When you are visiting Bangkok, there’s a very good chance you’ll be popping into MBK Centre (Mahboonkrong) since it is one of the most famous shopping center in Bangkok.

Mainly because for tourists, MBK is easy to find. Right next to MBK is the National Stadium BTS Sky Train station. And taxis, tuk tuk know exactly where it is.

Among Bangkok’s selection of malls, MBK is not exactly the poshest. It’s the Thai working class’s preferred mall. Where prices for clothes and shoes are more acceptable for locals.

It is the oldest mall in this particular part of Bangkok. Yet its popularity has withstood the test of time.

And it’s also a great place to socialize with friends and family because MBK has a huge bowling alley, ice skate rink, and cinema theaters with the latest screen and sound tech.

MBK also has lots of beauty salons where you can get gel manicures and foot spas. But prices for beauty services inside MBK are rather high.

Below, I’ll let you know where you can find beauty salons where the local Thai ladies go to get themselves beautified.

Where is the MBK Centre

You can find this popular shopping centre in central Bangkok, specifically in the Pathumwan District. Not far is the Jim Thompson House, a popular tourist attraction for those wanting to learn about Thailand’s rich silk history.

There are many restaurants on the streets and especially inside the shopping malls. And of course, not only will you find Thai restaurants.

But there are also many Japanese, Korean, and Western restaurants, including McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC, and even a Taco Bell.

Many hotels in the area as well. You can find some places to stay near the MBK Mall at the end of this post.

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MBK Will Always Be Part of the Bangkok Experience

Every single person I know visiting Bangkok will eventually end up inside MBK. Even if they don’t plan on shopping. Today, it’s changed so much since the first time I stepped foot inside nearly 25 years ago.

Don Don Doki, a super popular Japanese store, has a multi-level shopping center inside. This store is the 8th branch in Bangkok and is super popular with Thais because they love all things Japanese.

And Don Don Doki gives them a glimpse of the Japanese shopping experience as well as purchase Japanese sweet snacks, beauty cosmetics, gadgets, and home accessories. And of course, all sorts of Japanese foods and snacks.

Cannabis for Sale in MBK

After Thailand legalized marijuana in June 2022, numerous weed dispensaries started popping up all around the city. There are several shops where you can buy grams of the stickiest of icky inside MBK.

Though you can not smoke inside the MBK mall. Or practically anywhere in public, especially near schools and temples. If you get caught, you’ll get hit with a 20,000B fine.

Safe places to light up in Bangkok are Cannabis Cafes. But I recommend calling them up if you want to bring your own stash.

MBK Mall is Best for buying Western-size clothes and Shoes

For budget tourists or just savvy travelers who don’t want to overpay, MBK is the best place to buy clothes at reasonable prices.

Because a lot of MBK’s customers are foreigners. So you can find many Western-sized shirts, pants, and shoes on the racks at reasonable prices.

I’m talking about good quality clothing and shoes. Not items with cheap materials. Even though you can find it inside MBK.

There are tons of shops selling good quality t-shirts with gimmicky phrases and quirky graphics for as little as 100B when you buy more than one shirt.

Plus, they’ve got one rocking food court with affordable food on the 6th floor. Local Thai dishes like Thai Som Tom and Pad Thai, along with Thailand’s famous mango with sticky rice, are well represented.

Along with international fare such as Hong Kong style noodles. Plus a bit of Muslim fare like chicken curry over yellow rice.

• Take a look at my Eat and Order Like a Local Thai Food Guide on the kinds of food you’ll find inside almost every food court in Bangkok.

Now, there really isn’t too much new information to add on top of what has already been written about MBK in numerous travel articles.

But I’d like to share a little bit of what I know about MBK.

And below are my 5 tips that might be useful to you, plus 5 hotels that are really close to the MBK mall.

No More Fakes and Counterfeits Inside MBK Mall… But You Can Still Find Knock Offs

One of the primary reasons why MBK Mall became famous is that tourists (and locals) could find knock off designer goods easily. There was a short period of time where luxury knock offs were taken off the shelves, due to pressure from foreign companies.

Today, as of writing, you can find all kinds of fake brand name goods on shelves, on floors 3 to 6.

Counterfeit luxury lines of Rolex and Omega watches are still abundant. Though, to be honest, it’s probably best not to waste money on fake watches.

Fake Air Jordans are popular, and many foreigners buy them with the intent to take them back to their home country for resale.

Plenty of fake Supreme T-Shirts and accessories, Gucci and Louis Vuitton handbags are sought after too. If you do plan on buying knock offs I recommend paying what you can afford. It’s not worth overspending.

Will the Thai authorities crack down on fakes? Probably, but it’ll be back on the shelves eventually.

As long as tourists know they can find fake goods inside MBK, there will be shops selling them to make money.

MBK is One of the Best Malls for Electronics

I’m talking about white label electronics, “bordering on counterfeit” level of electronics.

For example, I bought these Apple AirPod Pro for 550B inside a shop called Lemon Telecom. Now the box doesn’t say Apple AirPod Pro. But it doesn’t take a genius to see that the packaging is 98% unmistakably Apple.

White label products are what factories, mainly Chinese factories, call products that wholesalers slap their names on the packaging. That’s why you can find lots of cheap electronics inside the MBK Mall.

Lemon Telecom is located on the 5th floor. Everything inside has price labels, which is super important. Because many of the small shops selling the same types of electronics items on the 4th floor have NO prices on any of their goods for sale.

So you gotta ask for the price. Asking for discounts is expected, and how much they go down on price is up to the shop owners.

You will not get discounts inside shops like Lemon Telecom, however.

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Personally, before I bought this AirPod Pro copy, I checked around on the 4th floor with several shops. I was quoted 800B to 1300B.

And some of those shops have Apple AirPod Pro printed on boxes, which cost more. Funny, the more “counterfeited” in appearance, the higher the price goes. And you’re paying for the branding rather than actual products.

Whatever you plan to buy, I recommend going to a store like Lemon Telecom on the 5th floor and checking their prices.

Then head down to the 4th floor below and check prices amongst the smaller shops. This way, you get some idea about prices.

But First You’re Going to Need Thai Baht, Right? I’ll Show You Where to Get the Best Currency Exchange Rates in Bangkok

If you’re going to shop hard, you’re going to need plenty of Thai Baht in your pockets. So if you’ve got yourself a fist full of your home currency and need to exchange it for better than bank rates.

Then head to the 2nd floor of MBK, where you’ll find a Super Rich money exchange branch.

I personally use Super Rich’s services. When you compare them to Thai bank conversion rates, Super Rich gives you better exchange rates.

They’re now located in major tourist areas in Bangkok. But Super Rich’s MBK branch is very convenient.

I highly recommend bringing in your local currency and exchanging it for Baht. Because Thai ATM fees are very high. Charging a minimum of 280THB per withdrawal for foreign accounts.

Now that you’re armed with fresh Thai Baht and ready for shopping, here are my 5 Shopping Tips for MBK:

1. My Favorite Areas Inside MBK Mall

As you will see once you’re inside MBK it is a massive mall. But where do you go to find some nice Thai souvenirs at reasonable prices?

For me, I always recommend heading to the 6th floor. It’s less crowded, and the prices for Thai made products are very reasonable.

This area is newly renovated and filled with made in Thailand products. No problem finding fakes here, too.

If you want the best prices for t-shirts and other souvenirs, look for made in Thailand products. I find that Thai manufactured slippers and flip flops are of really good quality and priced inexpensively.

If your goal is to buy in bulk at wholesale prices, MBK is not the right place.

For that, you should go to Sampeng Market in Bangkok’s Chinatown district.

Any creative products made with Thai rubber, coconuts, and hemp materials are nicely made and so affordable, and unique to Thailand. It’s where I tell my visiting friends to shop for souvenirs.

I find that MBK’s 6th floor has the most Thai made products inside the mall. There are plenty of Thai made products sold elsewhere inside MBK, but they cost slightly higher.

2. Find Brand Name Clothes at Outlet Prices

I’m a big guy, and sometimes here in Bangkok, for me, it is tough to find the right size. I wear XL size for shirts. And I am shaped like a gorilla.

Normally, XL labeled clothing for Thais is still small because it was originally made for the Thai market.

So I like going to this shop called the Export Shop. You can find 2 inside the MBK Mall. One on the 2nd floor and the other on the 3rd floor.

Back in the States, we have these outlet malls where you can find brand name clothes for cheap. Well, the Export shops stock up on brand name clothing themselves. From the Gap, Dockers, Ralph Polo, American Eagle, and sometimes J. Crew and Banana Republic. They even have these 511 Tactical shirts and pants for sale on the racks.

Other export shops selling similar brands but different styles are called XL for Men and 71 Imports.

Because so many big name clothing companies use factories in Southeast Asia to produce their clothing line.

A lot of the overage ends up in shops like these. Keep in mind, some of the clothing has slight defects. But nothing so major that it’s unwearable or noticeable.

If you are looking for sporting goods and wear, it is worthwhile to check out Super Sports Factory Outlet on the 3rd floor. It is worth checking out because it can be a hit or miss.

Because a lot of the really good in demand items are quickly picked up by lucky tourists and enterprising Thais looking to quickly resell online for profit.

Though keep in mind these are factory outlet grade items. Which means that there could be slight defects. Give the items a quality check before forking over your hard earned cash.

The discounts are quite considerable, but if you are not there at the right time, and find something you like, the size you want might not be available.

In any case, deals can be found on original Nike, Adidas, North Face, Asics, New Balance, and so on.

3. MBK’s Camera Shops

I’m a camera geek. So I love checking out the latest camera toys.

To me, the prices of cameras are high in Thailand. Though prices for camera gear are very reasonable.

Like tripods, camera bags, and sometimes lenses. I think the better deals for the actual camera itself are back in the States.

Anyways, if you lost your camera somehow and you need to buy a new one, I recommend heading to the ground floor of MBK near zone B.

It’s the one pictured below. I know it looks like a hole in the wall. They’ve been there for the longest time and are reputable.

You can get a Tourist VAT Refund also when you buy something. So you can save a bit of cash as well. I believe you get back about 7% back at the airport.

Camera Center on the 5th floor, camera prices are not too shabby either if you really need to pick up cameras in Bangkok. They also offer a VAT refund as well.

4. Don’t Forget to Check MBK’s Ground Floor

The ground floor has a lot of good deals too. Many tourists neglect the ground floor because most of them enter the shopping mall from the 2nd and 3rd floors. That’s where the Sky Train walkway leads to the BTS National Stadium train station and Siam Discovery Mall.

But the ground floor is where a lot of discounted clothes and accessories can be found, too. So be sure to explore around the ground floor. You just might end up with better discounts for clothes and other knick knacks.

MBK has a total of 7 seven floors, and you can check out the mall directory here.

5. Hair Salons, Nail Salons, Eyelash Extensions, and Eyebrow Tattoos

Chances are, if you’re staying over in Bangkok for a week or longer, you might be interested in checking out the many varieties of salons for pampering women.

MBK’s got all kinds of beauty salons located mainly on the third floor. But some are spread out on the upper floors too.

Okay, so I can’t make any direct recommendations for the salon services located inside MBK Mall.

And there are 2 reasons why:

1. I go to the cheap places near where I live in Bangkok to cut my hair. For 80THB I get a cut and shave.
2. As her youngest son, my mother would have a heart attack if she saw me with eyelash extensions and painted nails

However, this blogger’s post recommends Goree Salon on the third floor. And she seems quite happy.

I should mention that MBK salon prices to local Thais are not exactly affordable. I’m not suggesting salons inside MBK are overcharging tourists. From a business standpoint, renting space inside one of the most popular malls in Bangkok isn’t cheap.

For local Thais, if they want to get their nails done at prices they can afford, they go to nail salons like Glamour Girls Nail Art Salon.

It’s a nail salon, my Thai lady friends tell me it’s really good. Or Union Mall for hair salons with services priced just right for Thais working hard for their money.

Both of those malls are right next to Chatuchak Weekend Market, so it’s really easy to find.

Need Someplace to Keep Your Luggage While You Shop?

If you checked out of your hotel early and decided to drop by MBK for last minute souvenir shopping, there is a luggage drop off service center on the 6th floor in Zone B, right next to Food Island Food Court.

This service is provided by Airportels.com, and they’ll hold your luggage for 4 hours FREE of charge. After that, it’s 100THB per bag. The counter is open from 10am to 10pm every day.

Consider Booking a Hotel Near MBK Mall

MBK is a fun place to hide, chill out, and get away from the city’s heat for a while. The mall officially opens at 10am, but a lot of the smaller stalls open a little later. Closing time is 10pm.

It’s located right in central Bangkok, in a lively area called Siam Square. So it’s also a really good idea to find a hotel in that area because it’s right next to a Sky Train station called National Stadium.

Because MBK is right by Siam Paragon, Siam Square, Siam Discovery and Center.

The area is totally family friendly and away from the red light districts.

Below are the names of 5 hotels near MBK in the 3 to 5 star range I would like to recommend:

1. Wendy House Bangkok – 2.5 Stars

2. Lub D Bangkok Siam Square Hostel – 3 Stars

3. Ibis Hotel Siam Bangkok – 3 Stars

4. Holiday Inn Express – 4 Stars

5. Pathumwan Princess Hotel – 5 Stars

Conclusion

I’ve had visiting friends stay in all of those hotels. I know they’re all very good choices in a prime area of Bangkok. Plus, those hotels have plenty of good reviews already.

These hotels are also the perfect locations for visiting Damnoen Saduak Floating Market and Maeklong Railway Train Market as a day trip from Bangkok.

Out of the list of hotels, if you have the money. I recommend Pathumwan Princess Hotel. It’s attached right on top of MBK. So you won’t even have to step outside.

On a budget? Lub D has a popular chain of hostels in Bangkok, and this particular one on Siam Square has really affordable rooms and is perfect for families.

So that’s my five tips on visiting MBK. Plus five hotels near a bunch of Bangkok’s best shopping centers that are perfect for exploring popular sections of central Bangkok.