Staying around Siam Square, Bangkok
The shopping heart of Bangkok and its central transport hub. What staying around Siam, Ratchadamri and Chit Lom is like, and who it suits.
Siam is the centre of modern Bangkok. The BTS Siam station is the only point where the Sukhumvit and Silom lines meet, so you can reach much of the city without changing trains. Around it are some of Asia’s largest shopping centres and a cluster of well-known hotels.
What the area is like
- Siam Square is a grid of small shops, cafés and tutoring schools popular with students from nearby Chulalongkorn University.
- Siam Paragon, Siam Center, Siam Discovery and MBK Center line Rama I Road, connected by elevated walkways.
- Chit Lom and Ratchadamri have the CentralWorld complex, the Erawan Shrine and several luxury hotels, plus access to Ratchaprasong’s shopping strip.
- Jim Thompson House, a museum in a traditional teak house, and Bangkok Art and Culture Centre are both within walking distance.
Who it suits
Staying near Siam makes sense for shoppers, families and first-time visitors who want the simplest transport. It is less atmospheric than the old town or the riverside, and it is busy and polished rather than characterful.
Getting around
Besides the BTS, the Saen Saep canal boat stops at Pratunam and Hua Chang piers nearby, an interesting fast route to the old town. The Airport Rail Link can be reached at Ratchaprarop or Phaya Thai.
Hotel tips
Hotels linked directly to the skywalk network make it easy to move around in the heat or rain. Rooms on high floors facing Lumphini Park or the Royal Bangkok Sports Club racecourse have open views.