Whilst nominally an IT shopping mall, Bangkok’s Pantip Plaza offers a lot more than mere electronics equipment.

On a busy day, its hustle and bustle is jawdropping. From floor to ceiling, the five-storey building on the New Phetchaburi Road acts as a kind of homing beacon as residents and visitors alike swarm to pick up the latest cut-price hard- and software, as well as more illicit, under-the-counter material.

Movies, games, music, programmes, phones… all are available to purchase in one form or another from the bright and flashing stalls. More often than not the punter will be given the option of the legitimate or not so legitimate version of whatever they seek while for those with more exotic tastes, a tout will no doubt appear offering up the chance to acquire the notorious ‘naughty movies’.

---

Read more: Confronting Genocide: A Trip Around the Killing Fields of Phnom Penh.

The Plaza might not necessarily be on many tourists’ wishlists but it’s still worth a visit, if only to catch a glimpse of Bangkok’s roaring electronics trade and give your synapses a good tweaking.

Good things to know:

Opening Hours: Daily, 10.00am to 9.00pm.

Location: Petchaburi Road, situated opposite Pratunam’s City Complex

How to get there: From BTS Chidlom, Pantip is a ten-minute walk down Ratchadamri Road past Central World on your left, before heading over the Saen Saeb canal and left on Phetburi Road. The Plaza should be on your left after two blocks. Alternatively, river taxis operate close by – request the stop for Pratunam.