MBK Center - Bangkok's Best Electronics Mall
MBK, short for Mahbunkhrong is one of Bangkok's most famous shopping malls. It is dedicated to hosting small shops that sell a wide variety of electronics, gadgets souvenirs, and clothing. Ranging from cheap small gadgets to more expensive items like phones.
The shops at the MBK Center are mostly independent stores and the mall is one of the best places to experience the vibe of an independent market in a big shopping mall. It is the go-to destination for anyone visiting Bangkok looking to experience an electronics market and in this guide, I'm going to show you the best ways to enjoy your time at the MBK Center.
Plenty of Electronics and Mobile Phone Shops
Mobile phones and electronics are some of the most common items to buy when visiting the MBK Center. There are countless stalls to choose from in this giant shopping mall, but remember not all stalls will stock the phones or electronics you want and many might have higher prices than you may have expected.
Most of the electronics stores are located on the 4th and 5th floors of the shopping mall. The MBK center has a huge variety of vendors between these two floors. Some are very reasonable, whilst others will try to take advantage of you and ask for high prices.
If you are looking to buy something specific or more expensive items then I highly recommend checking the price on online stores and regular electronics stores before buying items at MBK. If you have a rough idea of the prices it it will be easier to negotiate with vendors and get a bargain. Some stores are open to negotiating prices whilst others are not.
A good way to do this is by browsing the web for a few things you're looking to buy before going and getting an idea of how much those items cost. I find this works well when I want to buy items at markets, at least this way if they ask you for a ridiculous price you will know how to haggle with them.
Camera Stores at MBK
The MBK Center is a very decent place to buy camera gear. Although it doesn't have tons of shops dedicated to cameras, the shops it does have are awesome.
The shop called FotoFile on the 5th floor is one of my favourites. They have an amazing variety of cameras, lenses, and accessories and pretty much everything a photographer or videographer could want all in one shop. You can buy almost anything you need in terms of camera gear in this shop.
Some other good camera shops in the shopping mall are Big Camera and AV Center. All of these stores are franchise camera shops in Thailand, which you can find in other malls around Bangkok. However, it's nice having them all in one shopping mall in the MBK Center.
I recommend checking prices between the stores. All of them have a great variety of stock, and I have found buying camera gear in Thailand is usually cheaper than other countries.
Food Court
The MBK Center has one of the best food courts in the Pathumwan district. Located on the 6th floor of the shopping mall this awesome food court sells every kind of Thai Food you can think of, with a few international options too.
The food court is of a high standard and the prices are very reasonable. I have eaten in other nearby malls such as Siam Paragon and I believe the MBK Center has way better food. Dishes are bigger and generally more tasty, plus there is a better variety of dishes at MBK.
The food court is not the most modern one out there and I must admit it could do with some renovating, but if we are talking purely about the food, then the MBK food court is one of the best places to eat. I highly recommend grabbing lunch here in between your shopping spree.
Restaurants at MBK Center
Food courts are great, but sometimes you might want to unwind and enjoy a meal in a nice restaurant. The good news is this shopping mall has plenty of restaurants to choose from. You can find the standard franchise restaurants like Pizza Hut, Burger King, and KFC, but these are not really the type of restaurants I would recommend when visiting the MBK Center.
I would recommend going for Thai restaurants or local franchise restaurants which you can't find in your home country. One of my favourites is actually an American Franchise called Sizzler, this is a restaurant serving healthy Western Food, with the option of an unlimited salad bar. The prices are reasonable and the food is delicious. Chester's is a fast food place with some Thai influence, they serve decent food at reasonable prices.
The restaurant Yayoi is a Japanese food franchise which I have only seen in Thailand and they do good set meals with a bento box style. There are plenty more restaurants at MBK, so if you're not feeling the bustling food court then make sure to take a look around the MBK shopping mall as there are so many great options.
MBK Center Entertainment
Like most shopping malls in Thailand, the MBK Center also has a cinema. The SF Cinema City is on the 7th floor of the shopping mall. It's a great cinema, the prices are very reasonable and it has amazing seats and screens.
The Hero City Game Center is a cool arcade that is also located on the 7th floor. If you're a fan of arcade games I definitely recommend visiting this arcade. It's a fun way to spend some time whilst waiting for your movie to start.
Don Don Donki
Don Don Donki, known in Japan as Don Quijote is a large Japanese discount store. This super cool shop sells everything from food to cosmetics and toys. What makes this store stand out is that most of the products sold at Don Don Donki are Japanese, and these products are quite difficult to find in Thai supermarkets. Sure you might find some of them in an international supermarket, but Don Don Donki sells all the Japanese items in one convenient place.
The prices are very reasonable at Don Don Donki, and the store prides itself on having better prices than other Japanese shops. However, don't expect the prices to be the same as the local Thai 711 as many of these items are imported from Japan.
Having visited the store a few times myself, I can happily say it's a great place to try Japanese snacks and buy small items. This store may not be for everyone, but it's still worth a look since you could find some amazing Japanese goods there that you were unaware of.
Floor Guide - MBK Shopping Center, Bangkok
The MBK Shopping Center consists of 7 Floors, each of these floors is themed by what they sell. This gives shoppers the convenience of being able to shop for the product they are looking for on one floor and makes this gigantic shopping mall a bit less confusing. However, you will find cafes, food vendors, and restaurants on almost every floor.
Ground Floor - 1st floor - Shops containing souvenirs, clothing, and fashion accessories can mostly be found on the 1st floor. This floor has a market-type feel and sells many products that you would usually find in a Bangkok market. There are some good stalls and shops for travelers to buy souvenirs and clothing. Many banks are available on the 1st floor too. The Tops Supermarket is also on the 1st floor, this is an awesome Thai supermarket that has a wide variety of products.
2nd Floor - The 2nd floor hosts several a variety of jewelry stores that sell gold and silver jewelry. These are typical Thai jewelry stores, and although I have never bought from them, the variety looks great here. The Japanese Supermarket Don Don Donki is also located on the 2nd floor.
3rd Floor - The 3rd floor is packed with souvenir shops, many of which sell Thai silk amongst other traditional Thai goods.
4th Floor - Electronics stores are found in the largest number on this floor. You will find a majority of the electronic stores on the 4th floor, so if you are looking for the electronics haven then head straight up to the 4th floor. There are also some Education institutes on the 4th floor which teach English.
5th Floor - There are some more electronics stores on the 5th floor so be sure to check it out too. In addition to electronics stores, most of the shopping malls' beauty clinics are located on the 5th floor. So if you're looking for beauty-related services most of them are on this floor.
6th Floor - One of the best food courts in Bangkok is on the 6th floor. The MBK Food Legends food court is a place I always look forward to feasting when I visit the shopping mall.
7th Floor - This is where you can find the majority of the entertainment venues. There is a cinema and arcade on this floor along with some restaurants.
The MBK Shopping Mall is themed but still has random shops on all the floors. Be sure to check out the floor guide on their website if you are looking for a specific shop.
Hotels Near the MBK Center
The MBK Center is conveniently located in the Pathumwan District of Bangkok, one of Bangkok's best shopping districts. There are plenty of malls near the MBK Center, such as Siam Discovery and Siam Paragon. This means it's very easy to find hotels near the shopping mall. However, this also makes it one of the more expensive areas to stay in Bangkok.
The Pathumwan Princess Hotel and Mercure Siam Hotel are two excellent options within a few minutes walk of the MBK Center. Some smaller and cheaper hotels are also available around the area, but this is the city center it can get booked up quickly. I recommend booking in advance if you are looking for a place to stay near the MBK Center.
How to Get to the MBK Center
The MBK Center can easily be reached by BTS Sky train, an overground train service that runs through the city center of Bangkok. It is within walking distance of both the National Stadium BTS and Siam BTS stations.
The shopping mall is also easy to reach by an elevated walkway which links many shopping malls in this district together. You can walk from mall to mall through this elevated outdoor walkway. Much of the walkway is sheltered so it's also a convenient way to walk around the area on a rainy day. This is one of my favourite ways to visit the Bangkok malls. Going from Siam Paragon to Siam Discovery to MBK Center is a great way to do a shopping mall tour of Bangkok.
What is MBK famous for?
MBK is famous for its market style atmosphere, and its huge variety of electronics stores.
Is the MBK Center Worth Visiting?
Since there is nowhere else like it in Bangkok, MBK is undoubtedly worth a visit.
Can You Bargain in MBK Bangkok?
Yes you can Bargain at the MBK center. Usually the small electronics shops and market stalls that are open to negotiating the price.
Visiting the MBK Center Overall
The MBK Shopping Mall is one of the best places to shop for electronics in Bangkok. Rivaled only by Panthip Plaza, the MBK Center has everything you need for a great electronics shopping trip. Add to that the great food options, a cinema, an arcade, and plenty of stalls to buy souvenirs. All of which make the MBK Center one of the best places for electronics shopping in Bangkok.