IKEA Bangna

About IKEA Bangna

IKEA Bangna is the Swedish furniture giant's big store inside the Mega Bangna complex on the Bangna-Trad Road frontage in Bang Phli, Samut Prakan, just outside Bangkok proper. It is a huge showroom of furnished room sets built around space-saving ideas that suit Bangkok condos, with a warehouse, restaurant and food market on site.

You wander the showroom, try sofas and beds, and pick up home items on the way out. The Swedish Restaurant serves meatballs (8 pieces for 129 baht) plus Thai-inspired dishes, while the Bistro sells 15 baht hot dogs and 8 baht ice cream. The store opens 10:00 to 22:00, the restaurant from 9:30. Mega Bangna around it adds a cinema, food courts and more shops.

It is a low-pressure, cheap date: plan an imaginary shared home in the room sets, then eat meatballs. Weekdays are much calmer than weekends. Parking is free for the first six hours, and a free shuttle runs from BTS Udomsuk.

Why it works for a date

• Cheap, tasty meals at the restaurant
• Stylish showrooms that inspire ideas
• Reasonably priced furniture
• Big mall around it with lots to do

Good to be aware of

• Very crowded on weekends
• Restaurant quality can be inconsistent
• Not always the cheapest place for furniture

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