Siam is the throbbing commercial centre of modern Bangkok, where the BTS Skytrain's two lines cross and a cluster of vast malls -- Siam Paragon, Siam Center, Siam Discovery, and MBK -- pull in crowds of shoppers, students, and tourists. Across the road, the open-air lanes of Siam Square itself are the city's teen-fashion and street-style nucleus.
Beyond the shopping, the area holds genuine attractions. The Jim Thompson House, the teak home of the American who revived Thai silk before vanishing mysteriously in 1967, is a serene museum just to the west. Bangkok Art and Culture Centre offers free contemporary exhibitions, and the live-music bars around Ratchathewi keep the area buzzing after the malls close.
Air-conditioned, walkable via elevated skywalks, and superbly connected, Siam is where most visitors end up sooner or later -- usually to escape the heat.