Siam Square

Siam Square(Thai: สยามสแควร์) is a shopping and entertainment area in the Siam area of Bangkok, Thailand. The square is located at the corner of Phayathai Road and Rama 1 Road and is owned by Chulalongkorn University, managed by its Property Management Office, known as "Chula Property". The place is connected and link to other shopping centers and shopping districts by a skywalk or sky bridge, such as Siam Center, Siam Discovery, MBK Center, Siam Square One, Siam Paragon, Ratchaprasong shopping district, and Sukhumvit Road.

Siam Square
In front of Siam Square One

In Siam Square, there are many shops and services, including many Thai businesses, tutor schools, restaurants, cafes, fashion, art, design, and many new emerging businesses. The customers vary from young-aged school and college students to office workers and foreign tourists. Siam Square can be equivalent to the 1:10 part of Bangkok that combines the diverse needs of people altogether. This area is one of Thailand's long history places that have and create many memories, notable events, and also stories. Which connect and related to popular and interesting subjects like Chulalongkorn University and Seacon Development Co., also some powerful people at that time like Kobchai Sosothikul (Thai: กอบชัย ซอโสตถิกุล) (Founder of the Seacon Development Co.). It is one of the most changing areas in Bangkok, which made it a fascinating place to visit.

History

The area of Siam Square, which belongs to Chulalongkorn University[1] was full of wooden houses and slum areas.[2] Until there was a fire incident, it causes the villagers to evacuated from the area.[2] After the fire, General Prapas Charusatien (Thai: ประภาส จารุเสถียร) director of Chulalongkorn University at that time, decide to develop the area of Siam Square, to be a trading/ market place to prevent the slum community that originally resided returning.[2]Southeast Asia Company is the first to develop this area as an open-air shopping mall.[2] Then the first building was constructed in 1962 and finish in 1963.[2]

Architect

Associate Professor Lert Urasayanan (Thai: เลิศ อุรัสยะนันท์)

A former student at Debsirin School. Arts and entertainment: visual arts, Professor at Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Architecture .[2][3]

Engineer

Professor Dr. Rachot Kanchanawanit (Thai: รชฏ กาญจนวนิช)

A former student at Debsirin School. Medical and Legal Sciences: Agricultural Science, Engineering. Master in Civil Engineering and President of the Engineering Institute.[2][3]

Later in 1991, Siam Square has started to have various tutoring schools in the area, which is the result of being near several schools.[4] The first name was Pathumwan Square because it is in the Pathumwan area.[5] However, Kobchai Sosothikul( Founder of the Seacon Development Co.), the owner of the project at that time, thought that the name "Pathumwan Square" was too small because it was just the name of the sub-district.[2] So the square was as renamed as Siam Square to match his determination.[5] In 1996, the Thai economy was in a state of recession from the debt of the IMF. Besides, there was a construction of the BTS SkyTrain at that time, which caused traffic jams and the difficulty in traveling that caused people and costumer to went to other department stores.[4]Then, in 1998, they started "The center point of Siam square" project.[2] Later in 1999 to 2000, Chulalongkorn University finds a way to regain Siam Square's original popularity by improved the area. Which includes relocated the parking lot behind the Lido cinema to the Witthayakit Building and allowed the outside companies to invest in developing the 'Center Point' area, which then makes the area a public space.[4]

The Present

The place is maintained by the University Property Management Office of Chulalongkorn University.[1] Siam Square area can be equivalent to the 1:10 part of Bangkok that combines the diverse needs of people altogether.[6] And it's one of the most changing areas in Bangkok[6] that has more than 4,200 shops[6] in many styles and also many other types of services including many successful Thai businesses, tutor schools, restaurants, cafes, fashion, art, design, and many new emerging businesses.[7]

The customers here are varied, although most are students and college students. Because, tutor school gathers here the most, at least 30 schools are here.[2] Siam Square is now the number one tutorial center in the country.[4]

  • In front of Siam Square One
  • Main road in Siam Square Area
  • Main road in Siam Square Area
  • Near BTS Skytrain Station

Location

The area is located at the corner of Phayathai Road and Rama 1 road[2] prominently in front of Siam BTS Skytrain station, which can be considered as the center of Bangkok.

Transportation

The transportation that can reach Siam Square is various. These are some of the outstanding ones

BTS Skytrain
Skywalk

Beginning at National Stadium BTS station pass by Siam BTS station and connecting to Chit Lom BTS station.[8]

Bus
  • There are several lines that pass through Siam square; they pass through five soi.[10]

Nearby place
Siam Paragon
Siam Center

Siam Square is connected to many places by skywalk, all of these places can be reach by skywalk.[9]

Siam Square is a composite of many different entertainment options. From Cinemas, bowling alleys to aquarium and museum.[11] This area has it all, due to the advantage of being connected to many other popular places that can easily be reached with a skywalk. Siam Square is like the center of shopping and entertainment in Thailand. These are some of the most popular attractions.[12]

Apex Scala Theatre

The movie theater that is frozen in time. Scala provides a vintage movie experience. A rarity in Thailand, one of the last movie theatres from times gone by still standing.[13]

SEA LIFE Bangkok Ocean World (Siam Paragon)

One of the largest aquariums in Southeast Asia. With the size of 3 Olympic pools and over 30,000 marine animals from across the world.[14]

Pathum Wanaram Temple

The temple was built by King Rama IV in 1857 as a place of worship. This place is a rare example of ancient craftsmanship featuring ornate stencils and lacquered sculptures.[12]

Madame Tussauds (Siam Discovery Center)

A wax museum with 10 exhibit rooms of lifelike wax figures. All in real-life themes, this made the museum feels more like a journey in time.[15]

Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC)

An art center with the widest range of contemporary art, design, music, theatre, and film in Bangkok. It regularly hosts changing exhibitions from both Thai and International artists.[16]

Visitors

The customers or visitors vary from young-aged school and college students to office workers and foreign tourists. Siam Square is quite a popular place in Thailand. In fact, there is at least 400,000 person traveling to and through Siam Square[6] because this place is the main traffic route connection point.

Cinemas
The Siam Theatre.
See also: List of cinemas in Thailand
  • Lido – a multiplex of three cinemas created out of a 1970s single-screen cinema; often runs independent films not screened elsewhere in Bangkok.
  • Scala – built in 1967, with around 900 seats, the Scala is Bangkok's oldest single-screen cinema.

A 1970s-era single-screen cinema called the Siam, along with its surrounding arcades, burnt down during the 2010 Thai military crackdown and the site is now replaced with Siam Square One Shopping Center.

See also

References
  1. "Siam Square". Siam-Square.com. Retrieved 2019-09-20.
  2. "Bloggang.com : : นอกลู่นอกทาง : สยามสแควร์...ในอดีต". BlogGang. Retrieved 2019-09-20.
  3. "หอเกียรติยศนักเรี่ยนเก่า". Debsirin Alumni association. Retrieved 2019-11-01.
  4. "เปิดไทม์ไลน์สยามสแควร์ อดีต ปัจจุบัน อนาคต". Estopolis (in Thai). Retrieved 2019-10-07.
  5. "'สยามสแควร์' ถนนวัยรุ่นสู่วัยรุ่นอีกรุ่น". The MATTER. 2017-04-04. Retrieved 2019-09-20.
  6. "สยามสแควร์กับกระแสการเปลี่ยนผ่านแห่งยุคสมัย". web.tcdc.or.th. Retrieved 2019-09-20.
  7. "SIAM SQUARE". PMCU (in Thai). Retrieved 2019-10-07.
  8. "Siam Square travel guide Travelfish.org". Travelfish. Retrieved 2019-09-24.
  9. ใช้ตังค์เก่ง (2018-12-23). "Siam Sky Walk Map แผนที่ทางเชื่อมระหว่างห้างในโซนสยาม". ChaiTung.com - ใช้ตังค์.com (in Thai). Retrieved 2019-10-07.
  10. "เว็บรวมเเส้นทางเดินรถ สายรถเมล์ รถประจำทาง". www.route.in.th. Retrieved 2019-10-13.
  11. "Siam Attractions - What to See in Siam". bangkok.com. Retrieved 2019-11-15.
  12. "9 Best Things to Do in Siam - What is Siam Most Famous For?". bangkok.com. Retrieved 2019-11-17.
  13. "Scala Cinema Bangkok - Bangkok.com Magazine". bangkok.com. Retrieved 2019-11-17.
  14. "SEA LIFE Bangkok Ocean World - Aquarium at Siam Paragon". bangkok.com. Retrieved 2019-11-17.
  15. "Madame Tussauds Bangkok - See Your Favourite Celebrities at the Bangkok Wax Museum". bangkok.com. Retrieved 2019-11-17.
  16. "Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC) - Bangkok.com Magazine". bangkok.com. Retrieved 2019-11-17.
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