CHAROENSRI NIGHT PLAZA Nong Prajak

[Jing Jing]

Again this proves developers don't understand how people shop. Walking Street is a lineal market. You enter and exit at one of two points. Charoensri was a mishmash of booths with no logical order or reason to wander around. There was no compelling reason to walk from the front to the back.The stage and coffee shop were stuck in the middle.

[WhoUrDaddy]

I actually thought they would do ok, oh well. But agree, Nevada IT Mall suffers the same syndrome. the food court and shops upstairs get no through fare. Escalators basically bypass them, and if parking in garage, pretty much the same. Guessing all the cars parked in the garage are over at UD Town, as a bit crowded the other day, but few shoppers. If not forJeffers, I'd never set foot in there.

[Prenders88]

Sweet Garden has moved to UD Town, the new site is being fitted out.
Perhaps the only place in Charoensri Night Plaza, that made any money.
Maybe the rents were too high.
Shame it went tits up, I thought it might work too.

[FrazeeDK]

or... maybe somebody made an offer on that sweet piece of land that couldn't be turned down..

[thrilled]

the Sweet Garden looks really nice.If ya would keep track of it for us.when it opens maybe take some photo's address etc.

[redwolf]

Sadly Sweet Garden, and most of the Charoen Plaza are now closed down. Someone lost a lot of money on that project. Shame. They should remove all the units and make it an open market like Walking Street.

I believe that Sweet Garden is moving/has moved to UD Town.

True indeed. That's what the staff told us last time we were around. They said the entire area was completely devoid of customers. Compare that with BOOMING business at Beyond Cafe / Car Care and you can tell the failure was down to compund issues.

Perhaps the biggest is that Udon already has enough shops selling junk. Much of that junk available at UD Town sold by vendors who pay much less rent and have much more foot traffic.

It might have succeeded as a food park, with all the vendors selling different foods. But that would have just brough an epic rat infestation.

Sweet Garden themselves early on, didn't do such a hot job of service. They caught on later but then it was too late.

Charoensri perhaps will emerge another day, another way.

[BigBubba]

Latest rumour is that the owner has been in Laos on a big hotel project and now has returned. Plans are (rumour has it) to completely RE DO the plaza, including some type of cover to protect from the elements. No time table mentioned. Must be nice to have DEEP pockets. I feel bad for the vendors who went in previously and were more or less abandoned. I think new clients should be vary wary.

[BigBubba]

There is a new venue called "Hug a Glass" right at the entrance on Bannon Rd. They ocassionally have quite a crowd in there watching a soccer game. Mostly a younger crowd. Three big Leos for 200 baht.

This place isn't dead and buried yet. I hope they don't close the road for Songkhran again this year.

[FrazeeDK]

well if the name is indicative it belongs to one of the richest families in Udon who used to own the mall and Centara Hotel before they sold it to Central Pattana... They probably own that land adjacent to the lake and you can figure that's a gold mine waiting to be tapped if they ever sell it..

[BigBubba]

BIG concert going on tonight. Just getting started. Sitting outside watching (and listening) to the show. No parking within sight.

[LoveDaBlues]

BIG concert going on tonight. Just getting started. Sitting outside watching (and listening) to the show. No parking within sight.

Another reason I'm glad to be taking a break from Udon for awhile. Tired of going to the night market and NO PARKING; have to drop off the wife & kid and then park far from where we eat or shop. Oh well I guess on the positive side I do need the exercise.