Silom and Siam are two modern neighborhoods in the heart of Downtown Bangkok. These areas are known for their central location, excellent connection to public trains, great nightlife and shopping scene.
In this article, I will compare Silom and Siam, focusing on their locations, accommodations, public transportations, accommodations, shopping, nightlife, and food. I hope this analysis helps you determine whether Silom or Siam is better for your stay.
I’ve stayed in several different areas in Bangkok including Silom and the Siam/Pratunam area, so I can share some suggestions based on my personal experience.
Is it better to stay in Silom or Siam?
Both Silom and Siam have good locations in central Bangkok and are well-connected to the train system. They all have a vibrant atmosphere with lots of tourist amenities like shopping malls, restaurants, bars, and cafes.
From either Silom or Siam, you can easily use public trains to get to other popular areas in Bangkok like Sukhumvit, Bangkok Old Town, Chinatown, the Riverside area, or Chatukchak Weekend Market.
Generally speaking, Siam is better than Siam if you want to stay closer to Bangkok’s most famous shopping malls. Siam is packed with popular malls like CentralWorlds, Siam Quare, Siam Paragon, and MBK. It is also close to Pratunam, which is another popular shopping area in Bangkok.
Silom, especially the central area of Silom, is better than Siam if you want livelier nightlife, and a local atmosphere. If you’re a family or couple who want a peaceful and luxurious atmosphere, you can choose to stay in the Silom Riverside area.
The central area of Silom is home to Patpong Night Market and Little Tokyo, where you can find lots of go-go bars, gay bars, and night clubs.
The Silom Riverside area is the area near Saphan Taksin BTS station along Chao Phraya River. It is packed with upscale hotels and apartments that have stunning views of the river and the city.
These two areas are located just 2km apart. The Silom BTS Skytrain line provides a direct connection between these two areas, making it easy to stay in one and visit the other by train.
My recommended stays in Silom:
- luxury: Crowne Plaza Bangkok Lumpini Park by IHG
- mid-range: Silom Serene A Boutique Hotel
- budget: The Cube Hostel Silom
Best hotels to stay in Siam:
- luxury: Centara Grand At CentralWorld
- mid-range: Holiday Inn Bangkok by IHG
Location
Siam is the area around Rama I Road. Siam is bordered by some other popular neighborhoods like Sukhumvit, Pratunam, and Silom. It is around 3km east of Bangkok Old Town.
The popular part of Siam is the area stretching from National Stadium Station to Chilom Station. This area is home to Siam Quare, Siam Paragon, MBK, and CentralWorld Shopping Malls.
Silom is around Silom Road, stretching from Lumphini Park to Chao Phraya River. It is bored with Siam, Sukhuvit, Chinatown, and the Riverside.
The center area of Silom is the area around Patpong Night Market. This area is also home to some big malls like Central Silom Complex or Park Silom.
See more: How to get to Siam
Public transportation
Both Siam and Silom are very well connected to the public train and the boat system. You can easily get around the city by train from either Siam or Silom.
Siam is served by Sukhumvit BTS skytrain and Silom BTS skytrain. These Siam is a major attraction station in the area, where you can catch both Silom and Sukhumvit lines.
You can use the Sukhumvit BTS line to get direct trains to Sukhumvit, Pratunam, or Chatukchak Weekend market. You can use the combination of Airport train and Sukhumvit BTS skytrain train to get from Suvarnabhumi Airport to your hotel in Siam.
Silom is well-served by the Silom BTS skytrain and MRT underground train. The Silom line will take you to the Siam and Riverside area. The MRT line will take you to Sukhumvit, Jodd Fairs Night Market, Chinatown, and Bangkok Old Town.
It’s a bit farther to get from Suvarnabhumi Airport to Silom by train than it is to Siam. Depending on your location in Silom, you can use a combination of Airport Rail link and MRT train to travel between Bangkok airport and your accommodation in Silom.
Silom has an advantage of staying along Chao Phraya River, so you have closer access to the river boat system. This boat ride can take you to major sights like Grand Palace, Wat Pho, Wat Arun, Icon Siam, or Asiatique.
Siam also has a canal boat system on the north of the neighborhood. The boat ride is an easy way to get to the Golden Mount temple near the Old Town without dealing with road traffic.
Accommodations
Both areas have a wide range of accommodation for all budgets, but from my observation, Silom has more budget-friendly hotels and hostels.
Both areas have good choices of highrise luxury hotels and serviced apartments. These places often have an infinite pool and sky bar that offer stunning views of the city.
If you want a luxury stay along the river, you can choose to stay along the Silom Riverside area. This area has a cluster of all-inclusive 5-star hotels.
Whether you choose to stay, always make sure to book your accommodation well in advance. These are popular areas in Bangkok and accommodations are often in high demand in the peak season.
See more:
Nightlife
Silom has more nightlife with a red light district area with more bars and a nightmarket. The nightlife in Siam is centered around shopping malls and hotels’ skybars. It is mostly about food and shopping in and around the malls.
The nightlife in Silom is centered around Patpong Night Market. This area is packed with bars, clubs, gay bars, and Japanese izakaya. Popular places to go are Thaniya Road, Patpong Soi 2, and Soi 4.
Both Siam and Silom are located close to Sukhumvit, which is the nightlife hub of Bangkok. From either location, you can easily take trains to Nana Plaza, Soy Cowboy, Soi 11, Thong Lo, or Ekamai for more nightlife options.
See more:
Shopping
Siam is a better place to go shopping. This area is lined with modern shopping malls that offer everything you need. There are luxury products as well as budget and mid-range options, both international and local brands.
You can find luxury & designer brands like Gucci, Chanel, Prada, Dior, LV,… at Siam Paragon, Gaysorn Village. The mid‑range international brands like Zara, H&M, Uniqlo, Nike, Adidas,.. can be found in Siam Center, Siam Discovery, Siam Paragon.
If you’re looking for cheap electronics and gadgets like phones, cameras, accessories,… MBK Center is the place to go.
Silom has several malls located near Sala Daeng BTS Station such as Thaniya Shopping Center, Park Silom, and Silom Complex. These malls have a good range of high‑street brands, local boutiques, café & restaurants.
Additionally, Silom is home to Patpong Night Market and several local markets. These markets are good places for bargain hunting for cheap souvenirs, clothes, and accessories.
Food
Both areas have good food scenes. You can find some trendy restaurants and cafes in each area. There are also lots of food courts inside their shopping malls.
Silom has a more local atmosphere, so the food here is ideally cheaper than in Siam. You’ll find lots of street food stalls and local markets selling food for locals and office workers with reasonable prices in Silom.
Both Silom and Siam are next to Sukhumvit, which offer more international food. You can easily take a short train ride to Sukhumvit for more options for Korean, Japanese, Arab, or Indian food.
Attractions
Attractions within Siam are mainly about the shopping malls. There are some family-friendly entertainment attractions in these malls such as Madame Tussauds and SEA LIFE Bangkok Ocean World.
If you are interested in culture and art, you can visit Bangkok Art & Culture Centre near the National Stadium BTS station or the Jim Thompson House Museum along Saen Saep Canal.
Silom has some local temples and cultural attractions to explore like Sri Maha Mariamman Temple, Neilson Hays Library, or Bangkokian Museum. Additionally, it is home to the famous observation deck on King Power Mahanakhon, which is one of the tallest buildings in Thailand.
Silom is also located next to Lumphini Park, one of the biggest parts in Central Bangkok. This park is a great place to chill, take a stroll, and escape from the hustle and bustle of Bangkok. From Lumphini, you can walk for around 20 minutes on the skywalk to reach another big park called Benchakitti Park.
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So there you have it, my comparison between Siam and Silom. Both are excellent bases if you want central locations, good connections to the train system, and modern atmosphere with lots of malls and lively nightlife.
Overall, Siam is a better choice if you’re into shopping. The area is the shopping district of Bangkok, packed with modern malls.
If you want a mix of local life and nightlife, Silom is a better place to go. Silom is a quiet business district by day and transforms into a nightlife area from late afternoon to midnight.