CPN Opens First Phase of Dusit Central Park in Bangkok, a Gastronomy-Driven Mall Aiming for 25 Million Visitors
A new landmark is taking shape in Bangkok, blending retail, hospitality, workspaces, and living spaces around a purpose-built urban park. Central Pattana (CPN) is moving ahead with the first phase of Central Park, its 43rd shopping centre, as part of the Dusit Central Park mixed‑use development. The project plans to open its initial phase on September 4, aiming to attract about 25 million visitors a year. This ambitious launch marks a strategic expansion for CPN, the country’s leading real estate developer, and signals a broader push to redefine Bangkok’s city living by pairing world-class gastronomy with immersive experiences and smart urban design.
About Dusit Central Park and Central Pattana’s Ambition
Dusit Central Park is a high-profile, mixed‑use development that captures the ambition of its backers to fuse commerce, work, hospitality, and residential living within a single, interconnected ecosystem. The development spans 130,000 square metres of gross building area, a scale that underscores the project’s intention to be more than a shopping destination. With a total investment of 46 billion baht, the project sits on 23 rai of land—an expansive footprint designed to accommodate multiple functional components while preserving ample breathing space for green areas and pedestrian-focused zones. The overarching concept positions Dusit Central Park as a flagship example of how contemporary urban districts can be designed to serve multiple lifestyle needs within a compact, connected framework.
Central Park is a core element of the Dusit Central Park complex and is defined by its dual branding, which encompasses both the shopping centre and the office tower. This branding strategy emphasizes the symbiotic relationship between retail experiences and workspaces, reinforcing the idea that Central Park is not simply a place to shop, but a liveable, multifunctional district that supports daily routines—from shopping and dining to business meetings and leisure. The development is intentionally designed to be future‑proof, with an emphasis on adaptability to evolving urban lifestyles. The interconnected nature of its four principal components—shopping, office space, a hotel, and residences—creates a seamless flow for residents, workers, visitors, and guests, reducing the need to move across disparate districts in pursuit of daily needs and curated experiences.
Nattakit Tangpoonsinthana, the chief marketing officer at CPN, announced that the first phase would launch on September 4 under the theme “Here for All of You,” with a particular emphasis on gastronomy. This positioning reflects a deliberate shift toward culinary excellence as a central anchor for the Central Park experience. The concept envisions gastronomy as a doorway to a broader cultural and social narrative—one in which food becomes a catalyst for art, fashion, and international exchange within an urban setting. The launch plan signals that the mall’s early identity will be closely tied to high-quality dining concepts and a curated gastronomic landscape designed to attract both local residents and international visitors.
The Dusit Central Park project is designed as a multi-use destination that integrates green spaces and urban conveniences in a way that supports contemporary living. A notable feature is the inclusion of a 7-rai roof park, a substantial green oasis that connects the different components of the complex while offering visitors a respite from the built environment. This landscape strategy is part of a broader approach to create a sense of place, encouraging lingering rather than brief, transactional visits. The integration of nature within a dense urban setting is also aligned with global trends toward sustainable, health-conscious urban design that prioritizes walkability, air quality, and accessibility.
From a strategic perspective, the development’s location plays a crucial role in its anticipated success. Situated near Silom and Rama IV roads, Dusit Central Park sits opposite Lumpini Park, one of Bangkok’s most recognizable green spaces. This positioning harnesses the area’s established demand for both business activity and lifestyle experiences while leveraging proximity to a major urban park to enhance the overall passenger and pedestrian experience. The site’s urban ecosystem is intended to promote a balanced rhythm of daily activity—shopping, dining, work, and residence—while maintaining a visual and physical connection to nature. The design emphasizes interconnectedness: the shopping centre, hotel, office tower, and residences are not isolated silos but interwoven components that share green corridors and common outdoor spaces.
In addition to its physical footprint, Central Park’s brand strategy signals ambition to broaden Bangkok’s cultural horizons. The mall is expected to host a dynamic calendar of global brands and curated events that extend beyond conventional retail experiences. The aim is to contribute to Bangkok’s city culture by combining world-class gastronomy with art, fashion, and culinary programming that resonates with both residents and international visitors. The vision encompasses not only shopping and dining but also immersive experiences and spaces for curated happenings that can sustain a vibrant, year-round lifestyle brand. This approach aligns with a broader objective of enhancing Bangkok’s international appeal and reinforcing the city’s reputation as a global metropolis with a high standard of living.
As part of this lifestyle strategy, Central Park is designed as a flexible space capable of evolving with changing consumer preferences and urban trends. The architecture and layout are crafted to facilitate easy integration of new brands, concepts, and experiences over time, ensuring that the mall can adapt without requiring a major redevelopment. The interconnected plan ensures that movement between the shopping centre, office tower, hotel, and residences is intuitive and seamless, with green spaces acting as a unifying thread throughout the district. This holistic approach is intended to deliver a cohesive, distinctive experience that transcends standard retail conventions and positions Central Park as a long-term anchor of Bangkok’s urban regeneration narrative.
In terms of scale and impact, the project signals a substantial commitment from CPN to diversify and strengthen Bangkok’s retail and lifestyle ecosystem. The estimated annual footfall of 25 million visitors, or roughly 70,000 people per day, underscores the magnitude of the development’s anticipated influence on traffic, foot traffic patterns, and consumer behavior in central Bangkok. This projection reflects a combination of inbound tourism, domestic visitors, and local residents who will likely frequent the complex for shopping, dining, entertainment, and business purposes. If realized, this visitor volume would place Central Park among the most visited urban destinations in the region, reinforcing Bangkok’s status as a premier shopping and lifestyle capital in Southeast Asia.
Beyond its commercial ambitions, Central Park’s development is framed as a catalyst for urban renewal and experiential commerce. The project aims to demonstrate how a modern city district can harmonize commercial vitality with environmental consciousness and cultural programming. By offering a robust lineup of experiential dining, art installations, and curated events, the complex aspires to become a destination that not only generates economic activity but also shapes lifestyle trends and cultural conversations. The emphasis on curated happenings—distinctive, often time-limited experiences—signals an ambition to set Bangkok on a trajectory toward becoming a globally recognized centre for gastronomy, design, and fashion.
Overall, the first phase of Central Park sets the tone for Dusit Central Park’s broader development strategy, with a clear emphasis on gastronomy as a central pillar, supported by a diverse mix of retail, office, hospitality, and residential components. The development’s promise of world-class cuisine, international brand visibility, and immersive experiences is reinforced by the project’s structural design, location, and long-term flexibility. As Bangkok continues to attract both local and international travelers seeking premium lived experiences, Central Park is positioned to become a defining landmark that embodies the city’s growth, sophistication, and contemporary urban identity.
Phase I Launch: Gastronomy at the Core and an Immersive Experience
The September 4 launch of Central Park’s Phase I is anchored by a gastronomy-first philosophy designed to attract a broad audience through culinary excellence and experiential dining. The concept, “Here for All of You,” signals a commitment to catering to diverse tastes and preferences while spotlighting a spectrum of dining concepts that reflect international influences and local flavors. This strategy positions the mall as a culinary hub within Bangkok’s bustling shopping landscape, inviting visitors to explore a curated mix of cuisine—from traditional favorites to innovative concepts—that collectively define a modern food-forward retail destination.
A centerpiece of the Phase I program is the “Edible Exhibition,” a transformative initiative that reimagines Central Park as an immersive art experience. In this installation, the architectural fabric of the building itself becomes part of the edible art narrative, blurring the boundaries between cuisine, design, and visual storytelling. The Edible Exhibition is designed to engage visitors on multiple sensory levels—taste, sight, and space—creating an interactive environment in which guests can experience art through edible and culinary expressions. This approach aligns with contemporary trends in experiential retail, where architecture, cuisine, and art converge to produce memorable, shareable moments that extend the appeal of the shopping experience beyond traditional commerce.
The September launch is designed to be a gateway to a broader calendar of activities and brand representations. Phase I is intended to establish Central Park as a living, breathing complex that continually refreshes its offerings through new partnerships and seasonal programming. The event calendar is expected to include a variety of global brands, expanding the center’s footprint in the international retail and hospitality ecosystem. This strategy aims to attract not only local Bangkok residents but also domestic and international travelers seeking premium culinary experiences, exclusive brand collaborations, and world-class dining. The emphasis on global brands during the opening phase signals the mall’s intent to compete at a high level with regional and international counterparts, reinforcing Bangkok’s position as a culinary and cultural destination.
Looking ahead to the November full opening, the project intends to broaden its brand portfolio and guest experiences, adding more global brands and expanding the range of dining concepts. The timing suggests a carefully staged rollout that allows for the refinement of operations, guest flow management, and the onboarding of new partners, ensuring that the full-scale launch can be executed with a high level of quality and consistency. The combination of Phase I gastronomy emphasis and the forthcoming, larger lineup aligns with a broader goal of establishing Central Park as Asia’s culinary landmark and an influential new city culture site. This dual aspiration—world-class gastronomy and a dynamic, year-round schedule of art, fashion, and culinary events—reflects a strategic aim to position Bangkok as a global center for culture, design, and innovative retail experiences.
The overarching objective for Central Pattana and Dusit Central Park is to cultivate a destination that transcends conventional shopping mall functions. The project seeks to redefine what a shopping centre can be by integrating curated culinary experiences with art, fashion, and social programming. The strategy focuses on creating spaces dedicated to “curated happenings,” which are planned experiences designed to resonate with diverse audiences and to generate continuous footfall throughout the year. By situating gastronomy at the core of the Phase I identity and coupling it with immersive art experiences like the Edible Exhibition, Central Park aims to set a new standard for experiential retail in Bangkok and the broader region.
CPN’s leadership emphasizes that the project is more than a commercial venue; it is a catalyst for cultural and culinary exchange. The intention is to shape a new city culture by combining international restaurant concepts with art installations, fashion events, and dedicated spaces where curated happenings can take place in a complementary fashion. This approach is designed to inspire ongoing lifestyle trends and to provide a platform for both local and international brands to engage with audiences in meaningful, memorable ways. The focus on gastronomy as a driver of visitation aligns with global consumer preferences that increasingly value dining experiences as core elements of entertainment and social life. The Phase I strategy thus represents a forward-looking model for how integrated urban developments can contribute to a city’s economic vitality and cultural appeal.
The Retail, Dining, and Experience Landscape: 550 Brands, Global Concepts, and Local Legends
Central Park’s retail and dining strategy is designed to deliver a diverse, high-quality mix of brands and concepts. The mall plans to host more than 550 leading brands, creating a retail environment that blends international luxury, mainstream accessibility, and unique culinary identities. Among the notable first-time entrants to Thailand’s market is Kiwamiya, a teppanyaki restaurant renowned for its authentic wagyu beef sourced from Japan. The presence of Kiwamiya marks an emphasis on premium, Japanese culinary offerings within the Central Park ecosystem, signaling a commitment to elevated dining experiences that complement a strong fashion and lifestyle narrative.
Additionally, Koubai—a premium shabu-shabu concept—appears as part of the dining roster, offering interactive and premium hot-pot experiences designed to appeal to contemporary diners seeking high-quality ingredients and refined service. Long Jing Chinese fusion cuisine from Hangzhou will contribute a distinct regional flavor profile, enriching the complex’s pan-Asian culinary spectrum. Super Matcha, a premium green tea concept from South Korea, adds a beverage-forward element that complements the broader gastronomy strategy, ensuring that visitors have access to high-quality tea and tea-inspired offerings as part of their dining journeys.
Some eateries within Central Park are presented as new concepts, while others are already recognized by the Michelin Guide, indicating a mix of innovative concepts and established quality. In addition to these, the project will feature 70 street food legends, highlighting Bangkok’s rich street food heritage and providing a bridge between traditional flavors and modern dining formats. The combination of these brands and concepts aims to offer visitors an expansive, diverse culinary landscape capable of satisfying a wide range of tastes and occasions—from casual meals to fine dining experiences and everything in between.
The shopping experience is designed to be complemented by generous brand density, ensuring that visitors have ample options within a single destination. With more than 550 brands, Central Park aspires to be a one-stop destination for fashion, lifestyle, beauty, electronics, home goods, and more, weaving together international labels with local and regional players to reflect Bangkok’s cosmopolitan audience. The presence of global brands alongside homegrown and regional names is intended to appeal to both international visitors and Bangkok residents, reinforcing the mall’s role as a cultural and commercial hub within the urban fabric.
In terms of design and public space, Central Park’s plan emphasizes generous, walkable spaces that encourage exploration and social interaction. The project’s architects and planners have integrated green corridors and outdoor seating into the overall layout, promoting comfortable, unhurried experiences even during peak traffic periods. The 7-rai roof park serves as a focal point for outdoor activity, offering a extended green refuge that can host informal gatherings, pop-up programming, seasonal markets, and wellness activities. The roof park also reinforces the project’s sustainability narrative by expanding permeable surface area, enabling rainwater management, and promoting urban biodiversity in a dense metropolitan context.
The combination of high-profile international concepts, Michelin-recognized eateries, and homegrown and local legends demonstrates a deliberate strategy to curate experiences that resonate with a broad demographic spectrum. By balancing luxury dining with accessible street food heritage, Central Park endeavors to create an inclusive, aspirational environment that invites families, professionals, students, and tourists to spend extended periods within the complex. This approach aligns with the goal of establishing Bangkok as a world-class metropolis and one of the world’s most liveable cities by offering a sophisticated, yet welcoming, environment that blends dining, shopping, art, and social experiences in a coherent urban ecosystem.
Urban Design, Green Connectivity, and Lifestyle Ambition
Dusit Central Park’s design reflects a philosophy of urban living that merges city energy with natural reliefs and sustainable design. Arrowing in on its prime location near Lumpini Park, the project integrates a balance of built form and green space intended to create a more humane, walkable, and visually engaging environment. The four main components—shopping centre, hotel, office tower, and residences—are conceived as interconnected elements rather than standalone blocks. This approach is intended to yield a cohesive, navigable district in which residents, workers, shoppers, and visitors can move fluidly between spaces without encountering friction or disruption.
Green spaces are a defining element of the complex, with the roof park playing a pivotal role in the overall environmental strategy. The 7-rai roof park provides a multi-layered outdoor experience that extends the building’s usable surface area into an elevated landscape. This feature offers a vantage point for activities ranging from casual strolls to scheduled events, concerts, or pop-up installations—an adaptable venue for attracting cultural programming that complements the culinary and shopping experiences below. The design aims to foster community interactions and social encounters, contributing to a sense of place that goes beyond a typical shopping mall.
In addition to its architectural strategy, Central Park is oriented toward future flexibility. The development acknowledges that urban lifestyles are continually evolving, and the built environment must be capable of adapting to shifting consumer behaviors, technology integration, and new regulatory or market realities. The interconnected nature of the four components enables cross-uses and shared amenities, promoting a more integrated experience that reduces the need for separate commutes and increases the likelihood that visitors will spend longer periods within the district. The result is a living, adaptable ecosystem that can respond to future trends—including changes in dining preferences, entertainment formats, work patterns, and residential needs—without requiring extensive redevelopment.
From a lifestyle perspective, the project aspires to be more than a place to shop or work. It aims to become a cultural and social destination that attracts global brands and local talent to collaborate on curated events, art installations, fashion showcases, and gastronomy programs. The emphasis on curated experiences signals an intent to cultivate a unique identity for Bangkok’s city culture—one that blends high-end dining, immersive art, and fashion with everyday accessibility. By curating a steady stream of events, Central Park seeks to keep the destination dynamic and continuously relevant, encouraging repeat visits and longer stays that contribute to Bangkok’s overall appeal as a world-class city.
The project’s urban philosophy also envisions the area as a driver of economic activity that can reinforce the city’s global competitiveness. By hosting international brands and high-caliber dining concepts, Central Park aligns with Bangkok’s broader strategy to attract investment, tourism, and talent. The goal is to shape a city culture that blends cosmopolitan sophistication with local flavor, creating a landmark that residents can be proud of and visitors remember. The combination of green space, urban vibrancy, and a diversified brand mix is designed to offer a balanced, sustainable, and inspiring environment that supports both daily living and extraordinary experiences.
Market Outlook, Visitor Experience, and Bangkok’s Liveability Narrative
Central Park’s ambitious visitor projections reflect a bold assessment of Bangkok’s capacity to absorb a large, mixed-use destination with a robust annual visitation target. The expectation of more than 25 million visitors per year underscores the project’s potential to become a magnet for both domestic travelers and foreign visitors seeking premium experiences in Bangkok. The daily visitation figure of around 70,000 people highlights the scale of the centre’s operations and the necessity for careful, data-driven management of footfall, safety, customer service, and urban traffic considerations. Achieving such volumes would place Central Park among Bangkok’s most frequented, high-visibility attractions and would contribute significantly to the city’s retail, hospitality, and lifestyle ecosystems.
Asset management discussions around the project emphasize that Central Park’s development integrates with its adjacent environment to maximize accessibility and convenience. Kunayudh Dej-udom, the asset director at Central Park, described how the development blends urban living with nature at its strategic location—near Silom and Rama IV roads and opposite Lumpini Park. This positioning is intended to optimize connectivity for a wide audience, including office workers, residents, leisure visitors, and international guests. The design seeks to harmonize the built environment with the natural landscape, leveraging Lumpini Park’s green lungs to complement the district’s urban intensity rather than compete with it. Such synergy is a deliberate attempt to make the shopping centre a natural extension of Bangkok’s living and working fabric.
A key design principle for Central Park is future flexibility. The project envisions a dynamic urban district capable of evolving in response to changes in consumer behavior, technological advances, and shifts in market demand. The four interlinked components—shopping centre, hotel, office, and residences—share green spaces and are connected through integrated circulation networks. This structure aims to create a resilient ecosystem where new activities can be introduced with minimal disruption to existing uses. The plan also emphasizes the importance of a physical and social connection to nature, ensuring that the district remains welcoming and attractive regardless of seasonal or economic fluctuations.
From a cultural and lifestyle standpoint, Central Park aspires to become a “new city culture” hub in Bangkok. Its strategic emphasis on international cuisine, art, and fashion events reflects a broader mission to position Bangkok as a global culinary and cultural capital. The inclusion of spaces dedicated to curated happenings signals a commitment to continuous innovation in how visitors experience urban life. By creating a platform for global brands and local talent to converge, Central Park aims to shape lifestyle trends with potential to influence urban culture well beyond Bangkok’s borders.
The culinary and hospitality dimension remains central to the project’s identity. The mall plans to house more than 550 brands, including new-to-market concepts and Michelin-recognized eateries, ensuring a broad spectrum of dining experiences across price points and cuisines. The incorporation of premium experiences with accessible options—such as specialty teppanyaki wagyu, premium shabu-shabu, and high-end Chinese fusion—reflects a deliberate strategy to attract a wide audience, from connoisseurs seeking refined dining to families and casual diners seeking varied choices. The presence of 70 street food legends acknowledges Bangkok’s iconic culinary roots, ensuring that traditional flavors coexist with contemporary, globally influenced concepts. This mix mirrors Bangkok’s own evolution into a cosmopolitan city that values both heritage and innovation.
Ultimately, the project’s aim is to contribute to Bangkok’s transformation into a world-class metropolis and one of the world’s most liveable cities. By combining high-caliber gastronomy, diverse shopping opportunities, and compelling cultural programming within a thoughtfully designed urban district, Central Park strives to offer a model for modern urban living. The vision rests on delivering a balanced, inclusive, and dynamic experience that appeals to a broad demographic—including Thai residents, regional travelers, and international visitors—while reinforcing Bangkok’s competitive position in the regional and global retail, hospitality, and cultural landscapes. The ongoing development and future expansions will likely be shaped by how well Central Park can sustain a steady cadence of events, maintain high service standards, and continuously refresh its brand mix to reflect evolving consumer expectations and global trends.
Conclusion
The first phase of Central Park, introduced by Central Pattana as part of the Dusit Central Park mixed‑use development, signals a bold, multi‑dimensional approach to Bangkok’s urban future. With a 130,000 square metre gross building footprint and a 46 billion baht investment on 23 rai of land, the project seeks to redefine how a city centre can function by integrating a shopping centre, office tower, hotel, and residences around expansive green spaces, including a 7-rai roof park. The September 4 launch event, anchored by a gastronomy-focused concept and enhanced by an immersive Edible Exhibition, sets the stage for a broader November full opening that promises an expanded roster of global brands and culinary experiences. Central Park’s dual branding under the Central Park umbrella, combined with a strategic focus on world-class gastronomy and curated cultural programming, positions Bangkok to emerge as a culinary landmark in Asia and a contemporary city culture hub.
The project’s design emphasizes future flexibility, ensuring that the four interlinked components—shopping, office, hotel, and residences—can adapt over time while maintaining integrated green spaces and a strong sense of place. The site’s proximity to Lumpini Park and its access via Silom and Rama IV roads place Dusit Central Park at a pivotal crossroads in Bangkok’s urban landscape, capable of drawing visitors from multiple corridors of the city and from international routes. The emphasis on more than 550 brands, including first-time Thai entries like Kiwamiya and Koubai, as well as Long Jing and Super Matcha, reflects a commitment to delivering a diverse, high-quality dining and retail experience that can satisfy a wide spectrum of tastes and preferences.
In sum, Central Pattana’s Central Park project is positioned to become a benchmark for Bangkok’s development strategy—an ambitious, multi‑faceted destination that weaves together commerce, culture, and green living into a cohesive urban ecosystem. By prioritizing gastronomy as a central pillar, complemented by artful experiences like the Edible Exhibition and a robust line‑up of global brands, the development aims to drive economic activity, attract international attention, and contribute to Bangkok’s ongoing evolution into a world‑class metropolis and one of the globe’s most liveable cities. The city’s residents, visitors, and investors will be watching closely how Central Park translates this ambitious vision into sustained, long‑term vitality that benefits the broader Bangkok community and reinforces the city’s standing on the world stage.
