BANGKOK TO GET IKEA STORE, AT LAST

The Bangkok Post reports today that Thailand will get its first IKEA store, with the opening scheduled for October 2011. The 40,000 sq. meter store will be built at Bang Na Trat Km 9 at what will be known as the Mega Bang Na Complex.
Posts about IKEA have been consistently popular on this blog, and in March I blogged that plans had been put on hold amid the global financial crisis. Obviously someone has found some money from somewhere.
I am a big fan of IKEA (as you might have gathered) and spent a couple of hours at the Singapore store just nine days ago. The news that Bangkok will get its own store is really pleasing.

Read more...

IKEA: BANGKOK STORE PLANS ON HOLD

EXCLUSIVE: by The Bangkok Bugle
The global economic crisis has delayed plans by Swedish furniture giant IKEA to expand to Bangkok.
Despite positive news in September regarding a possible opening in 2009, a Singapore-based spokesman for the company confirmed: ".. the global financial crisis has added some challenges to our ambitions." And while not ruling out a future opening he added: "This year will be a decisive year". The spokesman declined to elaborate on when a further decision may be made.
Stories about IKEA and its possible expansion in Thailand and Bangkok have consistently been some of the most popular on this site. I think an IKEA store in Bangkok would be hugely popular, although I know it will take a huge investment from the company to make it happen.

UPDATED: May 12, 2009. BANGKOK TO GET IKEA STORE, AT LAST.

Read more...

MY MOST READ STORIES OF THE YEAR

It's quite enlightening to see what stories have grabbed your attention during the past 12 months. This blog began as a way of documenting my move from Berkshire to Bangkok but it's morphed into something bigger with 10,819 unique visitors during the past 363 days. Thank you.
So here they are, The Bangkok Bugle's top five most read stories of the year.

1. http://www.bangkokbugle.com/2008/12/has-economist-been-banned.html
The controversy behind the recent non-distribution of one issue of The Economist magazine in Thailand caught your attention, largely thanks to several links from some popular blogs.

2. http://www.bangkokbugle.com/2008/12/economist-ban-by-any-other-name.html
Just three days after the most popular post The Economist situation became a little clearer. This post was the second most popular.

3. http://www.bangkokbugle.com/2007/12/not-nation.html
The third most viewed page this year actually dates from 2007. It's a review of Not The Nation, the satirical website that pokes a serious amount of fun at The Nation. This post is popular thanks to a link on Wikipedia.

4. http://www.bangkokbugle.com/2008/09/ikea-to-open-in-bangkok.html
My post, taken from news in The Bangkok Post, about a possible opening of IKEA in Bangkok drew much attention - far more than the follow-up post several days later that quoted a spokesman from the company denying an opening in Thailand was anywhere near close. IKEA should take note of the apparent desire for a store here.

5. http://www.bangkokbugle.com/2008/07/daily-xpress-drops-weekend-editions.html
Posts surrounding Daily Xpress, the free publication (I'm still not calling it a newspaper) from Nation Group, were popular throughout the year but this one about the demise of its weekend editions makes it into the top five most viewed pages of 2008 on The Bangkok Bugle.

Read more...

IKEA NOT READY FOR THAILAND YET

EXCLUSIVE: by The Bangkok Bugle
Despite media reports last week that Swedish retailer IKEA was ready to open its first Bangkok store in 2009, I can confirm the company has no firm plans, and comments given by a company representative were mis-interpreted.
A spokesman for IKEA told me, for a story I'm working on for the next edition of my magazine, that company is "ready" to begin studies about the possibility of opening here, and is not "ready" to open here as was reported earlier.
It seems it could be several years before we see that famous blue and yellow logo on the Bangkok skyline.

UPDATE: May 12, 2009. BANGKOK TO GET IKEA STORE, AT LAST.

Read more...

IKEA TO OPEN IN BANGKOK

Finally! Swedish retailer IKEA will be opening a store in Bangkok next year, according to a story on the front page of the business section of today's Bangkok Post.
I'm a big IKEA fan and it's one of the things I miss from the UK. My last IKEA experience was last December in Singapore and I really loved it. I understand the Bangkok store will be on the Bang na-Trad road although the story makes no mention of this.
I am pretty sure Thai people will love IKEA as much as those in other parts of the world although I wonder how well they'll cope with flat packs?

ADD: Since writing this post IKEA has clarified its position and will not be opening in Bangkok or Thailand in the near future. My subsequent follow-up post can be found here.

UPDATE: May 12, 2009 - BANGKOK TO GET IKEA STORE, AT LAST.

Read more...

SINGAPORE TRIP

Tomorrow I'll be heading down to Singapore for a five-day trip. It's almost all work I'm afraid although I am planning a little retail therapy at IKEA at some point over the weekend.
The main reason for my trip is the annual World Magazine Marketplace exhibition which is being held for the first time outside London in its seven year history. It's the one big event of the year where all those involved in magazine publishing and licensing can get together and talk business. I went for the first time last year and this year I've been asked to speak at one of the seminars.
Besides the speaking engagement I've arranged about 30 meetings with various people, and from my experiences last year I must remember to pack some throat sweets. Incidentally I've just found out that next year's event will take place in Moscow in November.

Read more...

THINGS I MISS ...

Consider the amount of their products that come from this part of the world, it's surprising that IKEA doesn't have a store in Thailand. They have stores in Malaysia and Singapore, but the closest comparable shop to the Swedish giant here in Bangkok is Habitat - and their things are generally more expensive.

Read more...