While Ekamai Major is mostly about entertainment, with a large multiplex cinema upstairs, along with a bowling alley, and lots of chain restaurants like Fuji or McDonalds, there are some shopping outlets downstairs, mainly selling bags and purses, some outlets with shirts, along with plenty of booths that have cell phones and related items. The latest addition to the mall is the Sub Zero ice skating rink that draws in crowds eager to escape the Bangkok heat and try out something new. While the mall doesn't rank anywhere near most of Bangkok's other top shopping outlets, those in the neighbourhood will undoubtedly find themselves passing through here for one thing or another at some point in time.
Recommended for Ekamai's Best Shopping because: For a small scale mall with movies and ice skating, Ekamai Major fits the bill.
Dave's expert tip: The mall is located just west of the Ekamai skytrain station, opposite the Eastern Bus Terminal. You can take the elevated walkway from the skytrain past the We Fitness Center and straight into the mall.
Big C is Ekamai's biggest grocery store, and this Big C Extra version (the Extra shops have more gourmet products and are far more extensive than the regular shops) is the place to buy food in the neighbourhood. Check out their Casino brand products (Big C used to be Carrefour), they have some good versions of imported cheeses and meats, and in addition to groceries, the market also has a large selection of household, electronics, and non-food items. Between this store and the neighbouring Index Living Mall, you should be able to get everything to stock a new home or condo, and just because it is in a high rent area doesn't mean prices are obscene. Big C has a lot of value items priced the same as in their other stores around town.
Recommended for Ekamai's Best Shopping because: For all your grocery shopping, Big C is the largest in Ekamai.
Dave's expert tip: Best way to get here is via taxi from the Ekamai skytrain station, unless you want a 10-15 minute hot walk. The market is between Ekamai soi's 6 and 8.
A lot of folks come to Thailand to get married, with all the luxury resorts and traditional Thai wedding ceremonies that can be arranged on islands or rooftops, or elsewhere special. Victoria Wedding Studios is one of the premier agencies in Thailand and is certainly the place to shop if you are coming here with a wedding on the agenda. The spacious shop and studio on Ekamai specialises in all aspects of wedding planning, from glamorous bridal costumes to ideas for wedding planning, as well as professional photography services. The well dressed mannequins in the window give you an idea of just how classy the place is, and they certainly are in the right neighbourhood for haute couture, as Ekamai attracts plenty of big spenders looking for perfection on their special day.
Recommended for Ekamai's Best Shopping because: For wedding dresses, planning, and photography, Victoria Wedding Studio is a great option.
Dave's expert tip: Just head up Ekamai from its intersection with Sukhumvit about 5-10 minutes walk, the studio is on your left side, with the mannequins in wedding dresses in the window.
If you are looking for secondhand vintage clothes this is a shop for you. Was Were Will, located in the small Ekamai Mall right at the corner of Soi 10, is filled with various items for men, women, and children, the majority of them being vintage and retro clothing items from Japan. The bulk of the clothing appears to be shirts, but there are plenty of other finds as well, and you'll even come across some furniture pieces for sale in here as well, which isn't surprising, given that the owners formerly ran a vintage furniture shop just a few doors down, which has since closed its doors. The window display is cute, and just look for the green bicycle out front to let you know that you've come to the right place, as there isn't a sign on the door or anywhere else.
Recommended for Ekamai's Best Shopping because: For vintage secondhand clothing, check out Was Were Will.
Dave's expert tip: Best way to get here is to take the skytrain to Ekamai and the taxi up to Soi 10 to the Ekamai Mall.
Not only is Tuba a great bar to come drink at, it is also a retro and antique furniture shop. Drink too much and you might end up buying the couch you are sitting on! Seriously, everything is for sale in here, and it is full of colorful memorabilia, antiques, and all sorts of interesting pieces. If the drinks and food are not important, the legendary bar also has a furniture only design warehouse just across the way, From antique lamps to vintage sofas and so many more surprises, it is almost as fun just to check out the merchandise here as to ever contemplate buying a piece. While the showroom pieces really are snazzy, don't expect happy hour prices the same way you do the drinks!
Recommended for Ekamai's Best Shopping because: For Bangkok's best vintage furniture showroom inside a bar, Tuba is the one and only.
Dave's expert tip: The best way to get to Tuba is to take the skytrain to Ekamai station and then taxi up to Soi 21 from there.
While primarily known for its furniture, Index Living Mall has just about everything for home decoration, decor, and furnishing, and then some. They've got home storage supplies, bathroom furnishings and fixtures, small appliances, lighting, and outdoor furnishings too. There are 8 branches in Bangkok and another 9 spread out around the country, and they are quite popular, with reasonable and competitive prices. This store on Ekamai is located in the Ekamai Power Mall, which is mainly dwarfed by Index along with grocery retailer Big C, and then the rest of the shops are mainly restaurants. If you need anything for the home, there is a good chance Index Living Mall has it, and this is the best located store of this type on this side of town.
Recommended for Ekamai's Best Shopping because: For all your home furnishings, Index Living Mall is THE place to go in Ekamai.
Dave's expert tip: To get here, it's best to take a taxi up from the Ekamai skytrain station, as it is a bit far to walk.
While the cafe-restaurant part of this boutique gets plenty of raves (One Ounce for Onion), this section of the quiet lane shop has clothing, shoes, and accessories for men and women on sale, obtained from well known boutiques from around the world by the pleasant owner, who also happens to be the guitarist of a local rock band. Moonstar shoes, Lee jeans, Cooperstown caps, and plenty of designer bags and watches can be found here, with the idea being that you can look chic with your new products and show them off over a macchiato in the cafe next door. They've even got Mast Brothers fine chocolate here from New York, and there's a daily influx of new items regularly.
Recommended for Ekamai's Best Shopping because: For chic imported boutique items with a cafe next door, try Onion.
Dave's expert tip: Best way to get here is to take a taxi from the Ekamai skytrain up to Soi 12, then take the second small side alley on your left on Soi 12, it's just past Olive Greek Restaurant on your left side.
This shop is for lovers of fine leather, as well as those in search of vintage clothing items. While the collection is more than just bags and shoes, these items make up the most of what's on display, with an outstanding array of classic leather shoes, many from Italy, and dating back up to 70-80 years. There are all sorts of stylish bags, from rattlesnake skin to crocodile and every type and shade of leather. They get new stock every week and plenty of imports from both Europe and Japan (one of the owners in Japanese). The place smells of quality leather and is very atmospheric, and well worth a stop if you are anywhere near the Ekamai Mall.
Recommended for Ekamai's Best Shopping because: For the best vintage leather shoe collection in town, UnFashion is it.
Dave's expert tip: Best way to get here is via skytrain to Ekamai station and then walk or taxi up to Soi 10, where the Ekamai Mall is right on the corner.
The Gateway Mall is the largest shopping complex in the Ekamai neighbourhood, with over 93,000 square meters of space spread out over 8 floors. The focus of the mall is on recreating a bit of a Japan Town and Japanese shopping experience, mainly catering to the thousands of Japanese expats who live in the area. The mall is made up primarily of hundreds of Japanese and other Asian restaurants, but also has a large IT section with computers and electronics, plus a supermarket, beauty and health shops, fashion outlets, and an edutainment center. With direct access right out of the skytrain, it's easy to get here, and the choice of fairly inexpensive restaurants is a big draw for the work and post work crowd.
Recommended for Ekamai's Best Shopping because: For Ekamai's biggest mall, Gateway is the top choice.
Dave's expert tip: There is a direct entrance into the mall from the Ekamai skytrain station, which is the easiest way to get here.
The owner of Liberty Area One is a popular fashion trendsetter in Bangkok. Nod-Nuanwan Tatong worked at Harrods in London and now oversees this chic multi-brand fashion empire in the Ekamai Mall. Products you can find here include women's shoe designers F-Troupe, Tendence Swiss watches, Kuboraum Berlin eyewear, and Fleamadonna Korean women's clothing. They've got everything here from African print shirts to Afghan jewellery, and from vintage to modern. Nod's personal touches are found throughout the shop, such as her black and white womenswear collection, part of her own Liberty Area One label. If you are into some serious chic boutique, then this shop is one of Bangkok's top spots.
Recommended for Ekamai's Best Shopping because: For chic boutique, Liberty Area One is Bangkok's trendsetting fashion store.
Dave's expert tip: To get here take a taxi up from the Ekamai skytrain station to Soi 10, where the mall is on your right on the corner.