Crowds gathered in the hot sunshine for the opening of the new Apple store in Bangkok, on Friday (July 31).
The tech giant unveiled its second store in the capital city amid strong hopes for the Southeast Asia market, despite the ongoing economic uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Long queues of shoppers, many holding umbrellas to provide shade from the hot sun, waited for the grand opening.
Apple CEO Tim Cook tweeted: ''It’s our pleasure to introduce Apple Central World.
In December, I visited the team in Bangkok as construction was underway, and I know they can’t wait to help our customers and to share this special space with the whole community.'' The store next to the CentralWorld shopping mall is only the second in the country.
The first opened in November 2018 at the IconSiam outlet.
Demand for the devices has soared - with long queues at weekends to get into the first Apple store.
The new shop uses a black, circular design and has the full name of Bangkok - Krungthep Mahanakhon - written around the side of building in the native language.
The inside of the building has product tables arranged in a ring shape around a centralised staircase.
Analysts said that the unveiling of the new store highlights Apple's confidence in the Thai market despite the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, which has stopped international tourists.
Apple's promotional statement on the new store says customers ''will be led to experience new possibilities that can spark desire for gaining knowledge and top up imagination.'' The US.
Tech firm said the store will enable customers to ''exchange knowledge, learn and engage in all of their interests with the aim of translating them into reality.''
