Shopping
centres around the Ratchaprasong intersection are planning facelifts and new
premises to cash in increasing foreign tourists for the Asean Economic
Community (AEC) starting in 2015.
Siam Piwat Co, the operator of Siam Center, plans to spend over
1 billion baht for its biggest store renovation in its 40-year-history. Gaysorn
will start building a second retail complex next door to the current store,
while The Platinum Fashion Mall Co will allocate 100 million baht for
renovations and perhaps a new mall near Big C Ratchadamri over the next two
years.
Siriphen Intuputi, an executive at Siam Piwat, said the company
will close Siam Center for a four-month renovation from July 16 to Nov 15,
2012, and is scheduled to re-open in early December.
Siam Center is going for a chic and trendy facelift, she said.
This year foreign tourists to Siam Center have made up 50% of
the total, with major contributions from China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan,
Malaysia, Singapore, India, and Laos. Outside Asia, Australia tallied the most
visitors, followed by the UK and the US.
"It's the first time in 40 years foreign tourists have made
up 50% of the total," she said.
Before closing, Siam Piwat will spend 20 million baht for the
Miracle of Siam sale June 28 to July 15, with 1.5 billion baht in sales
expected.
Another 20 million baht will be spent on pop-up store sales at
Siam Discovery and Siam Paragon during the makeover.
Chai Srivikorn, president of the Ratchaprasong Square Trade
Association (RSTA), said it will join hands with Tourism Authority of Thailand
(TAT) to launch more marketing activities to encourage foreign tourists to
spend up to four to five days in Bangkok, up from 1.5 days currently.
RSTA also spent 60 million baht to extend the skywalk to
Platinum Fashion Mall by year-end.
Pongsak Nantawannakul, executive vice-president of The Platinum
Fashion Mall Co, a new RSTA member, said it will spend 100 million baht on a
facelift by year-end that will take two years.
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