BANGKOK – In a lavish televised ceremony last night, the annual Bangkok Mall Awards were given out to honored recipients. Nicknamed the “Mally’s,” the gold statuettes are considered the highest achievement within the city’s world-famous mall industry. And while there were a few surprises at yesterday’s black-tie event, the big news was Panthip Plaza ’s continued domination of the “Most Stressful Mall” category, winning for a record 9th straight year.
In beating out fellow nominees MBK, Siam Center, Seri Center and Fortune Town, Panthip maintained a near decade-long streak in what is considered by many to be the most competitive category in the Bangkok Mall Awards.
“This year was especially close,” explained mall-beat reporter Jangjalee Rattanalert. “There was a lot of buzz around Siam Center during this awards season, because they added that awful food court to the top floor which made it even harder to navigate. That, combined with the constant techno-beat of never-ending flashy youth-oriented events in the two atriums, made Siam a real headache for anyone over the age of 17 to walk through, much less shop in. A lot of us really thought it was their year.”
Perennial challenger MBK was also disappointed, having earned an 11th straight nomination without a single victory.
“We’re just honored to have been nominated,” said MBK’s general manager Serimit Chaipatel. Some analysts blame MBK’s revovations for costing them their edge in stress-induction, including the opening of the INDEX furniture store at one end of the 5th floor, making it less likely to get disoriented. “Being connected to the Skytrain is always a disadvantage as well,” Serimit conceded.
Those representing Seri Center were less magnanimous in defeat.
“I find these awards highly suspect,” said Mettinem Boonchaluang, Seri’s assistant manager. “We’re even less conveniently located than Panthip, and have fewer English speaking salespeople. In fact, we don’t have any. And no directories either, and insufficient parking. I think Panthip wins on its name recognition. It’s a popularity contest between the big players. There’s no integrity to the judging.”
But no grumbling from naysayers could diminish the glory of the spotlight for Bangkok’s best-known, and truly most headache-inducing shopping center.
In accepting the award, Panthip’s general manager Pranavate Thongwivan summed up Panthip’s unique status in his long list of thank-yous: “To the electronics vendors who never bother with price tags, to the kiosk owners who crowd the passageways, to the promotional girls who never stop shouting gibberish into over-amped microphones, to the tuk-tuk and motorcycle drivers who always overcharge for a hopeless escape attempt on Petchaburi Road, to the mosquito-like touts and their endless offers of sex DVDs, and most of all to the original sadistic architect who designed this nightmare of a building with identical floors, hidden staircases and stooping passageways, this award really belongs to you.”
