Heading to Bangkok and considering to book a hotel near the Pratunam Market area? You may want to read this walking guide to find out more about an alternative route that gets you from Pratunam to Siam Paragon and the main shopping district. That is without having to go through a longer route (well it also depends on where you’re at in Pratunam and where you’re heading to exactly) via the skywalk that connects Platinum Fashion Mall, CentralWorld, Siam Paragon, etc.
I indicated the junction of Soi Phetchaburi 19 (on which GLOW Pratunam and the famous SabX2 wanton mee are located) and Phetchaburi Road as the start point and the back entrance of Siam Paragon as the end point.
After crossing the road, walk along Phetchaburi Road towards the alleyway indicated by the red marker on the map above.
At the start of the alleyway, you will see 7-11 on your left.
And this on your right – เล้งนาฬิกา (a luxury watch store).
This is how the alleyway looks like. Just walk all the way down this route till you pass a canal followed by the Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok and you will see the back entrance of Siam Paragon.
Estimated distance of the route is approx. 828m based on Google map calculations and takes about 10mins to walk.
There is some construction work going on in the middle but it’s generally safe to walk through as the area is in the open. Many locals use this shortcut route as well. However, I would say steer clear of this route if it’s late at night especially if you’re alone or in pairs because it’s not worth risking your safety as alleyways can be dodgy when visibility is poor. Other that that, it’s a great and fast way to get to Siam from Pratunam and vice versa.
Siam is known as the heart of Bangkok’s main shopping district where several malls and shopping complexes are all connected by the skywalk and directly linked to the BTS station.
If shopping for cheap bargains or mediocre-quality stuffs under less favourable conditions (such as getting all hot and sweaty in open-air markets) isn’t quite your thing, you may want to come to Siam. Here, you can find high-end fashion brands, Thai designer brands, international sports brands, gadget stores, lifestyle accessories, specialty stores and many more.
I particularly love the NaRaYa store in Siam Paragon – it’s huge, spacious and carries a wide selection of fabric products & accessories (sling bags, hand bags, tissue box covers, make-up pouches & more in cotton, satin, denim, canvas, etc) so it’s very likely you’ll find something that catches your eye if you like pretty & sweet designs.
Siam Center is another mall with familiar brands like Adidas, Cath Kidston, Sephora, Victoria’s Secret, Aldo, Starbucks, Food Republic and more.
Moving on to Siam Discovery. The only reason for me to come here is for Loft, a modern & chic lifestyle store that sells a plethora of products ranging from stationery, home decor, and kitchenware to tech gadgets, toys and beauty items.
There are 3 Loft outlets in Bangkok but this one at Siam Discovery is their flagship store. When my colleague and I came here the last time, we really went on a crazy shopping spree here because we loved the cute stuffs and we just had to grab everything (well, almost) in sight, haha.
Came across this cafe at Siam Square which I thought was quite cute. If you like themed cafes, you may want to check this place out.
I have plotted the malls that are worth visiting on the map above so if you’re in the mood of doing mall hopping or wanting to have a day out just for retail therapy, go check these places out. They are generally open from 10am to 9pm daily.
Keep Calm and Happy Shopping! ?