Central Plaza: Shopping & Movies
My first time visiting Thailand I wasn’t sure what to expect as far as shopping malls and department stores, or if they even had such a thing in Thailand. Maybe all shopping was done at the night markets? I was completely clueless, as I know many of my friends and family are (no offense!), so we decided to bring you some enlightenment. To my surprise, and delight, Thailand is full of upscale shopping centers and movie theaters (that play movies in English!). Central Plaza is found in most cities throughout Thailand, and fortunately, we have one right down the road from us in Khon Kaen.
One thing I found a little odd, but extremely logical, is the layout of the mall. The stores are divided among 5 floors categorically. For example, one floor will have food, one floor for shoes and apparel retailers, another floor for electronics, etc. This is actually pretty convenient when you are looking for something in particular, or comparing prices between retailers.
Robinson is a department store chain that you can find nearly anywhere in Thailand. This would be comparable to Macy’s back home. Here you can find cosmetics of any kind (Estée Lauder, MAC, Clinique), clothes and shoes for men and women of all ages (Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Lacoste), designer purses and accessories, as well as housewares and home decor.
Central Plaza is a great place to eat if you are missing some foods from back home. Here you can find McDonalds, Dairy Queen, KFC, Starbucks, and even Auntie Anne’s Pretzels. The difference here is that these fast food chains aren’t “cheap” by Thai standards. Every few weeks we like to splurge and hit up the Sizzler for salad bar and soup. This will set us back about $20 but its definitely worth it!
The one place I tend to spend the most time is at the movie theater, SF Cinema City. They always offer a couple of movies in English with Thai subtitles. For the cheap seats, a ticket will cost you 140 baht and on Wednesdays only 80 baht (my new favorite night of the week!). You can also opt for the premium or sofa seats for a little more, but I don’t see the point. You have a selection of popcorn flavors (salted, caramel, BBQ, cheese), candy, as well as some Thai food selections you wouldn’t normally find in the US.
As Charlie said in the video, we are not living in mud huts. We are doing just fine here living in Thailand and my shopping sprees and movie addictions continue to thrive 😉
Take a Tour of Central Plaza and SF Cinema in Khon Kaen
About the Author Charlie and Brittany
We are Brittany and Charlie - we traded the 9 to 5 and the so-called "American dream" to live our own dream and see the world. We sold all of our belongings and left the US in August 2013. For 5 years, we lived primarily in Thailand and built our online business and location independent lifestyle while we traveled to over 30 countries. We’ve had house sitting gigs on 3 different continents and we’ve even appeared on HGTV’s House Hunters International.
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