Silom District in Bangkok

Description of Silom District and what makes it interesting for tourists

Silom District is Bangkok's Wall Street, the city's business center, dotted with skyscrapers, banks, and financial institutions (Silom on the map). Actually, Silom is only a part of the huge Bang Rak district, named after Silom Road, but among tourists, the entire area is simply known as Silom. It is one of the largest districts in the central part of the city, but only its southern part is interesting to tourists. It is here, near the Sala Daeng BTS Skytrain station and along Silom Road, that all the tourist activity of the district takes place.

During the day, it's the same here as in any business quarter: strict and businesslike. A huge number of shopping centers are open, people are rushing to work. But with the onset of darkness, the appearance of the streets changes, and many entertainment venues open. It can be said that this is the center of Bangkok's nightlife, and the center of this center is the famous Patpong Street (Soi Patpong) with its Go-go bars, strip clubs, sex shows, and discos. With the onset of darkness, it turns into a real street for adults only, although the scale is not like Walking Street in Pattaya or Bangla Road in Phuket.

Patpong Street is quite small, or rather there are two of them: Soi Patpong 1 and 2, running parallel. One of these streets hosts a night market, and the other is occupied by bars, restaurants, and clubs. There is also a separate street for boy lovers, Boy Town Silom. Tourist infrastructure in the form of hotels, travel agencies, cafes and restaurants, massage parlors, currency exchange, etc. is located not only on these streets but also on many nearby streets and alleys.

There isn't much point in staying in this district except for proximity to these establishments. If you are more interested in attractions or shopping, it's better to go to the Khaosan Road or Pratunam districts respectively.

There are plenty of accommodation options here; hotels and hostels are scattered throughout the huge district. But if you decide to stay in this district for evening entertainment, it's best to stay not far from Patpong Street (Patpong on the Bangkok map), especially since other tourist infrastructure (currency exchange, travel agencies, transport) are also located here. The most budget hotels and hostels are on the streets parallel to Patpong Street. Another convenient tourist street is Saladaeng Road.

You can find and book hotels in the Silom district of Bangkok on the following websites, or via the search form below, and to choose a hotel by its location, see the map below:

• 🛌 Search for hotels in Bangkok on Trip.com (👍 Mir cards work)
• 🛌 Hotels in Bangkok on Yandex.travel
• 🛌 Search for hotels on Ostrovok.ru

Map of Silom District with attractions, hotels, transport

How to get to Silom District

The BTS Skytrain line and the underground MRT run through the Silom District. Here are the central stations that are closest to the tourist streets:

• Sala Daeng BTS (BTS Skytrain) is just a couple of minutes' walk from Patpong Street.
• Silom MRT (Underground MRT) is no more than a 10-minute walk.

Also, a huge number of city bus routes pass through the district.

Here are ways to get to/from here to different places in the city:

• From Suvarnabhumi Airport

  From Suvarnabhumi to Silom by taxi, you can get there from 350 baht (10.73 USD, see Thailand currency and exchange rate) using the meter, travel time 40-60 minutes. It's better to order a taxi at the counter upon exiting the terminal on the first floor (follow the Public taxi signs), or via the Grab-taxi app, the Asian replacement for Uber. See more about Grab-taxi in Thailand and how to use it. In addition to the metered fare, you need to pay 50 baht for the toll road.

  It's much cheaper to take the airport rail link with a transfer. There are several transfer options; here is the shortest and cheapest:

  1. From the airport on the ARL (departs from the lowest level of the terminal) to Makkasan station for 35 baht.
  2. Transfer from Makkasan station to the underground MRT at Phetchaburi station.
  3. From Phetchaburi station, go to Silom station for 24 baht.

  If you definitely want to get to Sala Daeng BTS station, you will have to make two transfers: from Phaya Thai airport rail link to Phaya Thai BTS; then at Siam BTS station transfer to another line directly to Sala Daeng BTS.

• From Don Mueang Airport

  From Don Mueang Airport, you can get to Silom by taxi from 300 baht (9.2 USD). It's better to order at the official counter or via Grab, and it's better to decline fixed-price offers. You also need to pay 50 baht for the toll road, but in the absence of traffic jams, you can drive on the free road.

  It's much cheaper to take express bus A3. It departs directly from the terminal exit every 30 minutes from 7 am to 11 pm, costs 30 baht. It goes around Lumpini Park and stops near Silom MRT station, where you should get off.

  You can also get from Don Mueang by train to Hualamphong railway station, and there transfer to Hualamphong MRT underground station, from which it's only two stops to Silom MRT. The train fare from the airport to Hualamphong is only 5 baht, here is the schedule - railway.co.th. Trains depart from Don Mueang Railway Station, which is connected to the airport by an overhead walkway.

What to see in Silom District

Silom District is not rich in attractions. There is the Hindu temple Sri Maha Mariamman, the Bangkokian Museum, and the MahaNakhon skyscraper with an observation deck. But given the large size of the district, you will have to get to these places by transport. The only place accessible on foot from the tourist area in Silom is Lumpini Park.

• Observation deck of the King Power Mahana Khon skyscraper

  

  The observation deck of the King Power Mahana Khon skyscraper is a new attraction (opened in 2018) that far surpassed the previously highest observation deck in Bangkok at the Baiyoke Sky hotel skyscraper. It is taller (314 meters), more modern, with interactive entertainment, and much more expensive. Currently, it is the highest observation deck in Thailand. Upstairs on the 74th floor, there is a closed observation deck with an interactive city map and marked attractions; from the 75th to the 87th floor, you will ascend via a transparent escalator, and on the 87th floor, there is the actual open observation deck and balconies with glass floors. Read more about the observation deck of the King Power Mahana Khon skyscraper.

  🕐 Opening Hours: from 08:00 to 24:00, last entry at 23:00.

  💵 Entrance Fee / Ticket Prices: the cost of visiting the SkyWalk observation deck differs depending on the time of day. During daytime (until 4 PM) adults – 880 baht / 26.99 RUB; children from 3 to 16 years and seniors over 60 years – 250 baht / 7.67 USD. Sunset and evening time (after 4 PM): adults – 1080 baht / 33.12 RUB; children from 3 to 16 years and seniors over 60 years – 250 baht / 7.67 USD.

  🚶 How to Get There: the skyscraper is located in the Silom district (skyscraper on the map). Nearby is the Chong Nonsi BTS Skytrain station. From districts without metro, you can get there by taxi or city buses: 15 (from Khaosan Road), 16, 77, 187, 34.

• Hindu Temple Sri Maha Mariamman (also Wat Khaek, also Wat Kak)

  

  There are only two Hindu temples in Bangkok, and this is the more beautiful one. Built in the 1860s by immigrants from India and now it is one of the main places of worship for the Indian community in Bangkok. You can visit it for free, but you cannot photograph inside without permission. However, getting permission is not difficult; you just need to leave a donation and ask for permission from one of the caretakers.

  🕐 Opening Hours: from 6:00 to 20:00.

  💵 Entrance Fee / Ticket Prices: entrance is free.

  🚶 How to Get There: the temple is a 10-minute walk from BTS Surasak and Chong Nonsi stations (temple on the map).

• Bangkokian Museum

  

  The Bangkokian Museum is one of the hidden gems of Bangkok worth visiting. It consists of two wooden houses on the grounds of one estate that belonged to a family of Bangkok residents during the Second World War. The houses are surrounded by a garden, and the estate itself is enclosed by a fence that protects the courtyard from the noise and bustle of the city, and you can completely forget that this place is located in the center of one of the world's noisiest megacities. Inside the houses, the setting corresponding to the time when the family lived here has been recreated; many exhibits belonged to family members. Read more about the Bangkokian Museum.

  🕐 Opening Hours: from 09:00 to 16:00, Monday - closed.

  💵 Entrance Fee / Ticket Prices: free.

  🚶 How to Get There: located in the Bang Rak district at 273 Saphan Yao Alley (museum on the map). You can get there by public transport without much difficulty, but part of the way you will have to walk, as it is located on a quiet street with almost no signs, and it is difficult to recognize among the other houses.

• Lumpini Park

  

  For a hundred years now, Lumpini Park has been the most popular and largest park in Bangkok. Its area is over 57 hectares. On this green territory, there are two lakes where you can go boating; running and cycling/rollerblading paths; fountains; monuments; sports grounds; a swimming pool; a stage for events. Large monitor lizards live here; turtles and fish live in the pond. If you are used to thinking that a city park is a boring place for walks, here everything is different; something is often happening: mass exercise sessions, artist performances, traditional shows, competitions. Read more about Lumpini Park.

  🕐 Opening Hours: from 4:30 to 21:00.

  💵 Entrance Fee / Ticket Prices: free.

  🚶 How to Get There: located in the city center on the border of the Silom and Siam districts (park on the map). You can get there by MRT to Silom station or by BTS to Sala Daeng station.

• Benchakitti Park

  

  Benchakitti Park is relatively new: it was founded in 1992 and officially opened only in 2004. And this, by the way, is noticeable, as improvement work is still being carried out in some parts of the park. Nevertheless, if you have already been to Lumpini Park and seen all the interesting places in Bangkok, you can come for a walk here as well. There is a large lake with fountains, a running track around the perimeter, benches for rest, and beautiful views of Bangkok's skyscrapers. There are sports grounds, bicycle and catamaran rentals for boating on the lake, a free toilet, and special walkway-bridges have been made for walking through the green part of the park, passing over canals and clearings. There is also the building of the old tobacco factory of the Tobacco Authority of Thailand, which previously owned this land, and it houses a free exhibition of old tobacco machinery. And during holidays and festivals, the park becomes a venue for festive events. Read more about Lumpini Park.

  🕐 Opening Hours: from 05:00 to 21:00.

  💵 Entrance Fee / Ticket Prices: free.

  🚶 How to Get There: located in central Bangkok in the Sukhumvit district (Benchakitti Park on the map). The most convenient way to get here is by Bangkok metro to the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre MRT station or to the Asok BTS station. From Lumpini Park, you can reach it via a 1.3-kilometer-long pedestrian walkway-bridge.

• Patpong adult entertainment street

  

  This is a legendary street with adult entertainment, with which the development of the sex industry in Bangkok began in the mid-last century. It consists of several streets with adult entertainment and bars with girls and boys. Most of them are concentrated on the alley Soi Patpong 2. There is also Soi Jaruwan street, where establishments for ladyboy and boy lovers are located, and Soi Thaniya street with very expensive nightclubs for heterosexuals. In addition to night establishments, this area is known for its tourist night market on Soi Patpong 1, where you can buy all sorts of consumer goods like clothing, bags, souvenirs, and fakes. Read more about Soi Patpong street.

  🕐 Opening Hours: it's best to visit Soi Patpong in the evening after dark, which is approximately after 18:00. During the day, there is absolutely nothing to do here, as all bars and establishments are closed, and the night market is not operating.

  💵 Entrance Fee / Ticket Prices: free.

  🚶 How to Get There: located in the central part of Bangkok in the north of the large business district Silom (Soi Patpong on the map). Nearby are the Sala Daeng BTS Skytrain station and the Silom MRT underground station.

• Assumption Catholic Cathedral

  

  This is the main Catholic church of Thailand and the main church of the Archdiocese of Bangkok, an architectural monument. The cathedral has twice hosted the Pope in Thailand: Pope John Paul II in 1984 and Pope Francis in 2019. The original church building was built by order of the French missionary Father Pascal in 1809 and designed by a French architect, who completed the construction of the cathedral in 1821 during the reign of King Rama II. Around 1909 or 1910, the church underwent significant renovation and was then rebuilt in Romanesque style. Read more about the Assumption Cathedral in Bangkok.

  🕐 Opening Hours: Monday-Friday 09:00–11:00 and 14:00–16:00, Saturday 17:00–18:00, Sunday 06:00–12:00.

  💵 Entrance Fee / Ticket Prices: free.

  🚶 How to Get There: located a 10-minute walk from BTS Saphan Taksin station (cathedral on the map), entrance from Charoen Krung 40 Alley. It's also convenient to get here by regular orange flag boat on the Chao Phraya River from the Khaosan Road district and from the Grand Palace, sail to Oriental pier, or by boat with any other flag to Sathorn (Saphan Taksin) pier and a 10-minute walk.

• Boat Temple Wat Yannawa

  

  This temple is not very well known among mass tourists visiting Bangkok. But if you are here not for the first time and want to see something new from the attractions, then we can quite recommend visiting this unusual temple. Its architectural feature is the viharn built in the shape of a snow-white Chinese junk, a sailing vessel from the 19th century. Read more about the boat temple.

  🕐 Opening Hours: from 08:00 to 18:00, no days off.

  💵 Entrance Fee / Ticket Prices: free.

  🚶 How to Get There: located in the Riverside district and near Chinatown on the banks of the Chao Phraya River (Boat Temple on the map). It is very easy to get to from most parts of the city, as it is near the Saphan Taksin BTS Skytrain station. From the tourist Khaosan district, it is easy to get here by regular orange flag boat on the Chao Phraya River from Phra Arthit pier or by city bus No. 1.

• Snake Farm

  

  The Snake Farm at the Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute is not at all like the places they take tourists to in Pattaya or Phuket. No tricks with reptiles are shown here to then sell tourists medicines and cosmetics. There is no mention of any rituals with drinking snake blood and eating its liver. Here, reptiles are raised for medical purposes, carefully cared for, and all of this is gladly explained to visitors. You can get acquainted with different types of snakes, read information about them, and watch a documentary film in English about handling these venomous creatures, safety measures, and first aid methods. Read more about Bangkok's snake farm.

  🕐 Opening Hours: from 09:30 to 15:30, no days off. Snake show at 14:30 on weekdays, 11:00 on weekends. Venom extraction only on weekdays at 11:00.

  💵 Entrance Fee / Ticket Prices: adults 200 baht (6.13 USD), children - 50 baht, under 3 years free.

  🚶 How to Get There: the farm is located in the city center in the Siam district (farm on the map). Within walking distance are Sam Yan and Silom MRT stations, Sala Daeng BTS station, and Lumpini Park.