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District · Bangkok

Silom and Sathornสีลม

Business district with Lumphini Park, BTS and MRT; Patpong night market and the Soi 2/4 bars.

sleepeat

Key facts

Suits
First visit with park and river access
Room prices
$$
price band of 5

What it's like

Feels:
Office towers by day, the park at dawn, night market and bars after dark
Suits:
First visit with park and river access
Best time:
Dawn in the park; evenings on Silom
Watch out for:
Upstairs bars in Patpong.
In short:
Business district with Lumphini Park, BTS and MRT; Patpong night market and the Soi 2/4 bars.

About these names

Districts (khet) are official; travellers and drivers use neighbourhood names and the nearest BTS or MRT station instead.

Think of Bangkok as two halves joined by the BTS and the river. West: the old city (Rattanakosin) with the palace and temples, then Chinatown, both along the Chao Phraya. East: Siam, Silom and Sukhumvit, where the malls, hotels and rail lines are. Plan each day on one side.

Where exactly

This district is highlighted. Shapes follow this guide's walking areas and places, not official boundaries.

Silom and Sathorn on the Bangkok mapTap an area for what it is like and who it suits. Shapes follow this guide’s walking areas and places, not official boundaries.
Silom–Sala Daeng · $$Sukhumvit (Asok–Nana) · $$BKK · 25 km · 30–40 min

Silom and Sathornสีลม

sleepeatPrice $$

Business district with Lumphini Park, BTS and MRT; Patpong night market and the Soi 2/4 bars.

Suits: First visit with park and river access

District guideWalk: Lumphini Park & SilomSleep: Silom–Sala DaengIn the districts table

Off the map: Don Mueang International Airport (DMK) (50–80 min by the usual route).

Not drawn yet (no coordinates in this guide): Banglamphu and Khao San, Riverside (Charoen Krung, Bang Rak), Ari and Phaya Thai, Chatuchak, Thonburi (west bank), Ratchada and Huai Khwang, On Nut, Bang Na and outer Sukhumvit. See the table above.

Where’s what, as a list:

  • Rattanakosin (Phra Nakhon) (เกาะรัตนโกสินทร์): Grand Palace, Wat Pho, museums, river piers. Quiet and thin on beds and food at night. Suits: Temple mornings.
  • Banglamphu and Khao San (บางลำพู): Walkable to the palace; loud on Khao San until late; no rail except the MRT at Sanam Chai 2 km away (check). Suits: Backpackers, budget stays close to the temples.
  • Chinatown (Yaowarat) and Talat Noi (เยาวราช): Street food after dark, gold shops, old shophouses; MRT Wat Mangkon. Boutique hotels in old buildings. Suits: Food trips, second visits.
  • Riverside (Charoen Krung, Bang Rak) (เจริญกรุง): Grand hotels on the river with their own boats; BTS Saphan Taksin; the old customs house and galleries. Suits: Couples, splurge stays.
  • Siam and Pathum Wan (สยาม): The BTS interchange, Jim Thompson House, Siam Paragon, MBK. Few mid-price hotels. Suits: Malls, heat and rain days.
  • Silom and Sathorn (สีลม): Business district with Lumphini Park, BTS and MRT; Patpong night market and the Soi 2/4 bars. Suits: First visit with park and river access. Price band $$.
  • Sukhumvit (Nana to Ekkamai) (สุขุมวิท): Hotels on the BTS, international food, malls; Asok and Phrom Phong are the useful stops. 45 min or more to the temples. Suits: First visit, families, long stays. Price band $$.
  • Ari and Phaya Thai: Leafy lanes, local food and cafés on the BTS north of Victory Monument. Suits: Café hunters, repeat visitors.
  • Chatuchak: Chatuchak Weekend Market and Or Tor Kor food market; MRT Kamphaeng Phet or BTS Mo Chit. Suits: Weekend market morning.
  • Thonburi (west bank) (ธนบุรี): Wat Arun, canal boat trips, ICONSIAM mall on the river. Few places to stay beyond the riverside. Suits: Canals and Wat Arun.
  • Ratchada and Huai Khwang: Jodd Fairs and local night markets; big clubs; not a base for sights. Suits: Night markets on the MRT.
  • On Nut, Bang Na and outer Sukhumvit: Lower rents on the BTS; 40–60 min to anything on a first-visit list. Suits: Cheap long stays.
  • Sleep area Silom–Sala Daeng: suits First visit with park and river access, price band $$.
  • Sleep area Sukhumvit (Asok–Nana): suits First visit, families, long stays, price band $$.
  • Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK), about 25 km from the centre, 30–40 min by the usual route.
  • Don Mueang International Airport (DMK), 50–80 min by the usual route.

Stay here?

How this district's sleep area scores for five kinds of traveler, ranked against the other Bangkok districts that have scores. Scores are this guide's 1–5 judgements.

  • First visit

    best of 2

    Lumphini Park on foot; BTS to the river at Saphan Taksin, then the boat to the temples.

  • Families

    2nd of 2

    The park helps; nights around Patpong are adult.

    Better for this: Sukhumvit (Nana to Ekkamai)

  • Light sleepers

    best of 2

    Quieter than Sukhumvit away from Patpong and Soi 2/4.

  • Night owls

    2nd of 2

    Patpong night market, LGBTQ bars on Soi 2/4, rooftops in Sathorn.

    Better for this: Sukhumvit (Nana to Ekkamai)

  • On a budget

    best of 2

    Mid to upper range; fewer hostels.

Sleep

  • Silom–Sala Daeng$$

    Quieter nights near Lumphini Park, the river and Chinatown by taxi; BTS and MRT interchange, but less street food at the door.

    Rooms: ฿1,800–4,500 (≈ US$60–140) (check)

    Skip this if: Office district: quiet at night away from the main roads.

    10–15 min walk to Lumphini Park & Silom · 40–55 min walk to Siam & Jim Thompson House

Drink and nightlife

Lines from the Bangkok drinking guide that name this district.

  • Silom Soi 2 and Soi 4 · LGBTQ bars and clubs · until about 02:00–04:00ID checked at the door; passport photo on the phone usually accepted (check).
  • Rooftop bars · Cocktails 30–60 floors up · until about 00:00–01:00 · ฿400–900 (≈ US$13–30) a cocktail plus ++Sathorn/Silom (Lebua, Banyan Tree), Sukhumvit (Thong Lo, Asok hotels), riverside towers
  • Go-go bars · Adult bars in Nana Plaza, Soi Cowboy, Patpong · until about 02:00 · Drinks ฿150–250 (≈ US$5–8)Sukhumvit Soi 4 and 23, Silom

Shopping

Markets and shopping streets from the Bangkok buying guide that name this district.

  • Tailors · Sukhumvit Sois 3–11, Silom, Charoen Krung · About 10:00–21:00A good suit needs two fittings over 3–5 days; 24-hour suits look it. Anyone a tuk-tuk driver brings you to pays him commission.

Getting there and around

On to the next area

From other sleep areas

  • From Sukhumvit (Asok–Nana): 40–55 min walk to Lumphini Park & Silom

Nearest arrival point: Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK): about 23 km in a straight line; the usual ride to the centre takes 30–40 min.

Minutes are this guide’s typical walking and ride times (p50–p90); traffic and heat stretch them.

Half-day walk

In the day plans: Day 3 — Lumphini Park at 06:30, car to Suvarnabhumi at 11:00 (Bangkok in 3 days)

Safety at night and noise

  • Lumphini Park and Silomday: oknight: caution

    Park closes at night; Patpong's upstairs show bars and inflated bills.

  • Quiet nights

    Quieter than Sukhumvit away from Patpong and Soi 2/4.

  • Nightlife

    Patpong night market, LGBTQ bars on Soi 2/4, rooftops in Sathorn.

  • Late arrival

    24-hour desks and taxis around the clock.

Nearby districts

Built from this guide’s Bangkok districts table, place, eat and sleep pages, route graph and city notes. Hours, prices and rules change: anything marked (check) is typical, not verified. checked: 2026-09.