CentralWorld

CentralWorld stands on Rama I Road at the Ratchaprasong intersection in the Pathum Wan district of central Bangkok, between the Siam and Chit Lom areas. It opened in 1989 as the World Trade Center, was taken over by Central Pattana and renamed Central World Plaza in 2002, and became CentralWorld in 2007. The land belongs to the Crown Property Bureau.

The complex was badly damaged by fire on 19 May 2010, during the military dispersal of political protests at Ratchaprasong. It closed for several months, and a large part reopened on 28 September 2010 after repairs.

The mall has nearly 500 stores and several anchor tenants across its floors, with fashion, electronics, home goods, a cinema, a large supermarket, restaurants and food courts. An office tower and a five star hotel with a convention centre are part of the same complex.

CentralWorld Square, the open area in front of the mall, hosts concerts, fairs and seasonal events. It is best known for Bangkok's large New Year's Eve countdown, and its Christmas decorations draw crowds of photographers each December. Covered skywalks link the mall with nearby shopping centres and the BTS.

Entry is free, and the mall is open daily from morning until late evening. Chit Lom BTS station connects to the complex by skywalk, and Siam station is a short walk away. The Erawan Shrine stands across the intersection.

By size, CentralWorld is one of the largest shopping centres in the world, with about 550,000 square metres of gross floor area, around 187,000 square metres of shops and parking for about 7,000 cars. The 45-storey office tower, 204 metres tall, opened in December 2004. The hotel tower has 57 floors, and the hotel and convention centre together cover about 90,000 square metres.

The anchor store is Central Department Store, the chain's largest branch at about 50,000 square metres over seven floors, renamed from ZEN after a revamp in December 2019. Isetan, which had its only Thai branch here, closed in August 2020. SF World Cinema on the seventh floor has 15 screens and hosted the Bangkok International Film Festival in 2007 and 2008. Uniqlo, Kinokuniya and Nitori each opened their first store in Thailand here, and Apple opened its second Thai store on CentralWorld Square in 2020.

The complex has had a second fire. On 10 April 2019 a blaze that started elsewhere spread to the eighth floor through air vents, and at least two employees died. Shoppers today should allow plenty of time, as the walk from one end of the mall to the other is long, and the skywalks are the coolest way to reach neighbouring malls in the afternoon heat.