BANGKOK
House of Chao ANTIQUES
(Map p 82 ; 9/1 Th Decho; h9.30am-7pm; BTS Chong
Nonsi) This three-storey shop, housed, appro-
priately, in an antique house, has everything
necessary to deck out your fantasy colonial-
era mansion. Particularly interesting are the
various weatherworn doors, doorways, gate-
ways and trellises behind the showroom. Bookshops
For a decent selection of English-language
books and magazines, branches of Booka-
zine (www.bookazine.co.th) and B2S (www.b2s.
co.th) can be found at nearly every mall in
central Bangkok. The Banglamphu area is
home to nearly all of Bangkok’s independent
bookstores, and Th Khao San is virtually the
only place in town to go for used English-
language books. You’re not going to fi nd any
deals there, but the selection is decent.
Asia Books (Map p 92 ; http://www.asiabook.com; Soi
15, 221 Th Sukhumvit; h8am-9pm; BTS Asok, MRT
Sukhumvit) Also a branch in the Emporium
Shopping Centre (p 136 ) and Siam Discov-
ery Center (p 136 ).
Book Lover (Map p 60 ; Soi Rambuttri; hnoon-
10.30pm Tue-Sun; bus 2, 15, 44, 511, river ferry Tha
Phra Athit) Well-stocked used bookstore.
Dasa Book Café (Map p 92 ; 710/4 Th Sukhum-
vit, btwn Soi 26 & 28; h10am-8pm; BTS Phrom
Phong) Multilingual used bookstore.
Kinokuniya (www.kinokuniya.com) Siam
Paragon (Map p 86 ; 3rd fl, Th Phra Ram I; h10am-
10pm; BTS Siam); Emporium (Map p 92 ; 3rd fl, Th
Sukhumvit; h10am-10pm; BTS Phrom Phong)
The country’s largest book store has two
branches, both featuring multilanguage
selections, magazines and children’s books.
Orchid Books (Map p 82 ; http://www.orchidbooks.
com; 4th fl, Silom Complex, 191 Th Silom; h11am-
7pm Tue-Sun; BTS Sala Daeng, MRT Si Lom)
Bangkok showroom of eponymous pub-
lishing house, with titles from other local
imprints, with emphasis on Asian topics.
RimKhobFah Bookstore (Map p 60 ; 78/1 Th
Ratchadamnoen Klang; h10am-7pm; bus 2, 15, 44,
511, klorng taxi to Tha Phan Fah) This shop has
a brief collection of scholarly publications
in English on Thai art and architecture.
Saraban (Map p 60 ; 106/1 Th Rambuttri;
h9.30am-10.30pm; bus 2, 15, 44, 511, river ferry Tha
Phra Athit) Large selection of international
newspapers and Lonely Planet guides.
Shaman Bookstore Susie Walking Street
(Map p 60 ; Susie Walking St, off Th Khao San;h9am-11pm); Th Khao San (Map p 60 ; Th Khao
San; h9am-11pm) With two locations on Th
Khao San, Shaman has the area’s largest
selection of used books. Department Stores & Shopping
Centres
Bangkok may be crowded and polluted, but
its department stores are modern oases of
order. They’re also downright frigid, and
Sunday afternoons see a signifi cant part
of Bangkok’s population crowding into the
city’s indoor malls to escape the heat. By no
accident, the BTS stations also have shaded
walkways delivering passengers directly
into nearby stores without ever having to
set foot on ground level. Most shopping
centres are open from 10am or 11am to 9pm
or 10pm.
The selection is surprisingly good at Bang-
kok’s shopping centres, but don’t expect any
bargains – most imported items cost more
than they would elsewhere. Another quirk is
that shop assistants follow you around the
store from rack to rack. This is the defi nition
of Thai ‘service’ rather than an indication
that they’ve sniff ed you out as a shoplifter.
And be sure you’re satisfi ed with an item, as
returns are largely unheard of.MBK Center MALL
(Mahboonkhrong; Map p 86 ; http://www.mbk-center.co.th/
en; cnr Th Phra Ram I & Th Phayathai; BTS National
Stadium & Siam) This colossal mall has be-
come a tourist destination in its own right.
Swedish and other languages can be heard
as much as Thai, and on any given weekend
half of Bangkok can be found here comb-
ing through an inexhaustible range of small
stalls and shops. This is the cheapest place
to buy mobile phones and accessories (4th
fl oor) and name-brand knock-off s (nearly
every other fl oor). It’s also one of the better
places to stock up on camera gear (ground
fl oor and 5th fl oor), and the expansive food
court (6th fl oor) is one of the best in town.Siam Center & Siam Discovery
Center MALL
(Map p 86 ; cnr Th Phra Ram I & Th Phayathai; BTS
National Stadium or Siam) These linked sis-
ter centres feel almost monastic in their
hushed hallways compared to frenetic
MBK, just across the street. Siam Discovery
Center excels in home decor, with the whole
3rd fl oor devoted to Asian-minimalist styles
and jewel-toned fabrics; we love the earthy,
Thai-infl uenced designs at Doi Tung. The