| What is Ratchaprasong, you ask? Ratchaprasong | | | | Big C Ratchadamri are all shopping centers |
| is a financial and fashion area in Bangkok, | | | | located with the Ratchaprasong area. |
| Thailand. For over 50 years Ratchaprasong has | | | | |
| been the center of Bangkok's cosmopolitan | | | | The Central Chit Lom shopping mall is a |
| center. | | | | flagship store of the Central Group |
| | | | department stores. It opened in 1973. This |
| The area is located within Bangkok's Panthum | | | | mall has eight floors and six of the eight |
| Wan shopping district and is one of the most | | | | have a different name. The first floor is |
| decorated areas in the city. Much like New | | | | called the Heavan of Luxury and offers |
| York City's Times Square, this area is the | | | | cosmetics, designer boutiques and luxury |
| center of Bangkok's activities. | | | | jewelry. The second floor is the Women's |
| | | | Dream Wardrobe and offers women's clothes, |
| Some of the main attraction here are the | | | | bags, shoes and fashion accessories. |
| Erawan Shrine, the lights during the | | | | |
| holidays, and the Foreign Correspondents' | | | | The third floor is called Young & Idea |
| Club Thailand. | | | | Unlimited/Precious Time. The fourth floor is |
| | | | called Men's Fashion Statement. The fifth |
| The Erawan Shrine is a Hindu shrine that | | | | floor is named All About Home. And, lastly, |
| houses a statue of Phra Phrom, the Thai | | | | the sixth floor is called Top of the World. |
| representation of the Hindu creation god | | | | |
| Brahma. The shrine was built in 1956 to | | | | Central World is Southeast Asia's largest |
| correct bad omens that were believed to be | | | | shopping mall and is also an office complex. |
| caused by the laying of the foundations of | | | | This mall is also owned by the Central Group |
| the hotel it was next to, the Erawan Hotal, | | | | department stores. The mall was reopened in |
| on the wrong date. | | | | 2006 after three years of redesign and |
| | | | renovation. |
| There are also many more other shrines | | | | |
| located in this area. While in the area, keep | | | | The complex is now 550,000 square meters |
| an eye out for Par Inn, Phra Pikanet | | | | large but was originally 300,000 square |
| (Ganesh), Pra Narai, Pra-mae Lakshmi, and Pra | | | | meters. It first opened in 1990 and was |
| Tri Murati. | | | | called the World Trade Center. The mall was |
| | | | eight stories high. It now has 51 floors and |
| The Foreign Correspondents' Club Thailand is | | | | is geared towards the middle to high class |
| located in the penthouse of the Maneeya | | | | with its "High Street" and designer brands. |
| Building. It hosts guest speakers, movie | | | | |
| screenings, photographic exhibitions, and | | | | There are over 500 tenants in the complex. In |
| talks on current events. | | | | the complex are many big box stores, such as |
| | | | Toys R Us, Super Sports, Power buy and B2S. |
| Also attracting people to this area are the | | | | Isetan, a Japanese department store chain |
| shopping centers and malls. Central Chit Lom, | | | | also has six stories of products, a |
| Central World, Gaysorn, Amarin Plaza and the | | | | supermarket and restaurant in the complex. |