MBK Center, also known as Mahboonkrong is probably Bangkok’s most well known shopping mall because it’s popular with a broad cross section of tourists and locals. It also tends to be busy with shoppers every day. In MBK Center you’ll find there are 8 floors packed with about 2,000 shops selling everything from clothing, fashion accessories, handbags, leather products and luggage to furniture, mobile phones, cameras, and even stationery.
Opened in 1986, and the largest shopping mall in Asia at the time, MBK Center is a beehive of activity, especially on weekends, when it feels like half of Bangkok converges to shop for bargains. It isn’t as upmarket or stylish as neighboring shopping malls like Siam Discovery, Siam Centre or Siam Paragon. However, it does offer a mindboggling wide range of goods, spread over 89,000 sq m.
On the ground floor of MBK, you’ll find stalls selling fashion, shoes and handbags, fast food outlets and an open space dedicated to sales offering prices discounted by 30% to 50%. As you move up the levels, you’ll find enclaves of products almost randomly placed. But, you’ll find that part of the fun of MBK is exploring the long, straight paths lined with shops looking for things that catch your attention.
As a rough guide, fashion shops are mostly on the lower floors, a mass of electronics is found on the 3rd and 4th floors, with home furnishings and souvenirs along with photography shops on the 5th and 6th floors.
Like every shopping complex in Bangkok, there are plenty of options for when you get hungry. You’ll find a large food court on the 6th floor with plenty of international and local choices.
The top two floors serve as an entertainment complex with a multi-screen cinema, an arcade and many other restaurants.
Shopping at MBK Center
To dig a little bit deeper into the type of shopping you’ll find here, fashion outlets cover everything from jeans, outsized clothing (for ‘larger’ framed individuals), shoes, handbags, accessories, jewelry, trendy apparel, and even some famous-name brands. The bargain prices of many of these items mean that merchandise is often a copy or of questionable origin. So, beware if the price is too good to be true. But if your idea of a shopping bargain is to pay a few dollars for something that should cost more – head straight to MBK.
Many of the products found here are similar to those at markets, but the convenience of shopping in an air-conditioned environment beats hot and sticky markets, especially in the hotter months. Just like the markets, many vendor prices are negotiable. MBK Center is one of only a couple of malls in Bangkok where you can put your bargaining skills to the test. If you’re shopping wholesale, prices tend to get even more competitive.
You can also do all your souvenir shopping here. There’s likely something for everyone on your list.
The 4th floor is dedicated to mobile phones and all kinds of related gadgets and paraphernalia in a market-type environment. You’ll find stalls selling new phones, second-hand phones, PC games and game consoles.
How To Get To MBK Center
If you decide to visit MBK Center, you’ll find it’s relatively easy to reach thanks to a direct walkway linking the mall to National Stadium BTS Skytrain Station as well as from Siam Discovery.
If you’re coming from further away, every taxi driver knows MBK. It’s among the most famous shopping malls in Bangkok. So, you can hail a cab from anywhere, but mind that traffic can be intense around the mall. If you want to get a lot of souvenir shopping done in one place, want to check out some phones, or are looking for something more, you might want to drop by MBK for the shopping… and air conditioning.
