11 Best Places to Go Shopping in Silom

Silom Complex is a gleaming, air-conditioned expanse of retail space that’s Silom’s answer to the megamalls of Sukhumvit and Siam. It boasts 4 floors of high-street shops, independent boutiques, restaurants, cafes, and a few hairdressers and beauty salons.

You’ll find many of the usual Bangkok malls suspects like Mango, Jaspal, Accessorize, Swarovski and Asia Books alongside restaurant chains like the excellent Wine Connection, Piri-Piri Flaming Chicken and the high-end Tops Market all in the basement. You can access Silom Complex directly from the Sala Daeng BTS Station or via the main entrance at street-level on Silom Road.

Away from all the go-go bars and dodgy nightclubs that hug the side of the street and surrounding alleyways, Patpong Night Market presents a pretty comprehensive selection of market stalls selling all the usual tourist gear and one of the widest selections of imitation designer gear in Bangkok.

This means a sea of knock-off designer eyewear, Thai artwork like massive wooden sculptures of elephants, shoe shops and electronic stores. Pretty much everything here is fake, despite what you’re told by the vendors. So, bargain hard for a low price and bear in mind that those expensive-looking ‘Armani’ watches may well fall apart after a few months.

Don’t be fooled by Lailai Sap’s deceptively small entrance on Silom Soi 5. This is actually a vast maze of market alleyways brimming with tasty Thai food stalls, as well as a plethora of other cheap and cheerful stores selling everything under the sun – quite literally in some of the unshaded areas.

The further you shuffle your way along the alleyway, the clearer the picture becomes of how big the place is. Tributaries left, right and center lead you off course to discovering hidden boutiques, knock-off electronics vendors, indoor wet-markets, hip little cafes and other miscellaneous stores. It’s busiest between lunchtime and 2pm on weekdays when office workers leave their desks for a bite and quick bargain hunt.

Set in the backdrop of some lush tropical gardens, Silom Village epitomizes the old Siamese spirit of Bangkok with its 17 traditional teak Thai houses which date back as far as the 19th century and the era of King Rama V.

The complex boasts a hotel (Silom Village Inn) alongside a small arcade housing an impressive array of fine antiques, handicrafts, Thai silk products, furniture and accessories. There’s also a great restaurant at Silom Village that hosts classical Thai dance shows in the evenings. You can find this quaint complex just off Silom Road, near the Surasak BTS Skytrain Station.

This delightful Silom shop is part of the ever-expanding Jim Thompson Company, which has gained a national and international reputation for creating exquisite silk garments, beautifully hand-crafted products and traditional Thai homeware. The store offers a range of sarongs, shirts, neckties, scarfs, cushions, curtains, bed linens at slightly higher-end prices. There’s also an in-house restaurant and cafe.

You may well have heard the name Jim Thompson from the famous traditional teak house and gardens at Siam. But the brand has now expanded out from the original site to encompass several stores across Bangkok and the rest of Thailand. You can find other Jim Thompson branches at Emporium, Central World, Central Embassy, Isetan, and Siam Paragon.

Bangkok Fashion Outlet offers often unbelievable discounts (as much as 90%) on numerous high-street fashion brands. This outlet is part of the popular Central Group, who own scores of malls across Thailand. It's their first discount store in central Bangkok.

With over 500 different labels spread across the large, spacious and air-conditioned space, Bangkok Fashion Outlet is a great shopping option if you’re looking to snap up a bargain. Some discounts will make you feel like they’re practically giving stuff away, while most items have around 30-60% discounts off notable international like Nike and Ralph Lauren. You can find the mall inside the Jewelry Trade Center at the western end Silom Road (Surasak is the closest BTS Skytrain Station).

Universal Tailors is one of the best on Silom Road, both in terms of value and quality. Shirts here are all custom made and fall within the 1,200-2,000 baht price range – about as much as you’d pay for an ill-fitting, poorer quality shirt that you could pick up at the many Bangkok malls.

Full suits are also well priced, starting at around 7,500 baht. Despite rows and rows of nearby competition, Universal Tailors, which has been in business for almost 30 years, stands out from the crowd with its honest prices, attention to detail and its excellent array of quality fabrics, especially their excellent Egyptian Cotton blends. Turnaround time is between 1 and 3 days.

With its borderline ‘hidden-gem’ status, Baan Silom is an ideal place to come for some picturesque shopping, dining and drinking in Bangkok. The classic colonial-style house (baan) is well maintained and immaculately presented with a charming courtyard full of trees and shaded areas.

Shopping highlights include the quality jewelers, a pretty and pink bridal store that specializes in weddings and souvenirs, and a shop that’s popular for bags and accessories. Baan Silom can be found just off Silom Road as you approach Silom Soi 19 – a 10-minute walk of the Surasak BTS Skytrain Station. It’s also close the Jewelry Trade Center (JTC).

The Jewelry Trade Center on Silom Road offers 100% genuine, independently certified rare gems and metals. You’ll find stones from Thailand, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and across Asia. The whole center is home to numerous shops, including Bangkok Fashion Outlet, while all the jewelry can be found in the basement, ground, 2nd and 3rd floors of the large complex. The best way to get there is by heading to the Surasak BTS Skytrain Station – it’s roughly a 5-minute walk to Silom Road from there.

This Bang Rak branch of the popular Robinsons Department Store is at the edge of the Silom district, just a short walk away from Saphan Taksin BTS Skytrain Station. The modern mall covers a comprehensive range of shopping options, including familiar high street names, designer brands, homeware products, electronics and various food outlets spread over numerous floors.

Compared to the rest of the area, Robinsons Bang Rak stands out like a sore thumb. The neighborhood, which lies at the very western end of Silom Road, is full of local street food vendors, old shophouses and oozes a certain rustic charm next to the Chao Phraya River.

Kathmandu Photo Gallery is a period-style shophouse gallery with a contemporary take on Thai art and culture. Featuring 6 photo exhibits per year, each intends to be thought-provoking and promotes both upcoming and well-established talents.

Signed prints by the gallery’s owner, photo-artist Manit Sriwanichpoom, are also available for browsing or purchase, along with books and souvenirs that run along the spiritual theme.