The popular hangout is reincarnated as Indy in Town

It has been almost five months now since Centrepoint of Siam Square, one of the most popular shopping spots for Bangkok's younger generation, waved goodbye to trend-hunting teenagers and closed down. Its most famous feature, Siam's Fountain, was left as a kind of memorial.

With the bitterness of that farewell still fresh, Centrepoint has popped up again, this time in an open space in front of CentralWorld, under the new name "Centrepoint Indy In Town @ CentralWorld."

And the new place is already winning the hearts of teenagers.

More relaxed atmosphere

Patteeya Piyakamonnirun, 16, summed it up when she declared that the new place had more air for her to breathe.

A shopper from Saipanya School agreed: "The previous place was a lot smaller and more crowded. It made you feel cramped."

From the point of view of vendors like Janesira Boonmechoke, from King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Lat Krabang, a buyer-friendly atmosphere increases the chance of selling stuff.

"When people feel more relaxed they spend more time looking and paying for items," she said. "If they feel uncomfortable, they will just stop, see, and move on."

More choices

Compared with the old location, the reborn Centrepoint offers a much wider selection of goods.

"My eyes tell me that the number of shops has doubled from the old Siam Centre," said Thanapon Suwanpattra, 19, a vendor from Saint John's University. "There are more than 100 shops, compared to only about 50 at the previous place."

The variety of goods ranges from small earrings to huge clocks. Most importantly, much of it is handmade, which makes it unique.

Centrepoint Indy in Town is a weekly event - every Friday from 4pm to 9pm.

xtra

sing out and sell it

>> Every week there will be a free mini-concert featuring different artists.

>> Anybody can bring stuff to sell at Centrepoint, free of charge. What you have to do is present your creations for sale to the organisers and wait for permission.

>> The new area is less than 10 minutes' walk from the old Siam Square location.