Popular shopping destinations in Bangok are the bargain malls and markets where souvenirs can be bought. MBK and Chatuchak Weekend Market is just two of these bargain shopping centers. Tourists who want to see an upscale shopping center have nothing to fret, however, because Bangkok also has the Siam Center.
Siam Center is not just one mall but a mall complex that have a lot of buildings. Unlike MBK and Chatuchak Weekend Market, Siam Center has shops that sell high-end products from popular brands.
How to Go to Siam Center
Siam Center is at the "center" of Bangkok at the corner of Phaya Thai Road and Rama I Road. Taxis and buses can reach this shopping complex but the fastest way is by riding the skytrain (BTS). You should go down the BTS - Siam Station to reach this shopping complex.
Siam Center Attractions
Aside from shops, Siam Center also has various attractions like Madame Tussauds Wax Museum and the Siam Ocean World.
Siam Ocean World looks cool but I didn't go in. I already visited the Manila Ocean Park, which I think also offers similar attractions (i.e. fishes inside the tanks, animal shows, etc). I rather spend my money on Thai historical sites and other attractions that can't be found in the Philippines.
I just ogled at some of the designs at the entrance to Siam Ocean World like these penguins:
Siam Center is not the mall for me because I don't buy expensive stuffs. I'm also not keen on window shopping so I didn't went to the shops of Siam Center. What caught my attention in this mall are the designs that gave this mall an artistic aura.
Siam Center has giant horses guarding its doors.
Too bad that they're just wooden horses. I wonder if there is a secret room inside these horses like the Trojan Horse.
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| Siam Center's wooden horse |
I don't know who made these wooden horses. What I know is that I saw one of them being sold at a shop during my travels in the northern part of Thailand.
There's a sort of mini-museum of modern art when I visited Siam Center. Can anyone guess the modern artist connected to this can of Campbell's Tomato Soup?
The mini-museum is not orderly. Things are scattered on the floor and everything is a mess. I think the chaotic style of modern art mirrors the chaotic “modern era”.
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| Queen Margrethe of Denmark |
There are paintings on the second floor of the mini-museum. Taking photos is prohibited but I managed to take a snap of this painting of Queen Margrethe of Denmark by Andy Warhol. The mini-museum featured Andy Warhol because he's an icon of the modern art. Here's a trivia for you concerning Andy Warhol: do you know that Andy is a Catholic? You can read about this art tidbit here.
There are other interesting things that can be seen in Siam Center, like the fountains on the open air walkway, but I didn't spend time to look at all of them. What I saw inside this mall is already enough for me.
