Wednesday, June 18, 2014

TERMINAL 21 IS BANGKOK'S SUPER SHOPPING HAVEN SPREAD OVER 9 FLOORS, EACH DEDICATED AND DECORATED IN HONOUR OF HOLLYWOOD, SAN FRANCISCO, LONDON, ISTANBUL, TOKYO, PARIS, ROME AND CARIBBEAN

KEE@FSWMAG.COM
Opened in 2011, Terminal 21 is already Thailand's biggest and most spectacular shopping destination. It caters mostly to local Bangkokians which is good as there are no tourist traps but most boutiques allow for bargaining if they are privately owned. So don't ask for discounts at Zara or Top Shop.

There are 9 levels of shopping bliss, with San Francisco taking up 2 floors due to Golden Gate Bridge!

Each floor is designed, deployed and decorated in honour of a world famous city of which Kuala Lumpur is not included but luckily Singapore also.

As you enter, Lower Ground is Caribbean which is not a city per se but a region. You know it is the Caribbean as there is a lighthouse surrounded by sand and plenty of coconut trees.

Ground floor is Rome and mezzanine floor is Paris. First floor is Tokyo, second floor is London, third is Istanbul and 4th floor and 5th floors are San Francisco. Highest floor is 6th and that is  Hollywood!

As expected, each floor is lavishly decorated with structures and artefacts unique to each city so there is a red double decker bus in London plus a train, filigree ironwork in Paris, inlaid Iznik tiles and colourful lamps in Istanbul, heaps of sculpture in Rome and a bronze group of cameramen in action on Hollywood floor!

But the stuff on sale are not reminiscent or unique to the honoured city. So on Tokyo floor, there are no kimono shops nor are there French books on Paris floor. When it comes to shopping, the store owners sell whatever customers will buy!


San Francisco's stunning, 2 level Golden Gate bridge!






Dramatic


San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge


Haight Ashbury Street


Golden Gate bridge
Stunning




Fisherman's Wharf on San Francisco floor




Feeling crabby?
San Francisco








The famous seals


At Fisherman's Wharf










Heading towards 6th floor which is Hollywood
Hollywood
Hollywood


Hollywood




Hollywood
Hollywood




Hollywood


Oscar-mania






IT Terminal on 6th floor






Hollywood










Tram to nowhere


Eateries
Golden Gate Bridge




Istanbul




Dervishes in Istanbul








Typical souk in Istanbul
William from KL plans to open his slipper store in Terminal 21






Istanbul












Istanbul


Istanbul










Istanbul




Istanbul


London!










London and Union Jack






London


London
Underground in London












London
Thailand's longest escalator




Stunning








Queen's Guard


Famous London double decker bus










2 London icons




Queen's Guard and red bus














Red for MU














Bad Taste?








London!



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