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magnum
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... the perspective of a retired developer of, and private equity investor in, regional shopping malls (uh, me) is that Terminal 21 now surpasses Emporium as the best performing shopping mall in Thailand... (I exclude MBK, which is more of an anarchic, mutant bazaar that seems somehow to work).
... Terminal 21 is a 'lifestyle' mall... heavy on F&B and entertainment, with narrowly focused fashion and a measure of neighborhood convenience shopping thrown in.
... smartly designed, themed and programmed by a pretty good Canadian retail consultant, Terminal 21 hits its target market squarely as no others in Thailand... for you younger whore masters who still manage deceive young, non-pro Thai women into your beds, Terminal 21 solidly hits the 18-25 year old female demographic.
... highly disciplined programming (i.e. WHAT retail categories are included in the tenant mix) and smartly merchandised (i.e. WHICH specific stores within each retail category are selected; and then, WHERE those stores are placed in the mall relative to each other and to pedestrian traffic flows).
... the themeing is pretty simplistic, but it does appeal to the targeted buyer... each floor is themed as a different international destination... Rome, Paris, London, Istanbul, San Francisco, the Carribean... escalator platforms are designed as airport gateways.
... these guys are killing!... lunch and evening diners... lifestyle shoppers... neighborhood convenience shoppers... cinema... and, on weekends they hit on all cylinders.
... Terminal 21 has little underperforming space, unlike most over-developed, under-thought Thai malls where you can detonate a pattern of Claymores through the top 2 levels at peak shopping hours and hit no one (e.g. Siam Paragon, All Seasons Place, Central Rama III, Central Bangna, Gaysorn Plaza, Central Pattaya, and on, and on).
... located at the confluence of the BTS and MRT lines, Terminal 21 intercepts traffic that normally transits to Siam Square... the mall enjoys an unbroken ant trail of purses and wallets from both ends of the elevated BTS platform and up from the MRT.
... in Terminal 21, Thailand has it's first international grade, institutional quality retail shopping mall.
... but, there is not much to offer most members here, from a shopping perspective... mostly young women's fashions, and some international retail brands... but, why would we pay the exhorbitant duties Thailand imposes on imported clothing.
... forum members will find Terminal 21 good for inexpensive, convenient casual dining, and a movie... it has a large, clean inexpensive food court with a good mix of Thai food stalls on the 5th level, and all the well-known fast food and casual dining outlets on the 4th and B1 levels... most everything between is girly stuff.
... the B1 level grocery store is small and expensive, but will sufficiently provision an international larder.
... and... oh... yay-yah... buddy!... the glorious toilet seats!... while living in Tokyo, I developed an intimate relationship with my automated butt irrigator/blow dryer/warmer... I go to Terminal 21 now for the toilet seats only, to relish in a nice long dump, and to reminisce about my long lost Toto-san... (sigh).
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Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 10:24 am on April 5, 2012
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magnum
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... and... Kaymanx and retiredintahoe... about security in Thailand, whether private or Royal Thai [anything].
... most security here can be easily defeated... one of the Thai's cultural values is that perception is as good as reality... maybe someone here can recount the Thai adage meaning 'just color the plate green' (as though there is food on the plate)... which attitude is exacerbated by the Thai ethos of 'do just enough.'
... I wouldn't come here with any expectation that your security will be protected by anyone in Thailand, unless you fly them in with you.
... it is a very thin veneer that covers a 3rd world country that is Thailand... think Cambodia with a little bit of money... Thais and Cambodians are otherwise siblings... traveling in Thailand should be viewed no differently than traveling in Cambodia.
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Bangkok Women : Meet Sensual Bangkok Women
Posted on: 11:31 am on April 5, 2012
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snoops
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Im no security expert but at SIam as you go in through the entrance off the bts you go through a metal detecter but if you enter from Siam Paragon side you enter freely=no security at all.
Is this how its done you just securitize the biggest entrance and leave all other entrances untouched?
Are there studies that show terrorist most likely will use most obvious entrance? hahahaha!
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Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 12:09 pm on April 5, 2012
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magnum
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Quote: from snoops on 12:09 am on April 6, 2012
Is this how its done you just securitize the biggest entrance and leave all other entrances untouched?
... yeah, snoops, I think the short answer is, 'yes, that is how it is done here'... Thai culture is all about appearances and perceptions.
... think about it... wholly undefended entrances... security guards who can't even look a hi-so teenager directly in the eye... the metal detectors as props.
... if the Southern civil war wants to come to Bangkok, only the cost of a bus ticket really stands in its way.
... my local mall is Emporium... the main Sukhumvit Street entry has two white-gloved doormen, the underground car park has no car inspection and nothing at the underground mall entrances, the mall side entrances have a security guard cum doorman with a wand who will look away as if he doesn't see you if you march past.
... maybe we are all being deceived, and these guys are actually skilled security ninjas all trained by the Israelis... maybe... but, these are Thai mall owners and they are more likely to be unskilled doormen with 6th or 9th grade educations who are paid THB 300/day and ready to put their lives on the line against pretty hard men who would be prepared to make, plant and detonate bombs amongst innocent civilians.
... Thai security is mostly all about appearances.
... although, forum members who might stay at the JW Marriott could comment on their security, which appears good by comparison... recall, these guys took a bomb in Jakarta a few years back... but, maybe that is all they really need to be... merely better than the slow members of the herd, to avoid being targeted... it is a pretty low standard out there.
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Sexy Bangkok Girls
Posted on: 5:16 pm on April 5, 2012
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dirty guru
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Quote: from magnum on 3:31 am on April 6, 2012
... and... Kaymanx and retiredintahoe... about security in Thailand, whether private or Royal Thai [anything].
... most security here can be easily defeated... one of the Thai's cultural values is that perception is as good as reality... maybe someone here can recount the Thai adage meaning 'just color the plate green' (as though there is food on the plate)... which attitude is exacerbated by the Thai ethos of 'do just enough.'
This is true....I have stood literally next to the youngest Kings daughter in a rural setting.
5000 peasants had enjoyed the visit on the Thai/Cambodian border area in 2008 by the princess.
I found her to be sincere and kind to the most poorest of villagers.
It was a huge PR victory that couldn't be faulted.
Large tents were set up, and in the area set aside doctors and nurses were on hand as was free cool drinks and food.
They waited for hours.
Richer Thias were ushered into a different area.
It amazed me that being the only Farang present I was by military officers also made to sit on a chair under a different tent, my well dressed wife in new frock was permitted too.
Only because it was a dog shit part of Thailand and there were no obvious middle class.
Her expensive gold necklace and 7000 baht dress was enough with a Farang husband who was in white pressed shirt and suit pants.
I didn't want to go but my wife loves the royals so I agreed.
So at 4pm that afternoon I was right next to the princess as tears filled my wife's eyes and a passing smile recieved.
What I liked was she largely ignored these people and walked to the peasants where TV cameras filmed her talking to them.
She arrived by merc and left by Army Chopper.....with two escort ones.
As for security.......
Who knew who I was?
No metal detectors.....frisks...nothing.....
Though I turned out to admire her and honestly went away thinking what a great job she had done.
The security was very poor.....
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Thai Women : Meet Matured Thai Women
Posted on: 5:59 pm on April 5, 2012
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Kaymanx
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Quote: from magnum on 5:16 am on April 6, 2012
security guards who can't even look a hi-so teenager directly in the eye.
I have seen that, Magnum, at the Gaysorn, which I always use as a convenient and airconditioned transit route from Chit Lom BTS to Big C. The guard at the BTS entrance, a very polite, respectful and subservient man only nominally peeps into hand bags or whatever before humbly wai-ing visitors. Then there is this other interesting guy at the Nana Plaza (not NEP, but that red coloured plaza on the corner of Suk Soi 3) whose job is to open the glass door for you, step back and do a smart salute, clicking the steeled heel of his boot on the tiled floor.
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Bangkok Women : Meet Beautiful Thai Girls
Posted on: 2:10 am on April 6, 2012
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magnum
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Quote: from Kaymanx on 2:10 pm on April 6, 2012
Quote: from magnum on 5:16 am on April 6, 2012
security guards who can't even look a hi-so teenager directly in the eye.
I have seen that, Magnum, at the Gaysorn, which I always use as a convenient and airconditioned transit route from Chit Lom BTS to Big C. The guard at the BTS entrance, a very polite, respectful and subservient man only nominally peeps into hand bags or whatever before humbly wai-ing visitors. Then there is this other interesting guy at the Nana Plaza (not NEP, but that red coloured plaza on the corner of Suk Soi 3) whose job is to open the glass door for you, step back and do a smart salute, clicking the steeled heel of his boot on the tiled floor.
... the behavior is nuanced to many western eyes, but quite distinct to Thais who are raised with the social rituals of subservience... as you pointed out, the reluctance of the lowly Gaysorn security guards to express authority over entering customers... probably fearing with every customer lighting-up the Thai kreng jai landmine where he gets publicly bitch-slapped for doing his job.
... other common signs of a passified, subservient culture are Thais who stoop as they walk near you, lowering their heads to an elevation far lower than yours, if you or whomever you are with are perceived as an authority, especially if you are with a senior Army officer, or government official)... historically, they would literally crawl across the floor in old Siam... they still do this in today's Thai royal court... it's just disgusting to witness.
... these are not people who can confidently execute the basic day-to-day chores of security.
... I just walked into the side entry of Emporium this afternoon... big sign apologizing for and explaining the need to inpect all bags... security/concierge mans the inspection post... dressed in white uniform... he obediently salutes, but inspects no one who enters... no one.
... but... it gives the APPEARANCE of security, which satisfies the Thais' meaningless minimum standard of care.
... where walk-through magnetometers are present (MRT, Terminal 21), I always open my bag before I walk through, the buzzer goes off, the guard makes a cursory view into the top of my bag, and seeing the laptop nods me through (never mind the bag beneath marked "BAG 'O C4 HERE"!)... I don't even stop walking... it's a non-event.
... it's all symptomatic of Thais Pavlovian behaviors (lacking in will, critical thinking and control of their own destinies), which are symptomatic of their cultural values (subservience, krieng jai, unquestioning).
... with this sort of society, it is no wonder why both personal and systemic competence are such rare commodities.
... still, maybe it all works... assuming the bad guys are similarly victims to these same defective cultural values, and are equally incompetent... crazy place, this.
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 3:03 am on April 6, 2012
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Kaymanx
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Lol for that closing sentence, but I see that last post as an excellent analysis of why we see what to us as outsiders is appalling neglect of basic security routine.
Now that you mention it, Thais stooping as they pass you by... yes, I have encountered that on occasion. And your reference to "Thai kreng jai landmine where he gets publicly bitch-slapped for doing his job," brings to mind a recent instance of a senior Thai civil servant slapping a junior security official at the airport for doing his job. So the security planners at T21 probably feared installing security apparatus to check patrons they consider as too high and mighty.
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Thai Girls : Meet Active Thai Girls
Posted on: 6:48 am on April 6, 2012
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magnum
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Quote: from Kaymanx on 6:48 pm on April 6, 2012
... that bit about how Thais are too cowed by a modern-day caste system to be high functioning in security (and many roles across modern society) was nicely described by BKK Post op-ed commentator Voranai yesterday.
... he writes: "Picture those who crawl on their hands and knees to serve the high and mighty, of whom there are so many in this society. We're not even talking about the nobility or royalty, but those with wealth and titles, the facade of prestige in society reinforced by the delusion of grandeur.
Picture a chauffeur talking to his boss or a factory worker to his manager. Study their body language. One person stands tall, enjoying the freedom of hand gestures and body movement. The other person keeps his head slightly bowed, not looking into the eyes of his superior, shoulders somewhat hunched, hands folded humbly across his pelvis, head nodding dutifully and lips mouthing meekly ''khrub, khrub, khrub'', or ''yes sir, yes sir, yes sir'' (there is never a ''no'' unless he's being accused of doing something wrong)."
... the full commentary, worthwhile reading, is in a new thread...
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Thai Women : Meet Matured Thai Women
Posted on: 12:12 am on April 9, 2012
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dirty guru
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Where my wife lives there are no airports....I have travelled a few times by mini bus.
Once they over booked and threw a Thai peasant off so I could travel.
The peasant was leaving quietly and in total submission when I decided nope it ain't right.
My wife was furious but I sat drinking beers for the next mini bus 3 hours later.
When the princess visited the Thais were on their knees like children
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 1:38 am on April 9, 2012
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