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54-427: Bangkok's rapid economic growth in the late twentieth century saw the areas along Si Lom and Sathon roads transformed into one of the city's main business districts, teeming with skyscrapers. The district, officially recognised at least since 1908, covers an area of 5.54 square kilometres (2.14 sq mi), and has a registered population of 48,227 (as of 2019). Up until the mid-nineteenth century, water formed

108-428: A district dates to 1908, and it was re-established with boundaries near its present form in 1915. Its status, along with Bangkok's other districts', was later changed from amphoe to khet in 1972. The district is named Bang Rak after the original waterfront settlement. While bang is a common place name prefix for villages situated on a rivers, the origins of the second word are unclear. Early documents variably spelled

162-540: A few connecting roads between them, have since formed the district's main road network. The development attracted businesses, which established numerous shops along the roads, as well as newly wealthy residents, who made their homes in villas. Emerging ethnic communities were formed by migrants arriving from Western colonies, who found advantage in the treaties' extraterritorial provisions. Among them were Javanese Muslims, and Hindus, Muslims, and Jains from India, who established places of worship in their neighbourhoods, joining

216-415: A financial success. A motor-tramway service was introduced in 1908 and the line was electrified in 1926. After the end of the concession period, the line was purchased outright by the government in 1936 but there was little further investment in the line. By this time competition from buses running between Bangkok and Paknam was already impacting the railway's finances. During World War II the railway enjoyed

270-403: A major annual event on Si Lom, forms major landmark here. The temple sits on the corner of Pan Road ( ถนนปั้น ), which links to Sathon and is also known as Soi Wat Khaek ( ซอยวัดแขก 'Indian temple street') after the temple. The street is officially named after Pan Watcharapai née Na Songkhla ( ปั้น วัชราภัย (ณ สงขลา) ), who was the wife of Luang Uppakankosakon ( หลวงอุปการโกษากร ) and provided

324-485: A resurgence due to the impact of fuel shortages on the bus companies. Services were temporarily suspended in 1942 due to record flooding in Bangkok but services were restored soon after with twelve trips daily. . After the end of World War II, competition with buses and private cars again increased and by the 1950s the railway was operating at a loss. Several plans for modernisation were proposed but none were realised. In

378-468: A windmill erected in the area by a Western entrepreneur; the road was referred to as Windmill Road in English-language sources until the 1930s. Areas along the road initially developed agriculturally, attracting a variety of ethnic communities. In the 1890s and 1900s, enterprising developers built roads and canals parallel to Si Lom ( Sathon Road to the south, and Surawong and Si Phraya to

432-489: Is another major hospital on the street.) Other significant buildings include the nearby Jewelry Trade Center , and King Power Mahanakhon on Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra Road. The 1981 headquarters building of Bangkok Bank is iconic for its pioneering application of modernist design to a concrete high-rise building, while other major corporations based on Si Lom include Thailand's largest conglomerate Charoen Pokphand and other financial institutions, leading Si Lom to be known as

486-484: Is crossed by Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra Road , a major thoroughfare which leads southeast to Sathon and onwards. Most of the road is fronted by commercial establishments, with its eastern half in particular lined by towering office blocks and luxury hotels, while several distinctive neighbourhoods are nestled along its side streets ( soi ). On the road's north side (in Suriyawong Subdistrict), some of

540-647: Is known by a different name as it runs from Rama IV at Maha Nakhon Intersection to meet Sathon Road at Sathon–Surasak Intersection, with the elevated Si Rat Expressway running nearby. Others include Sap and Naret roads between Si Phraya and Surawong, Decho Road between Surawong and Si Lom, and Sala Daeng, Convent, Pan and Pramuan roads between Si Lom and Sathon. These are relatively small streets, except Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra Road , which runs alongside Khlong Chong Nonsi from Surawong through Sathon, continuing southeastward towards Rama III Road in Yan Nawa district . On

594-610: Is now Rama IV Road ) built together with a canal in 1857, followed by Charoen Krung Road (popularly considered the first modern road in the country) in 1862, both in response to requests by Western consuls and merchants. Around the same time, the King had a canal dug from the French Consulate to the canal of Thanon Trong, linking the latter to the Chao Phraya River via the existing Bang Rak Canal. The dredged earth

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648-429: The 1997 financial crisis . The BTS Skytrain , opened in 1999, now runs above the eastern half of the road's length, and Si Lom and Sathon continue to be known as one of the main business districts of Bangkok. Si Lom Road runs from Sala Daeng Intersection at its eastern end—where it meets Rama IV and Ratchadamri roads—west and slightly south to Bang Rak Junction, where it meets Charoen Krung Road. Around mid-way, it

702-865: The Ban Oou and Haroon mosques, which anchor their historic communities in the riverside area. The influence of the Christian missionaries is clearly observable in Bang Rak, not least from their churches—the Assumption Cathedral near the river is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bangkok , while over a dozen Protestant churches are located in the district—but also through the schools and hospitals they founded. The Catholic Church operates Assumption College , Assumption Convent and Assumption Suksa schools, all near

756-774: The Mandarin Oriental Hotel . Dating later, from 1940, the General Post Office building on Charoen Krung Road now houses the Thailand Creative & Design Center , a sponsor of the Creative District project. From the same period, the Bangkokian Museum and Bang Rak District Local Museum, on a side street of Charoen Krung near Maha Set Road, showcases a middle-class family home of the time and features exhibits about

810-462: The Phra Khanong area (to where they planned to relocate but later abandoned the idea), then to serve the waterfront community in Bang Rak. The King obliged, and had Thanon Trong (also known as Hua Lamphong Road and later to become Rama IV Road ) constructed in 1857 and Charoen Krung Road in 1862. Si Lom Road soon followed, linking the two. The introduction of land-based transport transformed

864-615: The Rattanakosin Kingdom in 1782; riverside areas beyond the fortified city of Rattanakosin Island developed into fringe neighbourhoods settled by various ethnic communities. Downstream of the city and just beyond the Chinatown area, the waterfront stretch that is now Bang Rak Subdistrict was home to Thais, Chinese, Vietnamese, Malays, Lao, Tavoyans , and descendants of Portuguese , among others. A Catholic church (now in

918-522: The Saint Louis , Surasak , and Saphan Taksin stations. The last sits on Taksin Bridge , a major road link across the river, and provides a connection to the express boat's Sathorn Pier . Other piers for the boat service are Oriental, Wat Muang Kae, and Si Phraya . Si Lom Road Si Lom Road (also written as Silom , Thai : สีลม , pronounced [sǐː lōm] ) is a major street in

972-469: The Thai capital Bangkok , best known for its commercial neighbourhood, which, along with the nearby and roughly parallel Sathon Road , forms one of the city's main business districts. It runs in a southwest–northeast direction between Charoen Krung and Rama IV roads in the city's Bang Rak District , forming the boundary between Suriyawong Subdistrict to its north and Si Lom Subdistrict to its south. Si Lom

1026-588: The "Wall Street of Thailand". The areas along Si Lom command some of the highest land prices in the country, with official appraisals for 2016–2020 ranging from 700,000 to 1,000,000 baht per square wa (US$ 6,000–8,000 per square metre, 600–700/sq ft). The BTS serves the area via its Sala Daeng and Chong Nonsi stations, with the former also connecting to the Si Lom Station of the MRT 's Blue Line . Paknam Railway The Paknam Railway

1080-410: The 1960s. In 1963, the trams were discontinued and the canal filled in for the road's expansion, further incentivizing its development as a business street. The Dusit Thani Hotel , the city's first high-rise building, opened at the road's Rama IV end in 1970, and a wave of high-rise construction followed, especially from the 1980s to early 1990s as Bangkok underwent rapid economic growth which ended with

1134-457: The 2010s have aimed to revive the neighbourhood as a creative district. The area's side streets, such as Soi Charoen Krung 36 and Captain Bush Lane , feature heritage buildings that serve as cultural tourism destinations. Among the best known features of Bang Rak District are the skyscrapers of Si Lom and Sathon, some of which— Mahanakhon , State Tower , and Jewelry Trade Center —are among

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1188-601: The Carmelite Monastery. Nearby odd-numbered soi include Soi 5 or Soi Lalai Sap , a popular shopping street. Past Si Lom–Naradhiwas intersection, the road becomes quieter, and a few old ethnic cemeteries remain on its southern side, especially along Soi 9. Towards Bang Rak Junction to the west, the neighbourhood is home to a significant Tamil Indian community, and the Hindu Sri Mahamariamman Temple , whose Navaratri celebrations are

1242-528: The Christian churches as the missionaries continued to expand their work through the founding of schools and hospitals. The roads were soon augmented by rail transport, as the Paknam Railway (the country's first line) opened along Thanon Trong in 1893, and electrified trams began running on Charoen Krung Road the following year. Another tram line, along Si Lom Road, opened in 1925. Bang Rak District gradually proceeded to fill up with development, and in

1296-673: The adjacent Talat Noi neighbourhood), dedicated to the Lady of the Rosary , was established by the Portuguese community in 1787. French priests then moved into the area for missionary work, followed by Protestants, mostly from the United States. As international trade increased in the nineteenth century, the neighbourhood developed into one of many port areas along the river. By the time of King Mongkut 's reign (Rama IV, 1851–1868),

1350-672: The cathedral, as well as Saint Joseph Convent School , situated off Si Lom on Convent Road, opposite the Carmelite Monastery. Also on Convent Road, on its corner with Sathon, is the historic Christ Church Bangkok , today a parish church of the Anglican Church in Thailand . The country's main Protestant denomination, the Church of Christ in Thailand , operates Bangkok Christian College , the country's oldest school, which sits on

1404-527: The city had outgrown its original defensive walls , and the King ordered the digging of Khlong Phadung Krung Kasem to serve as a new outer moat surrounding the city proper. The canal separated Bang Rak, on the far side from the city, from the Chinatown area, and as the country began modernizing and opened to the West under Mongkut's reign, European visitors began establishing themselves here. The Bowring Treaty

1458-406: The city, and Charoen Krung became its main thoroughfare, bringing commerce and spurring development. In the 1890s and 1900s, during the reign of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V, 1868–1910), enterprising businessmen engaged in land development by buying up land and building roads through the area. The resulting Sathon , Surawong , and Si Phraya roads ran roughly parallel to Si Lom, and, together with

1512-715: The corner of Sathon and Pramuan roads, as well as the Bangkok Christian Hospital on Si Lom. Other hospitals also have histories related to the Western presence: Lerdsin Hospital (on Si Lom Road, near Bang Rak Intersection) was first headed by Thomas Heyward Hays , a doctor with the Presbyterian mission, while BNH Hospital was founded as a nursing home by the British community. The other hospital in

1566-481: The country's smallest districts by area, Bang Rak has Bangkok's largest number of jobs, with over 170,000 positions based in the district as of 2016, according to a job-seeking service company. The flurry of activity, however, doesn't reach the waterfront area along Charoen Krung Road (mostly covered by Bang Rak Subdistrict), which retains much of its historic architecture. While commercially the area had long been eclipsed by newer development, revitalisation efforts since

1620-446: The district into five subdistricts ( khwaeng ). Bang Rak Subdistrict is on the riverside west of Charoen Krung. East of it, from north to south, are Maha Phruettharam , Si Phraya, Suriyawong, and Si Lom. Together, they have a registered population of 48,227 as of 2019. Several streets run between the parallel roads, forming links between them. The only one to cross all of them is Maha Nakhon–Maha Set–Mahesak–Surasak, each section of which

1674-669: The district is Mahaesak Hospital, and other secondary schools include the state-run Mahapruttaram Girls' School and Buddhajak Wittaya School. Bang Rak is served by the Silom Line of the BTS Skytrain and the Blue Line of the MRT , as well as the Chao Phraya Express Boat and regular bus services . The Si Rat Expressway has ramps at Rama IV and Si Lom/Sathon roads. The MRT runs under Rama IV Road along

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1728-400: The district's history. Some of Bang Rak's most noticeable points of interest are places of worship, the diversity of which reflect the area's multicultural history. While the district is home to centuries-old Buddhist temples including Wat Maha Phruettharam (on the same-named road), Wat Hua Lamphong (at Sam Yan Intersection), and Wat Suan Phlu and Wat Muang Khae on the waterfront, it is

1782-470: The district's northern border, with Hua Lamphong , Sam Yan , Si Lom (at Sala Daeng Intersection), and Lumphini (at Witthayu) stations serving the respective neighbourhoods. The Si Lom MRT Station has a link to the BTS's Sala Daeng Station , from where the elevated railway runs along Si Lom Road before turning into Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra, where Chong Nonsi Station is. It continues onto Sathon Road, serving

1836-526: The even-numbered soi , as well as a few named streets, link it to Surawong. Near the Sala Daeng end, the streets serve a concentration of nightlife venues, and blend into the tourist-oriented red-light district of Patpong , while Thaniya ( ธนิยะ , also spelled Taniya) is known as a hub of Japanese establishments. On the opposite side, Sala Daeng and Convent roads link to Sathon, and are home to restaurants and cafes, as well as Saint Joseph Convent School and

1890-415: The excavated earth. The Paknam Railway was also discontinued, in 1960.) The Dusit Thani Hotel , the city's first high-rise building, opened in 1970, initiating a wave of high-rise construction along Si Lom and Sathon as the economy boomed through the early 1990s. While the 1997 financial crisis put an end to the boom, the economy eventually recovered. The earliest government proclamation naming Bang Rak as

1944-424: The land for its construction. On the road are vendors selling modak , shops selling offerings for Ganesh , restaurants, cafés, bars and galleries. The area around Mahesak Road (between Si Lom and Surawong) is also known as a jewellery district. On the corner of Bang Rak Junction, the gigantic State Tower building towers over the neighbourhood and the next-door Lerdsin Hospital . ( Bangkok Christian Hospital

1998-530: The main road. Near Si Lom's east end, on the north side (in Suriyawong Subdistrict), several side streets are home to a concentration of nightlife venues. Among them, the Patpong neighbourhood is well known as a red-light district catering to foreigners. On the south side (in Si Lom Subdistrict), near Si Lom–Naradhiwas Intersection, Soi Lalai Sap is a popular office worker's shopping street. Towards

2052-416: The name as บางรัก or บางรักษ์ ; the first (and current) spelling fits with the theory that it derived from that of the rak ( Gluta usitata ) tree, a large trunk of which had been found in the area, while the second favours the idea that the name came from the word rak ( รักษ์ 'heal'), after hospitals operated by the area's missionaries. Today, as rak is also a homonym alternatively meaning "love",

2106-503: The name makes the district office a popular place for marriage registrations, especially on Valentine's Day. Bang Rak District occupies 5.536 square kilometres (2.137 sq mi) in Bangkok's Phra Nakhon side, on the east bank of the Chao Phraya River. It is bordered by Pathum Wan district to the northeast across Rama IV Road, Sathon to the southeast across Khlong Sathon (in the middle of Sathon Road), Khlong San to

2160-572: The neighbourhoods surrounding its intersections: Saphan Lueang (where it is met by Banthat Thong Road in Pathum Wan District), Sam Yan (where Si Phraya Road meets Phaya Thai ), Henri Dunant (Surawong and Henri Dunant), Sala Daeng (Si Lom and Ratchadamri ), and Witthayu (Sathon and Witthayu ). The side streets of Si Lom Road form several distinctive neighbourhoods, several of which, like Sala Daeng and Convent, feature restaurants and open spaces nestled behind office towers fronting

2214-410: The north), and the area that is now Bang Rak District became served by a network of roads, attracting businesses as well as wealthy residents. Religious institutions were established along the road, serving Western expatriates as well as settlers from Western colonies. A tram line running alone the road began operation in 1925. The area gradually saw increasing development, which sharply accelerated in

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2268-471: The other side of Bang Rak, Maha Phruettharam Road runs alongside Khlong Phadung Krung Kasem, also linking between Rama IV (at Hua Lamphong Intersection) and Charoen Krung (at Phitthayasathian Bridge ). Bang Rak District contains some highly developed areas. Commercial development is most concentrated around Si Lom and Sathon roads, while the areas towards Maha Phruettharam are quieter and mostly residential. Development also fronts Rama IV Road, especially around

2322-630: The outsize representation of minority religious communities that generate special interest. The Sri Mahamariamman Temple on the corner of Si Lom and Pan roads is the city's largest Hindu temple, serving the Tamil community, while Soi Phuttha-osot off Maha Set Road is home to two Jain temples and the Tamil Muslim Bangkok Mosque. Other mosques include the Javanese Masjid Mirasuddeen on Soi Si Lom 20, and

2376-410: The post-World War II period, increasing numbers of foreign businesses moved from the waterfront area into newer premises, especially along Si Lom Road. In 1963, the trams were discontinued, and the canal that ran alongside Si Lom road was filled in for its expansion, further incentivizing its development as a business street. (Many of the roads had originally been built with canals running alongside, using

2430-545: The primary mode of transport in the lower Chao Phraya plains, and most people lived along the banks of rivers and canals. Settlements had formed along the Chao Phraya River since the Ayutthaya Kingdom (14th century – 1767), and some Buddhist temples in and around Bang Rak date to the period. Bangkok became the capital city with the foundation of the Thonburi Kingdom in 1767, and was re-established as

2484-409: The railway on 11 April 1893 was attended by King Rama V who had in fact invested half of the 400,000 Baht funding required for construction of the line . Initially, there were four steam locomotives constructed by Krauss & Co . of Munich, and four trains ran in each direction daily. There were twelve stations in all, with trains taking one hour to travel over the line. The line was initially

2538-414: The road's Charoen Krung end (Bang Rak Junction), the office towers peter out, and the neighbourhood is marked by the historic Tamil Indian presence; the area around Mahesak Road (between Si Lom and Surawong) is also known as a jewellery district. Sathon Road, meanwhile, has a more sterile appearance, with office towers, hotels, and religious, educational and health institutions occupying large blocks along

2592-429: The road. Sathon–Naradhiwas Intersection, near the middle of the road's length, is in particular surrounded by gleaming glass-walled skyscrapers. While establishments line the road on both sides, Bang Rak District only covers those on the north; the road's south side is in the area of Sathon District. The combined Si Lom–Sathon business district generates a large amount of economic activity and employment. Despite being among

2646-649: The tallest buildings in the country. They stand in contrast to colonial-era historic buildings such as the Neilson Hays Library and the British Club on Surawong Road, and the Sathon Mansion near Sathon–Naradhiwas Intersection. Other historic buildings are concentrated in the waterfront Charoen Krung area, including the nineteenth-century Portuguese and French embassies, Customs House , East Asiatic Building , and original Author's Wing of

2700-535: The west on the other side of the Chao Phraya, and Samphanthawong to the northwest, across Khlong Phadung Krung Kasem. The district's main thoroughfares, in addition to Rama IV and Sathon roads, which serve as its borders, are Charoen Krung Road, which runs roughly alongside the river, and (from north to south) Si Phraya, Surawong and Si Lom roads, which run in a southwest–northeast direction, roughly parallel to Sathon, linking Rama IV and Charoen Krung. They divide

2754-548: Was Thailand 's first railway line, established in 1893. Stretching 21 km (13 mi), it was a narrow gauge line. The line was constructed by the Paknam Railway Company established by a British navigator Alfred John Loftus and the Danish naval commander Andreas du Plessis de Richelieu . Construction commenced on 10 July 1891. The company was granted a 20-year concession to run the line. The opening of

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2808-418: Was one of the earliest modern roads to be built in the city, and some of its side streets serve historic ethnic neighbourhoods from the late nineteenth century, while others are known as shopping and nightlife venues. In the reign of King Mongkut (Rama IV, 1851–1868), Siam (as Thailand was then known) began modernizing and opening up to the West. Major roads were first built in Bangkok, with Thanon Trong (what

2862-406: Was signed with the British in 1855, liberalizing trade and granting diplomatic concessions, and other Western countries followed suit. Consulates, trading companies and expatriate communities were established in the waterfront area, which became the city's European quarter. The Westerners also indirectly set off the city's transformation. They petitioned Mongkut to build roads for their use, first to

2916-452: Was used to build a road, running alongside the canal on its southern bank and linking Charoen Krung and Trong roads. The King also solicited contributions from wealthy property owners, who helped build bridges over canals crossed by the road. The new canal and road were initially known as Khlong Khwang and Thanon Khwang ('crossing canal'/'crossing road'). They later became known as Si Lom, which literally translates as windmill , probably from

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