Phetchaburi Road (, ) is a main road 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 ...
. It starts at
Yommarat Intersection near
Yommarat Railway Halt and
Uruphong Intersection and ends at
Khlong Tan Intersection, passing through four
districts
A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions ...
,
Dusit Dusit () is the Thai name for Tushita, the fourth heavenly realm in Buddhist cosmology. The name may refer to:
* Dusit District, a district of Bangkok
* Dusit Palace, namesake of the district
*Dusit Subdistrict, Bangkok, in Dusit District
* Dusit S ...
,
Ratchathewi,
Huai Khwang, and
Suan Luang. Its length is about .
The road runs near places such as
Pratunam Intersection,
Pantip Plaza,
Platinum Fashion Mall,
Embassy of The Republic of Indonesia,
Tourism Authority of Thailand
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) () is an organization of Thailand under the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. Its mandate is to promote Thailand's tourism industry, and protect the environment.
History
Its predecessor, Tourism of Thaila ...
(TAT), and Saint Dominic School.
It was built in July 1905 during the reign of King
Chulalongkorn
Chulalongkorn (20 September 1853 – 23 October 1910), posthumously honoured as King Chulalongkorn the Great, was the fifth king of Siam from the Chakri dynasty, titled Rama V. Chulalongkorn's reign from 1868 until his death in 1910 was cha ...
(Rama V) starting at the end of Ko Suea Road (ถนนคอเสื้อ; lit: 'collar road'; today's Phitsanulok Road) and terminating at
Pratunam. It was originally called "Pra Chae Chin Road" (ถนนประแจจีน; 'Chinese decorative design road') after a type of
Chinese porcelain
Chinese ceramics are one of the most significant forms of Chinese art and ceramics globally. They range from construction materials such as bricks and tiles, to hand-built pottery vessels fired in bonfires or kilns, to the sophisticated Chinese ...
, one of the most popular collections in that era. Later on 16 February 1919, King
Vajiravudh
Vajiravudh (1 January 188126 November 1925) was the sixth Monarchy of Thailand, king of Siam from the Chakri dynasty, titled Rama VI. He reigned from 1910 until his death in 1925. King Vajiravudh is best known for his efforts to create and pro ...
(Rama VI) bestowed the new name of the Phetchaburi Road. The name honors one of the members of the
Thai royal family
The Chakri dynasty is the current reigning dynasty of the Kingdom of Thailand. The head of the house is the king, who is head of state. The family has ruled Thailand since the founding of the Rattanakosin era and the city of Bangkok in 1782; f ...
,
Valaya Alongkorn, Princess of
Phetchaburi
Phetchaburi (, ) or Phet Buri () is a town ('' thesaban mueang'') in southern Thailand, capital of Phetchaburi Province. In Thai, Phetchaburi means "city of diamonds" (''buri'' meaning "city" in Sanskrit). It is approximately 160 km south of ...
.
In 1962, the road was extended from Pratunam to the end of the Khlong Tan, officially opening the following year. This section of the road is often unofficially called "New Phetchaburi Road" (ถนนเพชรบุรีตัดใหม่). New Phetchaburi Road became infamous in the 1960s and early-1970s for its "American strip" of bars, massage parlours, brothels, and clubs frequented by US
GIs on leave from Vietnam.
On the night of 24 September 1990,
a serious accident occurred in New Phetchaburi Road near the intersection with
Witthayu Road
Witthayu Road (, , ), also known as Wireless Road, is a road in Bangkok, located almost entirely in Lumphini subdistrict of Pathum Wan district. It originally linked Phloen Chit Road to Rama IV Road, running from what is now Phloen Chit Int ...
. A gas
tank truck
A tank truck, gas truck, fuel truck, or tanker truck (American English) or tanker (British English) is a motor vehicle designed to carry liquids or gases on roads. The largest such vehicles are similar to railroad tank cars, which are also desi ...
overturned, resulting in an explosion of
LPG which caused a great fire. There were hundreds of casualties and deaths.
References
category:Streets in Bangkok
{{coord, 13, 45, 1.57, N, 100, 33, 37.34, E, type:adm3rd_region:TH-10, display=title
category:1905 establishments in Siam