Attractions near Bangkok’s shopping malls

One of my first recollections of travelling as a child is lying stomach down in the middle of a mall in Thailand and bawling my eyes out after hours of shopping. Now, as a young adult, shopping while overseas is a must. For families with young children however, shopping for a long time can end rather unpleasantly – especially when the kids get restless. 

For those who cannot do without shopping malls but are afraid of boring your kids to tears, here are five kid-friendly attractions inside and near Bangkok’s shopping malls.

1. Sleigh down a snowy hill @ Snow Town Bangkok (in Gateway Ekamai)

For many of us who have spent our entire lives perspiring in Singapore’s tropical heat, experiencing snowfall is probably one of our top travel must-dos. But as a reality check, some off-putting inconveniences will also come to mind, such as having to brave the blistering cold or lug cumbersome winter clothes around. 

At Snow Town Bangkok however, you can live the dream without these troubles.

Found on the fifth level of Gateway Ekamai, Snow Town Bangkok is a snow theme park modelled after a Euro-Japanese mountain village. 

Within the cooling enclosure, children can have the time of their lives watching snow fall, and sliding down a hill made of artificial snow. 

And when you’re done with the snowy playgrounds, you can enjoy complimentary hot drinks, or soak your feet in hot water baths for free! 

For active ones who still have energy to burn, there’s also a games zone that offers arcade games for you to battle it out with friends over a game of basketball or air hockey.

As the temperature of the hall is kept at about 15 degree Celsius, the place is comfortably cooling. But for those who are not used to it, you can also rent equipments like jackets, knitting hats, and waterproof gloves at additional charges. 

Address: 982/22 Sukhumvit Rd, Khwaeng Phra Khanong, Khet Khlong Toei, Bangkok  10110, Thailand
Nearest BTS: Ekkamai Station
Opening hours: Daily 10am to 9pm
Telephone: +66 95 547 6870
Entry fees: 600 Baht (~S$24.30)/guests 71cm and above in height | FREE for guests 70cm and below in height

2. Experience an escape room with a T-Rex chasing you at Dinosaur Planet (near EmQuartier)

Located in the heart of downtown Bangkok, fans of Jurassic Park will be thrilled to find what Dinosaur Planet has to offer in their dino-themed amusement park. For a fee of 600 Baht (~S$24.30) per adult and 400 Baht (~S$16.20) per child, dino-fans can enter the attraction and be greeted by over 200 life-sized dinosaur statues, with some even roaming right next to you!

In the relatively small play area, the amusement park is divided into several zones with live shows, and games starring air, land, and sea dinosaurs. 

One of my favourite adventures at the theme park was the Raptor X-treme. Operating in intervals of 15 minutes, batches of visitors were ushered into cargo containers with a mission to find a key card to escape the dinosaur-infested maze. While getting chased by raptors sounds like a once-in-a-lifetime thrill, younger children, however, may want to give this heart-racing adventure a miss. 

They can head to the more kid-friendly Dino Farm to experience being an archaeologist for a day, by “excavating” fossils in a bed of sand. For an additional 100 Baht, children can also hop onto triceratopses robots for a ride around the circuit.

For those looking for respite from the outdoor heat, you can also spend time at the air-conditioned Dinosaur District to learn about the prehistoric beasts through multimedia presentations. Besides walking through rooms of dinosaur fossils, another highlight is the dinosaur laboratory where you get to see “dinosaur eggs” being incubated and hatched!

Address: 544/1 Sukhumvit Rd, Khwaeng Khlong Tan, Khet Khlong Toei, Bangkok 10110, Thailand
Nearest BTS: Phrom Phong Station
Opening hours: Daily 10am to 10pm
Telephone: +66 63 167 6975
Entry fees: 600 Baht (~S$24.30)/adult | 400 Baht (~S$16.20)/child
Website

3. Watch sharks swim under your feet in the largest aquarium in Southeast Asia at SEA LIFE Bangkok Ocean World (inside Siam Paragon)

Whether you have visited Bangkok or not, the immensely popular shopping mall, Siam Paragon, will have come up in your research on Thailand. Other than the all-too-familiar After You Cafe, not many know that the largest aquarium in Southeast Asia, SEA LIFE Bangkok Ocean World, can also be found in the mall. 

The double-storey aquatic wonderland boasts more than 30,000 creatures including giant octopi, spider crabs, and leopard sharks. 

Of the 15 zones that the aquarium is divided into, some the most memorable ones include the Ocean Tunnel, Shark Walk, and Rockpools. In the underwater tunnel, you can get up close with rays and sharks and even touch some of starfishes and sea cucumbers at the interactive rockpool! 

One of the newest additions to the aquarium is the Living Art section, featuring three art exhibitions inspired by the natural patterns and colours of starfish, lionfish, and yellow boxfish. This aesthetically-pleasing exhibition will make you feel like you have entered an art museum instead of a sea aquarium. 

For those who missed Yayoi Kusama’s exhibition in Singapore, you still have the chance to take “exclusive” pictures against these Insta-worthy walls! 

Meant for the younger ones, SEA LIFE Bangkok Ocean World also offers a special activity, where they can request a booklet, called the Ranger Pack, at the ticket counter and emboss the booklet at each stop in the aquarium. When the booklet is completed, they can exchange it for a gift at the end of their tour! 

Address: 991 Rama 1 Road Khwaeng Pathum Wan, Khet Pathum Wan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
Nearest BTS: Siam Station
Opening hours: Daily 10am to 9pm
Telephone: +66 2 687 2000
Entry fees: 990 Baht (~S$40.40)/adult | 790 Baht (~S$32.30)/child
Website

4. Discover Bangkok’s BRAND NEW K-themed mall Show DC…

Image credit: SHOW DC

Earlier this year, a mega Korean-themed mall, SHOW DC, opened their doors to Bangkokians and tourists. With more and more youngsters being drawn to K-pop, SHOW DC is one over-the-top mall that has been attracting both the young and old with their Korean street food, celebrity-owned restaurants, and live shows. 

Image credit: SHOW DC

If you are a Big Bang fan, you have found your heaven. With an entire level devoted to YG Republique, fans can idolize over huge posters of G-Dragon while shopping for merchandise, and singing along to Fantastic Baby. Besides having restaurants like 3 Butcher’s that specialises in Korean BBQ, you can also relax at K-Pub for a Seoul rooftop bar experience. 

Image credit: @cutetravels

The mall also provides free shuttle bus services from the airports to the mall and even from there to some hotels. So spend a day dining at restaurants owned by Korean celebrities including the “Gangnam Style” star, Psy, and catch breath-taking live shows like Ong Bak, a Thai martial arts live show. In Ong Bak, audience will be following young martial artist Boonting on his quest for the missing head of the sacred Ong Bak statue.  

Address: Jaturatid Road, Huai Khwang, Bangkapi, Bangkok 10110, Thailand
Getting there: Free rides from selected Bangkok Downtown Hotels, BTS and MRT stations
Opening hours: Daily 10am to 10pm
Telephone: +66 2203 1888
Website

5. … Where you can dance with flying monkeys at the Himmapan Avatar Show

Of all that Show DC has to offer, the main highlight was the Himmapan Avatar Show. Showing in both Thai and English, Himmapan Avatar is a fantasy live-action show that tells the story of another classic Thai legend. 

The 1.5-hour show begins with a walk through Himmapan, a legendary forest in Hindu and Buddhist mythologies. The short walk leads to a theater where you get to watch the battle between the gods and demons of the forest.

Besides impressive lighting, sound, and multimedia effects, Himmapan Avatar Show brings theatrical performance up a notch with mythical creatures that run about the audience’s seats.  

The show ends with a bang, with cast members ushering the audience into a magical section of the forest to watch the performers dance and sing right next to you. When the show ends, you can even stay around to snap pictures with your favourite performers! 

From flying monkeys to the beautiful goddess and hybrid creatures, the magical experience is a fantasy come true for both the young and old. 

Address: SHOW DC Mega Complex Jaturatid Rd., Huai Khwang, Huai Khwang, Bangkapi, Bangkok 10230, Thailand
Getting there: Free rides from selected Bangkok Downtown Hotels, BTS and MRT stations
Show times: Wed – Mon: 7:30pm
Telephone: +66 2 111 5005
Entry fees: Deluxe 1400 Baht (~S$57.10) | VIP 1700 Baht (~S$69.40) | Gold 2000 Baht (~S$81.60)
Website

Dreamlands for the young and young at heart

Whether you are looking for kid-friendly places to bring your child, or are simply sick of battling crowds at markets and malls, these non-typical Bangkok attractions will promise a fun-filled time for all. For dog lovers who have heard about the True Love Husky Cafe, you can also stop by Ari Station and pay the dogs a visit, while enjoying their complimentary drinks and desserts!

So if you are planning your next family getaway for the year-end holiday, you’ll now know that Bangkok won’t only satisfy your craving for a good bowl of tom yum goong, but will also teleport you back in time to the dinosaur era, dance alongside whimsical creatures, get up close and personal with sharks, and even have snowball fights!

We went on the trip as part of a CSR initiative by the Tourism Authority of Thailand and Thai Airways with youths from Chen Su Lan Methodist Children’s Home and I will never forget how hard we all laughed when the dinosaur that we thought was a statue began running towards us! 

Though we’re waaay too old to call ourselves kids, we thoroughly enjoyed our time checking these attractions out. Thanks for introducing us to these new things to do in Bangkok, Tourism Authority of Thailand Singapore! 

Find more things to do in Thailand here

This post was brought to you by Amazing Thailand.