Bangkok, Thailand is famous for having more shopping malls than almost anywhere else in Asia. At the last count, more than 100. That’s why, when I was invited to have dinner with a Thai friend at Terminal 21, a new upscale mega mall in downtown Bangkok, not only was I surprised Bangkok had yet one more mall, I didn’t even know it existed. But, one trip to Terminal 21 and I have to say this is the best, most beautifully-designed and coolest mall in Bangkok. It’s absolutely beautiful.
Location of Terminal 21 – Probably the easiest accessed mall in Bangkok, Terminal 21 is on the corner of Sukhumvit Road and Ratchadapisek, right next to both a BTS sky train station and the MRT underground. In all of Bangkok, there is no easier mall to get to. It’s wonderful.
What is Terminal 21? – Terminal 21 opened just a week ago, in early October, 2011. An upscale, mega lifestyle mall, Terminal 21 was created around an airport theme. It’s also been designed so every floor of this massive nine-storey shopping mall and entertainment complex represents a different international city or place – the Caribbean, Rome, Paris, Tokyo, London, Istanbul, San Francisco, Pier 21 and Hollywood.
When you walk into the mall, from any of its numerous entrances, you’re first taken aback by how high and absolutely massive this place is. All shiny and new with incredible design touches, as you move from floor to floor you find delight after delight, cool thing after cool thing, and realize quickly Terminal 21 is literally (no joke!) the coolest and most beautiful mall you have ever been in.
Terminal 21’s Nine Floors – Although the main theme of the mall is an airport, evidenced with all the airport signs, departure and arrival boards and plane motifs, each specific floor is designed around a different place. So, one floor is based on London, where the bathrooms have an Underground theme, there are red British telephone boxes everywhere and there’s a huge full-size British double-decker bus with cute shops inside.
Another floor is Tokyo, complete with 10 feet statues of sumo wrestlers, geisha girls, a glass-cased Japanese warrior, and Japanese toilets that even include the literal Japanese toilet with all the funky high-tech buttons. In fact, the bathrooms on each floor are designed around the city, so if you want to pee in Istanbul, you’ll feel like you’re in a Turkish bath. Need to wash your face in Tokyo? You’re surrounded by murals of Japanese cosplay girls. We loved it so much, we spent half an hour going from bathroom to bathroom, just to take photographs.
Hollywood, of course, is where the multi-screen movie theater is and it is gorgeous. If you want a top-of-the-line movie theater experience, Terminal 21 is the place.
Dining at Terminal 21 – One of the best things about Terminal 21 is the abundance of restaurants, but these are not just your usual restaurants. These are stylishly-designed, unique showrooms of some of the best Thai designers’ work and, of course, the best food in Bangkok. Look for Reflections — it’s like being in a huge adult playroom. Eat at Dory Seafood Bistro by Chomtalay Hua Hin with its seaside theme and superb Thai fusion food, or in any number of Japanese or Korean restaurants.
You’ll also find American restaurants like Tony Roma’s, Thai restaurants such as See Fah, fish restaurants, seafood restaurants, noodle shops, pizza places, and on and on.
There’s also a huge food court serving inexpensive but delicious food from all kinds of ethnic cuisines. Don’t miss the view from here too. Looking out of the floor to ceiling glass windows, you can see all of Bangkok before you.
If, like me, you love shopping malls, Terminal 21 is the ultimate lifestyle shopping mall experience. Gorgeous, stunning, spectacularly-designed, and, yes, with hundreds of independent boutiques and shops, you could spend all day here and still be wanting more.
I loved it so much, I’m already going back again tomorrow and have lunch plans there with a second Thai friend next week.
Is Terminal 21 my new favorite mall in Bangkok? No. I think it’s my new favorite mall in the world. Really. I’m not kidding.
More Information:
Terminal 21’s Website
Bangkok Photo Guide – Cool photos of Terminal 21