The Top 7 Things To Do And See In Bangkok's Siam

Bangkok’s Siam is known as the center for shopping in Thailand, but it is much more than this: Siam is home to many cultural institutions, unusual museums, and beautiful rooftop bars. Here is a lost of the top seven attractions of Siam.

Playhouse Theater Cabaret

The Playhouse Theater Cabaret is located in the Asia Hotel and offers various music and dancing shows every night, ranging from ballet to hip hop to burlesque pieces. The cabaret is a family-friendly and fun way to spend your evening in Bangkok, but the Playhouse also offers other attractions, such as Magic Shows or Indian Bollywood performances. Asia Hotel Bangkok, 296 Phayathai Road, Bangkok, Thailand,+66 02 2150571

Heaven Bangkok

Bar

Heaven Bangkok, located on the 17th to 20th floors of the Central World shopping center, is a rooftop bar that offers unique cocktails, high-class dining, and a great view of Bangkok’s skyline. The Heaven Bangkok complex comprises the Zense Gourmet Deck and Lounge, Shintori Japanese Art Cuisine, and Horizons Gastronomy and Mixology. It is open until 1 am. Heaven Bangkok, Central World, 999/9 Ratchadamri Road, Bangkok, Thailand Central World shopping centre | © Neimon/Flickr

Siam Ocean World

The Siam Ocean World, situated underneath the Siam Paragon shopping center, is an underground aquarium that is the largest aquarium in the whole of Asia. The innovative exhibits comprise over 30,000 species from different parts of the world. You can also participate in the shows of feeding sharks, penguins, and other fascinating creatures. Siam Ocean World, Siam Paragon, Rama I Road, Bangkok, Thailand, +66 2 6108000 Siam Ocean World | © Gerald Ow/Flickr

Jim Thompson's House

Bar, Restaurant, Wine Bar

Jim Thompson’s house is a fascinating museum that combines the East and the West. In the past it belonged to an American who helped develop the Thai the silk industry, and that is why Thailand awarded him with the prestigious Order of the White Elephant. The combination of the American and Thai traditions is reflected as much in the house as in the restaurant Jim Thompson Restaurant and Wine Bar, which offers authentic Thai cuisine with excellent Western wines. Jim Thompson’s House, 6 Soi Kasemsan 2, Rama 1 Road, Bangkok, Thailand, Jim Thompson’s House | © Trenchcoat Jedi/Flickr

Pathum Wanaram Temple

This small Buddhist temple is one of few places of worship in Siam. It was built by King Rama IV in 1857 near his palace, Sa Pathum. Inside, you will be able to admire ancient craftsmanship phra men such as ornate stencils and lacquered sculptures in the crematorium of the Princess Mother of Thailand. Pathum Wanaram Temple, 969 Rama 1 Rd, Pathumwan, Bangkok, Thailand, Pathum Wanaram Temple | © Grant Cameron/Flickr

Bangkok Art and Culture Centre

Restaurant

Siam’s Bangkok Art and Culture Centre is an exhibition and meeting space for Thailand’s best artists. You will find there many art exhibitions, but also educational talks, film screenings, and concerts. The current main exhibition at BACC is entitled ‘Pause’ discusses the status of the photograph and photographers in the art world, showing how this artistic medium works as a means of communication. Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, 939 Rama 1 Rd, Pathum Wan, Khet Pathum Wan, Bangkok, Thailand Inside Bangkok Art and Culture Centre | © m-louis/Flickr

Human Body Museum

Building, Museum, University

The Human Body Museum is a small, unique – and slightly terrifying – exhibition of dissected human bodies. It is an educational project located inside the Faculty of Dentistry building at the medical university of Chulalongkorn. The corpses are open so that the examination of different human organs and systems is possible. This museum demonstrates the great complexity of our bodies and the fact that the bodies on display used to be real people only makes the whole experience authentic – and a little scary. Faculty of Dentistry, Chulalongkorn University, Pathum Wan, Chang Wat, Bangkok, Thailand, +66 02 218 8635 By Olga Lenczewska

About the author

Olga Lenczewska

Olga Lenczewska is from Szczecin, Poland. She currently lives in the UK, where she is studying philosophy and Italian at Oxford. She spent the last year in Italy as a researcher. Aside from academia, Olga is interested in publishing, journalism, anthropology, and global development. During her free time she also dances salsa and writes – she wrote a travel novel last year. She is the co-founder of a socio-political platform on Eastern European studies, ‘New East Platform’. She wants to pursue a career as a researcher in philosophy (especially epistemology, aesthetics, and Immanuel Kant) or as a literary editor.