A visit to Thaniya Plaza

I had a chance to drop by Thaniya Plaza the other day.  Thaniya Plaza is one place in Bangkok where golfers visit to see the latest golf equipment and to shop for those things only golfers will appreciate.  Its a shopping mall where the majority of tenants are golf shops.  From major manufacturers like Titleist, Ping, and Nike to the specialized high end shops like Honma, to the used golf equipment shops, there is something for almost everyone.  There is clothing, lessons, and resort bookings available.  Here is a directory of all the shops in Thaniya Plaza from their website.

Thaniya Plaza is in the Silom District of Bangkok and can be easily reached by the BTS Skytrain.  Get off at the Saladaeng station and follow the signs to the Thaniya plaza exit.  The plaza itself is connected via their 'BTS Wing' which has a door right from the platform and eventually connects to the 3rd floor of the mall.  The biggest shops are naturally on the first floor, but I also like the Mizuno store and Fitting one on the 4th floor.  A pretty well stocked bookstore chain called Asia Books also has a shop here with lots of golf books in English.

One can not only buy golf equipment, but can get it repaired or customized to your specs.  If you want your lofts and lie set on your clubs, or your grips replaced, or your club re-shafted, Thaniya has many stores that can do it for you as you wait.  The cost is quite reasonable and a few shops have club makers that have been certified by US companies.  For example, the cost of a lie or loft adjustment is around 100 baht ($3.50 USD) per club and a shaft change with your own replacement shaft will cost between 300 and 500 baht.  With all the mess and fuss of doing things on your own, its may be better to find a good shop and have them do it for you.  I haven't been disappointed with the results yet.

If you want to make sure things are to your specifications, make sure you tell them exactly what is necessary and ask them to explain it back to you.  For shaft alignment and things like swing weight, I usually pre-spine and mark the shafts for them and watch them do a preliminary swing weight check before they epoxy the head or put on the grips.  Grips are cheaper if you buy them online in the USA so it might be to your advantage to purchase the grips there and bring them for installation.  Otherwise, there is a large selection of grips, including some you can't find online, available at the various shops.

If you are a Japanese Golf equipment fan like I am, you will like the many shops that offer both new and used clubs from Japan.  You can also get sets built to order with Japanese market heads like this shop that is selling Miura irons.  There is a Honma shop on the 3rd floor for those who have lots of money to spend and a great used golf club place on the first floor where I picked up my current set of Miuras at a bargain price.

One of my favorite shops is Iron Fox.  This shop sells golf shoes, which are handmade and exclusive to their shop.  There are many unique designs, colors, and patterns for someone looking for something different.  Women especially like this shop because they can get shoes in colors that match their outfits (i.e. pink, yellow, etc.).    I have a couple of pair that I bought many years ago that I still wear periodically -- I don't wear them on every outing because they are just too nice looking for me to get them dirty or muddy, so I save them for that special occasional round.  You can also have them made to order in your size and to your specifications here as well.

Lastly, if you get tired or a bit hungry, there is a great all you can eat Sushi place called 'Kozo' on the 3rd floor.  If you get there between 12PM and 1PM, the all you can eat Sushi buffet is only 220 baht (subject to the date of this post).  Different plates of Sushi go round and round a mechanized belt and all you have to do is to snag what you want and enjoy!  Many other shops and restaurants offer a variety of food, including the snack bar right in the middle of the mall as pictured above.