The EmQuartier luxury shopping complex, opposite its equally posh sister The Emporium on Sukhumvit Road, will open its doors next week and by May will have about 1,000 foreign and local brands all ready for business.
From luxury fashion to dining to lifestyle and technology, the brands will have a combined investment of 10 billion baht. Each brand will spend about €3-7 million (105-244 million baht) on space of 300-2,000 square metres each. Never mind the struggling economy.
Another 50 brands are on the waiting list to open at The EmQuartier and The Emporium as well.
Supaluck Umpujh, vice-chairwoman of owners The Mall Group, said The EmQuartier will officially open on March 25. Not only will brands like Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Dior, Prada, Cartier, Dolce & Gabbana, Celine, Fendi and Balenciaga open their shops at The EmQuartier, but also many new brands will enter Thailand for the first time.
They include Tiffany & Co, Dior Homme, Van Cleef & Arpels, Roger Vivier, MCM, Banana Republic and Alexander Wang. PS Paul Smith will open its largest store here as well.
"The entry of international fashion brands reflects their confidence in our country. Whatever the state of the economy, tourists continue to visit Thailand," she said.
With the country's logistics investment and the arrival of the Asean Economic Community later this year, Thailand is confident of becoming the hub of Asean and attract more tourists.
Ms Supaluck said tourist arrivals would reach 40 million over the next three to five years.
Kriengsak Tantiphipop, chief executive of The Emporium Group, said the company would allocate more than 500 million baht to the World Extraordinare Gala Celebrating campaign for four months from March 27 to July 31, to promote The Em District. It comprises The EmQuartier and The Emporium with total space of 450,000 sq m as a must-see destination in Bangkok.
The Em District is not only a world-class retail centre but also offers luxury residential, hotel and office space.
The company will team up with more than 400 local and international brands to launch The Helix, the newest dining centre with more than 140 outlets serving Thai and international fare.
It will also stage the first performance of 3D Mapping Extraordinaire with a light show projected on The Emporium and The EmQuartier buildings, in one of the most ambitious combinations of Thai and international performers in the region.
"We want to make The Em District one of the world's most significant retail districts like the Meatpacking District and SoHo in New York or Roppongi and Omotesanto in Tokyo," Ms Supaluck said.