.

Some of its anchor tenants include the Siam Takashimaya department store, ICONLUXE, which hosts global luxury brands (like Louis Vuitton, Bvlgari, and Hermes), and SookSiam, which is a cultural centre hosting different local artists and food shops.

ICONSIAM is a lovely mall, which is why it’s not a surprise that many people visit it on any given day. It gets a huge influx of cars too, so you should be patient enough, especially in getting a parking slot.

This mall has amenities like WiFi, wheelchair service, a directory, and a First Aid Room, but its target demographic isn’t the masses — it’s higher-end customers. It’s very evident with the mall’s lack of mid-range tenants like bookstores, athletic stores, and even a supermarket.

Although a premium establishment, ICONSIAM has other shortcomings as well.

Many customers, especially foreigners, don’t understand why the mall staff couldn’t speak good English. It’s a fair criticism because a mall marketing itself as a luxury brand should be able to communicate effectively to global customers.

Some customers also don’t like how the staff interacts with them. Some are rude; some are just plain unhelpful.

In the end, since this is still a young mall, we expect its services and tenant offerings to improve in the coming years.

CentralwOrld in Bangkok is one of the largest shopping complexes in Southeast Asia. It’s conveniently located in the shopping district of Pathum Wan and connected by a bridgeway to different BTS stations and shopping centres. 

We love that centralwOrld is also within walking distance from hotels like Waldorf Astoria, Grand Hyatt, and Renaissance. Its anchor tenants include Central Department Store and SF World Cineplex, with mostly foreign shops in the mall’s seven levels.

The prices of goods and services here are higher than the average price in other Bangkok malls. With the mall in a city centre known for shopping and the presence of many expats, we understand why its stores cater to a more European audience and price point.

This mall went under renovation, so it’s modern and updated. However, we’ve noticed a few significant issues about centralwOrld, one of which is its parking. 

Parking slots are almost always full. The management is also having difficulty honoring its free parking promos (free parking upon presenting proof of relevant purchase from the mall), which irks its customers, including the CleverThai team.

There aren’t any parking spaces for bikes as well.

Customers also have difficulty navigating the mall due to its vast area. We couldn’t believe that centralwOrld’s current website is just an image of a QR code linked to its LINE account and nothing else.

This website certainly doesn’t help visitors prepare for the mall; customers can only rely upon the in-mall directory to navigate the place.

Lastly, instead of being helpful most of the time, the staff isn’t. However, one saving grace of this mall’s staff is that they understand basic English.

If you’re looking for a shopping mall that certainly fits the criteria of being a one-stop shop, then Siam Paragon is the one you’re looking for. It’s right in front of and connected to BTS Siam station in Pathum Wan district, so it’s very easy to reach.

Siam Paragon is considered a luxury mall, but it has amenities and services catering to every walk of life, like its anchor tenants, Paragon Department Store, IT City, and Paragon Cineplex.

One of the mall’s tenants, Gourmet Market, and typical fast food chains are on its ground floor. The main floor above houses many designer brands like Dior, Fendi, and Chanel, but this floor and its upper ones only open at 11 AM.

The most interesting parts of Siam Paragon are its basement and 2nd floors. Its basement has an ocean park (Sealife Bangkok Ocean World) and a car wash, while its second floor is home to several luxury car showrooms.

Lastly, its 4th floor is home to several educational institutions like the Mahidol University College of Music. We are amused that this mall has tenants you wouldn’t find elsewhere.

Since 2022, Siam Paragon has adopted an online payment system for its 4,000 parking slots. However, many customers still don’t like how parking is managed in this mall; some even say that they rarely see staff assisting in the car park.

We hope the mall improves its services, but with all of these offerings inside the mall, we don’t wonder why Siam Paragon is one of Tripadvisor’s Traveler’s Choice awardees for 2022.

One of the standout choices in our list is Terminal 21 along Sukhumvit Road in Asok. You can reach it by car within 18 minutes from central Bangkok or ride the MRT to Sukhumvit station or BTS to Asok station (right in front of the mall). 

Anchor tenants here include Gourmet Market and SF Cinema.

It offers typical amenities for the public like free WiFi, phone charging, wheelchair service, baby strollers, luggage deposit, first aid, and airline web check-in.

Terminal 21 is best known for its international airport theme, which we think is genius. Each of its nine floors represents a particular city like Tokyo, Istanbul, or San Francisco and has primarily international stores.

Its bathrooms follow the global theme as well. Surprisingly, these have bidets and seat warmers, unlike the typical public bathroom.

Terminal 21 is home to many stores ranging from the most economical to the most expensive, but its most famous offering is the Pier 21 Food Court on its 5th floor. We love that it has a lot of local yet very delicious offerings.

It’s just too bad that for Muslims, it’s hard to find halal food in this mall.

Many routine customers also noticed the current decline in the mall’s facilities. It looks sad since many stores have closed lately, and the mall’s bathrooms are mostly dirty and lacking upkeep.

We hope Terminal 21 Asok bounces back to its best state. Many customers wish the same as well.

EmQuartier is another shopping mall along Sukhumvit Road in Bangkok. It’s very accessible, near Phrom Pong BTS station.

This shopping mall is one of the three buildings of developer The M Group’s planned “EM District” (with malls the Emporium and EmSphere). EmQuartier is larger in area than its front neighbor, the Emporium, and encapsulates a much trendier aesthetic.

Its anchor tenants include the Gourmet Market on the ground floor and the food court Quartier Foodhall in the basement. Other popular anchors are the Helix Garden and the Virgin Active Fitness Club, a gym.

It’s a gorgeous mall; however, many customers admitted to us that the layout of the mall is very confusing for them, and we agree. EmQuartier has many stores and dining options divided among a complex of three buildings with nine floors — (It’s that vast!).

Some customers also don’t like the overall feel of the mall — it felt impersonal to them. Perhaps this is because the mall was envisioned to cater to an upscale, higher-end clientele, not the general public. 

It also means that the goods and services in this mall are expensive.

Parking is also an issue here, like in other shopping malls. But in this case, many empty parking spaces are cordoned off or reserved.