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There are quite a few cinemas in Bangkok that show movies with original English soundtracks. These usually also have Thai sub-titles. Occasionally there is a movie with an soundtrack in Thai, Chinese, Japanese, or a European language such as French. Listings can be found online at the Movieseer web site.

The best cinemas are close to the BTS Skytrain mass transit system. The Siam Paragon complex has the most cinema screens. It has an IMAX screen, digital screens, and normal screens. Some of the theatres are luxurious, and offer almost a bed-like viewing experience. One can recline and relax to a degree that is not possible in a typical cinema. The Siam Paragon Shopping Centre can be reached on BTS Skytrain by traveling to the Siam Station. These cinemas are convenient and popular with both Thai and foreign audiences.

Just across the road are the Lido, Apex, and Scala Theatres. These cinemas have an art house feel to them, but are older and not of the same high quality as the Siam Paragon cinemas. They are also reached by from the Siam Station. One needs to be aware that if a film ends after midnight, BTS Skytrain will be closed. It operates from 6 am to midnight on every day of the week. However, you will not be stranded in the early hours of the morning because the taxis and tuk-tuks will still be operating.

The MBK Shopping Centre can also be reached by traveling to the Siam Station or to the National Stadium Station which is a little further down the road. MBK has a cinema at the top of the shopping levels. The Siam Discovery Centre which is close to Siam Paragon has the EGV Cinemas. Lastly, close to Siam Paragon is the Centralworld Complex, another massive shopping centre, and it has a group of cinema screens called Major Cineplex. Siam Station is definitely the place to go for access to the highest number of cinemas.

In the Sukhumvit area, which is popular with foreigners, the Emporium Shopping Centre has five cinema screens. There is also a cafe on the same level. If you are at the cinema late at night you will not be able to go back through the Shopping Centre to get to BTS Skytrain. You will have to go outside the Emporium building, and climb some stairs. If BTS Skytrain has finished for the day you will easily find a taxi on Sukhumvit Road.

Bangkok does have a good art house cinema called the House RCA. This is a genuine art movie house which shows independent and art films. There is a cafe, books, and some movie titles for sale there. It is harder to get to than other cinemas because it not close to BTS Skytrain. However, one can take BTS Skytrain to the Asok Station and transfer on to the MRT Subway mass transit system. If one travels to the MRT’s Petchaburi Station one can come up from the subway to ground level through Exit One. It is then a walk or a short taxi ride to the TOPS Supermarket close to where the House RCA cinema is located.

The House Cinema had very few customers the one time I visited. I liked this cinema although it is in a tatty old building in an area which is showing signs of urban decay because it is not close to the mass transit systems. It is worth a trip to see a movie of the kind that will probably not show in the more popular cinemas.

These are some of the cinemas in Bangkok that visitors can enjoy. There are many others, but these are the ones that are most suitable for visitors. Bangkok offers a huge selection of films. Film listings can be found in the Bangkok Post from Thursdays onwards in each week. Sometimes the listings are incorrect however, so it is always a good idea to check Movieseer online before going to a film.

Michael Edgerston lives in Thailand and writes on Thailand related subjects. He has Thailand Travel web site at http://www.ThailandTravel.net and also blogs at http://www.Thailand-Travel-Blogger.blogspot.com.