New Central Mall

[PattayaMale]

This mall which is right on Beach Road and Second Road and before Center Road is to open Jan. 23. Many sales will be going on. There also will be a parade at 4pm down 2nd road announcing the opening.

 

It is amazing to see Pattaya grow so fast. The Avenue Mall opened and still has many open spaces after I believe 2 years. The Avenue was promoted as an upscale open mall. I enjoy going to the movies there and shopping at Villa Market. This new Central Mall will also have a cinema complex.

 

No matter which cinema complex I go to, at Big C or Avenue, there are few people.

 

Oh and by the way, the new mall will enforce the no smoking ban just like all the other malls. It is the Thai way!

[Guest Astrrro]

I like the scale of the Avenue Mall and the feel of the outdoor flooring. I often use it as a shortcut to Soi Buckhao when walking home from LaBmaba, an excellent ladyboy bar on Soi Yamoto.

 

At the movies, we generally are at the final showing of the night and it's really empty. One time it was only me and my teerak.

 

My tourist friends often stay at the nearby Pattaya Bay Resort so I'll join then at Shenanigan's if they feel they must eat Western or watch sports on a quality TV screen. They also seem to prefer the air conditioned diner at Villa Market to the nearby outdoor Kiss.

 

One friend enjoys California Fitness. Looks like an OK gym but no pool though. Tony's fitness has a huge pool and more importantly is an easy 4-5 minute walk.

 

Another friend likes the bowling alley.

 

Both a green and yellow bank have branches and I know the yellow one is open well beyond regular banking hours.

 

 

[2lz2p]

It appears that if you want to attend the Grand Opening on Friday morning, they will be offering 5% discount cards to foreigners. The information I received says: Foreigners wanting the card must have their passport with them (as proof they are foreigners), and may apply at the Festival Center. The store opens at 10am Friday morning, but nothing can be done until the Information Counter opens at 11:39am. The cards may be used for purchases at the Festival Center throughout the year.

[Guest naughtybutnice]

Oh and by the way, the new mall will enforce the no smoking ban just like all the other malls. It is the Thai way!

 

I was in Lumpini Park in Bangkok last Friday lunchtime and two of the park patrol had spotted a guy smoking there and had called the police who issued a fine. Working fairly near to Lumpini Park we often spend lunchtime there and I think this was the first time that I had seen the 'No Smoking' rule being ignored.

 

But then we Bangkokians tend to be more civilised and law abiding that the riff raff that frequent Pattaya.

 

 

[Guest Astrrro]

As I rode by on a baht bus last night, it appeared that there was some sort of soft opening. I could see people inside through the windows and there was music and other activities outside.

 

Funny thing, Thais seem to view malls as upscale but I associate them with New Jersey.

 

Uggh, I hate waking up this early, but it's off to Bangkok now.........

[payless]

This new mall is a brilliant addition to Pattaya. A good food hall and many restaurants. A bit of bangkok come to Pattaya.

Shopping malls seem to attract a lot of gay staff and no doubt those who have attuned cruise control will be reporting on the best floors and best places to pick up guys.

[Guest shebavon]

We now have a good Department Store in Pattaya. Welcome to the big-time.

 

Immaculate by US standards, it's nice to have Central nearby. One complaint is that their clothing department does not cater to us Farangs (well maybe you skinny ninnies). I was referred to Mike's Shopping Mall when I inquired about my size.

 

Some good sales in house wares going on. Got 20% off on some kitchen stuff.

[Gaybutton]

We now have a good Department Store in Pattaya. Welcome to the big-time.

I haven't been, but I'm wondering if you're finding anything there that you wouldn't normally find in Pattaya anyway.

[Guest Astrrro]

Heard a rumor the movies are free tonight (Friday)at the new mall. Can anyone confirm?

[PattayaMale]

Heard a rumor the movies are free tonight (Friday)at the new mall. Can anyone confirm?

 

I was there today and did not see any sign or anything that said that, but it may be one of those secrets that happen all the time.

 

GB asked if there is anything that you can't find in Pattaya already. The answer is YES. Many of the employees are from Bangkok and are here to help open the stores. I talked to several very handsome men (to my eyes) today. They work during the day and then go out at night. A few may be looking to stay in Pattaya and work. One told me he likes Pattaya because it only takes a few minutes to get to work. In Bangkok it takes him more than an hour each way.

 

Some of the restaurants are the same as in Bangkok, but now in Pattaya. The one I really enjoyed is on the 5th floor or is it 6th??? Same floor as the cinema....It is a sushi place that brings food around on a conveyor belt. The price is 239 baht for all you can eat. But you must do so in 1 hour and 15 minutes or you will be charged 20 baht for each extra 10 minutes. I saw the owner of Amor there and he told me they have several in Bangkok. I thought the food was very good and fun.

 

Tops on the ground floor looks like they have some of the best fruit around. On the same level they have many places where you can get prepared food which you can take home and heat up. It is not the usual street vendor food. It looks very good. The food court on the ground floor also looks like it has some really good food.........

 

Some friends I ran into all seemed to say the same thing. You feel like you are in a upscale Bangkok mall.

[Guest Astrrro]

There were no free movies on Friday night.

 

Or movies I could pay for. Was told the cineplex would open next month.

[Guest shockdevil]

I went to the opening yesterday afternoon and was pleasantly surprised by the size and quality of the mall. However, it did seem like they were a little behind schedule with 100% completion. It looked like they may have had about 80% completed yesterday. Quite a few stores are scheduled to open “February 2009”. A couple of weeks ago my friend and I were doing our morning Pattaya Beach power walk and commented on the new construction of the mall. We both thought that it would be open in a couple of months and was shocked to find out that it was opening within 2 weeks.

 

During the day yesterday we checked out all of the stores and floors of the mall. The restaurants were eager for customers and most seemed pretty busy for the exception of one that seemed to cater to Russians. I found it odd since many Russians live here.

 

That night we returned for the opening presentation and show. I video taped the dance sequence and fireworks and will share the link once I upload it to the web. It was very exciting to see the festivities surrounding the opening. The presentation was in Thai but from the energy of the speakers and the crowd, you could really get a sense of the excitement and pride in this new project. It was quite an experience.

 

Overall, I like the mall and felt like a bit on BKK was in Pattaya. I ended up buying and pair of PEPSI Jeans and shirt to take home to my nephew. I am sure I overpaid for them however, my nephew loves Pepsi and I am sure he’ll get a kick out of the clothing.

 

As for the free movies, the NO WAY! In fact, SF Cinema ticket prices were higher and Major Cineplex: 120 THB (normal), 150 THB (Premium), 500 THB per pair (Loveseat), and 600 THB per ticket for FIRST CLASS seats. The FIRST CLASS seats seem to come with access to private First Class lounge, snacks and beverages. As far as where FC ticket holders sit, I am not sure. I thought the Loveseat was a bit much for my movie experience. SF has taken it to a new level. I am happy that they have more screening rooms but I thought the prices would not be more competitive than Major Cineplex.

[PattayaMale]

During the day yesterday we checked out all of the stores and floors of the mall. The restaurants were eager for customers and most seemed pretty busy for the exception of one that seemed to cater to Russians. I found it odd since many Russians live here.

I admit I last ate in Moscow about 25 years ago. But if Russian food is the same as then, I imagine Russians would not want to eat there either.

[Guest Astrrro]

The opera seats at the Avenue are for people who enjoy throwing money around for little extra value.

 

Since armrests can be removed, you can turn any seat into a love seat.

 

There's nothing that I'd want to buy at the new mall that I couldn't get elsewhere. The Central group did do a great job of promotion and also of screwing up traffic.

 

[PattayaMale]

The opera seats at the Avenue are for people who enjoy throwing money around for little extra value.

 

Since armrests can be removed, you can turn any seat into a love seat.

 

There's nothing that I'd want to buy at the new mall that I couldn't get elsewhere. The Central group did do a great job of promotion and also of screwing up traffic.

 

I am wondering what time you went to Central Mall and what side you found the traffic screwed up.

 

I went yesterday around 3:30 and drove down second road. I was sure the traffic was going to be horrible, but was really pleased that it was moving fine. They had the far left lane open for people to enter and exit. Since second road is a one way road no one crossed traffic lanes.

 

Maybe I was lucky. I am going again later this afternoon and hope I find the traffic moving well.

[Guest lvdkeyes]

There were no free movies on Friday night.

 

Or movies I could pay for. Was told the cineplex would open next month.

The mall is a great addition to Pattaya. Anything you want to buy can be gotten there. no need to run around town. We ate up at the Food Loft and the place is bright and well decorated, the view is good as well as the food. On the first floor (?) there is a good selection of take away foods and a Tops market. Better than the one on Pattata Klang , but not as good as Villa Market. There is a play area for kids including a small ice rink.

The cineplex was open this evening for sure.

[Gaybutton]

Today was my first visit to the mall. All I can say is 'wow!' This is quite a place, far beyond my expectations. It takes quite a bit to impress me, also the friend I was with, and both of us kept remarking about how impressed we were. In my opinion, Pattaya's new Central Mall is second only to Bangkok's "The Paragon." The mall is high tech and very well designed. If I were to be critical about anything, it does lack in facilities and ease for the handicapped, but that would be my only real criticism.

 

The parking areas are tremendous, with plenty of parking for even the busiest days. There are no parking fees . . . yet. Motorcycle and car parking are in separate facilities. There is plenty of security and they are quite helpful.

 

For those of you who ride the baht buses, getting there is easy. From the Boyztown area, just get on a baht bus heading north on Second Road. Start looking for it, on the left, soon after you pass the Villa Market/Cineplex. You can't miss it. There is also an entrance from Beach Road.

 

The mall has both escalators and elevators (moving stairs and lifts for the Brits) and plenty of restroom facilities.

 

There are six floors, plus a raised floor that houses the movie theaters. Admission prices range from 120 baht to 600 baht, depending on the kind of seat you want. They have everything ranging from "regular" seating to very impressive VIP seating. That's a hell of way to see a movie!

 

Every floor has restaurants. I do think the mall is overdone with Japanese restaurants. I didn't count them, but there are at least 15 different Japanese restaurants, many of which are on the top floor. There is one that definitely caught our attention. It's the Sabushi Restaurant. It's quite unique. You pay a flat fee of 239 baht. They do add a 10% service charge and a 7% VAT, which brings the price to about 280 baht by the time you're done, but the way it works is you sit at a counter. There is a conveyor belt that constantly goes by with dozens of different Japanese dishes. You simply take whatever you want and as much as you want. You get 1 hour and 15 minutes to eat. If you stay longer, the price goes up, but since there is no waiting for food, I can't imagine why anyone would need to stay there even that long. We didn't eat there, but soon we will.

 

Also, oddly enough, Pattaya is sorely lacking in good Chinese food at reasonable prices. The Chinese restaurant in the Montien Hotel is excellent, but expensive. The Canton House restaurant on the top floor serves very good Chinese food at very reasonable prices. I love dim sum. They start serving dim sum at 11:00am and it's available up to 11:00pm. The price is all of 15 baht per selection. They give you a picture menu. The English on the menu was flawless. They also have plenty of other Chinese dishes if you prefer. The service is quick and the food is very good.

 

If you prefer food court eating, no problem. There's one food court on the top floor and another on the basement floor. They're not limited to only Thai dishes. There are many Western selections too. We had a look at each of them. Geezer, if you are reading this you'll find one of your favorites, spinach soup, at the top floor food court. They gave us a sample. Deeeeelish! There are great looking sandwiches too at both food courts.

 

Some of you may remember that about a year and a half ago I wanted to find a bread machine, the kind that you use at home to make your own loaves of bread. I think I searched every store in Pattaya and found nothing. Someone had posted a message that he had seen some at The Paragon in Bangkok. That's where I bought mine. One of the first things I did was to check out the kitchen electronics area on the top floor and they do carry bread machines! They have only one brand, but the price is 4000 baht less than I paid for essentially the same thing in Bangkok. There are plenty of other high quality kitchen electronics that you just don't find anywhere else in Pattaya.

 

The mall is filled with clothing stores, shops that sell high quality merchandise, and just about anything you can think of is available in this mall. I used to have to go to Bangkok to find what I was really looking for. Maybe for occasional items I would still have to go to Bangkok, but those trips will now be quite rare. This mall probably has just about anything you would want.

 

There are plenty of western restaurants too, everything from a Sizzler to a Pizza hut. There are computer shops, mobile phone shops, electronics shops, book shops, and even full banking facilities. I spotted a Kasikorn Bank, Siam Commercial Bank, and a Bank of Ayudhya, all three right next to each other. A Toys-R-Us will soon open in the mall. If you like, you can even climb a mountain while you're there. You'll just have to go and have a look to see what I mean.

 

The basement level features Thai silk shops and home decor shops.

 

As lvdkeyes pointed out, there is also the Tops grocery store on the basement level, but it's nothing like the other Tops in town. It is very high quality. It not only rivals the gourmet grocery store at The Paragon, but even resembles it. There is everything ranging from fresh breads to a fully stocked liquor store. The prices are on par with grocery stores such as Big-C, Lotus, and Carrefour. Everything is high quality, the kind of quality you would expect at Villa Market, but at much lower prices. You'll still have to go to Villa Market to find western items nobody else carries, but you'll probably find most of what you're looking for at the grocery store in Central Mall. Unfortunately it's not open 24/7 as Villa Market is, but it's definitely fine shopping. Also, if you have a car, elevators to the parking lots are right there at the grocery store exit.

 

We spent over three hours looking around and still didn't see everything. Those three hours just flew by. We were amazed when we realized how long we had been there.

 

This is quite a place, folks. It certainly impressed me, and that's not an easy thing to do! Central Mall definitely fills a need Pattaya has had for a long time.

 

Here's a copy of the flier the Canton House hands out. It's only a small sampling of what they offer, but you'll get the idea:

 

[Guest buckeroo2]

When you talk about the kitchen electronics section, are you talking about a part of Central Dept Store or is there a kitchen electronics store that I missed?

 

I agree that the place is big and you probably will find most things you need. A few negative observations - so many Thai sales ladies with microphones throughout the shopping complex pushing their promotions - way too loud for me. And the construction quality was surprisingly poor for an establishment opened just a few days when I was there. It seems maybe they still have work to do even in the places that are opened. Seams on the walls that are just half plastered - the floors are scuffed and marred and look like they have been walked on for at least a year - the exterior has loads of glass and the windows appear to be in need of a good washing. The place just looked dirty to me - it is brand spanking new and it already appears to be in need of a face lift. I also agree that Japanese restaurants are plentiful - but the alternatives are numerous and varied. All in all, it is a great venue to find just about anything you might need - but aesthetically I found it disappointing.

 

As an aside, I think quality is given the once over in many new Thai establishments. My gym in Pattaya - California WOW- has been open just over one year - maybe 1 1/2 years and the tile floor in the workout area is all warped and coming apart. It is actually somewhat dangerous as tripping on the damaged tile happens quite easily. Also, the air conditioning units in the ceiling are leaking water and they have buckets strategically placed throughout the gym. It is surprising that a place so new has so many structural deficiencies already. I fear the same may be true for the new Central Shopping Center in a year or two.

[Gaybutton]

When you talk about the kitchen electronics section, are you talking about a part of Central Dept Store or is there a kitchen electronics store that I missed?

 

aesthetically I found it disappointing.

I'm talking about the Central Department Store.

 

As far as the aesthetics are concerned, it all seemed fine to me, but maybe I'm easier to please. When I go to a shopping mall, new or many years old, I'm really not concerned about tile scuff marks or whether the windows could stand a wash. I don't even notice things like that. It certainly wouldn't prevent me from patronizing the mall.

 

 

[PattayaMale]

I was given a "tour" of the First Class Cinema at Central Mall. Don't be confused and think this is just a love seat in one of the theaters. It is a separate area. The cost is 600 baht. This gives you an hour of a buffet and a drink before the show. (Sort of like a comfortable airport lounge). Then when it is time for the movie you go into a theater that has only lazy boy type seating in groups of 2. You have a remote control to recline the seats. They give you a freshly laundered blanket, popcorn and a soft drink is brought to you. There is a specially built table to hold this. It is truly a first class theater which has only these first class seats grouped in 2. Maybe a total of 30 love seat groupings.

 

 

 

[Gaybutton]

I was given a "tour" of the First Class Cinema at Central Mall.

I doubt I will ever try it. I know me. I'll pay 600 baht for myself and 600 baht for a boy. Then I'll promptly fall asleep.

[Guest jtrack33]

That's what I would do...fall asleep. I do that in regular cinemas so I am sure I would do it in a lazy boy, as long as he kept still.

The new airport had the same opening appearance as Buckaroo describes, but eventually it was cleaned up. They rush to open and don't even have time to clean the windows and replace the flooring damaged during construction. But I am sure it will be corrected eventually. I am going to visit for the first time this Sunday. Is it possible to enter the car park from both Beach road and 2nd road?

[Gaybutton]

Is it possible to enter the car park from both Beach road and 2nd road?

At the moment, you can only enter and exit the car park on Second Road.

[Guest lvdkeyes]

At the moment, you can only enter and exit the car park on Second Road.

This isn't true. We entered on Second Road and exited on Beach Road.

[Gaybutton]

This isn't true. We entered on Second Road and exited on Beach Road.

That's good. I stand corrected. When I went they had it blocked off. Maybe they were repairing something.