Silom Information

From Travelconnecxion

SILOM

Silom Area

1.About

6.Hotels

About

The area between the roads of Silom and Sathorn is the closest Bangkok gets to Wall Street, with glistening skyscrapers all boasting the names of financial institutions. After nightfall the character of the place changes considerably though: the small sois between Silom and Surawong come alive with people out for a good time, including the infamous short little alley of Patpong.

Sightseeing

Tourist sights are rather rare on the ground in Silom.

Catch a THAI KICKBOXING (Muay Thai) match at Lumphini Stadium (Rama IV Road; Subway Lumphini). Matches start at 18.30 on Tuesday and Friday and 16.30 and 20.30 on Saturday.....

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JOE LOUIS TRADITIONAL THAI PUPPET THEATER
History
Thai Puppetry has been apart of Thai culture and tradition for hundreds of years. The first puppet performance was called "Hun Luang" otherwise known as Royal Puppet.......

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CHAO PHRAYA PRINCESS ( Dinner Cruise) Upon you first step on the Chao Phraya Princess, you will discover the wonder of the splendour of both oriental and occidental art decors on the boat.
The atmosphere is comfortable and romantic with a saxophone solo off from the River City pier and passes a number of remarkable landmarks

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Shopping

The shopping around Silom is a little lackluster compared to Sukhumvit.

Markets

The Patpong night market features all the usual Asian knock-offs and assorted tourist goods. Prices are considerably inflated compared to most any other market and shopping here isn't really recommended, as it will take you half an hour just to bargain down that 500 baht T-shirt to the 50 baht it would cost you elsewhere.

The new Suan Lum Night Bazaar (Subway Lumphini) is a less chaotic option offering much the same fare and then some, including a lot of artsy pieces that might actually look good back home. The quality of goods and displays are generally higher than Chatuchak Weekend Market, but so are the prices. However, the stalls are modern, thoroughfares are wider, and there are many good dining options here. A money changer and ATM is located right in the middle of the market area, but it closes two hours earlier than the rest of the market does. Try to find the stall of the guy who sculpts life-sized Aliens (and more easily portable items) out of scrap metal. The bazaar is open nightly until midnight.

Klong Toey Market, Klong Toey (just south of Queen Sirikit Convention Center MRT). A huge and surprisingly centrally located definitely off the tourist trail: the stalls sell goods for Thais, at Thai prices. Open 24 hours, but best experienced in the early hours of the evening.

Silom Village. Silom 21/1. A Touristy theme market, but still a good place to look for handbags and furniture. Be mindful that many items are fakes.

Stores

Jim Thompson. 9 Surawong Road (walk through Soi Thaniya from BTS Sala Daeng), tel. 2632-8100. The flagship store of the famous Thai silk brand, offering well-designed pieces of high quality at equally high prices. Spread on four floors, unlike the small hotel shops this store offers the full range of Thompson's products, including lengths of raw silk.

Silom Complex (Silom Rd, connected to BTS Sala Daeng) is Silom's only mall of any significance. A bit quiet, but the restaurants and TOPS supermarket in the basement aren't bad. Central (department store) is at the rear of the complex and is accessible at every level of the complex. The top floor of Silom Complex has a large electrical goods retailer and a well-stocked office supplies retailer.

Across the street from Silom Complex, Robinson Silom (corner of Silom and Rama IV Rds) is one of two department stores of significance in the area. (The other is Central, adjacent to Silom Complex)

Food courts & Restaurants

Cafes, noodle shops, and fancy restaurants line the streets around Silom. For authentic Japanese food at reasonable prices, pop into one of the many eateries on Soi Thaniya.

Budget

Food Fusion. 4F Robinson Silom (corner of Silom and Rama IV Rds). A modern food court with a twist, with stalls offering Thai, Chinese, Italian, Japanese and Vietnamese food. On entry you receive a barcoded baton used to record your orders, and you pay the sum on exit. Prices are moderate at 50-100 baht for mains. Open daily from 10.30 AM to 10 PM.

Suan Lum Night Bazaar. The stadium-sized beer garden here also offers reasonably priced Thai eats (most dishes 30-50B) and free concerts by Thai cover bands. If there is an official drink of Suan Lum, it's beer: the place is full of beer vendors (Erdinger, Paulaner, et al.) offering a wide selection of imported and local beers.

Mid-range

Thai

Anna's Café, 118 Soi Saladaeng, off Silom Rd. A chain now, but this is the original: a hip white space offering a menu of tasty Thai and Western fare and reasonable (but not quite cheap) prices. Mains around B100, and you can try to spot Thai celebrities for free.

Nooddi. Borth side of Silom Rd (near BTS Sala Daeng). A trendy chain of noodle eateries, offering a variety of styles (Thai, Chinese, Japanese) in air-conditioned surroundings for around B60 a bowl. Try the iced tea; the "glass" is big enough for two!

Silom Village Trade Center. 286 Silom Rd. The last traditional Thai village on Silom Road. Silom Village is comprised of 15 teak houses as well as 3 buildings that were constructed in 1908. The compound has been converted to a restaurant and Thai handicraft shops. A great place to buy souviners. Recently an affordable hotel has also been constructed on the premises. The restaurant offers Thai as well as fresh seafood. Moreover, in the evenings you can catch an authentic performance of various forms of traditional Thai dance.

International

Takoemon, (one soi down from Thaniya towards Rama IV). Specializes in amazingly good takoyaki (Japanese-style octopus dough balls), especially when given that they cost 30B per box of 6. Ramen and udon noodles in the 30-60B range also available.

Ichimonji (一文字). 9/34 Soi Thaniya. Buried in the depths of the soi, this is a typical Japanese-style pub and eatery. Set meals in the 150-250B range are decent value, English menu available.

Cafe India. 460/8 Surawongse Road (near Patpong). Has been serving up amazing Indian food since at least the war years. Many other old GI bars and restaurants in and around Patpong are still in business and worth visiting. Beware of some of the wraith-like vets who never made it home however. Some of these can be very disturbing to encounter.

Nightlife

There's more to Silom's nightlife than just Patpong, but can a visitor say they've been to Bangkok without at least a quick peek into the 'Pong?

Soi Patpong

You might want to take a deep breath and a few shots before heading into the insanity of Patpong, which in fact consists only of two small sois (Patpong 1 and Patpong 2) a short walk from BTS Sala Daeng station, deserted by day but jam-packed and overflowing in all directions by night. The throngs of middle age tourists shopping for sarongs and chopsticks just makes the sex shows going on in every open door that much more surreal.

Prepare to be harassed by touts armed with laminated 'menus' of acts you can order up. If you follow the touts, you might end up spending a ton of money on drinks to watch sad looking girls perform unhygienic acts with various garden-party accessories (lawn darts, ping pongs, etc etc) in one of the upstairs bars.

If you instead try one of the bars on the lower level, you can safely watch girls dancing on stage, but will occasionally be asked by one of the girls if you could buy her a drink. She will get upwards of 50% of the drink price as a bonus and will join you at your table for some conversation in exchange. As a rule of thumb, only trust bars that already have a fair number of customers; a drink should not cost more than 100 baht or so.

King's Castle III. Patpong 1 (left side). The place to go gawp at kathoeys (ladyboys) strutting their stuff — and be amazed at how well some of them can transform. Prepare to tolerate a few invasions of personal space, but it's all in good fun. Drinks B70 and up, no surprises on the bill.

Lucifer. Patpong 1 (left side, above Radio City). A rarity in Patpong, a "real" nightclub without girls in bikinis. Decorated to look like Hell, most customers are partygoers here to listen to the club's brand of hard techno. Cover charge B150 on weekends, including one drink. Check out the Heat nights on Wednesday when leather-clad dancers whip it up. Open until (at least) 2 AM.

Note: All the go-go bars in Patpong close by 1 AM sharp!

Silom Soi 2 and 4

Sois 2 and 4 are the center of gay nightlife in Bangkok, although these days Soi 4 packs in a mixed crowd with plenty of bars that aren't gay by any stretch of the imagination. On weekends Soi 4 is cordoned off and valid ID is (theoretically) required to enter.

DJ Station, at the end of Silom Soi 2 (just beside Sala Daeng BTS). The most famous gay nightclub in Bangkok and busy almost every night, starting with a reasonable Ladyboy show at 11.30pm. Admission is between 100-200 baht which includes one or two drinks. Opening hours vary but usually closes around 03.30am.

GOD Club. Short for Guyz on Display. Usually open until 5 AM.

Home. Silom Soi 4. Home is another famed hip-hop bar spread over three floors, yet somewhat small. For a first time visit or once-in-a-while visitor, this place is a good find. However, if you go there too often, you may find their repertoire of songs somewhat repetitive. Cocktails are not remarkably special and prices are about average for the area. People who come here are typically in their 20's. Comfy seats downstairs as well as on the third floor. Or take a seat outside, where tables make a good spot to check out the cuties walking past

Speed. 80 Silom Soi 4. Put Speed on the top of your list if hip-hop is your scene; this is where you come to witness young Thais in baggy clothes getting down with 50 Cent and his ilk. Several floors but the ground floor is where the action is.

Tapas. 114/17 Silom Soi 4. On your left immediately as you enter the soi, this is more of a groovy club than a Spanish snack joint, with two stylishly decorated floors and a people-watching terrace. Entrance B100 (no drink), open 8 PM to 2 AM daily.

Soi Thaniya

Soi Thaniya in the harsh glare of day

Soi Thaniya is Patpong for the Japanese; you might be excused for thinking you've ended up in Shinjuku when you see the plethora of signs in Japanese and kimono-clad girls beckoning you in. Most bars and clubs are off-limits to Westerners, but some of the restaurants aren't bad for a serve of Japanese food and some beer or sake to wash it down.

Hotels

There are a number of hotels in the Silom area, although the cheaper ones tend to be the kind that rents rooms by the hour.

Mid-range

		PINNACLE LUMPINEE HOTEL (Silom)The Pinnacle Hotel Lumpinee with 170 well-appointed rooms and suites welcomes all business executives and visitors alike with its modern comfort, city location and traditional Thai hospitality. More information
		MENAM RIVERSIDE (Charoenkrung) The Menam Riverside welcomes you back to the Chao Pha Ya & The pleasues of life along the river, welcomes you to the historic Chao Pha Ya river with a warm smile in unique thai hospitality.Situated on 14 acres of parkland, the Menam Riverside offers 727 deluxe rooms, each with spectacular views of the river and the Bangkok metropolitan area. The hotel is ideal for leisure travelers wanting to see and experience Bangkok by the river. More information.
		TAWANA RAMADA (Silom) Tawana Ramada Hotel, on Surawong Road, is in the hub of Bangkok's Central Business District. Tawana Ramada Hotel is conveniently located near most of the prominent business and banking headquarters, embassies, entertainment & shopping centers and sightseeing attractions. Tawana Ramada Hotel Bangkok is the perfect venue for both business travelers and sightseers: it is in the center of Bangkok and near to the expressway system, making the hotel a perfect base from which to visit all areas of the city. The 265 well furnished guest rooms and suites are equipped with every amenity for a comfortable stay, and Tawana Ramada Hotel prides itself on its attentive 24 hour service. More information
		NARAI HOTEL (Silom) Conveniently located in the heart of Bangkok commercial district, we offer first class accomodation as well as quick and easy access to and from the airport and all surrounding locations, catering to all your needs for a perfect and memorable stay. More information

Luxury

		HOLIDAY INN SILOM ( Silom ) The hotel offers 700 fully furnished guest rooms situated in two tower, plaza & crown.The executive club rooms provide the discerning traveller with execlusive accommodation & services for a more luxurious stay. More information
		SOFITEL SILOM (Silom,Suriwong) The hotel offers elegant and luxurious accommodation with its beautifully appointed rooms, set-up to satisfy every comfort of its precious guests. Meetings are organised on the superb and spacious club lounge for its business clients. The wonderful location and the quality services makes this place a paradise rather than a hotel. More information.
		CENTRE POINT ( Silom) "The River of Kings" in times gone by was the focal point of Thai lifestyle. As it was in the past, so it is today. Silom Road was originally a tree-lined canal, one of many in old Bangkok which once was called "The Venice of the East". Thai riverside life is still celebrated and nowhere better than the Centre Point Silom Executive Serviced Apartments situated on the bank of the Chao Phraya River. More information
		SWISS LODGE (Silom) Swiss Lodge Hotel Bangkok is a boutique hotel ideally situated in the heart of Bangkok, next to the thriving Silom business and entertainment center. Swiss Lodge Bangkok provides to the most demanding travelers; be it for business, pleasure or both. What you prefer is granted with a warm and enthusiastic smile. Here is where everything works. A promise delivered. More information