Central Festival - Shopping Mall in Pattaya

As is well known, people go on vacation to Thailand not only to relax on the beach and swim in the sea, but also to enjoy excellent shopping and take home quality products that are not too expensive compared to European prices. Central Festival in Pattaya is one of the largest shopping spots on the resort, popular among tourists and Russian-speaking residents of Thailand.

What makes the Central Festival mall special? It houses stores such as:

Swarovski (luxury jewelry);
Adidas (sportswear and goods);
Lacoste (stylish clothing and shoes);
Nike (another sports store);
Giordano (clothing and accessories);
Topshop (youth clothing);
DKNY Jeans (branded denim clothing).

This is far from the full list. Additionally, the mall offers products from Thai designers.

What departments are in the shopping center? The layout and floor zones are roughly as follows:

Basement. Jewelry stores, a large Central Food Hall supermarket, the Eastern souvenir market “Azian Bazaar”, a food court with fast food (“KFC”, “Burger King”, “McDonald’s” and other less-known outlets. Lunch prices range from 5–70 baht for Thai cuisine, 70–150 baht for European or Russian dishes). Payment is via a card system: funds are loaded onto the card and then used to pay for orders. Any leftover balance can be withdrawn as cash. Also available: pharmacies, Thai massage salons, ATMs.
1st and 2nd floors. Clothing, footwear, cosmetics, and perfume stores. Mostly mid-range brands. There is also a Big-C supermarket for alcohol, baked goods, meat, dairy, and berries. However, prices in the food store are high, and the assortment includes items uncommon in Thailand.
3rd floor. Electronics and appliances, including products from the world-famous Apple brand, printed materials and stationery, and a food court with panoramic views.
4th floor. Beauty salons, SPA salons, children’s goods, books and stationery, hairdressers, body-shaping clinics, dental clinics, massage parlors.
5th and 6th floors. Fine dining area. You can try international, Thai, other Asian, and even Russian cuisine. Some establishments have regular service and queues at the entrance, with buffet options (lunch costs around 300–350 baht). Tourists with children praise the local exotic ice cream, including the popular durian flavor in Thailand.
7th floor. Cinemas (including 6D), bowling, billiards, arcade machines, shooting range, karaoke — for adults. For children: a playground with slides and soft pool, wind tunnel, and a variety of other toys. Admission to the kids’ area costs a few hundred baht. In general, the mall has everything needed for a pleasant day.

Other Information about Central Festival

Central Festival Pattaya also offers customers an underground parking lot for motorcycles and an outdoor car park — a total of 2000 spaces. The first 3 hours of parking are free. A ticket is obtained upon entry and returned when you pick up your car or motorcycle.

The shopping center offers promotions and discounts year-round — up to 70%. Particularly good deals are available during holidays, such as New Year’s.

There are several discount cards: Tourist Privilege Card (5% discount and 7% tax refund), The 1 Card (5% initial discount, then a cumulative system). Cards are issued at the counter on the 2nd floor and are valid not only in this shopping center but also in other stores within the same company group. Even without cards, many products are cheaper than in Russia. On the basement floor, clothing sales sometimes offer items for 300 baht each.

Some stores have Russian-speaking staff. Travelers praise Central Festival for cleanliness and the ability to walk through shops while enjoying the air conditioning. On weekends and holidays, flash mobs, performances, and shows entertain shoppers.

Central Festival on the Map

The official address is: Moo 9 Tumbon Nongprue Amphur Banglamung 333/99 Chon Buri 20260, Thailand. For navigation, look for Alley 9, nearby Beach Road and Second Road. There are 2 entrances from these streets. The large sign on the building makes it hard to miss.

You can reach the mall by Roong Reung buses (30-minute intervals, running from 05:30 to 21:00) from Pattaya North Road. Other options are taxi or tuk-tuk.

Markets near the Festival

Near the shopping center is Pattaya Night Bazaar. It operates in the evenings from 21:00 to 23:00, three times a week (Friday to Sunday), offering medical products, Thai traditional souvenirs, clothing, footwear, travel goods, generally at low prices:

Cloth bag — 100 baht;
Youth T-shirt — 170 baht;
Custom suit — 3,000 baht.

Local products and Chinese-made goods are available. Bargaining is appropriate. Items and food at the market can be bought for about half the price of the mall, though the quality may be lower.

On the street next to Central Festival, there are daytime stalls with products differing in quality and price.

Hotels near Central Festival

Nearby, you can stay in the following accommodations:

Within the shopping center building: the five-star Hilton Pattaya. It has excellent infrastructure, fully meets international standards, rooms in a minimalist style, outdoor pool, lounge bar, fitness center, and good dining.
Baron Beach Hotel — 0.1 km from Central Festival. A three-star hotel with good reviews for its category, featuring a pool, free Wi-Fi in rooms, and a nearby beach.

Flipper Lodge Hotel — another 3-star hotel by the waterfront, with a rooftop pool. Reviews are mixed but mostly positive. Good breakfast options.
Eastiny Plaza Hotel — solid three stars, pool, terrace with outdoor tables, bar, restaurant.
Sunshine Hotel & Residences — meets its star rating with 3 pools for adults and 1 for children, good Wi-Fi, modern equipment and furniture in rooms.

Within 500 meters of the mall, there are many other hotels and apartments. The area is rich in accommodations, so finding a place near the mall is easy.