Emporium Bangkok

[Guest Promsak]

I went, today, to the unofficial opening of Emporium 2 (or Emquartier or whatever they call it).

It is directly opposite the original Emporium and seems to be trying to be even more upmarket than Emporium.

It is huge --- three buildings connected in a 'U' shape.

So many hiso shops inside probably trying to attract the many rich Japanese that live in the area.

There seems to be a foodhall but I'm not sure about a supermarket.

If I had to sum it up in a few words --- it's 'another huge shiny shopping mall'.

One good thing is that the BTS have finally re-installed the escalator on that side of Sukhumvit and a bit revolutionary for BTS they have both up and down direction escalators.

 

The original Emporium, open during all the building work over the road was redesigning itself from the inside out. Very inconvenient at times but now it is nearly finished it was worth the trouble (but I don't know about the cost).

They've remodeled the supermarket to be the image of it's sister at Siam Paragon.

I usually used the supermarket in preference to Villa as it was often cheaper.

Emporium isn't finished yet and I notice that there will be a branch of Harrods there.

And like all new malls, I can never find the exit!

 

I really do not understand why the group (with VERY hiso investors) has to have 3 almost identical malls in a small area.

 

I think that I read that the official opening will be on the 31st. If so, beware there will be congestion and road closure to make room for the VVVip car (s).

[Guest Promsak]

Correction.

Emquartier officially opened on the 27th.

Had another  quick look around today -- actually looking for an ATM.  Only on 3rd floor -- but beware, the floors are numbered UK style --- the ground level floor is called -- well, 'ground floor' Next up would normally be 1st floor but here it is 'mezzanine' then above that, 1st floor. So, for Thais (and some others) 3rd floor  would be 5th floor!

All the staff and the assistants in the shops that I looked into were dressed in black and white --- very elegant. AND lots of eye candy amongst the staff.

[TotallyOz]

Is this the one up on Sukumvit?

[Guest Promsak]

Yes Michael it's the TWO (now) on Sukhumvit at Phrom Pong sky train station between Sois 35 and 39. There are skybridges to both stores so no need to go to street level.

Also at Prom Phong (see, I've spelled it differently this time because I'm not sure) is Sukhumvit 33/1, a small soi owned by Villa or Fuji, that has 3 UK/Irish pubs. Robin Hood, Dubliner and The Royal Oak (nee Bull's Head). The former two are a bit glum but the Royal Oak has been remodeled to have a large outside terrace. Reasonably good food and pleasant (albeit female) staff.

 

I also alluded to the third mall called called Siam Paragon. That is at Siam BTS and MRT --- physically on Sukhumvit (but it's possibly called Ploenchit at that point).

 

The original Emporium used to have ATMs scattered throughout the store and at the carpark entrances -- they've been removed and hidden behind the wine shop next to the supermarket. As I said earlier, to find an ATM in Emquartier you have to go to the third floor where the banks all cluster.

 

Oh and one final thing, the Emporium conglomerate petitioned the BTS to have the station renamed to something like Em. They were turned down.

[firecat69]

For the life of me I don't remember seeing the construction  of Emquartier.  I am assuming it is directly across Sukhumvit from Soi 24  or about there.  Nice to hear they have up and down escalators from the street.

 

I stay at the Hilton which is on Soi 24 .  Will have to check it out next time. Hate walking throughout the maze of the Emporiun from Side entrance to BTS.

[vinapu]

if you are  tired with all that shopping Waternest Spa is in soi 39 and Jey Spa in soi 41, both worth patronizing , believe me

[Guest Promsak]

  I am assuming it is directly across Sukhumvit from Soi 24  or about there. . Hate walking throughout the maze of the Emporiun from Side entrance to BTS.

Firecat, it's directly opposite Emporium. It was a huge building site, there for about a year now. There are about 5 shophouses there housing a pharmacy and a Top Charoen opticians and they have built around the small block.

Sorry, it won't help you with the maze of the ground floor Emporium and its perfumery. and butch assistants. At least they have changed the entrance from Emporium to the Skytrain. It's one floor lower now and directly opposite the skybridge to Emquartier. The way that the two stores have integrated with the Skytrain is quite impressive.

Sorry but the 'down' escalator is on the 'odd' side of Sukhumvit. I wouldn't go down to street level on that side ----- you might bump into undesirables like me.

[Guest Promsak]

 Waternest Spa is in soi 39

Vinapu -- exactly where is Waternest?  I've had a look in the little soi with Chez Phillipe restaurant on the corner but could see no sign of a (male) 'spa'.

[vinapu]

You were exactly there - last townhouse on the left side of that small soi is Waternest , there is sign 

[Guest Promsak]

UPDATE on Emquartier.

Well, it's nearly there.

The Harrods shop opened and it turned out to be an ice cream parlour (89 Baht per scoop).

Jones The Grocer, long anticipated for a chunk of Caerphilly, was  equally disappointing. Another eatery.

 

Be wary of all the red carpets --- they're not there because you are a V.I.P.! They are covering unmade floors worse than a Pattaya soi.

 

They have an outside 'Waterfall' quarter which is a nice waterfall apprently from the 5th floor to ground. In reality, it just falls from 5th to 4th to 3rd etc. At the bottom there is  a lot of spray looking like the base of Niagra Falls --- on closer inspection, there are many jets emitting the spray. This is in a large courtyard and it would be nice if they would put tables etc. for outside dining.

 

They boast something like 200 cafes, restaurants, snack bars etc. I haven't counted them yet.

The whole basement area seems to be a Thai style food hall (pre buy tickets etc.).

The food suprmarket 'Goumet Market'(?), is a clone of it's sisters in Emporium and Paragon ---- probably trying to look like Harrods Food Hall in London.

I shopped there the other day -- 6 items. At the checkout, 3 girls unloaded my basket onto the cashiers desk, two more to pack them into plastic bags and a very cute boy to hand the bags to me (and to take the bags to the skytrain or taxi if I needed it). Damn, I should have asked him to take them to my room!

It is still cheaper for some things than Villa-- tray of 30 eggs 99 Baht ---- in Villa 145 Baht.

And here is so MUCH more eye candy anongst the staff than Villa.

The eye candy is throughout the store from shop assistants to (especially) the boys endlessly mopping the floors all dressed elegantly, top to toe, in black.

 

I might have been a bit facetious in my descriptions above. To be fair, it is a huge project well completed to very high standards and well integrated into the Phrom Pong skytrain station.

BUT I CAN STILL NEVER FIND THE BLEEDIN' EXITS.