By Kylian Dev
What is Siam Square?
A neighbourhood of low-rise shops at the foot of the malls.
Phayathai × Rama I
LocationThe crossroads at the corner of the square
Chulalongkorn University
OwnerThe owner, through its property office, Chula Property
MBK, Siam Paragon
AroundThe shopping centres it connects to
Despite its name, Siam Square is not a square but a grid of small streets lined with shops, cafés, restaurants and tutoring schools, owned by the neighbouring Chulalongkorn University. Around it rise the giant malls that have made the Siam area the shopping centre of Bangkok, linked to each other and to the Skytrain by elevated walkways.
Where is Siam Square, and how do you get there?
In the centre, on the Skytrain.
Siam Square is at the corner of Phayathai Road and Rama I Road, in the Siam area of central Bangkok. Siam station, where the two Skytrain (BTS) lines meet, is right above it, and the National Stadium station is a short walk west. From here the Skytrain runs without a change to the Chatuchak weekend market.
From the airport, Suvarnabhumi is east of the city and the Airport Rail Link runs into town, where you can change onto the Skytrain to Siam. Our Suvarnabhumi Airport guide compares train and road.
What you find there
Shopping at every budget, and a lot of food.
The streets of Siam Square itself are young and inexpensive: local fashion labels, cafés, dessert shops and small restaurants aimed at students. MBK Center is the place for phones, gadgets and everyday shopping, while Siam Paragon and the malls along Rama I are air-conditioned palaces of international brands, with huge food halls in their basements.
Those food halls are an easy introduction to Thai cooking when the heat outside is too much: see our guide to Thai food for what to order. If you need a SIM card or an eSIM, the phone shops at MBK are one option among others.
When to go
The best refuge on a hot or rainy afternoon.
Siam Square works at any time of year precisely because so much of it is indoors: it is where many travellers retreat during the hottest part of the day or a tropical downpour. The streets of the square are liveliest after school and university hours and at the weekend. For the season, see the Bangkok weather.
What not to expect from Siam Square
It is Bangkok, but not the Bangkok of the postcards.
Nor should you expect market prices: the malls sell at shop prices, often the same as in Europe for international brands. Siam's real strength is its location on the Skytrain, which makes it a convenient place to stay. To compare neighbourhoods, see our Bangkok destination guide.