Bangkok is known for all fabulous shopping malls. They seem to pop up like mushrooms, one after the other. After the Icon Siam, which is huge and very impressing, I thought now it can’t be anything beating that mall, but I was wrong.
EMSPHERE, located between Phrom Phong and Asoke on Sukhumvit, is not what we would call just a shopping mall, it’s more like a place there east meets west in a splendid way. At my first visit, together with photographer Daniel Herron, I just could not believe what I saw and we spent 6 hours walking around.
The mall is easy to reach from the Phrom Phong BTS station. You walk inside over a kind of bridge, that changes the neon lights all the time, very futuristic.
You walk around and feel the good smells of food from all over the world. There is nothing missing, Chinese dumplings, French pastries, Ramen, Sushi, Ice creams, Cold cuts, Korean Shabu Shabu and if you, despite all those delicacies, have a craving for Swedish meatballs, well then IKEA and its restaurant will welcome you.
When it comes to luxury goods, you can by almost everything. Looking for an exclusive car? This is the place to buy a Lamborghini, a Lotus, Porsche, Mini etc. and get them in exactly the color you want. Just visit the Auto Galleria on the 2nd floor, but don’t forget to bring a filled wallet with you.
I don’t think there are many brands missing within these walls.
EVEANDBOY, Thailand’s biggest beauty retail brand, has a huge shop and their best selling perfume until now is the Yves Saint Laurent, the manager lets us know. This store offers promotions regularly. The name is a combination of the owner and his sister’s names. The brand was founded for more than 20 years ago and today there are more than 100 stores only in Thailand.
Brands like Italian SMEG, has a showroom/shop on the 2nd floor, displaying lots of retro kitchenware in pastell and bright colors. It’s like being set back into the 1950s.
On the 1st floor you will find the very popular brand Gentle Woman, a Thai brand. Many young women you will see today with a shopping bag with this label on.
Of course, there is also the TECH floor. Here you will find Apple, Samsung, TRUE, AIS and much more.
Now we come to the best part in my opinion, which shopping mall offers you an outside /inside restaurant with a beautiful pool, a poolbar, huge sunbeds, changing rooms with lockers, private rooms for smaller company and pink flamingos to take a ride on in the pool while sipping on a cocktail and admiring the stunning view? The TRIBE, is the name of this fabulous restaurant with a decor that reminds you of Marrakech with elements of Mexico, Hawaii and even a touch of the French Cote d’Azur?
Here you can arrive with your bathing suit in your shopping bag, lay down in the sun on one of the big sunchairs, sipping your choice of cocktail in the poolbar, having a light lunch and when the evening comes, you change your beachwear to a cocktail dress and go for dinner, followed by a visit to the nightclub MEGA. In fact, you can easily spend the whole day and almost the whole night in EMSPHERE.
The woman behind this masterpiece, among others, is khun Elle and she also runs the famous bar Cafe del Mar on Phuket Island.
A woman who seems to know what Bangkok needs to keep its renowned, as a city that never sleeps!
