Harry A. Badman & Co.

Harry A. Badman & Co., known to local Thais as Hang Badman (Thai: , 'the Badman store'), was a department store in Bangkok, founded by English trader Harry A. Badman in March 1884. It was originally situated on Bamrung Mueang Road near the Ministry of Defence headquarters, before moving into a grand building on Ratchadamnoen Avenue, near Phan Phiphop Lila Bridge, which was formally opened by King Chulalongkorn on 5 December 1907 and started ordinary business on 9 December. The store was popular among the nobility and upper class, and was particularly known for European and American imported goods, as well as tailored clothing and military uniforms. The 1908 publication Twentieth Century Impressions of Siam describes the business as follows:

For a quarter of a century and over Messrs. Harry A. Badman & Co. have held a leading position amongst the large retail stores in Siam, the rapid development of their business and the continual patronage and repeated marks of royal favour which they receive testifying to their popularity. The house was established by Mr. Badman on January 1, 1884, close to the Royal Barracks, and became known as No. 1, Bangkok, a name it retains to the present day. With the growth of the city and the large demand for every kind of naval and military requirements the trade accruing to the firm increased from year to year, until recently the propri

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