Christmas @ Central World, Bangkok

Bangkok does the retail shopping experience just as well as any other city in Asia with a swathe of huge, sprawling malls that are bigger and shinier than anywhere else, and the self-claimed biggest and shiniest of them all is the giant Central World located right in the heart of the city centre, a vast complex of clustered outlets spread out over multiple clinical-white floors as well as two full-scale departments stores that cater for every demand. Outside the mall there is a huge deck that is always a drum beat of frenetic activity, funnelling the never ending stream of shoppers around here into the vast bowls of Central World and, the hope, diverting them away from the clutches of its next door neighbours, Siam Paragon, or the vast MBK Center just a little further down the road.

While Thailand isn't a Christian nation, the shopping complexes here are gearing up to do Christmas 2009 on a scale that would have any western-equivalent mall bursting with a sense of satisfaction. This month Central World and Siam Paragon are going neck-to-neck, the two giants locked in a never-ending battle for hearts and wallets, they are located side side-by-side, and they have both put up towering Christmas trees. Central World, probably due to the fact it has so much space available outside is winning this battle, its Christmas tree, towering upwards, softly blanketed with constantly-flickering lights and topped with a bright start, shimmers from more than a mile away. This giant tree forms the centre point of a whole section of the deck that has been devoted to a Christmas display that has quickly become a city attraction in its own right; and since it went up a couple of weeks ago the lavish extravaganza has seen a never ending stream of visitors who pose as they take each others' photos, small figures dotted against the oversize exhibits.

The mall's usual light-coloured fountain (which has been specially themed with golden bells on posts) suddenly finds itself thrust to the heart of this glitzy area, while there are objects such as a marching band of large toy soldiers, wrapped Christmas gifts, a massive glossy-white reindeer in the shape of a "balloon-dog", and a huge white bell that one can walk into and view an array of plasma screens showing traditional Christmas festivities from other nations. Other screens meanwhile on a shiny and reflective gold plinth show the musical scores of Christmas songs while the area is bookended by snappy captions that are made up of big letters bolted to frames with words from several languages aside from the overall English theme being in evidence. Meanwhile a Swatch-sponsored tree-shaped mass of bells is topped by an analogue clock, although the crunchy ice-effect base created from a layer of broken glass is so within reach that it would leave any faceless western Heath & Safety official breaking out in a sweat of triplicate forms, while the whole effect is completed by a scattering of musical symbols and of course the sound of syrupy traditional Christmas carols.

Inside Central World another huge Christmas tree thrusts upwards in the opened-out heart of the complex, the tree's towering height emphasised by the need to ascend several flights of escalators before reaching the star at its peak. Chase on further upwards and from the dizzying height of the glass roof a plethora of gloden bells and stars hang downwards, racing towards the earth to meet the ascending tree. Commercialism though is never far away and this effect is back-dropped to huge Samsung panels, as well as the silent-whirr of the plate-glass lift. Around the wood-panel base of the huge tree shining electric-powered dazzlingly-golden musical symbols rotate, a smaller tree glistens with decorations, and an cosseting lustrous-red arch chair sits in the a bell-shaped golden frame that invites thoughts of relaxation.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• christmas
• central
• world
• bangkok
• thailand
• tree
• decorations
• mall
• shopper
• shopping
• snowman
• reindeer
• swatch
• lights
• star
• bells
• muscial
• notes
• music
• score
• happiness
• peace
• plaza
• deck
• soldier
• band
• instrument

[mariyaxis]

@LOLOLOL32123

Those are not for rich people. I'm not rich. I'm from a middle-class family, but I've been to Paragon for more than 30 times because it's near my university. There are various things to shop from middle to high prices, so you can choose.

[kakapipischeet]

Oh My God, Why u Thai Red shirt kill Centrale WorlD thas was best shoppIng Place to be for me shiiiittttttt :''''''( i Miss CW grrrrr WHY WHY

[LOLOLOL32123]

@Vanpatar those are for rich people

[SiamLegal]

I miss you ctw

[Vanpatar]

Well...There's still Siam Paragon and the Emporium....

[mikefly562]

The red shirts are idiots for doing this to their country. The leaders should be sent to prison for treason, and the arsonists should be given the death penalty. I know realistically that would be feasible, but they should be very severly punished. The red shirts actions make the whole world mad at them, so the the red shirts deserve nothing.

[iichai]

I remember being there in December for Christmas with my relatives now its just ashes. I hope people realize what they have done doesn't make their stance any better. Money lost, people could have been hurt and worst off it affects too much of the community around. They should have directed themselves to the government instead of a place that so many people venture to, because it is such a sad attempt of protest this way

[epcotbear]

Thais destroyed their own country...

[kyyasha]

คิดถึงนะเซ็นทรัลเวิร์ล!!!