The other day, my wife and I had to go to Lad Prao to have a business meeting with a friend of hers. I’d never been, and had no idea how impressed I’d be with the experience. Let me tell you about the two malls I got to explore.
Meeting Lad Prao
It probably comes as no surprise that Bangkok as a whole is a pretty humid place. The smog definitely doesn’t help either, so my wife and I were thankful to have a meeting indoors with air conditioning and filtration. We first arrived at the Central Lad Prao mall a little earlier than expected, so we decided to explore and grab a cup of coffee.
The food court was a maze, and everywhere we walked, we saw wworking-classThais sitting down for an early dinner as well as so many school kids getting an after-school treat. It was a little overwhelming to be honest, surrounded by so much hustle and bustle.
Shortly after our coffee break, our friend messaged us to say he was actually at the Union Mall just down the street instead. We discarded our trash and began the trek to the mall, a surprisingly easy walk considering the BTS/MRT walkway that serves as the spine between the railways and the local malls.
Central Ladprao and Union Mall
We originally arrived in Central Ladprao on the ground floor via taxi, so we had to take an escalator or two to access the BTS/MRT walkway. It was hard not to be distracted by the various stores. I’m not usually one given to fashion, but even I found a few jackets and hoodies that appealed to me, as well as an impressive Lego store that featured a Lego Tuk-Tuk.
I felt reminded of my experience at Terminal 21 and how much it contrasted with some of the malls I’ve seen in the USA. Maybe it’s because Bangkok is such a walkable city, or perhaps it’s just because people have the means to shop a little more due to the lower cost of living, but the mall felt like less of a shopping experience and more of a glimpse into the Bangkok lifestyle. A “third-space,” as I’ve heard some call it.
Union Mall and Informal Community Life
It didn’t take long to walk to Union Mall, and the view from the walkway was amazing. Open-air restaurants, a small park tucked behind the mall, and a bridge extending over the streets below all offered a beautiful glimpse into the Thai infrastructure.
I was even more surprised when I stepped into Union Mall itself. Where Central Lad Prao felt like a clustered town square offering everything you could want in a tight space, Union Mall featured a much more open design.
A small walkway opened up to an open-air plaza with a few large columns featuring ads and notices for the city. Rather than just a retail experience, these malls felt like a place where people gathered and experienced life together, something I don’t recall experiencing in an American mall since my childhood in the late 90’s and early 2000’s. It’s a sort of nostalgic beauty to experience that I’m not sure if I could ever convey to someone who didn’t have a similar experience, but I hope I’ve come close with this article.
Malls as Modern Town Squares
Since I first began traveling, one of my favorite things to do is to find a nice cafe in some open space, have a little pastry and some coffee, and people-watch. I always get lost in my imagination, wondering what the people around me in these spaces are going through in their own lives.
While Europe offered a beautiful experience doing this, my time in Bangkok has featured a waterfall of imagined lives, especially in the indoor town squares. I encourage you, the next time you visit Bangkok or any other similar space,e to slow down, maybe visit a mall like the ones I’ve described, and drink in the neighborhood. I feel like you’ll get a bettertaste ofr the real Thai lifestyle that the standard tourist trap will never be able to offer.
