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By Root 936 0

a huge setback in May 2010 when its centrepiece Zen department store was torched by fleeing protesters (for details on the 2010 political unrest, see Click here). Other parts of the complex were largely unaffected, but at press time the specifics of the reconstruction had yet to be announced. We hope that, in addition to a new Zen, the mall’s funky F section and Thai Knowledge Park (TK Park; 0 2250 7620; www.tkpark.or.th), a multimedia library meant to cultivate reading and learning habits in children, will be operating as normal by the time you read this.

ERAWAN BANGKOK

Map Shopping Centre

0 2250 7777; www.erawanbangkok.com; 494 Th Ploenchit, Ploenchit; 10.30am-8.30pm; Chit Lom exit 8

Bangkok’s chichi crowd has a new stomping ground: the shopping wing of the Erawan Hotel. Luxury matrons occupy the 1st floor, while street-smarts chill on the 2nd floor, fusing the generation gap with a shared closet. The top floor is a dedicated wellness centre, should conspicuous consumption prove hazardous to your health. The ladies who lunch can often be found in the basement-level Urban Kitchen or the 2nd-floor Erawan Tea Room.

GAYSORN PLAZA

Map Shopping Centre

0 2656 1149; www.gaysorn.com; cnr Th Ploenchit & Th Ratchadamri, Ploenchit; 10am-10pm; Chit Lom exit 9

A haute couture catwalk, Gaysorn has spiralling staircases, all-white halls and mouthfuls of top-name designers. The 2nd-floor ‘Urban Street Chic’ zone is a crash course in the local fashion industry. Established Thai labels including Tango, Fly Now and Stretsis have outlets, or you could head over to Myth, an umbrella store for smaller domestic labels.

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FAKING IT

One of the most ubiquitous aspects of shopping in Bangkok, not to mention a drawcard for many visitors, is fake merchandise. Counterfeit clothes, watches and bags line sections of Th Sukhumvit and Th Silom, while there are entire malls dedicated to copied DVDs, music CDs and software. Fake IDs are available up and down Th Khao San, and even fake Lonely Planet guides, old editions of which are made over with a new cover and ‘publication date’ to be resold (often before the new editions have even been written!). Fakes are so prominent in Bangkok that there’s even a Museum of Counterfeit Goods ( 0 2653 5555; www.tillekeandgibbins.com/museum/museum.htm; Tilleke & Gibbins, Supalai Grand Tower, 1011 Th Phra Ram III; admission free; 8am-5pm Mon-Fri by appointment only; Khlong Toei & taxi), where all the counterfeit booty that has been collected by the law firm Tilleke and Gibbins over the years is on display.

The brashness with which fake goods are peddled in Bangkok gives the impression black-market goods are fair game, which is and isn’t true. Technically, knock-offs are illegal, and periodic crackdowns by the Thai police have led to the frequent closure of shops and the arrest of vendors. But the shops typically open again after a few months, and the purchasers of fake merchandise are rarely the target of such crackdowns.

The tenacity of Bangkok’s counterfeit goods trade is largely due to the fact that tourists aren’t the only ones buying the stuff. A recent poll conducted by Bangkok University’s research centre found that 79.9% of the 1104 people polled in Bangkok admitted to having purchased counterfeit goods (only 48% admitted they felt guilty for having bought fakes).

Before we climb onto the moral high ground, it’s worth pointing out that some, including even a few luxury brands, argue that counterfeit goods can be regarded as a net positive. A preponderance of fake items inspires brand awareness and fosters a demand for ‘real’ luxury items, claim some, while also acting as a useful gauge of what’s hot. But the argument against fake goods claims that the industry supports organised crime and potentially exploitive and abusive labour conditions, circumvents taxes and takes jobs away from legitimate companies.

If the legal or moral repercussions aren’t enough to convince you, keep in mind that in general, with fake stuff, you’re getting exactly what you pay for. Consider yourself lucky