Bangkok's Siam Center and Discovery Malls

These two adjacent shopping malls in the Siam Square area offer shoppers two very different shopping experiences.

Siam Center - The Ideopolis

Siam Center, a small four-story structure built in the 1970s is one of Bangkok’s original shopping malls and reopened in early 2013 after a substantial renovation. Decor-wise, it looks like a super modern photo studio, with lots of dark surfaces and bright lights, and it is filled with some very cool modern sculptures. The result is an edgy, artsy space that seems to attract a slightly younger crowd than Siam Paragon and Siam Discovery malls which flank it on either side. The shops and food and beverage outlets tend to be less edgy than their surroundings, or that the mall’s slightly perplexing name, with stores such as Victoria’s Secret, Estee Lauder and Forever 21 and restaurants such as Dairy Queen and Fuji. The third floor, however, is filled with the shops of some cool local designers, including Fly Now III, Greyhound Original, and Senada Theory, making it worth a visit if only for that. 

How to Get There: Take either line of the Skytrain to Siam station. Look for the exit marked Siam Center as the mall is attached to the station.

Siam Discovery Mall

Siam Discovery Mall, owned and operated by the same folks as neighboring Siam Center and mega mall Siam Paragon, is a small, typical shopping mall with mostly mid- to high-end shops including Adidas, Armani Exchange, Miss Sixty, The North Face and Shu Umera. Like all other Thai shopping malls, Siam Discovery has its share of food and beverage outlets, including a Starbucks, an Au Bon Pain, an Outback Steakhouse and an Ootoya. It also houses Madame Tussauds on the 5th floor. Siam Discovery is not a particularly notable shopping mall on its own, but it’s a very pleasant mall and since it’s connected to Siam Center and MBK (via an elevated walkway), it’s worth a visit if you’re in the area to enjoy the shopping.

How to Get There: Take either line of the Skytrain to Siam station. Look for the exit marked Siam Center and walk through that mall to Siam Discovery next door. Or, take the Skytrain to National Stadium and follow the walkways to Siam Discovery.