Sukhumvit and Silom are two popular areas to stay in Bangkok. These areas are known for their central location, excellent connection to public transportation, wide range of shopping, nightlife, and dining.
If you’re wondering whether you should stay in Sukhumvit or Silom, you’re in the right place. In this article, I will compare these two neighborhoods, focusing on their locations, accommodations, shopping, nightlife, food, attractions, and family-friendly atmosphere.
I traveled all around Bangkok and Thailand. I’ve stayed in both Silom and Sukhumvit, so I hope to give you the best recommendations based on my own experience.
Is it better to stay in Sukhumvit or Silom?
These two neighboring areas are very popular places to stay in Bangkok. They are both modern parts of the city, packed with highrise buildings, shopping malls, large parks, and a vibrant nightlife scene.
Both Sukhumvit and Silom are convenience areas for those who want central location, lively atmosphere, and well-connected to the public MRT underground train and BTS skytrain system.
I prefer staying in Sukhumvit more because I enjoy the cosmopolitan atmosphere with a wider selection of party zones, shopping malls, and food. This area also has a wide range of international cuisines including Arab, Indian, Korean, Japanese, Italian…
Silom is a business district by day and lively nightlife zone by night. The central area of Silom around Papong Night Market is more ideal for business travellers or gay people. The Riverside area of Silom is best suited for families and couples who enjoy a peaceful and luxurious atmosphere.
I was a solo female traveler but still enjoyed my stay in a budget hostel in the central area of Silom. I can easily walk to the train station to get a train to explore other parts of the city. It is also convenient to just walk to popular points of interests like Patong Night market and Little Tokyo.
Another factor to consider is that Silom has a more local atmosphere than Sukhumvit. So if you are looking for more of the local experience, Silom is the place to go.
Silom is also a bit closer to Chao Phraya River, Chinatown, Old Town, and Sukhumvit. These are historic parts of Bangkok, home to many iconic attractions. But, you are still able to take trains to these areas from either Silom or Sukhumvit easily.
Top 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 places to stay in Sukhumvit:
- luxury: Grande Centre Point Hotel Terminal21
- mid-range: Mercure Bangkok Sukhumvit 24
- budget: ibis Styles Bangkok Sukhumvit 4
Location & Size
Sukhumvit is the area around Sukhumvit Road, north of Silom, east of Siam shopping district, and south of Saen Saep Canal. The central area of Sukhumvit is the area around the first 6km of Sukhumvit Road, from Sukhumvit Soi 1 to the area around Ekamai Station.
Popular points of interest in Sukhumvit are Nana Plaza, Soy Cowboy, Soi Arab, Terminal 21, Emporium Emquatier, Thong Lo, and Ekamai.
Silom is the area around the 2.5km long Silom Road, from Lumphini Park to Chao Phraya River. This area is bordered by Chinatown, Sukhumvit, and Bangkok Riverside. Major attractions in this area are Papong Night Market, Little Tokyo, and King Power Mahanakhon.
Sukhumvit is quite a large area. The most popular places to stay are in Lower Sukhumvit around Nana and Asok due to its more central location and high concentrations of malls and nightlife zones. The upper Sukhumvit is a bit further away from attractions, and offers a good deal of hotels and apartments.
The central area of Silom is the area around Patong Night Market. This area is home to BTS and MRT stations as well as lots of bars and shopping malls. The Silom Riverside area is home to a cluster of luxury hotels offering stunning views of the river and quieter atmosphere.
See more: How to get to Sukhumvit
Public Transportation
Both Sukhumvit and Silom have excellent connections to public BTS skytrain and MRT subway trains. They are well connected to Airport Rail Link, so you can use a combination of Airport train, and BTS/MRT trains to get from the airport to either Sukhumvit or Silom.
Sukhumvit Road is very well-connected to the Sukhumvit BTS train line. This line takes you to popular places like terminal 21, Nana, Emporium, Siam Shopping district, Pratunam, and Chatukchak Weekend Market.
Additionally, Lower Sukhumvit is home to Sukhumit MRT subway station, which offers direct access to many popular places such as Chinatown and Bangkok Old Town.
Silom is well-connected to Silom BTS train and MRT train line. The Silom Line is running along Silom Road, passing popular places like Patpong Night Market and King Power Mahanakhon. You can use the Silom line to get direct access to other neighborhoods in the city like Siam or Bangkok Riverside.
You can also find the MRT subway train station in Silom near Rama 4 Road and Lumphini Park. This train will take you to Sukhumvit, Chinatown, and the historic town of Bangkok.
Accommodations
Both Sukhumvit and Silom have a wide range of accommodations for all budgets. Lots of highrise buildings in this part of the city. There are luxury hotels, mid-range hotels, services apartments, and budget backpacker hostels, everything for you to choose.
Whether you choose to stay, make sure to book your accommodations in advance. To secure a good quality spot. Accommodations are often in very high demand in the pearl season from November to May.
Don’t book spontaneously at the last minute in the high season, you’ll likely be left with no place to stay or stuck with poor-quality accommodations.
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Nightlife
Both Sukhumvit and Silom have a vibrant nightlife with lots of bars, night clubs, rooftop loungers, and restaurants. You can find the red light district areas in both neighborhoods. They are Nana Plaza and Soy Cowboy in Sukhumvit and the area around Papong Night Market in Silom.
Sukhumvit has a more diverse range of bars and nightclubs. There are go-go bars around Nana and Asok, as well as upscale and trendy bars along Soi 11, Phrom Phong, Thong Lo, and Ekamai.
The nightlife in central Silom around Patpong has a strong LGBTQ+ scene. If you are looking for LGBTQ+ friendly bars, the areas around Soi 2 and Soi4 of Silom are good places to go.
Silom Riverside area also has lots of nice rooftop terraces where you can enjoy drinks, the views of the city and the river, which is especially beautiful at sunset.
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Shopping
In my opinion, Sukhumvit has a better shopping scene. However, both Sukhumvit and Silom are very well connected to each other and to Siam/ Pratunam district, so you can easily go shopping in either area.
Sukhumvit is home to the mid-range Terminal 21 mall with a nice food court and beautiful decoration theme on each floor. If you enjoy luxury shopping and dining, you can check out the Emporium and EmQuartier Malls near Phrom Phong Station.
Silom has a cluster of modern shopping malls around Sala Daeng BTS Station, all connected to each other. You can shop at Silom Complex, Park Silom, or Thaniya Shopping Center. Then there are many other street stalls at the Patpong Night Market.
From both Silom and Skhumvit, you can take a short BTS train ride to Siam Paragon, CentralWorld, Siam Quare, or MBK shopping center. The train will also take you to Chatukchak Weekend Market, which is one of the biggest markets in Thailand.
Food
Sukhumvit has more of a cosmopolitan atmosphere, so it has a more diverse range of food. You can easily find lots of local Thai food as well as international cuisine. There is food at street food vendors, food at fine dining restaurants, as well as food at the food court in the shopping center.
You can find lots of small areas dedicated to specific communities such as Arab, Indian, Korean, Japanese,… in Sukhumvit. So, if you crave for your home country’s food, you can easily find it in Sukhumvit.
Silom has a more affordable street food scene, especially for everyday Thai meals. It also has mid‑ to high‑end options, but overall easier to eat well on a budget at the street food stalls, local market, and foot court.
Attractions
Major attractions in Sukhumvit are shopping malls, nightlife, rooftop bars, restaurants, food, and cafes. You can explore terminal 21, Emporium, Emquartier, Nana Plaza, Soi Cowboy, Benchasiri Park, and Benchakitti Park.
Major attractions in Silom are Patpong Night Market, Little Tokyo, Lumphini Park, and some shopping malls around Sala Daeng BTS Station. This area is also home to some local cultural and historical attractions like temples, libraries, and museums.
Silom has an advantage of its location close to the Chao Phraya River, so you can easily take the boat trip to explore iconic attractions like Grand Palace, Wat Pho, Wat Arun, Chinatown, and Icon Siam.
Family-friendly Atmosphere
Both areas have wide selections of family-friendly accommodations and amenities. If your family prefers a lively international atmosphere, Sukhumvit is the place to go.
If you stay in Silom, you can find some great all-inclusive hotels along the riverside for your family. The Silom Riverside offers a quieter atmosphere and beautiful views of the river.
Both areas have their red lights district with lots of adult entertainment, which are not suitable for kids to see. So, I recommend that your family stay away from Nana Plaza or Soi Cowboy in Sukhumvit, or Patpong Night Market in Silom.
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So there you have it, my comparison between Sukhumvit and Silom. Both areas are convenient for those who want a central, well‑connected location, and a vibrant nightlife scene.
However, Sukhumvit is better than Silom if you enjoy the international vibe with more choices of food, malls, and nightlife zones.
If you are a business traveler or gay person, the central area of Silom around Papong Night Market is a more ideal area to stay as it is the business district by day and vibrant gay party area by night. If you are family or couples who are looking for a quiet area in Silom, you can find a range of large hotels along the Silom Riverside area.