Samphanthawong (, )) 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 ...

. Regarded as Bangkok's Chinatown, it is the smallest district by area in Thailand. Neighbouring districts are (from north clockwise) Pom Prap Sattru Phai, Bang Rak, Khlong San (across Chao Phraya River), and Phra Nakhon.

History

The area has been a Chinese community since the early days of Bangkok. Originally living in what is now the Phra Nakhon district, they were relocated here when the capital was set up. The narrow Sampheng Lane (สำเพ็ง, now called Wanit I Road, วานิช 1) was the district's main street until Yaowarat Road was constructed in 1892 during the reign of King Chulalongkorn. Sampheng Lane is depicted on the back of series 15 20

baht The baht (; , ; currency sign, sign: ฿; ISO 4217, code: THB) is the official currency of Thailand. It is divided into 100 ''satang'' (, ). Prior to decimalisation, the baht was divided into eight ''fueang'' (, ), each of eight ''at'' (, ). The ...

banknotes, to commemorate an important post-World War II visit by young king Rama VIII (accompanied by HM's brother, Prince Bhumibol, with his ever-present camera). Nowadays, Yaowarat Road remains the heart of Bangkok's Chinatown. The area now in the Samphanthawong district was once three separate

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 ...

s, Samphanthawong, Sam Yaek, and Chakkrawat, established on 15 October 1915 when old districts were overhauled and replaced by 25 new districts to cover inner Bangkok. Sam Yaek District and Chakkrawat District were later merged into Samphanthawong District. The district became Khet Samphanthawong in 1972. It is believed that the name ''Samphanthawong'' was derived from '' Wat Samphanthawongsaram'', the temple near the district office when it was first built. Now the district office has moved to Yotha Road in Talat Noi Sub-district.

Administration

The district is divided into three 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 ...

'').

Yaowarat Road

Yaowarat Road Yaowarat Road (, , ; ) in Samphanthawong District is the main artery of Bangkok's Chinatown. Modern Chinatown now covers a large area around Yaowarat and Charoen Krung Road. It has been the main centre for trading by the Chinese community si ...

(เยาวราช) is about 1.5 km in length. Along both sides, gold shops and Chinese restaurants:

noodles Noodles are a type of food made from unleavened dough which is either rolled flat and cut, stretched, or extruded, into long strips or strings. Noodles are a staple food in many cultures and made into a variety of shapes. The most common noo ...

rice Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...

dim sum Dim sum () is a large range of small Chinese dishes that are traditionally enjoyed in restaurants for brunch. Most modern dim sum dishes are commonly associated with Cantonese cuisine, although dim sum dishes also exist in other Chinese cu ...

bird's nest soup Edible bird's nests, also known as swallow nests ( zh, c=燕窝, p=yànwō), are bird nests created from solidified saliva by edible-nest swiftlets, Indian swiftlets and other swiftlets of the genera ''Aerodramus'', '' Hydrochous'', '' Schout ...

are found. More shops, especially those selling fruit and Chinese traditional medicine, can be found in the small lanes branching off the main road. A gate was built to celebrate King Bhumibol's 72nd birthday. It is on Odeon Circle, (named after a cinema that once stood nearby) at beginning of the road.

Temples and shrines

Some of well-known Thai Buddhist Temples in the district are: * Wat Traimit (วัดไตรมิตรวิทยารามวรวิหาร) is known for its giant Buddha image made from solid gold and weighing about 5.5

tonne The tonne ( or ; symbol: t) is a unit of mass equal to 1,000 kilograms. It is a non-SI unit accepted for use with SI. It is also referred to as a metric ton in the United States to distinguish it from the non-metric units of the s ...

s. The gold was hidden under plaster for centuries until being rediscovered in 1954. * Wat Pathum Khongkha (วัดปทุมคงคา) is an ancient

wat A wat (, ; , ; , ; ; , ) is a type of Buddhist and Hindu temple in Cambodia, Laos, East Shan State (Myanmar), Yunnan (China), the Southern Province of Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Etymology The word ''wat'' is borrowed from the Sanskrit ''v ...

, renovated and renamed Wat Sampheng during the King

Rama I Phutthayotfa Chulalok (born Thongduang; 20 March 1737 – 7 September 1809), also known by his regnal name Rama I, was the founder of the Rattanakosin Kingdom (now Thailand) and the first King of Siam from the reigning Chakri dynasty. He asc ...

period. * Wat Chakkrawat (วัดจักรวรรดิราชาวาสมหาวิหาร) or Wat Sam Pluem (วัดสามปลื้ม) * Wat Samphanthawongsaram (วัดสัมพันธวงศาราม วรวิหาร) or Wat Ko (วัดเกาะ), a Dhammayuttika temple. Its name is the origin of the district's name and was Dan Beach Bradley's first residence in Thailand. Many

Chinese temples Chinese temple architecture refer to a type of structures used as place of worship of Chinese Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, or Chinese folk religion, where people revere ethnic Chinese gods and ancestors. They can be classified as: * '' mi� ...

and shrines are also here, including: * Leng Buai Ia Shrine (ศาลเจ้าเล่งบ๊วยเอี๊ยะ), the oldest shrine in the area, about 300 years old, is considered the oldest Teochew shrine in Thailand. * Ah Nia Geng Shrine (ศาลเจ้าอาเนี้ยเก็ง) or Chue Pui Nia Nia Shrine (ศาลเจ้าฉื่อปุยเนี่ยเนี้ย), a shrine to Kuan Yin. * Guan Di Shrine (ศาลเจ้าพ่อกวนอู), shrine to Lord Guan and His horse Sek Tao, in Talat Khao. * Thien Fah Foundation (มูลนิธิเทียนฟ้า), the first foundation registered in Thailand, established to provide health care for the poor. There is a

Guan Yin Guanyin () is a common Chinese name of the bodhisattva associated with compassion known as Avalokiteśvara (). Guanyin is short for Guanshiyin, which means " he One WhoPerceives the Sounds of the World". Originally regarded as male in Indian ...

shrine inside the hospital. * Bunyasamakhom Shrine (ศาลเจ้าโรงเจบุญสมาคม) * Chó-su-kong Shrine (ศาลเจ้าโจวซือก๋ง), a shrine to Qing Shui Zu Shi, the oldest

Hokkien Hokkien ( , ) is a Varieties of Chinese, variety of the Southern Min group of Chinese language, Chinese languages. Native to and originating from the Minnan region in the southeastern part of Fujian in southeastern China, it is also referred ...

shrine in Thailand, in Talat Noi, used to organize the largest Chinese vegetarian food festival in the country. The most famous Chinese temple in the area,

Wat Mangkon Kamalawat Wat Mangkon Kamalawat (, ), also known by its former name as Wat Leng Noei Yi (, ; ), is the largest and most important Chinese Buddhist temple in Bangkok, Thailand. It hosts celebrations of a number of year-round events, including Chinese New Y ...

(วัดมังกรกมลาวาส), popularly known as Wat Leng Noei Yi (วัดเล่งเน่ยยี่), lies just outside the Samphanthawong boundary in the neighboring Pom Prap Sattru Phai District.

Other places

There are other places of historic interest in Samphanthawong. Wat Mae Phra Luk Prakham (วัดแม่พระลูกประคำ) or Holy Rosary Church, on the bank of Chao Phraya River, is one of the oldest Catholic churches in Bangkok. It is more widely known by its older name, Wat Kalawar (วัดกาลหว่าร์), named after

Calvary Calvary ( or ) or Golgotha () was a site immediately outside Jerusalem's walls where, according to Christianity's four canonical gospels, Jesus was crucified. Since at least the early medieval period, it has been a destination for pilgrimage. ...

. It was first built in 1787 during King

period by settlers who migrated from Ayuthaya when the city was lost to Burma. The current building was constructed in 1890. Upriver from the church is Thailand's first commercial bank building. The building was constructed in 1904 and houses the Talat Noi Branch of

Siam Commercial Bank Siam Commercial Bank (; ), officially the Siam Commercial Bank Public Company Limited, is the first Thai bank. It was founded on 30 January 1907 by the appointment of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V). History SCB was founded as the Book Club on ...

. Downriver from Holy Rosary Church is River City Shopping Complex, a shopping center specializing in arts and antiques. There are numerous markets around Samphanthawong. There are many shops and stalls along Yaowarat, Sampheng (now Wanit 1), and Charoen Krung Roads, especially at night and during weekends. Saphan Lek, the older name of the bridge crossing Khlong Ong Ang canal on Charoen Krung Road, is a narrow strip along both sides of Khlong Ong Ang with small shops selling goods. Nearby is Woeng Nakhon Khasem (เวิ้งนาครเขษม) or "thieves market". The Khlong Thom Market (in Pom Prap Sattru Phai District), once a famous market for low cost goods and electronics, is a large area of several blocks on the opposite side of Charoen Krung Road. The small lanes inside the blocks were fully packed with stalls operating on Saturday nights till Sunday mornings, but it is now closed as part of a pavement cleanup campaign in March 2015.Bangkok's Khlong Thom 'Dark Market' set to become latest casualty of junta's cleanup
''The Nation'', 28 February 2015

Festivals

Several Chinese festivals are held here yearly. Yaowarat Road is often closed to traffic during these periods. *

Chinese New Year Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival (see also #Names, § Names), is a festival that celebrates the beginning of a New Year, new year on the traditional lunisolar calendar, lunisolar Chinese calendar. It is one of the most important holi ...

Festival (เทศกาลตรุษจีน) is the biggest festival with

dragon dance Dragon dance () is a form of traditional dance and performance in China, Chinese culture of China, culture. Like the lion dance, it is most often seen during festive celebrations. The dance is performed by a team of experienced dancers who man ...

lion dance Lion dance ( zh, s=舞狮, t=舞獅, p=wǔshī, c=, first=t) is a form of traditional dance in Culture of China, Chinese culture and other Asian countries in which performers mimic a Asiatic lion, lion's movements in a lion costume to bring good l ...

s, and people dressed in red. *

Mid-Autumn Festival The Mid-Autumn Festival (for other names, see § Etymology) is a harvest festival celebrated in Chinese culture. It is held on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar with a full moon at night, corresponding to mid- ...

(เทศกาลไหว้พระจันทร์) with shops selling

mooncake A mooncake () is a Chinese bakery product traditionally eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋節). The festival is primarily about the harvest while a legend connects it to moon watching, and mooncakes are regarded as a delicacy. ...

s. * Chinese Vegetarian Food Festival (เทศกาลกินเจ) (1st to 9th day of 9th

lunar month In lunar calendars, a lunar month is the time between two successive syzygies of the same type: new moons or full moons. The precise definition varies, especially for the beginning of the month. Variations In Shona, Middle Eastern, and Euro ...

) is a nine-day period when many Chinese practice vegetarianism and dress in white. All over Yaowarat Road, vegetarian food stalls with yellow flags and the Chinese character 齋 in red can be seen. Some foods look like meat but are made from

soybeans The soybean, soy bean, or soya bean (''Glycine max'') is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean. Soy is a staple crop, the world's most grown legume, and an important animal feed. Soy is a key source of f ...

Gallery

file:2016 Bangkok, Dystrykt Samphanthawong, Ulica Yaowarat (12).jpg, Street food vendors in front of Talat Khao (ตลาดเก่า) or Old Market side of Yaowarat Road file:2016 Bangkok, Dystrykt Samphanthawong, Wejście na ulicę Charoen Krung 10 (02).jpg, Entrance of Thieves' Market or commonly known as Woeng Nakhon Kasem, a historic shopping district in the district file:Chinatown Bangkok.jpg, Atmosphere of Soi Wanit 1 or better known as Sampheng, the main marketplace in Samphanthawong District Sampeng Lane in Bangkok's Chinatown, Bangkok, Thailand.jpg, Sampeng Lane Sampeng Lane, Bangkok's Chinatown, Bangkok, Thailand.jpg, Sampeng Lane file:River City Bangkok.jpg, River City Shopping Complex, a shopping center by the

Chao Phraya River The Chao Phraya River is the major river in Thailand, with its low alluvial plain forming the centre of the country. It flows through Bangkok and then into the Gulf of Thailand. Etymology Written evidence of the river being referred to by the ...

next to Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel in Bang Rak District file:0005387 - Wat Traimitr Withayaram 001.jpg, Wat Traimit at night file:วัดจักรวรรดิราชาวาสวรมหาวิหาร Wat Chakkrawat Rachawat Woramahawiharn (17).jpg, Principal Buddha image at Wat Chakkrawat file:Bangkok Yaowarat1.jpg, The colours of Yaowarat Road at night file:ธนาคารไทยพาณิชย์ สาขาตลาดน้อย Siam Commercial Bank Talat Noi Branch (1).JPG, Historic Siam Commercial Bank, Talat Noi Branch image:วัดแม่พระลูกประคำ เขตสัมพันธวงศ์ กรุงเทพมหานคร.jpg, Holy Rosary Church from mid-Chao Phraya River File:Thien Fa New Year.jpg, Thien Fah Foundation open at night during Chinese New Year

Notable people

Puey Ungphakorn Puey Ungphakorn, MBE (; ; IPA:; ; 9 March 1916 – 28 July 1999), was a Thai economist who served as Governor of the Bank of Thailand and Rector of Thammasat University. He was the author of ''From Womb to Tomb: The Quality of Life of a Sout ...

: economist * Kunoi Vithichai: professional boxer *

Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi (; zh, c=, p=Sū Xùmíng, s=苏旭明, t=蘇旭明; : ; ; born 2 May 1944) is a Thai business magnate and investor. He is the founder of ThaiBev, Thai Beverage, and the chairman of conglomerates TCC Group (Thailand) ...

: businessman * Paiboon Damrongchaitham: businessman * Chuwit Kamolvisit (Davis Kamol): businessman, politician, TV host * Somkid Jatusripitak: economist, politician

Notes

References

External links

BMA website with the tourist landmarks of Samphanthawong

Wat Traimit
(Thai)

(Thai)

(Thai) {{Khet Bangkok Samphanthawong district, Districts of Bangkok Chinatowns in Asia