Bang Khen (, ) is one of the 50 districts (''khet'') of

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

. It is bounded by other Bangkok districts (from north clockwise): Sai Mai, Khlong Sam Wa, Khan Na Yao, Bueng Kum, Lat Phrao, Chatuchak, Lak Si, and Don Mueang.

History

Bang Khen was established as an

amphoe An amphoe (sometimes also ''amphur'', , )—usually translated as "district"—is the second level administrative subdivision of Thailand. Groups of ''amphoe'' or districts make up the Provinces of Thailand, provinces, and are analogous to count ...

(district) of Phra Nakhon province in 1897. The district occupied a vast plain called ''Thung Bang Khen'' (ทุ่งบางเขน; 'Bang Khen Field') in north Bangkok. Farms dominated its landscape. In October 1933, the district was a battleground in the " Boworadet rebellion" contested by the army of Prince Boworadet and government troop. Its name "Bang Khen" is said to be distorted from the word ''Bang Ken'' (บางเข็น; 'Place of Push'). It originated from a folk tale titled ''"Legend of Lord Uthong"'' (ตำนานท้าวอู่ทอง) when a gold tanker of Lord Uthong (not King Uthong of

Ayutthaya Ayutthaya, Ayudhya, or Ayuthia may refer to: * Ayutthaya Kingdom, a Thai kingdom that existed from 1350 to 1767 ** Ayutthaya Historical Park, the ruins of the old capital city of the Ayutthaya Kingdom * Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province (locall ...

) ran aground in a local

canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface ...

. Therefore, having to push 'ken'' in Thaia tanker to pass through with tangle. In 1972,

Thonburi __NOTOC__ Thonburi () is an area of modern Bangkok. During the era of the Ayutthaya Kingdom, Kingdom of Ayutthaya, its location on the right (west) bank at the mouth of the Chao Phraya River had made it an important garrison town, which is ref ...

and Phra Nakhon Provinces were combined and called ''

Krung Thep Maha Nakhon Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populatio ...

''. Administrative units within the capital were renamed "districts" (''khet'') and "sub-district" (''khwaeng''), replacing "amphoe" and "tambon" respectively. Bang Khen became a district in the newly combined province. At that time it had eight sub-districts. Bang Khen was once a very large district, but has been reduced in size after several modifications to district boundaries. In 1989, western and southwestern portions were split off to create

Don Mueang district Don Mueang (, , ; ; ) is one of the 50 districts (''khet'') of Bangkok, Thailand. It is bounded by (from north clockwise): Mueang Pathum Thani and Lam Luk Ka of Pathum Thani province; Sai Mai, Bang Khen and Lak Si of Bangkok; and Pak Kret ...

and Chatuchak district respectively. In 1997, a northern portion of Bang Khen was split off to create Sai Mai district, but in the same reorganization Bang Khen received Mu 8-10 of Chorakhe Bua subdistrict from Lat Phrao district. Anusawari Lak Si, aka Constitutional Protection Monument, a monument of Boworadet rebellion the Thai Army's 11th Infantry Division occupies of land in Bang Khen.

Administration

The district is divided into two sub-districts (''

khwaeng A ''khwaeng'' (, ) is an administrative subdivision used in the fifty districts of Bangkok and a few other city municipalities in Thailand. Currently, there are 180 ''khwaeng'' in Bangkok. A ''khwaeng'' is roughly equivalent to a ''tambon'' in ot ...

'').

District council

The Bang Khen district council has eight members, who serve four-year terms.

Elections An election is a formal group decision-making process whereby a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has operated ...

were last held on 30 April 2006. The

Thai Rak Thai Party The Thai Rak Thai Party (TRT; , , ; "Thais Love Thais Party") was a list of political parties in Thailand, Thai political party founded in 1998. From 2001 to 2006, it was the ruling party under its founder, Prime Minister of Thailand, Prime Mini ...

won all eight seats.

Places of interest

* Wat Phra Si Mahathat Wora Maha Wiharn (วัดพระศรีมหาธาตุวรมหาวิหาร) Temple of Holy Relics * Constitution Defense Monument (อนุสาวรีย์พิทักษ์รัฐธรรมนูญ) at Lak Si Circle (วงเวียนหลักสี่) * Sathira Dhammasathan (เสถียรธรรมสถาน) Buddhist Retreat Center * Ying Charoen Market (ตลาดยิ่งเจริญ) or Saphan Mai Market (ตลาดสะพานใหม่). The original name of Saphan Mai was Saphan Sukoranakhaseni (สะพานสุกรนาคเสนีย์) * Lumphini Boxing Stadium (สนามมวยเวทีลุมพินี)

Muay Thai Muay Thai or Muaythai (, , ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, the Art of Eight Limbs or the Science of Eight Limbs, is a Thai martial art and full-contact combat sport that uses stand-up striking, sweeps, and various clinch fighting, cl ...

arena moved from Pathum Wan in 2014

Education

* Phranakhon Rajabhat University, (Khwaeng Anusawari) * Rattanakosin Somphot Bangkhen School, (Khwaeng Tha Raeng) * Bang Khen District non-formal and informal Education, (Khwaeng Anusawari) * Krirk University

References

External links

BMA website with the tourist landmarks of Bang Khen

Bang Khen district office
(Thai only)
Map of Bang Khen District
{{Authority control Districts of Bangkok