Siam

 SIAM Square

Although the city does not have a clear, geographical centre, Siam Square area, in Pathum Wan District, is generally considered Bangkok's downtown. While Rattanakosin Island represents Bangkok's history and culture, Siam represents the true spirit of the modern capital. Sometimes it is called "SoHo" or "Shinjuku of Thailand" and it is the most popular shopping and entertainment area in the metropolis. Siam Square contains the majority of Bangkok's modern and luxurious shopping malls, glitzy department stores, hundreds of tiny boutiques, highly rated restaurants and other belonging to famous Thai and international brands. The whole area around Siam is also a very popular spot for modern five and four-star hotels, as well as trendy and famous entertainment venues, like Red Sky Bistro & Bar, on the rooftop of Centara Grand Hotel, and Mixx Discotheque on the basement level of Intercontinental Hotel. Above Siam Square is located the large and busy Siam BTS Station. It is the only interchange station between the two lines of Bangkok's Skytrain, the Silom and Sukhumvit Line. With 40,000-50,000 passengers in transit on average in a day. The station is linked via elevated walkways to most shopping centres in the vicinity, like luxurious Siam Paragon and MBK department stores, and even to the next Chit Lom BTS Station and the Ratchaprasong Junction, where is placed the huge Central World Plaza, the Thailand's largest shopping mall. Despite the name, Siam Square is not a real square. it would be better described as the area that includes the stretch of Rama I Road running from Pathum Wan Junction to Chaloem Phao Junction and the maze of its lateral Sois, alleys in Thai. Less than a square mile of land filled with hundreds of clothing boutiques, restaurants, cafés, record stores, bookshops, banks, cinemas and plenty of modern shopping malls. The northern side of Rama I Road is home to the most luxurious shopping centres, including the excellent Siam Paragon, the futurist Siam Center, Siam Discovery and the huge CentralWorld. On the southern side are located the Siam Square One, the latest mall opened in Siam Square, and the Mah Boon Khrong, more known as MBK Center, which is probably Bangkok's most known shopping mall. More