Not So Charming Chamchuri
Not So Charming Chamchuri
August 22nd, 2008Chulalongkorn Property’s latest development, Chamchuri Square, is three interconnected buildings with residential, retail and office space. The office and residential spaces (apartments will only be available with 30-year leases) are still under construction. Opened July 9, the retail part of the project benefits from a great location at the corner of Rama 4 and Phaya Thai, and its own MRT exit, but the fun pretty much stops there.
Crowds of black and white uniformed students from the famed university nearby come to this self-dubbed “edutainment gateway” for its many Thai bookstores (and one Asiabooks) which occupy the entire second floor of Chamchuri’s retail complex. The third floor will soon be filled by the third and biggest Chula Bookstore outlet in Bangkok, which sells mostly Thai-language textbooks and some novels. Time to polish up your algebra and chemistry skills.
The only real restaurants you can find at Chamchuri Square, as of its opening in early July, are your Thai Studies teachers’ favorites: the oldies Savoey and Somboon Seafood, which have been preparing the same menus since your grandmother was a kid. At least the dishes will be thoughtfully cooked and not microwaved and served on plastic plates, as your only alternatives are student favorites MK, Hachi Ban, Dairy Queen and KFC. There is also Coffee World, True Coffee and Starbucks to choose from, whichever is your cup of mocha.
For most of us, Chamchuri may not be worth a visit, but that might change when The National Science Museum (www.nsm.or.th), which is branching out from its Prathum Thani headquarters, takes over the fourth and fifth floors. The museum will take you through the history of science, with topics ranging from microbiology to space missions, along with games and activities to make studying science a less painful experience. Be patient, though; the museum won’t open until October.
Chamchuri Square. 319 Phaya Thai Rd., 02-252-3126. MRT Sam Yan. www.chamchurisquare.com.
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