ASEAN's Largest Shopping Malls

Just like anywhere in the world, ASEAN people also love to shop especially when finances permit. We go to malls to shop, eat out, watch movies, and even enjoy their centralized air-condition. Why not? We are in tropical countries that has longer summers and not so cold winters. It is also one of the best places to hang out with friends.

People may argue about the largest shopping malls in our region, with one country claiming to have it. That said I meant Thailand, Philippines and Malaysia since these countries are home to the largest shopping malls in ASEAN. LoL. Kidding aside, here's the list of the largest shopping centers in our region based on their gross leasable area.

What is gross leasable area? A quick google search told me that:

Gross leasable area (GLA) is the amount of floor space available to be rented in a commercial property. Specifically, gross leasable area is defined as the total floor area designed for tenant occupancy and exclusive use, including any basements, mezzanines, or upper floors. It is typically expressed in square metres (although in some places such as the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, the square foot is used). It is measured from the center line of joint partitions and from outside wall faces. That is, gross leasable area is the area for which tenants pay rent, and thus the area that produces income for the property owner.

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1. SM Megamall in Mandaluyong, Philippines is ASEAN's largest shopping mall. It's has a GLA of 506,435 square metres (5,451,220 sq ft). It's daily foot traffic is 800,000 people, adding up to 292,000,000 people a year.

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2. SM North Edsa In Quezon City, Philippines is second on the list. It has a 482,878 m2 (5,197,660 sq ft) GLA with 1,100+ shops.

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3. 1 Utuma in Petaling Jaya, Selangor,  Malaysia is the country's largest. It has a 465,000 m² (5.0 million sq ft) GLA with 700+ shops.

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4. Thailand's Central World has a GLA of 429,500 m² (4.6 million sq ft). The Area of the full complex is 1,024,000 m² (11,020,000 sq ft) including two skyscrapers.

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5. With a GLA of 420,000 m² (4.5 million sq ft), Mid Valley Megamall of Malaysia ranks 5th. It opened in 1999 with 430 shops.

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Whoa! Let us round the list, shall we?

6. SM Mall of Asia (Philippines): GLA - 406,962 m² (4.38 million sq feet)

7. Sunway Pyramid (Malaysia): GLA - 396,000 m² (4.27 million sq ft)

8. Berjaya Times Square (Malaysia): GLA - 320,000 m² (3.44 million sq ft)

9. SM City Cebu (Philippines): GLA - 268,611 m² (2.89 million sq ft)

10. Greenbelt (Philippines): GLA - 250,000 m² (2.7 million sq ft)

Note: The list is taken from Wikipedia. Therefore, it can be argued. Well, at least we have an idea now.