ICONSIAM Bangkok: All You Need to Know About the Mother of All Malls
Table of Contents
Anywhere we go, Shopping will always be part of our itinerary, and even if we don’t have plans of splurging, we always make sure to buy something for souvenirs or buy gifts for our family and friends back home. Just like Manila, Bangkok has a plethora of Malls to choose from. If you are visiting Bangkok for just a few days, I highly recommend that you include ICONSIAM Bangkok on your itinerary.
Well, guess what, ask anyone in the city where the best place is – and they’ll recommend this new large shopping mall called IconSiam.
During my recent Thailand-Vietnam FamTrip, which was made possible by TAT and Bangkok Airways, we could get a chance to explore this new mall in Bangkok, even just for a few hours.
Hows is our experience? Well, it doesn’t look like a mall, but rather a huge complex composed of retail stores, both high-end to local ones, some Michelin star restaurants, parks, luxury stores, and more!
Fortunately, before we left Bangkok, we got to see the humongous mall and had ourselves some me time – and what we’ve discovered is something we don’t see every day.
The Grandest Mall in Thailand
Some of you may have noticed that Bangkok has become a shopping haven for most tourists, but one thing that piques most interest is the new ICONSIAM – the Mother of All Malls in the city, which is 90 times as big as a football field.
It boasts a myriad of 500 shops, 100 restaurants, and a breezy riverside walkway where you can stroll and have a view of the Chao Phraya River.
Icon Siam is developed by the same tycoons behind Siam Paragon and EmQuartier. Here are some of the best finds at the mall that will be sure to excite you on your next Bangkok visit! Coming from a City dotted with Shopping Malls, trust me, ICONSIAM will surely blow your mind. It’s Grand, Beautiful, Huge, and definitely Iconic.
What’s Inside Icon Siam
Takashimaya
They’re known to house high-end brands, beauty salons, fitness clubs, indoor floating markets, restaurants, and art galleries. Here, you’ll see an entire floor, home to the Hokkaido Dosanko Plaza, a local specialty shop that stocks fresh produce, sweets, and delicacies.
More than being a famous landmark in Bangkok, it has a very distinct architecture resembling the three glass krathongs stretching 300 meters along the river.
SookSiam / Ground Floor Complex
Don’t miss out on the floating market the next time you visit Bangkok. You’ll be amazed at how well-designed the space is – from the various boats and friendly vendors greeting you down to the creative Thai motif surrounding the area.
Here, you can enjoy traditional Thai snacks and shop for regional handicrafts and exciting garments. You can also enjoy some Thai cultural performances and relax at massage shops after a tad tiring shopping.
SookSiam is said to promote Thailand’s 77 provinces by offering traditional cuisine and hospitality.
Must try: The Thai-style fried noodles and the Mango Sticky Rice.
IconSiam Main
Icon Siam is a 6-floor complex, where fashion brands like Thai designer outlets, luxury brands like Prada, Bvlgari, Hermes, Chanel, Dior, and Louis Vuitton, and casual brands like H&M and Uniqlo take up its first 3 floors. You can also shop for cosmetics at the @Cosme store, housing over 6,000 beauty products from 600 Japanese brands.
Most shoppers prefer visiting the Takashimaya department store and the Apple store from the US, which is only exclusive to the mall.
As you head up the floors, you’ll find sections for children, homeware, technology, and leisure.
Home to Exciting Eats
What’s a great mall without an array of exciting restaurants! Whether you’re looking for a quick snack or a gourmet meal, the variety of Icon Siam’s restaurants has got you covered.
Upon arriving at ICONSIAM, our first stop was Maesriruen Authentic Thai Cuisine. The restaurant offers authentic Thai and other Asian cuisines in a well-plated manner.
Maesriruen means housewife, and surprisingly, all the restaurant staff are women, which is what makes this restaurant unique. The restaurant is nicely decorated, and the tables are not that close to each other, making it more comfortable for diners.
Our lunch was already pre-arranged, and the food was already served when we arrived. Among all the food served, my favorite was their Massaman Curry with Chicken, Grilled pork with peanut sauce, Chicken in coconut milk soup, butterfly pea with honey, and lime.
Apart from the aforementioned dishes, we also sampled their deep-fried seabass with Thai herb salad, Pad Thai, Sizzling seafood with eggs on a hot plate, fresh spring rolls with crab claws, and Vietnamese meatball wraps.
For dessert, we enjoyed their version of Thai sweet-baked rice cake. Overall, the spread was a good mix of savory and spicy dishes that even those who do not eat spicy food will surely enjoy.
Check out first the ICONLUXE complex, where you’ll see The Veranda housing various restaurants and cafés. Alangkarn, on the other hand, is also an exciting dining place where you’ll get to indulge yourself with a range of international fare, ranging from Thai to Japanese to Indian.
If you head over to the ground floor, you’ll find the Siam Nakajima Suisan, which sells fresh seafood.
Then there’s Takashimaya, where you’ll see the “Rose Dining” zone on the 4th floor. Feel free to choose which of those Japanese restaurants you’d like to try. More restaurants to check out include JUMBO Seafood and Baan Khanitha The Heritage.
Head up to the 6th floor, and you’ll see the HOB beer garden and neighboring terrace bar.
Travel tip: Try visiting here at night time, definitely a perfect spot to cap off your shopping day.
Chill at the Icon Siam Park
If you want to take a break from shopping, head over to the Icon Siam Park. You’ll chance upon the stunning Bangkok skyline and artistic benches. Definitely Instagram-worthy!
How to Get There
Route 1
- Take the 12-min ride from BTS Skytrain to Saphan Taksin BTS station on the Silom Line.
- Head over at the walkway and follow the sign indicating “Boat Express.” Hop on the free river shuttle that drops you off in front of the mall. It will only take about 10 minutes to get there.
- The shuttle boat runs daily from 9am to 10pm at ten-minute intervals.
Route 2
- Board the BTS Skytrain to Krung Thonburi BTS Station and go out from Exit 1, then ride the free IconSiam Shuttle Bus. Take note that the bus runs every 30 minutes from 8 am to 12 am.
Route 3
- If you’re coming from Wongwian Yai Station, you can catch a shuttle bus which runs at 30-minute intervals between 9.30 am and 10 pm.
- You can also take the BTS Skytrain to Wongwian Yai Station and catch the free shuttle bus from there. The bus runs at 30-minute intervals between 9.30am and 10pm.
Our Top Hotel Picks for Bangkok
Searching for the best hotels, resorts, tour packages, affordable flights in Bangkok and nearby cities? Check out our cheap Bangkok Hotels and resorts list via Agoda and Booking.
Bangkok Travel and Tour Packages
Want more updates about new package tours and tourist attractions in Bangkok, Thailand, that you can include in your itinerary?
Follow #TeamOutofTown, on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Bloglovin, and Pinterest for more travel ideas.
Read:
Whenever I visit your website I enjoy reading your content because of the good articles.