Somewhat lost in the hoopla over the opening of Siam Paragon, the new high-end shopping center on Siam Square, was the opening of another mall not far away at about the same time.

The new “Platinum Mall” is almost at the opposite end of the spectrum from Paragon. Located on Petchburi Road, in Bangkok's garment district, Platinum is laser-beam-targeted at the dedicated discount clothes shopper. Its five floors are tightly packed with simple small clothing shops, most of them just 10 foot square, while there are a few 'double wides' here and there. Think of it as an indoor Chatuchuk Market, without the pets, housewares, antiques or any other distractions.

The Platinum Mall won't appeal to most tourists, but the young and skinny female variety could well end up spending a lot of time there. I pitty the poor boyfriend or husband that gets dragged along.