Bangkok’s Pantip Plaza

One of the best and cheapest places in the world to pick up some of the latest IT technology is, believe it or not, in Bangkok’s Pantip Plaza…

Right now Bangkok is in the midst of an economic uprise in line with the rest Asia’s emerging economies. Although the country has been through a lot of political unrest during the past year, the capital city of The Land of Smiles has calmed down, and is once again bustling. The comfortable lifestyle, luxury shopping malls, state of the art sky-train (BTS), subway metro system (MRT), and of course, the multitude of techie shops, are starting to bring tourists in droves.

Pantip Plaza

Perhaps the most unique of all the IT shopping centers in Bangkok is Pantip Plaza. A visit to this complex, jam-packed full of IT bargain basement memory chips, hard drives, and gaming hardware, definitely brings back memories of the Hong Kong of old. Once you sift through the thousands upon thousands of copied software, you can start to dig deeper into a world of IT that hasn’t lost touch with the past, but at the same time is already ahead of most Western countries when it comes to getting their hands on the latest technology.

Still in Touch with Past Technology

Pantip Plaza is a rather untidy looking place, but for the IT geek out there, this is the place to be. If there is something you can’t get back at home, you will be hard-pressed not to find it here. Nintendo 64s, SNES, PS1, as well as the old Nokia Banana cell phone can still be bought here. There is always something for those that want a sentimental piece of technology that reminds them of the good ole days!

The Latest Technology

As for getting your hands on the latest technology money can buy, well as soon as you walk in it will be in your face. Samsung ATIVs, Apple Macs, Pentium processors, graphics cards, and pretty much the place is not lacking on anything you want to get your hands on. You also don’t have to worry about ‘locked’ devices. You can buy a Samsung S-series and iPhone series devices without a service contract, and use whatever SIM you want.

Furthermore, if you are in Bangkok to book a CCNA Routing and Switching course then you’re in luck if you were looking for affordable routers and switches to create your own lab because Cisco equipment can be found everywhere. Used routers and switches tend to last forever, and you can purchase a few for bargain prices.

Big Brand Name Shops inside Pantip Plaza

Pantip Plaza is not just a rampant market inside a shopping mall. Many of the Fortune 500 can be found here. As they are big business companies, they are nearly always found in the most prominent locations. Samsung, Phillips, HP, Apple, Nokia, IBM, Cisco, are all here.

Time to Relax in Amongst the Madness

When the madness all gets too much, you can relax in the local Burger King, McDonalds, Starbucks, or KFC. Alternatively, there is the quiet Thai S&P restaurant, plenty of Japanese options, a small kebab shop, and of course, street vendors selling all sorts of Thai dishes.

A Great Surrounding Area

Getting there is best by BTS. The closest station is about a five-minute walk away. It’s BTS Ratchathewi or you can get a taxi from Siam BTS. The surrounding area is next door to Bangkok’s high society shopping district, and once you see it you have a hard time believing that Bangkok is a city in what is classified as a “developing country”.

Stay tuned for our article on Fortune Town, the hidden IT gem that the locals use to shop for everything electronic…