Siam Square

Coordinates: 13°44′39.95″N 100°31′59.3″E / 13.7444306°N 100.533139°E

Siam Square

Siam Square (Thai: สยามสแควร์) is a shopping and entertainment area in the Siam District of Bangkok, Thailand. The area connects to other shopping centres and links to the other shopping districts by sky bridge, such as Siam Center/Siam Discovery Center, MBK Center, Siam Square One, Siam Paragon, Ratchaprasong shopping district and Sukhumvit Road.

Within Siam Square itself, there is a range of shops and services, including tutor schools, restaurants, cafe, designer clothing boutiques, record stores, bookshops, Hard Rock Cafe and banks. The customers vary from young-aged school and college students to office workers and foreign tourists. It is sometimes referred to as the "SoHo" or "Shinjuku of Thailand".

Siam Square is owned by Chulalongkorn University and is managed by its Property Management Office, known as the Chula Property.^[1]

History

Siam Square

Siam Square's first buildings were constructed in 1970 on land belonging to Chulalongkorn University. The aim was to provide rental income for the university. From ordinary shop buildings, it changed to brandname shops and has attracted investors to set up other businesses like hotels, shopping centres and restaurants.

Eager to connect to Siam Square, surrounding businesses sought to make connections to the area, an air-conditioned walkway from MBK Centre being an example.

Location

Siam Square is in Pathum Wan district and is bordered by Henri Dunant, Rama I and Phaya Thai roads. Opposite across Rama I Road are Siam Paragon and Siam Center/Siam Discovery Center, which can be accessed via the Bangkok Skytrain's Siam station, as well as a pedestrian bridge; MBK Center is across Phaya Thai Road, and accessed from the Bonanza Mall, via a covered, air-conditioned pedestrian bridge. Parking in Siam Square is available for a nominal fee, but is typically congested, especially on weekends.

Transportation

• Bangkok Skytrain – Siam station.
• Walking distance from CentralWorld and Ratchaprasong District

Businesses

Cinemas

The Siam Theatre.

• Lido – a multiplex of three cinemas created out of a 1970s single-screen cinema; often runs independent films not screened elsewhere in Bangkok.
• Scala – built in 1967, with around 900 seats, the Scala is Bangkok's oldest single-screen cinema.

A 1970s-era single-screen cinema called the Siam, along with its surrounding arcades, was burnt down during the 2010 Thai military crackdown and the site is being replaced with Siam Square One shopping center.

Tutor schools

Many tutor schools are located in Siam Square. The schools specialize in a particular subject or subjects.

Restaurants

Siam Square hosts a large number of restaurants, including traditional Thai, Chinese, and western restaurants, bakeries, and a number of fast food outlets.

Shopping

Siam Square is probably best known for shopping, with many bargain outlets. Most of the stores in the area are independent, but there are branches of some clothing chains.

Aside from chain stores, there is a myriad of shops and boutiques, selling local designer-label apparel, jewellery, music and bric-a-brac. There are several small malls enclosing congested warrens of stalls selling discounted fashion items. Boutique toy shops such as 2Spot Communications 2Spot Shop are located in Siam Square as well.

Rolex and Tudor also have store at Siam square.

Nightlife

Siam Square is not well known for nightlife as most shops close around 10pm. However, the Hard Rock Cafe stays open late, and hosts live bands. There is a nightclub called CM2 beneath the Novotel Siam Square Hotel. Siam Square parking entrance closes around 10-11pm.

See also

• List of shopping malls in Thailand
• Siam Center

References

1. "Chula Property - business of the Office". Chula Property. 2012. Retrieved 2013-02-05.

External links

• Siam Square guide