Central Chidlom Bangkok | Central Department Store Bangkok

Central Chidlom Bangkok

Central Chidlom is the flagship store for the Central Group of department stores and malls. There are a number of Central Stores dotted around Bangkok and with one or two in other areas of Thailand, but this Central Chidlom Department Store is best and as such offers items that can't always be found in other Central stores.It is also more expensive than other of the Central stores. If you shop here, expect to pay more for your groceries and other items. If you like Central stores but want to save a little money, go to one of the other stores if they happen to be closer.

Central Chidlom is geared towards the expatriate and shopper as well as the more affluent Thais who wish to buy expensive imported goods. This is reflected at the supermarket or grocery section where it's possible to buy many imported brands from the UK, Australia, Japan and the USA.


Main Entrance at Central Chidlom, Bangkok	View of Central from Skytrain station

Central Childom Department store is a comprehensive shopping experience where you can buy most things although there are no brand name shops like at Siam Paragon, Emporium or Central World Plaza, but there are departments which sell expensive brand named clothes.

For a comprehensive shop directory, please visit the Official Central Web site

Store Information

Address:	1027 Ploenchit Rd., Lumpini, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330
Tel:	66 2793 7777
Fax:	66 2793 7799
Operation Hours:	10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. everyday
Public Bus:	No. 2, 17, 25, 40, 48
Air-conditioned Bus:	No. 501, 508, 511, 513, 525
Micro Bus:	No. 6
BTS:	BTS Skytrain - Chidlom Station

How Can I Get To Central Chidlom?

The simplest way is to get the skytrain and get off at Chidlom. From the station there is a walk-way which takes you past a few stalls that are part of the station and then you cross a footbridge that leads into Central Department Store. The entrance takes you past a few ATM / cash point machines, a bank / money exchange and into a teenager's section for shoes, jeans, surf clothes by Billabong, Quick Silver and so on.

If the Skytrain isn't an option then taxis will know where to go as long as you pronounce Central "Centran". ie "Centran Chidlom"

Why Choose It Over Other Places?

Central Chidlom is not better than other department stores but it does have the best supermarket especially if you like good meats and seafood. Central Chidlom is a good size. It's not too big and not too small and has pretty much what ever you'd want unless you are after Jimmy Choo shoes or bags by Coach.

It's a department store and not a mall and so it has no shops, so to speak, that are not part of the department store with the exception of an opticians, hairdressers / salon, a travel agents and one or two other shops.


Excellent quality meats local and imported	Cold meats are mainly locally produced

The Supermarket At Central Chidlom

The supermarket at Central Chidlom is an excellent place to get your groceries and it's a favourite amongst expats because of the choice of imported goods from countries such as the USA, UK, Japan and Australia. This is particularly true for meats as you can get imported steaks from the USA, Australia and even Kobe steak from Japan at over 6,000 Baht a kilo. There is also a very good cheese counter but it's expensive.

There are many other imported items such as cookies, cereals, spreads, sauces and chocolate and so if you are missing home food comforts Central Chidlom should have something to make you feel more at home. If you can't find what you are after here, you should then try Villa Supermarket, opposite The Emporium on Sukhumvit 33/1

Alcohol

Alcohol is also on sale although beer is almost completely locally brewed and wine is extremely expensive so be prepared for a shock. Also, wine never seems to be handled very well over here. Central has started putting stickers on their wines stating they have been handled and stored correctly but you'll have to decide on whether that is correct or not.
Spirits seem to be more reasonable priced.
N.B For the best selection of wines, go to the upper floor of Villa Supermarket opposite The Emporium, Sukhumvit 33/1

Alcohol Sales Times : Thailand has adopted fairly strict alcohol sales laws meaning the sale of alcohol is only permitted

11 am - 2 pm
5 pm - 12 am (in stores / shops not bars and restaurants)


There's a very good fish & sea food counter	Quality imported cheese

Women's Fashion

Woman's Fashions and cosmetics cover the ground and first floors. On the 1st floor, where you can find perfumes and cosmetics, there are some high end fashion sections. All the very expensive women's clothes and fashions can be found on the 1st floor, but for more reasonably priced items, head up to the 2nd floor where you can find women's shoes, bags, brands such as Liz Clairbourne, AIIZ, Zein and even Marks & Spencers.

The women's fashion and accessories sections are very good and it caters to all tastes including Asian and Western although you might not always find the size you want and this goes for clothes and shoes. The 2nd floor also offers a "personal shopper" service which provides a personal shopping assistant to help you shop, carry and translate your requirements.

Teenager's Fashion

Teenager's Fashion On the 3rd floor, which is the same as the entrance from the Skytrain, you'll find a decent teenager's / young adult's section where you can find brand names such as Lee, Lee Cooper, Levis, Wrangler, Quick Silver, Billabong and a number of other well known fashion brands. The teenager's section is not bad and also caters to all tastes and styles. Discounts are common place and there's usually a good selection and stock of goods and items.

Men's Fashion

The men's clothing section is probably the best section and has a very good selection of casual, smart casual and formal wear as well as a good range of accessories such as belts, ties, cuff links, wallets and so on. All or most major brands are available as well as some that are not available in other department stores such a Saville Row which sells shirt, trousers, jackets and ties. Saville Row is our personal favourite as it offers shirt sizes that vary from just the usual S, M, L and XL.

The men's shoe section is also very good although some of the shoes can be a bit wild in design and will only appeal to the style conscious few but Central makes a big effort to cater to all tastes and put on a good display. The main problem is that they often show a shoe but don't have the stock for either the colour or size. It's a regular occurrence.


Lingerie section is large and comprhensive	Men's fashion section at Central Chidlom

Baby Items and Children's Clothing

I don't think we've ever seen such a large selection of baby and children's clothing as we have in Bangkok. All department stores seem to have large departments dedicated to baby clothes and items such as cots, prams, strollers, car seats and baby feeding products. If you want it, you'll find it in Bangkok and most of the time you'll find it in Central Chidlom.

The children's section has a great selection for boys and girls with many brand and non-brand names available. There is always a sale on (which is the same for all departments) and you can pick up some bargains.

Furniture / Kitchenware & Electrical Goods (Power Buy)

For all intents and purposes, the furniture section is no good at all. Sofas are all of a similar design and don't look of very good quality. Cupboards, coffee tables and sideboards are few and far between and are often scratched and knocked about a bit. If you are looking for furniture or lighting, look elsewhere.
There is a poor selection of beds but there is a fair selection of matresses although prices can be a lot higher than if you sought out a dedicated matresses supplier.

Kitchenware and appliances is a very good section and there is a lot to choose from. If you need a dinner set, glasses, juicers or coffee machines and so on, this is a very good place to come. We buy most of our kitchen appliances from Central Chidlom.


Beds and Bedding	Furniture and Lighting

Eletrical Goods / Hi-Fi / TVs

Central's Electrical department is called Power Buy and offers interest free credit or very low interest monthly payments on most items. At Power Buy there is a very good selection of Plasma and LCD TVs, fridges, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, as well as Hi-Fi / Home theatre equipment, the brands are fairly low key but decent; brands such as Denon, Marantz, Yamaha and Sony. All solid brands, but if you want hi end audio, you'll have to go to more dedicated stores.

There is also a decent mobile phone section, a good selection of laptops (but few desktops) as well as a good selection of MP3 players and digital cameras.

Books / Magazines / Stationary / Post Office

On the top floor you can find a decent book store, magazine section, stationary and even a place to post your mail and send parcels.

Restaurants

There are plenty of restaurants and coffee shops throughout the store. There is something on every floor with Starbucks and MOS Burger on the ground floor but situated on the top floor along with the books, magazines etc is a very good International food court called The Loft offering Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Indian, Italian and Japanese food.

The process for this food court is that everyone who enters is given a card. You present the card to each food stall you order food from and the amount gets added to the card. You then present the card to the cashier on leaving and you pay the cashier and not the stall.

The food is pretty good although a little pricey but at least there is something there for everyone and it's very convenient if you are doing a day's shopping. Just don't get there between 12 and 2 pm because it will be very busy. Especially on the weekends.