BANGKOK, 25 August 2025: Step into Selfridges on Oxford Street and you can still feel the pulse of theatre. The revolving doors release you into an expanse of perfumes, polished marble, and the buzz of half a dozen languages. 

For many Londoners, it is a landmark of shopping; for travellers, it is part of the city break experience. Yet the story is not British at all, but Thai. Behind this temple of retail stands Central Group of Thailand, the family-owned conglomerate that also nurtured Centara Hotels & Resorts.

In December 2021, Central agreed, with Austria’s Signa, to acquire the Selfridges Group for around UKP4 billion. The deal brought Selfridges in London, Brown Thomas and Arnotts in Ireland, and de Bijenkorf in the Netherlands into Thai hands, while Canada’s Holt Renfrew remained with the Weston family. The price was steep, the timing bold. Borders were only just reopening, and shopping habits were still unsettled. Within months, inflation surged, interest rates climbed, and Signa fell into crisis, leaving Central to take on greater control. Analysts have since called the price high in hindsight, but the strategic value of owning such real estate and brands remains indisputable.

Central’s ambitions were not confined to Britain. The group had been piecing together a European luxury portfolio since 2011, acquiring Rinascente in Italy, Illum in Denmark, Globus in Switzerland, and Germany’s KaDeWe Group. In 2024, Central went further, paying about €1 billion to acquire the KaDeWe building in Berlin, along with Hamburg’s Alsterhaus and Munich’s Oberpollinger. These names, familiar to European travellers for decades, now sit under Thai stewardship.

From my perspective, these acquisitions were a masterstroke in positioning Central, and by extension Centara, within the upper echelons of global retail. Here in Thailand, there was immense pride that a company with such humble beginnings in a Bangkok shophouse had risen so firmly to the top. For many of us in tourism, already familiar with the global prestige of Selfridges or KaDeWe, there was a sense of astonishment. These were stores we had personally experienced and admired for their superb products and presentation, and suddenly they were Thai-owned. That symbolic leap meant as much emotionally as it did financially.

Diversification first, tourism second

It is important to remember that these acquisitions were not primarily about boosting Thai tourism. Central’s goal was clear: to diversify its holdings and cement itself as a global player in luxury retail. By owning these iconic stores, Central hedged against the risks of relying too heavily on the domestic Thai market and ensured a place at the top table of international retail.

Yet tourism synergy does exist, even if it was not the driving force. Department stores like Selfridges and KaDeWe are destinations in themselves, drawing international visitors as reliably as galleries or theatres. When a Thai group owns such institutions, it becomes a subtle extension of the country’s reputation for service and hospitality. With imagination, those stores could host Thai food festivals, cultural weeks or wellness showcases, hinting at the experiences awaiting travellers in Bangkok, Phuket or Hua Hin.

The hospitality link

The other half of the family empire is Centara Hotels & Resorts, part of Central Plaza Hotel Public Company Limited. It has grown into one of Thailand’s largest hotel operators, with luxury Centara Reserve, flagship Centara Grand, and the youthful COSI among its brands. At home, its resorts in Hua Hin, Samui, Phuket and Pattaya are household names. Abroad, Centara has expanded to the Maldives, Vietnam and the Middle East.

The Chirathivat family’s reach therefore spans both sides of consumer life: retail and resort. These businesses may not appear to overlap, but both rest on the same foundations of service, space and experience. The family that spends a weekend shopping in London or Berlin is the same demographic that might book a winter escape in Thailand.

Headwinds and resilience

It is not easy to wipe away a 20% discount. That is effectively what happened when the UK government removed VAT-free shopping for international visitors in 2021. Paris and Milan still offer the rebate, and high-spending travellers have noticed. London has lost ground, and for an owner like Central, heavily invested in Selfridges, that policy choice has been a persistent drag.

In Berlin, KaDeWe’s recent financial troubles came from property structures rather than empty aisles. By buying the buildings outright, Central ensured stability. It was a reminder that ownership matters as much as brand power.

Thailand’s advantage

Back in Thailand, tourism is once again booming. The country welcomed more than 35 million international arrivals in 2024, and by mid-2025, the tally had already passed 18 million. Revenues are substantial, and Centara, with its vast domestic network, is well-positioned. Hotels provide steadier cash flow than European retail and are arguably the stronger growth engine today.

The verdict

So was the Selfridges acquisition a mistake? No. It was costly and poorly timed in terms of macroeconomics, but strategically, it was a great generational move. Oxford Street, KaDeWe and the other icons are rare trophies that can anchor a portfolio for decades.

Was tourism the reason? Not directly. The driving force was diversification. But tourism synergy is real, and it adds a valuable dimension. For Thailand, there is quiet pride in knowing that these European legends are stewarded from Bangkok.

For me, that pride was unforgettable. As someone who has walked the aisles of Selfridges and KaDeWe as a visitor, and who has watched Thailand’s hospitality industry grow, seeing those names become Thai-owned felt like a cultural victory. It was proof that a country built on service and welcome could now claim a place among the world’s most prestigious retail families.

The handbag purchased on Oxford Street may not lead directly to a holiday in Hua Hin, but it tells a story of Thai ambition, Thai confidence, and Thai hospitality finding a new stage on the global map.

About the author
Andrew J Wood is a respected travel writer, hotelier, and tourism lecturer with over four decades of experience in Southeast Asia’s hospitality and tourism sectors. A former general manager of several leading hotels in Thailand, Andrew is also a past president of Skål International Asia, Skål International Thailand, and Skål International Bangkok. He contributes regularly to regional and global travel publications and is known for his insight into emerging travel trends and passionate advocacy for Thailand as a world-class destination.

BANGKOK, 22 August 2025: Thailand’s capital is a city of surprises. When you think you’ve seen it all, from the labyrinth of street food stalls to glistening temple spires, a bold, green vision emerges above the skyline. 

Enter the new seven-rai rooftop garden at Bangkok’s Dusit Central Park, now the largest of its kind in the country. Floating high above the historic Silom district, this urban oasis isn’t just a pretty patch of green; it’s a powerful symbol of what Bangkok could be: Liveable, breathable, and beautifully rebalanced.

Set across the 4th to the 7^th floors of the mixed-use development, this 11,200-sqm sanctuary opens to the public on 3 September 2025. And for those of us who’ve long lamented the city’s concrete sprawl, this is welcome news indeed.

A garden with a mission

Developed by Vimarn Suriya Co, the garden is part of the ambitious THB46-billion Dusit Central Park project, an integrated retail, office, hotel and residential hub. But what sets this rooftop retreat apart is not its scale, but its soul.

The garden is planted exclusively with native Thai flora, carefully selected for high oxygen output and carbon absorption. Add to that wheelchair-friendly ramps, waterfall features, QR-coded educational zones, and shaded walkways, and you have more than a garden; you have a space designed with intention, inclusivity, and impact.

Suphajee proudly declares that the garden’s concept follows “Universal Design” principles, ensuring accessibility for all. But what struck me most was the garden’s ethos. Here, we see not just a nod to environmentalism, but a deep-rooted attempt to bring life, human, plant and cultural, back to the city centre.

Greening a greedy city

Bangkok has never been known for generous green space. At last count, the average Bangkokian had access to just 3.3 sqm of public greenery. Compare that with Singapore’s whopping 66 sqm per person, and the contrast is stark.

It wasn’t always this way. Silom, where this garden now crowns a modern skyline, was once a bustling commercial and social hub. Over the years, however, it lost ground to hipper, glossier districts like Sukhumvit and Thonglor. Office towers emptied, shoppers scattered, and the pulse of the neighbourhood dimmed. But with the new rooftop garden as its crown jewel, there’s hope that Silom’s heart might beat strong again.

Lessons from the neighbours

The visuals offer a glimpse of the design brief. I couldn’t help but think of Singapore and how its iconic Gardens by the Bay transformed not just the city’s waterfront, but its mindset. Today, the city-state is the poster child for green urbanism. Trees aren’t an afterthought; they are a design philosophy.

Closer to nature (and to my heart), the Kingdom of Bhutan offers another lesson. With over 70% of its land covered in forest, Bhutan isn’t merely protecting its landscape; it’s nurturing its identity. Recent developments in southern Bhutan have shown how even new urban areas can be planned around nature, not over it. The Kingdom of Bhutan, world-renowned for creating the concept of Gross National Happiness (GNH) and for being the first carbon-negative country, is now launching the Gelephu Mindfulness City, an interconnected bridge of sustainable development between South and Southeast Asia.

Of course, Bangkok could never reach Bhutan’s astonishing forest ratio, but that’s not the point. What we can borrow is the principle: That quality of life, not just commerce or concrete, should guide city planning.

If I were a city planner

Bangkok is my adopted home. Since arriving in 1991, I’ve watched it rise, sprawl and shift. I’ve celebrated its dynamism and, at times, sighed at its chaos. So if I were granted a day in the shoes of a city planner, I’d start with three words: Trees, water, lawns. As big and expansive as possible, like Central Park in New York or Hyde Park in London. I miss grass. To stroll, jog or play ball/exercise. I miss the smell and the softness underfoot. Imagine a city where every neighbourhood had its own pocket park or rooftop garden, where shaded walking paths and canals (our unloved klongs) linked one green space to the next, where food stalls and family-friendly playgrounds are nestled beside lotus ponds, where Bangkok’s millions didn’t have to flee to Lumpini or Chatuchak to find grass beneath their feet.

We need to think vertically, but also horizontally. Let’s create corridors of green that slice through the grey. And let’s not forget the water. Our rivers and canals, so often neglected, could be turned into vibrant urban features. Floating gardens, pedestrian-friendly embankments, or amphitheatres by the water. These are not utopian dreams. They are practical possibilities, drawn from cities that dared to rethink their relationship with space.

Planting Seeds of Change

The challenge is clear: Bangkok has more cars than residents, relentless development pressure, and a climate that demands shade, not shadeless skyscrapers.

Bangkok will soon have a model on the Dusit rooftops: a space that blends nature, accessibility, culture and calm. And we now have the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) showing increasing willingness to innovate.

The next step? Make it policy. Introduce green building incentives, mandate rooftop gardens for significant developments, and expand school and hospital gardens. Let’s make greenery not a luxury, but a civic right.

The new rooftop garden is more than a park. It is a signal that Bangkok is listening, taking account of its people, its past and its potential. It offers a high-up haven in a city that too often forgets to look up, to breathe, to rest.

If we treat it not as an isolated success but as a springboard for broader change, then perhaps we are not just planting trees. We are planting a future: One leaf, one path, one cool shady bench at a time.

About the author
Andrew J Wood is a respected travel writer, hotelier, and tourism lecturer with over four decades of experience in Southeast Asia’s hospitality and tourism sectors. A former general manager of several leading hotels in Thailand, Andrew arrived here in 1991 with the Shangri-La Hotel Bangkok and has remained in Thailand ever since. He has worked with Royal Garden Resorts (now Anantara) and the Landmark Group of Hotels. He has served as General Manager at the Royal Cliff Group and Chaophya Park Hotels & Resorts. He is a past president of Skål International Asia, Thailand’s National President, and a two-time Past President of Skål International Bangkok. Andrew contributes regularly to leading regional and global travel publications and remains a passionate advocate for sustainable, people-focused tourism.