MBK Center

MBK Center (Thai: เอ็มบีเค เซ็นเตอร์), also known by its former name as Mahbunkhrong (Thai: มาบุญครอง, RTGS: Mabunkhrong, pronounced [māː.būn.kʰrɔ̄ːŋ]), is a large shopping mall in Siam area, Bangkok, Thailand. At eight storeys, the center contains around 2,000 shops, restaurants and service outlets. In 2009, MBK Center management reported daily visitor numbers of more than 100,000, half of whom were young Thai people and a third foreign visitors. MBK Center was the largest shopping mall in Asia when it opened on 7 February 1985. It is situated on land leased from the adjacent Chulalongkorn University. This lease was renewed in 2013. MBK was named after the parents of the developer Sirichai Bulakul, Mah and Boonkrong, whose statues are located on the ground floor. The seventh floor used to house MBK Hall, a concert hall for popular Thai and foreign singers in the 1980s and 1990s. Said location now houses eight cinemas operated by SF Group. MBK Center is located in Pathum Wan District, on the southwest corner of the intersection of Rama I Road and Phaya Thai Road.