If you like to be close to the action, then Silom could be just the place for you. Whether you are looking for a condo close to the business district or an apartment in one of Bangkok’s liveliest entertainment zones, few places can match the Silom area for variety and convenience.
Boasting a cosmopolitan mix of people and architectural styles, Silom Road – along with its neighboring streets of Surawong, Sathorn, Rama IV and Charoen Krung – is home to a seemingly endless selection of bars, clubs, restaurants, shops, markets, office buildings, hotels, hospitals and schools, while many countries also have their embassies in the area.
Also in the Silom area, Lumpini is arguably Bangkok’s best park. Famous for the several large water monitor lizards that wander freely there, Lumpini also makes an excellent spot to escape the bustle of the city or go for an evening jog.
By day, a thriving business district, Silom gradually morphs into a vibrant entertainment zone once the sun goes down and the neckties are removed. The infamous Patpong red light district is also home to a popular night market, while Silom Soi 2 and Soi 4 are the centre of the local gay scene. Several other bars, pubs and clubs can also be found along Silom Road and its many side streets.
If Bangkok is a city that never sleeps, then Silom is its 24-hour pulsing heart. But it wasn’t always like this.
Part of the Bangrak historic area, what is now the hectic Silom Road was once nothing more than a sleepy stretch of fruit orchards, swamps and fields where the water buffalo roamed and the skies were not cloudy all day.
Things stated to change in the 1800s, when the French, English, Dutch and other Europeans moved in and erected elegant buildings of their own design, including Assumption Cathedral and the East Asiatic Building, both of which still survive today.
At the extreme west end of Silom is Bangkok’s oldest Road, Charoen Krung, which was originally built in the early 1800s to provide the foreign community with a wide enough thoroughfare for their horses and buggies. The historic Neilson Hays Library on Surawong Road survives as another living testament to the many Anglophones who made their homes in the area in the early 1900s.
But it was not only Westerners who gave Silom its cosmopolitan character. A large southern Indian community also settled here, and the mystical Sri Maha Mirriaman Hindu temple remains one of Bangkok’s best-known landmarks. Just across the road, the historic Meerazuddin Mosque is evidence of the thriving Muslim community, while Chinese immigrants left their mark on the quirky architecture of Wat Yannawa near Taksin Bridge (Saphan Taksin).
Today, this eclectic mix of colonial and Oriental architecture has been complemented by Silom condos, modern luxury hotels, sky-scraping office towers, funky art galleries and an enticing variety of restaurants that serve everything from sushi to biryani, lasagna to falafel, and burgers to bubble tea.
Bordered by the busy Sathorn thoroughfare to the south, Lumpini Park to the east, Chulalongkorn University and Siam Square to the north, and the Chao Phraya River to the west, Silom is not only conveniently located, but also well served by the BTS sky-train, MRT subway, road, expressway and Chao Phraya express boat service.
With a central location, lively atmosphere, abundant services and easy access, it comes as no surprise that property prices are higher in Silom than in many other parts of the city. But for those who want to be in the heart of Bangkok’s action, a property in Silom is well worth the investment.
