Bangkok — (Business Wire & MobileVillage) — Apple today previewed Apple Central World — its second and largest retail store in Thailand — set to open this Friday, July 31. The new Bangkok Apple store has plenty of space for crowds, but likely won’t see any during the pandemic.
Apple Central World is located in the heart of Ratchaprasong, Bangkok’s iconic intersection. The new Bangkok Apple store boasts distinctive glass architecture, but with the company’s first-ever all-glass design housed under a cantilevered tree canopy roof.
Once inside, you can travel between two levels via a spiral staircase that wraps around a timber core, or riding a unique cylindrical elevator clad in mirror-polished stainless steel. You can enter from the ground or upper level, which provides a direct connection to the Skytrain and the city’s largest shopping center. The outdoor plaza offers a community gathering space, with benches and large Terminalia trees.
The store’s unique design includes many of Apple’s latest retail features, including a Forum, Boardroom, and freestanding displays. Centered around a Video Wall, the Forum will be home to Future Today at Apple sessions with some of Bangkok’s greatest artists, musicians, and creatives. Customers can discover curated products and accessories at the freestanding displays, located all around the circular store layout on the first floor.
The Boardroom sits in the lowest level of the store and will provide entrepreneurs, developers, and local business owners a dedicated space to receive personal advice and guidance from the Apple team.
Apple Central World opens Friday, July 31 at 10 a.m. ICT in Bangkok, where more than 130 new team members speaking 17 languages will welcome customers.
The new Bangkok Apple store will open with thorough health and safety measures seen across all Apple Store locations for both employees and visitors, including a mask requirement, temperature checks, and social distancing.
On top of that, visits to Apple Central World on opening day are by appointment only. You can visit apple.com/th/centralworld to choose from available times, and each non-transferable reservation admits one person. Capacity will be limited, so you may experience wait times before entering the store.
Apple opened its first Thailand store just two years ago, and also in Bangkok, which is the country’s capitol. The first store, called Apple Iconsiam, opened in late 2018 to huge crowds — definitely not what the company plans for its newest store opening in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic.
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