The Largest Shopping Complex in Bangkok
Central World

Central World Plaza (former World Trade Center) and anew branded as CentralWorld has just recently been renovated and expanded. Claiming to be Asia’s largest lifestyle shopping complex and venturing to attract upper class customers with an unrivalled mix of products and services. The revamped eight-story mall promising to provide an entirely new experience of the full day of shopping, dining, entertainment and recreation for the whole family.

CentralWorld Glass Facade

A spectacular brand-new exterior design features a state-of-the-art 400-metre long glass facade, the longest in Thailand. The renewed and swank mall ventured to showcase a huge selection of modern designer shops, international and local fashion, sporting equipment and apparel, consumer electronics and ultramodern electrical appliances, souvenirs, SB Furniture, the flagship B2S bookstore chain spread across three floors (the bookstore itself on the 3rd floor, motley stationery items on the 2nd floor, and a broad selection of music CDs, movie DVDs, and a True Internet Cafe on the ground floor), Central Food Hall covering 8,200 m² on the 7th floor is Asia's largest supermarket with imported products you can't find anywhere else in Thailand, stylish food courts, coffee shops and over 50 restaurants for every type of dining.

Also, to keep it cool, there is the 32-lane Bowling Hall, state-of-the-art karaoke rooms, as well as SF World Cinema – a 21-screen bleeding edge multiplex that includes the 800-seat World Max Screen and first-class mini movie theatres. The venue has played host to numerous premieres of Thai cinema and also upheld the 2007 Bangkok International Film Festival.

The Kids' Zone will please children and teenagers with facilities like:
• Thailand Knowledge Park (TK Park) – a compound on the 7th floor owned and operated by the government of Thailand. It includes a library (primarily in Thai), 4D movie theatre, Internet corners and some other interactive multimedia systems
• TOYS R' US – the flagship store on the 6th floor with imported toys and fun gadgets and gizmos.

• Sub Zero Ice Skate Club – Esplanade Mall on Ratchada Road (02 354 2134)
• Imperial World Ice Skating – 999 Sukhumvit Road (02 756 8217-9)
• Open Ice Skate – 4th floor of Imperial Lad Prao (02 934 9252-3).

Consisting of six interconnected shopping zones, the revamped interior of CentralWorld with its spacious walkways, open wells emphasising natural light effects and see-through lifts is intended to implement the shopping street concept in its retail layout, allowing shoppers to catch several storefronts at a glance. CentralWorld claims to be on a forefront of technological sophistication. The giant LED screens inside the mall are used to broadcast activities from one zone to another. More than 250 interactive LCD monitors and directories have been installed to provide shoppers with information and shopping annotations. There are also two largest in Thailand 9 x 16 meters LED screens, overlooking the outdoor CentralWorld Square to broadcast major events.

Strategically situated between Ploenchit (continuation of Sukhumvit) and Phetchaburi roads, just a corner away from Siam Paragon, it is just as stylish, classy and modern. Two reputable department stores, Zen (the only Asia Trendy Mega Store in Thailand) on the south corner, and Isetan (a branch of Japanese department store) on the north corner of the complex are very much worth a visit. Occasionally, popular Thai bands and singers held open-air concerts at the square in front of CentralWorld. Ideal for larges-scale activities, the CentralWorld Square is the location of a New Year's Eve countdown. Thousands of people attend the place during the festive New Year celebrations.

The complex is located in Pathum Wan district at the Ratchaprasong intersection in one of Bangkok's busiest shopping and tourism districts surrounded by several five-star hotels. The Gaysorn shopping center and Big C are just opposite CentralWorld on Ratchadamri Road, as is the Erawan Shrine. Amarin Plaza and the Central Chit Lom department store, Platinum Fashion Mall and Pantip Plaza are also nearby, as are Siam Paragon, Siam Center, and MBK. Pedestrian overpasses from Gaysorn and Big C Ratchadamri are also lead to the CentralWorld.

To be continued...