Pratunam / Siam

Pratunam is one of Bangkok's most colourful and chaotic areas, and famously popular for its fashion factory outlets, street markets, bazaars and armies of local vendors, Pratunam offers bargain prices for all kinds of clothing, apparel, fashion accessories, shoes, watches, jewellery, belts, luggage and then some. Cluttered, noisy and hot - but packed with great deals if you have the stamina and patience - it's the major wholesale center for the garment trade. Along with that, Pratunam deserves all the credit that a city of ten million people can afford to clad themselves fashionably.

Passing through the area, you will see many shops and vendors along the main roads. But the real activity is in the market hidden behind the stalls and Pratunam Market. It's very popular with international traders, particularly visitors from India, the Middle East and Africa. Bargain hunters looking for good deals on computers, accessories and related paraphernalia flock to nearby Pantip Plaza, which is renowned worldwide for low prices and counterfeit software, CDs and DVDs. And just further along is the newly-revamped Central World Plaza, reputed to be one of the largest shopping malls in Southeast Asia. A hop and skip beyond that lies the prime shopping grounds of Ploenchit / Chidlom and Siam Square.

The market also abounds in designer fakes - they look the same but are lot cheaper. Perhaps four, five or more times cheaper. Purchase more than two or three pieces to get the benefit of the wholesale price. Shoppers lugging enormous bags are a common sight. Most can't believe their luck and buy entire wardrobes at one shot. Of course, they never let on back home about 'the Pratunam Market origins' of their designer wear. After you've had enough of the maze and have finally wandered out, check out the Bai Yoke Building. Six storeys, including basement, are devoted to clothes. Again all kinds of clothes, especially business suits for women. Don't be afraid to bargain till you get the price you want.

Siam is unquestionably the centre of shopping in Bangkok, home to some of the city's most popular and important shopping centers like MBK Center, Siam Discovery Center, Siam Center, and Siam Paragon. Within Siam Square itself, there is a wide range of shops and services, including restaurants, cafés, designer clothing boutiques, record stores, cinemas, bookshops, a Hard Rock Café, hotels and banks. The shoppers vary from young-aged school and college students to office workers, trend-setting city dwellers and, of course, throngs of tourists.

Almost all forms of entertainment can be had here. Modern cinemas, bowling and karaoke facilities are usually open until late. Many types of restaurants can be found in the area, serving a selection of cuisine from all the corners of the globe. People-watching is a favourite activity in the area, and especially the open-air area between Siam Centre and Siam Discovery is very popular for promotions, events, and seasonal beer gardens. If you want to be seen, or see who's who, head straight to Siam... Just take lots of patience along, because the area can get very crowdy and busy, especially during peak hours and at the end of the month.

Eager to connect to Siam Square, surrounding businesses sought to make connections to the area, including an air-conditioned pedestrian overpass from MBK Center, and the elevated skywalk connecting the Skytrain (BTS) station at Siam to Central World and Gaysorn. Siam is also the starting point of Bangkok's unofficial shopping 'high' street, which stretches all the way past Ploenchit and down Sukhumvit Road to the Emporium. The Siam BTS station is also the main station, where the Sukhumvit and Silom lines meet. This in itself makes the area a beehive of activity with thousands of people either coming or going, and a gateway to the rest of the city.