Siam is a popular neighborhood in downtown Bangkok, located right next to Pratunam, Sukhumvit, and Silom. It is a modern shopping district known for its high concentrations of shopping malls, entertainment venues, and fine dining restaurants.
Siam is also very well connected to the BTS sky train, making it easy to get around and get to other parts of Bangkok by public transportation. The area is home to a long Skywalk, connecting Chit Lom, Siam, and National Stadium and key shopping malls, making it easy to explore all attractions in Siam on foot.
There are many shopping centers in Siam, including Siam Paragon, MBK Center, and CentralWorld. If you want to explore cultural attractions, you can visit Erawan Shrines, and Jim Thompson House. For those traveling with children, you can take them to Sea Life Ocean World or Madam Tussauds Museum.
In this article, we will be looking at the best things to do in Siam, including top shopping malls, kid-friendly attractions, and cultural sights. I will also show you how to get around this shopping and entertainment district of Bangkok.
For more information about Bangkok, you can read these articles:
12 Best things to do in Siam
1. Siam Paragon
Siam Paragon is a popular shopping mall in Bangkok, located in the Siam area. The ten-storey shopping mall is known for its high-end boutiques, wide range of dining options, and is home to a sealife centre.
Similar to Emporium, EmQuartier, and EmSphere in Sukhumvit, Siam Paragon is the place to go for luxury shopping. The mall is home to many luxury boutiques such as Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Gucci, Dior, and Prada.
You can find everything at the mall, including clothes, cosmetics, electronic gadgets, shoes, suitcases, home decor products, and books.
The Mall also has beautiful architecture and a good air conditioner system, making it a great place to visit and escape from the heat of Bangkok, even though you do not come here for shopping.
In addition to many high-end stores, Siam Paragon has a wide variety of both international and local Thai food. You can find restaurants and cafes on all floors as well as the food court and Gourmet Market in the basement.
The mall is also home to the Sea Life Bangkok Ocean World, which is one of the largest of its kind in South East Asia. It is a must-see in Bangkok if you are a family traveling with the kids.
Siam Paragon is directly connected to Siam BTS Station, so you can easily take the skytrain, either Silom line or Sukhuvit line, to get to this mall.
2. Siam Square One
Siam Square One is popular among local teenagers, younger crowds, and trend-conscious shoppers. This 7-storey shopping and lifestyle building is located directly across from Siam Paragon and connected to the BTS Siam Station.
The mall is home to lots of fashion, beauty, and cosmetic stores as well as cafes, restaurants, bakeries, and fitness centers. You can shop for clothing, handbags, souvenirs, and dine in.
Siam Square One is within walking distance to many other shopping malls in the area such as Siam Discovery, Siam Paragon, Siam Center. It is also easily accessible from Siam BTS Siam station within a minute of walking.
3. MBK Center
If Siam Paragon is a place to go for high-end shopping, MBK Center is a place to go for bargain shopping and counterfeit products. It is well-connected with BTS stations and other shopping malls such as Paragon and the BTS National Stadium via a beautiful skywalk.
With more than 200 shops spread across the 8-floor building, you can find everything in MBK Center. Level 1 to 3 has a mix of local boutiques and international brands, providing clothing, shoes, and accessories at competitive prices.
You can find electronics products such as mobile phones, cameras, and accessories, both new and second-hand. On the 4th floor. For Souvenirs & Handicrafts head to the 6th floor which is home to a wide range of Thai souvenirs, handicrafts, and custom hand-painted items.
Like all other shopping malls in Thailand, MBK Center is home to multiple food courts, restaurants, and cafes. These places offer both fast food, Thai and international dishes at affordable prices.
You can get to MBK Center by taking the BTS train to either National Stadium or Siam Stations, then walking to the mall. There are many other malls (Siam Paragon, Siam Square…) within walking distance from MBK Center where you can combine shopping at these malls within one single trip on foot.
4. CentralWorld
CentralWorld is one of the most famous shopping malls in Thailand. Spanning over 830,000 square meters, it is bigger than the nearby Siam Paragon. The mall is well-connected to other malls such as Siam Paragon, Siam Quare One, and MBK Center via a skywalk.
With over 500 stores, CentralWorld is home to many international luxury brands and local boutiques. This place is a great place to find both mid-range and luxury goods. It is home to some notable retailers including Uniqlo, H&M, and the Apple Store.
If you are visiting CentralWorld during Christmas and New Year, you can enjoy the events and festivals in its large outdoor plaza. It was beautifully decorated when I visited at Christmas 2024.
The FoodWorld on the 7th floor offers a wide range of Thai food and international food. I tried Northern style Thai sausage and it was very tasty.
You can get to CentralWorld by taking the BTS skytrain to either Siam and Chit Lom stations, then walk through elevated walkways to reach the mall. If you are at nearby shopping malls like Siam Center, MBK Center, and Siam Paragon, you can walk to CentralWorld via a walkway.
5. Siam Center
Siam Center is a shopping building located between Siam Paragon and Siam Discovery. These three malls are well-connected through a walkway. While Siam Paragon attracts more luxury shoppers and tourists, Siam Center attracts more budget conscious shoppers and locals.
Siam Center is home to many mid-priced range products. You can find some international clothing, cosmetics and shoe brands such as Adidas, H&M, Zara, Uniqlo, and Nike.
If you want something to eat, you can check out the food court on the 4th floor. It has a wide selection of dishes at reasonable price.
Siam Center is located in the heart of the Siam shopping district. It is directly connected to BTS Siam Station, making it easily accessible by public transportation for both locals and tourists.
6. Siam Discovery
Siam Discovery is a beautiful shopping destination located right next to Siam Center and Siam Paragon. This mall has an upscale feeling and is home to the family-friendly Madame Tussauds museum.
The mall has a wide range of products including fashion, electronics, home decorations, restaurants, and cinemas. It has 8 floors and each floor, referred to as a “Lab”.
G Floor is Her Lab, which focuses on women’s fashion and beauty products. M Floor is His Lab, which is about men’s fashion and lifestyle items. From 1st to 5th floor, you will have Street Lab, Digital Lab, Creative Lab, Play Lab, and Retail Innovation Lab.
You can easily reach Siam Discovery by taking the BTS train to Siam Station then walking to the mall. If you are from a nearby mall such as Siam Center, Siam Paragon, or MBK Center, you can just walk to Siam Discovery through the skywalk.
7. Siam Scape
Siam Scape is a modern multi-purpose building located between MBK Center and Siam Square. It is worth taking a look while you are in the Siam area, exploring MBK and Siam Square mall.
The building has all kinds of things including restaurants, cafes, convenient stores, food courts, education centers, and office spaces. You can use the lift to get to the top floor to enjoy a panoramic view of Bangkok for free.
Siam Scape is set in the heart of Siam shopping district, so you can easily get to this mall by taking the BTS sky train to nearby Siam BTS Station.
8. Sea Life Bangkok Ocean World
Sea Life Bangkok Ocean World is one of the biggest sea life centers in South East Asia. It is located in Siam Paragon and is a must-see for families traveling with kids.
You can explore marine life, coral reefs through ocean tunnels. It is open from 10am to 8pm. Tickets are 800 baht if you buy online (cheaper than buying it onsite). The place is more crowded on weekends and holidays, so if you want to avoid the crowd, I recommend visiting during weekdays.
9. Madam Tussauds Museum
Madam Tussauds Museum is a fun place to visit in the shopping district of Siam. This is an exciting place to meet their famous celebrities in wax form and take selfies with them. The museum is located on the 6th of Siam Discovery and is easily reachable by taking the BTS train to Siam Station.
The museum has different zones where you can touch, hug, and take selfies with the wax figures. You can buy tickets online for discounted price or consider buying combo packages with Sea Life Bangkok.
10. Erawan Shrine
Erawan Shrine is a famous sacred site in Bangkok, located opposite CentralWorld and Gaysorn Village. The shrine is dedicated to Phra Phrom, and is renowned for its four-faced golden statue, each face symbolizing kindness, mercy, sympathy, and impartiality.
It is believed that your wishes will come true if you come to this shrine to pray. Many Thais and tourists come here to pray and give the merit. Some people hire dancers for good luck dance and blessing.
You can reach Erawan Shrine by taking the BTS sky train to Chit Lom Station then walking to the shrine. If you are at nearby CentralWorld or Gaysorn Village, you can walk to the shrine.
11. Jim Thompson House Museum
If you are interested in the traditional Thai architecture and art, you can consider visiting Jim Thompson House Museum. This museum is located near the Siam shopping district of Bangkok next to a canal.
The museum is home to several traditional Thai teakwood houses, and houses Thompson’s extensive collection of Southeast Asian art, antiques, and artifacts.
You can reach Jim Thompson House Museum by taking the BTS sky train to National Stadium Station and walk for 5 minutes. Another option is to take a ferry to Huachang Bridge Pier along the nearby canal then walk to the museum.
12. Bangkok Art & Culture Centre
If you are into art and culture, you must visit Bangkok Art & Culture Centre. It is conveniently located near all the shopping malls of Siam and easily reachable by BTS sky train.
This is a contemporary arts hub where you can explore exhibitions, performances, and cultural events. It is also home to art supply stores, bookshops, and coffee shops.
How to get to and around Siam?
Silom is well-served by BTS sky train. There are two lines running through this neighborhood, including Sukhumvit Line and the Silom Line. Siam BTS station and National Stadium Station area located in Siam.
You can take the Silom line to the Silom area and all the way to Bangkok Riverside. You can use the Sukhumvit line to explore more shops and nightlife areas in Sukhumvit, and visit famous markets like Chatukchak Market.
To get to Siam from Suvarnabhumi Airport, you can use Airport Rail Link to Phaya Thai Station, then swap to BTS sky train to reach your hotel in this area.
If you are staying in the old parts of Bangkok such as Old Town, Chinatown, and Khao San Road, you can use a taxi or the combination of MRT underground train and BTS sky train to reach Siam. You can take the MRT train to Silom Station and then swap to the Silom BTS train to get to Siam.
Once in the Siam area, you can easily do shopping on foot. The Skywalk connecting Chit Lom Station to Siam Station and National Stadium Station is a convenient way to explore all shopping malls in the area on foot.
See more: 8 Best Areas to Stay in Bangkok
This is my list of the top 11 things to do and see in Siam, a modern shopping district in the heart of downtown Bangkok. Whether you are looking for shopping, dining, entertaining, or sightseeing, Siam has it all!