Siam Paragon

Siam Paragon is a shopping mall in Bangkok, Thailand. It is one of the biggest shopping centers in Asia. Opened on December 9, 2005, it includes a wide range of specialty stores and restaurants as well as a multiplex movie theater (consisted of 15 large size theaters with one of the them having the biggest screen and seating capacity in Asia) and the Siam Ocean World (Underwater world) aquarium (the largest aquarium in South East Asia) and an exhibition hall and the Thai Art Gallery and also an opera concert hall. It also has a large bowling alley and karaoke center. It is a joint venture by Siam Piwat, the company that owns the adjacent Siam Center/Siam Discovery shopping malls, and The Mall Group, which also owns The Emporium. Siam Paragon has attracted large crowds since it opened, but financial results aren't reported by the privately held Siam Paragon Development.

 

Location

 

Siam Paragon is on Rama I Road in Pathum Wan district, and is adjacent to other shopping areas. It is next door to Siam Center and Siam Discovery Center and opposite Siam Square. MBK Center is also nearby. An elevated walkway beneath the BTS Skytrain tracks links Siam Paragon to the Ratchaprasong intersection, where CentralWorld, Gaysorn and several other shopping malls and hotels are located.

 

Shopping

 

The Paragon Department Store comprises 50,000 square meters. Another 40,000 square meters are devoted to retail shops selling luxury brand apparel, jewellery, electronics, musical instruments, audio equipment, sporting goods and exotic supercars, as well as a Kinokuniya, SE-ED Book Centerbook store. Some of the most renowned boutiques found in Siam Paragon include Gucci, Chanel, Balenciaga, Valentino, Kenzo, Hermès, Giorgio Armani, Jimmy Choo, Chloé, Dolce & Gabbana, Burberry, Salvatore Ferragamo, Cartier, Bally, Fendi, Zara, MNG, Versace, Louis Vuitton, Givenchy, Marc Jacobs, Emporio Armani, Hugo Boss, Prada, Ermenegildo Zegna, Swarovski, Coach, Shanghai Tang, Jim Thompson, Tod's, Mulberry, Kenzo, Escada, Emilio Pucci, Canali, Bvlgari, Paul Smith and many other upmarket brands. The car showrooms in Siam Paragon including Aston Martin, Bentley, Ferrari, Porsche, Jaguar, Lamborghini, Spyker, Lotus, Maserati, BMW, Hummer and MTM.

 

Gourmet Market and food halls

 

The Gourmet Market is an 8,000 square meter internationally oriented grocery store on the ground level of the shopping center, it carries a vast selection of top imported competing brands and foodstuff items from various nations in Europe, Japan, Korea, and Malaysia, as well as quality exotic brands such as those from Sri Lanka. Domestic Thailand produced items carried often have different flavours or are speciality brands which are not usually stocked elsewhere in Thailand. The sheer number of unique items here is among the most diverse in Thailand, with many expatriot chefs creating their own local brands. The front half of the store is oriented to trial tasting of wide variety of items, and a fresh market with freshness and presentation not typical of Thai supermarkets. It is adjacent to a food court and bread shops area that has a wide range of restaurants and food stalls.

 

Foreign and foreign oriented restaurants

 

Siam Paragon has several restaurants and food outlets from other countries, including Tony Roma's, McDonald's, KFC, Häagen-Dazs, Swensen's Ice Cream, LeNotre, MOS Burger, Saint Etoile Bakery, Orvin and many others. Popular domestically run foreign oriented restaurants include Fuji Japanese, Kabuki Japanese Restaurant. Expatriot chef run and operated food outlets add an artistic and creative streak to the otherwise chain dominated scene of Thai malls outside of the Siam Station area.

 

Thai traditional art

 

There is a huge section of ultra chic Thai traditional arts stores carrying everything from tiny items to very expensive and highly decorative silk, ivory, and antiques, ostentatiously geared towards the extremely wealthy.

 

Royal Paragon Hall

 

The Royal Paragon Hall is an 12,000-square-metre events facility, with a capacity for around 5,000 people and is suitable for concerts, conventions and special exhibitions.

 

Paragon Cineplex

 

Operated by Major Cineplex, the 25,000-square-meter Paragon Cineplex comprises a 14-screen multiplex movie theater, including smaller Ultra Screen cinemas with reclining seats and the Enigma members-only lounge, as well as an IMAX theater and the Siam Pavalai, a 1,200-seat theater suitable for theatrical and musical performances.

 

Leisure activities

 

A California Wow! fitness center is on the fourth level, while the 30-lane Blu-O Rhythm and Bowl and karaoke facility is on the sixth, adjacent to the Paragon Cineplex.

 

Edutainment Zone

 

• Music Campus for General Public (MCGP) the college of music, Mahidol University

• Institution for language-learning, Berlitz.

 

Hotel

 

The five-star Kempinski Hotel Siam and serviced apartment complex is being built on 13 acres (53,000 m2) at the rear of the Siam Paragon property; open in end 2009.

 

Siam Ocean World

 

Inside Siam Paragon is Siam Ocean World, the largest aquarium in Southeast Asia where featuring marine animals which include; Penguins, Grey Nurse Sharks and Giant Spider Crabs etc. The aquarium also offers a "Dive with the Sharks program" where visitors can scuba dive in the Open Ocean side by side with the sharks and rays. The aquarium also features "Sanyo 4D X-venture" a state of the art 4D Theater.

Siam Paragon, an Australian company, uses a two tier pricing system. Thai looking customers are charged 450 baht for adults and 250 baht for children, others are charged 850 baht and 650 baht respectively.