We understand if you have mall fatigue. It seems like one or two new shopping centres are opening up in Bangkok each month. And if we’re being honest, none of them truly stand out after their opening hype faded away.
But Bangkok’s newest mall looks like it has what it takes to buck that trend. Donki Mall Thonglor is located on Thong Lor soi 10 near Ekkamai (Sukhumvit 63) and the mall brought traffic in the surrounding area to a crawl over the weekend. Don Don: Donki, an offshoot of Japan’s popular Don Quixote discount store, is the retail anchor of the facility. The shop welcomed guests for the first time on Friday.
Proving you don’t need elaborate fireworks shows or massive opening celebrations, Don Don: Donki was packed thanks to strong word of mouth. It was taking more than 30 minutes to get through the checkout line at the Don Don Donki supermarket at 8:30 am Sunday with long wait times in the afternoon. These did not stop shoppers from picking up their favourite discount items.
This is the first Don Don: Donki in Thailand and fourth in Southeast Asia. The retail player launched a Singapore store in Orchard Central during 2017 and has since opened two more stores there.
What’s inside Donki Mall Thonglor?
The Don Don: Donki is open 24-hours and boasts a wide-range of items across two storeys. On the first level is the Don Don: Donki supermarket and a food court. A lot of imported fish and fruit from Japan can be found inside along with a dizzying array of pre-made meals and snacks. There is also a small food court and a couple of takeout food stalls.
You’ll find household goods, personal supplies and other sundries on the second storey of the market. If you’ve never been to a Don Quixote in Japan, you’ll want to give yourself some time to explore as there are lots of hidden gems to be found up and down the aisles.
Additionally, Donki Mall Thonglor has a handful of restaurants, a Café Amazon, a Daiso and a karaoke outlet. There is also a Japanese-style amusement centre focusing on sporting activities such as golf, baseball and basketball. Not all of these places are open at the time of this article.
Finally, brace yourself to hear a lot of this song while you’re at Donki Mall Thonglor.
What makes Donki Mall Thonglor cool?
Donki Mall Thonglor is unique and fits in well with the surroundings of Thong Lor and Ekkamai. It will undoubtedly be both an attraction for people who don’t live in this part of Bangkok and a regular stop for those who call Ekkamai or Thong Lor home.
And while Don Don Donki isn’t a carbon copy of the Don Quixote stories you’ll find on the streets of Japan, you can still purchase many of the same goods and sundries, although at a slightly higher price. The supermarket and food courts also provide a change of pace from what’s currently available at Power Mall on Ekkamai and J Avenue on Thong Lor.
The developers of Donki Mall Thonglor hit a home run by not overlapping with the other community malls in this part of Bangkok and embracing the Donki theme. At a time when so many retail centres are trying to promote vague and uninspired lifestyle concepts to attract consumers, it’s refreshing to see a mall keep things simple.