Bangkok neighbourhoods
Sathorn and Silom: the historic heart of business
Before Sukhumvit became modern Bangkok, the heart of business beat here: between Silom, Sathorn and the riverbank. This is the district of banks and embassies, of glass towers and old mansions, the one where Mahanakhon and the State Tower stand, and where France set up its embassy more than a century ago.
Bangkok's first great business district
Long before the rise of Sukhumvit, it was the Silom-Sathorn axis, backed onto the riverside district of Bang Rak, that concentrated the capital's finance and commerce. Bank headquarters, the first great towers and international companies established themselves there from the 20th century onwards.
The name Sathorn comes from Luang Sathorn Rachayuk, a notable who, at the end of the 19th century, had the canal and the road that today bear his name dug out. On either side of this artery lined up the well-to-do mansions, then the embassies and the office towers.
The district keeps this dual identity: on one side the glass skyscrapers and the dense weekday traffic, on the other the quiet lanes, the old houses and the soothing closeness of the Chao Phraya.
A skyline dominated by Mahanakhon
It is impossible to look at the Sathorn sky without coming across the pixelated silhouette of Mahanakhon, planted near Chong Nonsi station. At 314 metres, it is the most visible landmark in the district and one of the tallest towers in Thailand.
Around it rises a forest of office and hotel towers, which make Silom-Sathorn one of the densest skylines in Bangkok. In the evening, these illuminated façades compose the backdrop admired from the rooftops of the area.
It is also here that you find the State Tower, another familiar silhouette of the district: lower than Mahanakhon, but part of popular culture for an altogether different reason.
The State Tower and the helicopter scene
The State Tower, on Silom by the river, rises to 247 metres. Its summit is home to the Lebua hotel and a rooftop that became world-famous after its appearance in The Hangover Part II (2011), the celebrated sequence perched above the city.
The bar and restaurant at the top, among the highest open-air ones in the world, have since drawn visitors from all over the globe coming to rediscover the setting of the film. It is one of the images of Bangkok that cinema has spread the most.
The State Tower does not feature in our selection. Not out of judgement: we simply prefer to focus on what seems most interesting to us, not necessarily the best known or the most spectacular. That is the whole spirit of our approach.
The embassies and the diplomatic heritage
The Sathorn-Bang Rak area has long been a district of embassies. France has been established there for many years: its embassy stands by the river, on a soi off Charoen Krung, in the historic district of Bang Rak.
The ties between France and Siam go back to the 17th century, in the time of King Narai and Louis XIV, who exchanged resounding embassies. The French presence by the Chao Phraya extends this very old diplomatic relationship.
Other countries, too, have established their representations along Sathorn and around the river. This concentration of embassies has shaped the district: tree-lined avenues, discreet residences and a certain hushed elegance, rare in Bangkok.
What to do in the district
Sathorn and Silom offer some of the most beautiful rooftops in the city, making the most of the density of towers and the views over the river. It is also an area renowned for its tables, from haute cuisine to more confidential houses, and for its spas set apart from the bustle.
On the river side, old Bang Rak is worth a stroll: Charoen Krung, one of the oldest streets in Bangkok, blends art galleries, workshops, century-old shops and legendary hotels. Saphan Taksin station and the express boats easily connect the rest of the city.
It is a district to be discovered at two rhythms: the vertical effervescence of the towers by day, and the gentleness of the waterside at dusk. Several of our favourite addresses nestle precisely at this boundary.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the bar from The Hangover Part II? At the top of the State Tower, on Silom, in the Bang Rak district, by the Chao Phraya. The rooftop of the Lebua hotel occupies the 63rd and 64th floors there. It is not part of our selection.
Where is the French embassy in Bangkok? In the Bang Rak district, by the river, on a soi off Charoen Krung. It is one of the oldest diplomatic establishments in the city.
How do you reach the Sathorn-Silom district? By BTS (Chong Nonsi, Sala Daeng or Saphan Taksin stations), by metro (Si Lom or Lumphini station) or by the express boats on the Chao Phraya for the riverside part of Bang Rak.