MBK Center Changes

The first time I went to the MBK (Ma Boon Khrong) Center in Bangkok, I was overwhelmed by the volume of people, the rainbow of color, and the army of smells, not all pleasant, marching into my nostrils.  While I don’t do well with crowds, I somehow managed, mostly by clinging to my hubby. We navigated the labyrinthine rows of knock-offs – 4$ for a ‘thai silk’ scarf or a ‘Gucci ‘bag for $20, what are the odds?! - along with other questionable goods cramming the place to the gills.

I once described it to a friend as “An indoor mall with a very open flea market feel.”

It certainly left an impression.  Much like eating Pad Thai out of a hollowed-out pineapple, it was an experience, something everyone should try at least once.

My favorite place, and the one most likely to lure a few baht out of my pocket, was the hand-crafted goods area.  Depending on who was there on a given day, one might find themselves leaving with a reclaimed metal sculpture, beautiful hand-twined wire jewelry, a painting, or hand-carved wooden trinkets.  You’d pay a higher price, of course, but this was not the mass-produced junk found in the rest of the center, these were created with love. Little did I know, but back in the ‘90’s this was apparently the dominant stall type. I’m sorry I missed it.

Back during my first visit to Bangkok – which makes it sound like longer than the handful of years it’s been - haggling was almost an art form, with everyone was eager to prove their skills.  Everyone, that is, except me.  The vendors, realizing I wasn’t going to haggle, immediately gave discounts ranging from 10-25%, undoubtedly feeling sorry for the pasty, silly farang paying way too much and clearly lacking good sense.

I learned to appreciate the value of silence after squeezing my way through the cramped halls of the electronics floor, where each stall blared different music louder than the last in a vain attempt to prove their sound systems superior.  If anyone could make anything out over the incongruous cacophony, I salute them. 

When one wished to break free of the crowded chaos, they simply went to the food court.  A delectable pile of Pad Se Ew noodles and a quiet atmosphere recharged the batteries, whether your plan was to continue shopping or to decide which route on the map was best in order to escape the center itself.

Sadly, as Bob Dylan sang, “The times, they are a changin”.

Logan and I braced ourselves for an afternoon in the center and it was, in a word, disappointing.  While the arcade floor is still loads of fun, it seems other parts of the center, and even the atmosphere itself, has suffered. 

The “hand-crafted” section has been dominated by the same generic knock-off items you’ll find on every other level of the center, just with the prices bumped up.  We found only one stall with paintings, none of which would fit into our suitcases. I’m curious where the artists have gone, as I’d like to revisit them. 

Some of the vendors at regular shops have also morphed from cheerful and talkative to bored, the worst are downright hostile.  With tourism spiking low following the fear around the novel coronavirus, it’s undoubtedly hurting their business.  Still, when both price tag and giant sign agree that “ITEM = 150 BAHT” (about 5$) and the vendor insists that they’re 600 baht (about 19$), becoming visibly angry and raising his voice when you point out the obvious, it’s off-putting.

To add insult to injury, the solace found in the blessed calm of the food hall has dissipated, it is now far more commercial, loud, and full of mediocre, tasteless food.  Logan described it as a sterile abattoir and he’s generally a very positive, upbeat person.

If you decide to check it out, I suggest a food stall rather than sitting in one of the more expensive restaurants.  If you watch carefully, you’ll see the staff from said restaurants “outsourcing” the food from the vendors in the food court; the folks in the restaurants are paying double, sometimes triple, to simply sit in a less unpleasant environment.

I must say “thank you” to the lovely woman who allowed Logan to take pictures of yours truly posing in her colorful stall.  We ended up buying a couple of small, questionably bronze statues from her because I’m a sucker for elephants and Buddha - and yes, she offered the non-haggling farang couple a discount.

All the same, this will likely be my last visit to the MBK center.  I’m very sad to see it so changed, especially in such a short time. It was always a tourist trap, it just used to be a much happier one to find yourself in.

Thanks for stopping in and I’ll see you next time.