Ratchathewi Intersection ( th, แยกราชเทวี) is a four-way intersection of Phaya Thai and

Phetchaburi Phetchaburi ( th, เพชรบุรี, ) 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 appr ...

roads in the area of Thung Phaya Thai, Thanon Phaya Thai and Thanon Phetchaburi sub-districts,

Ratchathewi Ratchathewi ( th, ราชเทวี, ) is a district in central Bangkok, Thailand. Clockwise from the north, its neighboring districts are Phaya Thai, Din Daeng, Huai Khwang, Watthana, Pathum Wan and Dusit. History The district was part ...

district, downtown

Bangkok 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 ...

. It's the location of

Ratchathewi station Ratchathewi station ( th, สถานีราชเทวี, ) is a BTS skytrain station, on the Sukhumvit Line in Ratchathewi District, Bangkok, Thailand. The station is located on Phaya Thai Road to the south of Ratchathewi intersection, abo ...

close to important intersections viz

Pratunam Pratunam, written as Pratu Nam ( th, ประตูน้ำ, ), is an intersection and neighborhood in Bangkok. It is located in Thanon Phaya Thai sub-district, Ratchathewi district. It is the intersection of Phetchaburi, Ratchadamri and Rat ...

Pathum Wan Pathum Wan ( th, ปทุมวัน, ) is one of the fifty districts (''khet'') of Bangkok, Thailand. It lies just beyond the old city boundary of Khlong Phadung Krung Kasem, and was a rural area on the eastern outskirts of the city when roy ...

, Phaya Thai, Uruphong and Victory Monument. 200px, left, The remain of the Phra Ratchathewi Bridge were preserved in the Suan Pakkad Palace Its name means ''Royal Consort'' in honour of

Sukhumala Marasri Sukhumala Marasri ( th, สุขุมาลมารศรี, , ; 10 May 1861 – 9 July 1927) was a daughter of King Mongkut (Rama IV) and his concubine, Samli (เจ้าคุณจอมมารดาสำลี). Her given name was Pr ...

, who was one of four consorts of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V). When she was 50 years old, she donated her own money to build a bridge across a Khlong Pra Chae Chin (คลองประแจจีน; Pra Chae Chin canal). The King

Vajiravudh Vajiravudh ( th, วชิราวุธ, , 1 January 188126 November 1925) was the sixth monarch of Siam under the Chakri dynasty as Rama VI. He ruled from 23 October 1910 until his death in 1925. King Vajiravudh is best known for his efforts ...

(Rama VI) was presided over the opening ceremony on May 22, 1911 and was given the official name ''"Phra Ratchathewi Bridge''" (สะพานพระราชเทวี) but generally called by short ''"Ratchathewi Bridge''" (สะพานราชเทวี). Later, when the need to expand the traffic surface of Phetchaburi road. Bridge and canal were demolished to create a roundabout (

traffic circle A roundabout is a type of circular intersection or junction in which road traffic is permitted to flow in one direction around a central island, and priority is typically given to traffic already in the junction.''The New Shorter Oxford Eng ...

). Ratchathewi roundabout has a landmark, a large

fountain A fountain, from the Latin "fons" (genitive "fontis"), meaning source or spring, is a decorative reservoir used for discharging water. It is also a structure that jets water into the air for a decorative or dramatic effect. Fountains were or ...

and the roses are planted around for beauty, especially at night with spotlight. This makes the roundabout more beautiful. In that era, this neighbourhood is considered to be a busy and bustling place. It was surrounded by the houses of the wealthy and many nobles. Later in the 1964, the roundabout was demolished to rebuild the intersection to alleviate traffic jams. The fountain was rebuilt into four fountains at the four corners of the intersection as in modern times. In the 1970s, Ratchathewi intersection became the

shopping district A shopping street or shopping district is a designated road or quarter of a city/town that is composed of individual retail establishments (such as stores, boutiques, restaurants, and shopping complexes). Such areas will typically be pedest ...

of Bangkok. It's the center of many leading cinemas such as Athens, Mackenna, Hollywood, President, Paramount, Metro, Indra etc., including many beauty parlors. In 1975, an

overpass An overpass (called an overbridge or flyover in the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth countries) is a bridge, road, railway or similar structure that crosses over another road or railway. An ''overpass'' and ''underpass'' together form ...

was constructed, completed in 1979 with the dozens of crushed rock trucks parked on the bridge to test the strength. It's considered as the first overpass crossing intersection of Bangkok and still use today. In 1989, when

was re-zoning. Ratchathewi area has been separated from Phaya Thai district. "Ratchathewi" is also used as a new district name.

References

{{Reflist Road junctions in Bangkok Ratchathewi district