Bangkok - Siam Discovery and MBK

If you are looking for something that is a little bit different from the standard shopping mall, head over to the Siam Discovery Centre which is right next to Siam Paragon. Siam Discovery is actually adjacent to Siam Centre - one of the oldest shopping malls in Bangkok. Together they occupy about 4 floors of shopping space. Here you will find shops selling local designer labels, very nice Thai pottery and dinner ware, furniture and art.

For a bargain hunter's paradise, head over to the MBK - Mah Boon Krong, which is connected to Siam Discovery by a skywalk. This is a huge 7-storey shopping centre selling all kinds of stuff from leather goods, fashion, handbags, mobile phones, electronics, CDs, DVDs, etc. Basically most of the things you can get at the Chatuchat weekend market you can also find them here, but in air-conditioned comfort. There are reportedly over 2,000 shops in this gigantic place, but who's counting !

Even the skywalk linking Siam Discovery and MBK are turned into shopping zones. It can be difficult to navigate your way through the crowd.

MBK - or Mah Boon Krong shopping centre.

The plaza between Siam Paragon and Siam Discovery is often used for outdoor events. While I was there, there was a free concert for the launch of Toyota Yaris. The crowd was unbelievable.