Bangkok Malling: Terminal 21’s “inner sanctum”

If you’ve been to Terminal 21 in Bangkok, you’d know what I am referring to. But to those who haven’t let me give a brief description of the mall.

The lifestyle shopping mall is designed as a 21st century airport terminal with the reception and security dressed up like airport personnel. 

Each level in its interior themed after world-famous destinations—Tokyo, Paris, San Francisco, London, Istanbul, Rome, etc. Enter or exit each city via the escalators, which serve as the departure and arrival gates and the brief ride on it as your plane ride to the next destination. 

It’s traveling to your dream destinations in one roof to which you can boast that you went on a shopping spree in the souks of Istanbul, Barnaby Street in London or went on a food trip in San Francisco all in a day. 

But let’s raise your bragging rights. How about saying, “I went to London to just use the loo.” And Japan, and Turkey, and Paris. It’s making the visit to the toilet sound chic. LOL.

Terminal 21 takes the visit to each floor (and city) a total experience that it took its themes all the way to the “inner sanctum” aka the restrooms. 

The “tube” leading to the loo on the London floor is a Metro Train stop complete with a train map just in case you need directions to the rest of the WCs across the UK city, and a cab to take you there; a wall of bamboo against a Japanese fir and lantern offers “the path to relief”; Moroccan lamps give light to the Moorish design details on the Istanbul alley; and while in Rome and you need to go, you can enter the Roman bath; and the French toilette can make you vain with its wall of antique-like framed mirrors.

Perhaps the most interesting restrooms are on the top floors of the mall. The restaurant floor, which is themed after San Francisco, added the “personal business trip” a walk to the Fisherman’s Wharf. Crabs crawl out of nets on the ceiling, crates line up the alley and barrels hold the lavatory.