When you are in an exciting and vibrant city like Bangkok, all you want is to experience fun, charisma and thrilling experience unique to this location and one that will be engraved on your heart and memories forever.
This is when you head to Asiatique: The Riverfront
What Exactly is Asiatique: The Riverfront?
Going by the name, you would have guessed it as a riverside location. But it isn’t just like a park along the river bank to stroll around. In fact it is an own world in itself.
It is one of the most distinctive, popular and awe-inspiring ‘Night Market’ in Bangkok. Ideally it can be termed as a combination of both – a night bazaar and a shopping mall. This large, open-air mall in Bangkok combines almost everything you can expect from such a grand place – shopping, food, sightseeing, entertainment avenues, riverside views, and a lot of activities to engage in. Facing the Chao Phraya River, it is a perfect combination of grandeur as well as traditional heritage, combining the best of both Thai culture and global modernisation. And the cultural aspect of the open-air mall is one thing that sets it apart from any other mall, and the reason you have to experience it once.
It is Divided in four Districts
As grand and majestic it is, going around the Asiatique could have been a hassle and perplex for people if not for the structurally divided areas, a factor designers and planners of this location must be applauded for. There are 4 different districts in the Asiatique:
- Waterfront District
If you want to get the awesome waterfront views, feel through the festivities while also feeding your hunger palate, The Waterfront District is where you need to head to. This is the centre of numerous fireworks, different cultural festivals, and vibrant concerts all around the year. This is also the place where you will get to ride the giant Ferris wheel (one of our favourite activities here). Now, coming to the food, try out lip-smacking delicacies including seafood, Thai food, along with Korean, and Italian servings as well.
- Factory District
As the name suggests, it forms the core of the shopping activities for the shopaholics. Having more than 500 shops in this area, comprising almost all of the global brands you can think of, along with local brands and several other fashion stores, you have everything from clothing to gadgets, handicrafts, home décor items and much more.
- Chareonkrung District
This is the street-smart shopping centre for you, where you will have everything in small boutique shops, including stalls selling handicrafts to souvenirs, jewellery, clothing and much more. Along with shopping show, you can also visit the famed Joe Louis Puppet Theatre and Calypso Cabaret show in this district.
- Town District
This district is a kind of mini-town in itself, having the ideal blend of different offerings and sites, including global fast-food chains, several types of cafes, a large sports bar, and so much more to explore.
Things to do in Asiatique
- Shopping
From middle-class person to rich and spendthrift one, shopping here brings best for any kind of budget and preference you have. Having over 1,500 shops and stalls around the location, you would be spoilt for choices, definitely. Cheap items to high-end clothing brands, to designer, Thai-culture-representing handicrafts to varied electronics and gadget ranges, there is almost everything you would tick off on your shopping list.
Some of the prominent shopping stores to check out are Qualy, Be Myself, Le Petid Print, and Try Me Accessories.
- Food
What a great shopping place would be, if it doesn’t bring out the foodie in you and help you explore some of the best delicacies in servings. And Asiatique scores high on all accounts when the food is concerned. With over 40 restaurants in the premise, you can get to try out different types of food options, representing different culture, types and varieties, including Thai, Chinese, Korean, American, Italian, Turkish, and much more. So whatever food you prefer, want to try out, you will get the right option here, definitely.
As a paradise for food, this premise also comprises of almost all major global food chains, and not to forget the famous street food stalls, which will bring to you the best of the local-style Thai food offerings. And if you think that you want something multi-dimensional, then you can head to the food court, which presents varied food vendors, restaurants, brands, all under one-roof.
Enjoying your food here takes a step notch above, as you can gulp on the delectable, while being sitting along the gorgeously lit riverside decks, surrounded by local and classical jazz music.
- Activities
There is a plentiful of entertaining and exciting activities to keep you hooked on. There are some incredible and unique shows, that are rooted to the Thai culture and are extravagant on their own.
The first one amongst those is certainly a ride on the Ferris Wheel. Take the ride on the 60-meter high wheel and experience a stunning bird’s-eye view of the breath-taking Bangkok attractions right from the top.
If you are a theatre or art lover, or someone who wants to engage in viewing a classic cultural show, then the Joe Louis Puppet Theatre is for you. Here, you will experience some amazing puppetry show depicting and performing stories related to the Thai mythology, all enveloped in a modern-take-on-choreography. For something bold, head over to the Calypso Cabaret, which is ideally the best cabaret show in Bangkok. Here you will see ladyboys presenting lively dance and singing performances in jazzy costumes, while also performing parodies of some of global celebrities time and again, which will completely leave you in splits.
Next is an up-close experience of Thailand’s world-popular combat sports – Muay Thai. But there is one catch. It’s not as intense and competitive and fierce as the fight is known for; here this port is presented in a kind of storytelling of the martial art form by captivating fight performances
Getting to Asiatique
There are two options for you to reach Asiatique – by boat and by road.
The latter one is a much better option for most. Take the BTS Skytrain to Saphan Taksin station and then walk a bit to the Sathrn Pier. Here, take on the shuttle and you will be at the location in hardly 10 minutes. The shuttle service runs from 4 PM to 11 PM with 15-minute shuttle frequency.
You can also take the road route, but it is not recommended owing to heavy traffic which can leave you stranded for long.