Asiatique The Riverfront in Bangkok

Asiatique The Riverfront is an expansive open-air mall with river views and a cutting-edge ‘festival market and living museum’ concept. Fusing shopping, dining, culture and colonial-style architecture, it offers a pleasant experience for those in search of style and sophistication.

Fittingly, its location is on Chareonkrung Road, Bangkok’s first and oldest paved road, fronting the Chao Phraya River. This area was once a flourishing trade centre during King Rama V’s reign (1868-1910), frequented by foreign merchants, traders and government officials. These bustling activities brought trade to new heights, and foreign influence became evident in the building’s architecture. Asiatique The Riverfront reflects this cultural heritage along Chareonkrung Road and adds a modern twist to it through its architecture and selection of shops and restaurants that bring world cultures together on the picturesque riverfront complex.

Highlights at Asiatique The Riverfront

Cultural heritage and a global lifestyle play a big role in the concept and design of Asiatique The Riverfront. Modeled after Bangkok’s four major trade districts, the project weaves together all the essential elements that define what Bangkok was, as well as redefine what it is and what it will become in the near future.

Chareonkrung District, once the old trade centre, is now a ‘new road to the country’s modernisation’. Find both traditional and modern Thai culture through performing arts, Thai puppets by Joe Louis Theatre and a ladyboy show from Calypso Cabaret, as well as more than 700 eateries and retail shops selling Thai handicrafts, souvenirs home décor and spas. 

The Town Square District blends Thai and Western ways of life, with an international dining scene, sports bars and micro breweries. There’s also space for events and activities, including sports, games and product launches. Factory District is the area for fashion showcases, a hip dining scene and shops selling all kinds of design products from clothing to home décor. The focus is on modern lifestyles born after the ‘Industrial Age’.

The main highlight at Asiatique the Riverfront, the Waterfront District is essentially the development of Bangkok’s riverside from a centre of trade to tourism. International fine-dining establishments occupy the areas along the riverbanks, while the city’s longest public boardwalk (300m) is lined with shops, events venues and one-of-a-kind floating boat museum or East Asiatic Historic Museum. This is also where concerts, festivals and the New Year’s countdown celebrations take place.

Asiatique The Riverfront Experience and Project Progress

When open in full, Asiatique The Riverfront will be Bangkok’s first large-scale riverside project combining shopping, dining, sight-seeing, activities and events under one roof. The strong cultural aspect is what sets it apart from other shopping malls. Embracing history, but avoiding the cultural clichés and traditional symbols, it strikes a balance between tradition and globalisation.

The entire Asiatique The Riverfront project is a long-term development project spanning 10-15 years, involving four phases. The outdoor mall is first phase, opening from the end of December 2011 to March 2012, starting with Chareonkrung and its riverfront harbour market. In 2013, the second phase encompassing another shopping mall and probably a hotel will begin construction. The third and fourth phases will include riverside tourist attractions and another hotel.