Thong Lo (, , ; also spelled ''Thong Lor''), officially named

Soi In Thailand, a ''soi'' ( ) is a side street that branches off of a major street (''thanon'', ). An alley is called a ''trok'' (). Overview Sois are usually numbered, and are referred to by the name of the major street and the number, as in "S ...

Sukhumvit Sukhumvit Road (, , ), or Highway 3 (), is a major road in Thailand, and a major surface road of Bangkok and other cities. It follows a coastal route from Bangkok to Khlong Yai District, Trat border to Koh Kong, Cambodia. Sukhumvit Road i ...

55, is a road and neighbourhood in

Watthana District Watthana or Vadhana (, ) is one of the Districts of Bangkok, 50 districts (''khet'') of Bangkok, Thailand. Neighbouring districts are (from the north clockwise): Ratchathewi district, Ratchathewi, Huai Khwang district, Huai Khwang, Suan Luang dis ...

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 ...

. ''Thong Lo'' literally translates as 'molten gold'. Its name comes from that of a naval officer, Thonglo Khamhiran, a member of the

Khana Ratsadon The People's Party, known in Thai as Khana Ratsadon (, ), was a Thailand, Siamese group of military and civil officers, and later a political party, which staged a 1932 Siamese coup d'état, bloodless revolution against King Prajadhipok's govern ...

(People's Party), a 1932 revolutionary group. He owned land and houses in the area. In pre-

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Thailand, the area along Sukhumvit Road to the

Bang Na District Bang Na (, ) is one of the Districts of Bangkok, fifty districts (''khet'') of Bangkok, Thailand. Its neighbors, clockwise from the north, are the Phra Khanong district, Phra Khanong and Prawet district, Prawet Districts of Bangkok and Bang Phli di ...

was suburban Bangkok and quasi-rural. Much of the area was occupied by the navy. Thong Lo runs from the Thong Lo BTS Station on Sukhumvit Road north to

Phetchaburi Road Phetchaburi Road (, ) is a main road of Bangkok. It starts at Yommarat Intersection near Yommarat Railway Halt and Uruphong Intersection and ends at Khlong Tan Intersection, passing through four districts, Dusit, Ratchathewi, Huai Khwang, a ...

. Originally housing car dealerships and dowdy shops, during the early-2000s it became increasingly trendy. New boutiques, restaurants, and cocktail bars sprang up, creating a demand for new condominiums in the area, partially driven by a significant Japanese expat community. In 2017, to the dismay of many, the

Bangkok Metropolitan Administration The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is the local government of Bangkok, which includes the capital of Thailand. The government is composed of two branches: the executive (or the Governor of Bangkok) and the legislative (or Bangkok Metro ...

(BMA) cracked down on the neighbourhood's street food vendors.

Transport

* Thong Lo BTS Station on the Sukhumvit Line of the Bangkok Skytrain is at the intersection with

Sukhumvit Road Sukhumvit Road (, , ), or Highway 3 (), is a major road in Thailand, and a major surface road of Bangkok and other cities. It follows a coastal route from Bangkok to Khlong Yai District, Trat border to Koh Kong, Cambodia. Sukhumvit Road ...

. *

Khlong Saen Saep Express Boat The Khlong Saen Saep boat service is a water bus operating on the Saen Saep Canal in Bangkok, Thailand. It has been in operation since 1 October 1990. The 18-km route is served by 100 boats of 40–50 seats. It operates from 05:30 to 20: ...

– Thong Lo pier is at the bridge crossing

Khlong Saen Saep Khlong Saen Saep (, ) is a canal ''(khlong)'' in central Thailand, connecting the Chao Phraya River to Prachinburi Province and Chachoengsao Province, Chachoengsao. A portion of the canal is used for public transport by an express boat servic ...

, at the opposite end of the street, near the New Phetchaburi Road intersection. * The planned Grey Line (Bangkok Rapid Transit) is projected to run along Thong Lo.

References

{{Attached KML Streets in Bangkok Shopping districts and streets in Thailand Watthana district