Pathum Wan
Encyclopedia
Pathum Wan or Pathumwan is one of the 50 districts (Khet) of Bangkok
, Thailand
. The district is bounded by six other districts (from north clockwise): Ratchathewi
(across the canal Khlong Saen Saeb
), Watthana
, Khlong Toei
, Sathon
, Bang Rak
, Pom Prap Sattru Phai
(across the canal Khlong Phadung Krung Kasem), and Dusit
.
(literally meaning lotus forest temple) and the nearby Sa Pathum Palace (means lotus pond palace). Both were built to the order of King Mongkut (Rama IV)
and named so because of an abundance of lotus in Khlong Saen Saeb
during his reign.
The district is sub-divided into four sub-districts (Kwaeng).
Pathum Wan is best known for its shopping centers. Siam Center
is the oldest one in the area. Opened in 1973, it is now flanked by Siam Discovery Center and Siam Paragon
(opened December 2005).
One of the most crowded and popular to both local people and tourists is MBK Center
(also known as Mah Boon Krong). It is packed with shops offering fashion items, mobile phones and souvenirs. A covered, air-conditioned pedestrian bridge over Phaya Thai Road
connects to a congested sister shopping center, the Bonanza Mall, which mostly sells inexpensive clothing and fashion accessories.
Siam Square
, unlike others, is a shopping area consists of a block of buildings and lots of small roads full of shops, attracting mostly teenagers. There are three cinemas in Siam Square, built in the 1970s and run by the Apex chain: the Scala and Siam theaters offer a single, big screen; the Lido is a small multi-plex with three screens. Besides shops, many exam preparation schools are found in Siam Square. So the area is full of students during evening and weekends.
Suan Lum Night Bazaar
, at the intersection of Wireless and Rama IV roads, is located in a large plot of land that used to be a military school. It is an outdoor shopping area open nightly focusing on clothes and souvenirs. Some pet shops can be found there. There are a few restaurants, a food center, and an outdoor beer garden with retractable roof with live music performances. A unique traditional Thai puppet theatre named Joe Louis Theatre is also inside the bazaar providing nighty shows. It was expected to be closed down in 2007 the old lease was expired and Central Group
won the bid to redevelop the area but the site remains open pending on litigation.
The Ratchaprasong
intersection is in Pathum Wan district, which is flanked by CentralWorld
(formerly World Trade Center and then Central World Plaza), BigC
Ratchadamri, Narayana Phan, Gaysorn
and Central Chit Lom
shopping malls.
A large portion of Pathum Wan is occupied by several organizations.
Near MBK, Chulalongkorn University
is the oldest university in Thailand. The main auditorium together with Faculty of Arts buildings Maha Chulalongkorn and Maha Vajiravudh are famous architectures. The Museum of Imaging Technology within the Faculty of Science houses a large collection of cameras from old to new.
Next to the university are Chulalongkorn Hospital and Thai Red Cross. Inside the Red Cross there is a snake farm called Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute
(or Sathan Saovabha in Thai
) showing venom extraction and producing serum to treat snakebites.
One of the major tourist attractions is the Jim Thompson House
. It is a complex of magnificent Thai wooden houses formerly home to James H.W. Thompson
, an American who lived in Thailand, developed Thai silk
industry, and brought it to fame to the western world. Now it is turned into a museum filled with lots of antique decorations.
The Erawan Shrine
at the Ratchaprasong
intersection is a sacred place where people come to pray and make wishes to Brahma
. Wishes could include getting admitted to university, babies, jobs, and so on. Flowers, wooden elephants, or traditional Thai dances are returned when a wish is granted. The Trimurti
shrine and Ganesha
shrine at CentralWorld
are popular places to pray as well.
Also located in Pathum Wan are Royal Bangkok Sports Club, a horse racing track operating every other Saturday, the National Stadium, the Lumphini Boxing Stadium where traditional Thai boxing matches are held, and Lumphini Park
, the first park in Bangkok.
Every year around Christmas
and New Year
, shopping centers, hotels and sidewalk
s in the Ratchaprasong
shopping district are heavily decorated with lights celebrating the event. It was started by Peninsular Plaza and The Regent hotel, and later expanded to Sogo
(now out of business), Amarin Plaza, CentralWorld, Central Chit Lom, Gaysorn and more. Bangkok Metropolitan Administration also provides lights along the BTS Skytrain
pillars. During the period, it is the brightest lit area of Bangkok. The countdown is held on the ground in front of CentralWorld.
, the United Kingdom, and the United States are located in Pathum Wan.
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. The district is bounded by six other districts (from north clockwise): Ratchathewi
Ratchathewi
Ratchathewi is a district in central Bangkok, Thailand. It is also name of a BTS Skytrain station.Neighboring districts are Phaya Thai, Din Daeng, Huai Khwang, Watthana, Pathum Wan, Pom Prap Sattru Phai and Dusit.-History:...
(across the canal Khlong Saen Saeb
Khlong Saen Saeb
Khlong Saen Saeb is a canal in central Thailand, connecting the Chao Phraya River to Prachin Buri and Chachoengsao. A portion of the canal is used for public transport by an express boat service in Bangkok...
), Watthana
Watthana
Watthana is one of the 50 districts of Bangkok, Thailand. Neighbor districts are : Ratchathewi, Huai Khwang, Suan Luang, Phra Khanong, Khlong Toei, Sathon, and Pathum Wan.-History:...
, Khlong Toei
Khlong Toei
Khlong Toei is a district in central Bangkok, long known for its slum. It is bordered by the Chao Phraya River and contains major port facilities. It is also the name of a major market, though not touristic...
, Sathon
Sathon
Sathon or Sathorn is one of the 50 districts of Bangkok, Thailand. The district is bounded by six other districts : Bang Rak, Pathum Wan, Khlong Toei, Yan Nawa, Bang Kho Laem, and Khlong San ....
, Bang Rak
Bang Rak
Bang Rak is one of the 50 districts of Bangkok, Thailand. The district is bounded by four other districts : Pathum Wan, Sathon, Khlong San , and Samphanthawong. It was established in 1912.-History:...
, Pom Prap Sattru Phai
Pom Prap Sattru Phai
Pom Prap Sattru Phai is one of the 50 districts of Bangkok, Thailand. Neighboring districts are Dusit, Ratchathewi, Pathum Wan, Bang Rak, Samphanthawong, and Phra Nakhon.-History:...
(across the canal Khlong Phadung Krung Kasem), and Dusit
Dusit
Dusit is one of the 50 districts of Bangkok, Thailand.The district forms the main administrative center of Thailand, as both the national parliament as well as the royal palace are located in this district, as well as several ministries...
.
History
The district was established in 1914. It is named after a Buddhist temple Wat Pathum WanaramWat Pathum Wanaram
Wat Pathum Wanaram is a Buddhist temple in Bangkok, Thailand. It is located in the district Pathum Wan, between the two shopping malls Siam Paragon and CentralWorld, and across the street of Siam Square....
(literally meaning lotus forest temple) and the nearby Sa Pathum Palace (means lotus pond palace). Both were built to the order of King Mongkut (Rama IV)
Mongkut
Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramenthramaha Mongkut Phra Chom Klao Chao Yu Hua , or Rama IV, known in foreign countries as King Mongkut , was the fourth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri, ruling from 1851-1868...
and named so because of an abundance of lotus in Khlong Saen Saeb
Khlong Saen Saeb
Khlong Saen Saeb is a canal in central Thailand, connecting the Chao Phraya River to Prachin Buri and Chachoengsao. A portion of the canal is used for public transport by an express boat service in Bangkok...
during his reign.
Administration
| 1. | Rong Mueang | รองเมือง | |
| 2. | Wang Mai | วังใหม่ | |
| 3. | Pathum Wan | ปทุมวัน | |
| 4. | Lumphini Lumphini Lumphini is one of the 154 sub-districts of Bangkok, covering the area around the Lumphini Park... |
ลุมพินี |
Shopping
Siam Center
Siam Center and Siam Discovery Center are twin shopping malls in Pathum Wan district, Bangkok, Thailand. Located at the BTS Skytrain's Siam Station, the malls are part of a large shopping district being opposite Siam Square, next to Siam Paragon and adjacent to MBK Center. Both are owned by Siam...
is the oldest one in the area. Opened in 1973, it is now flanked by Siam Discovery Center and Siam Paragon
Siam Paragon
Siam Paragon is a shopping mall in Bangkok, Thailand. It is one of the biggest shopping centers in Asia. Opened on December 9, 2005, it includes a wide range of specialty stores and restaurants as well as a multiplex movie theater and the Siam Ocean World...
(opened December 2005).
One of the most crowded and popular to both local people and tourists is MBK Center
MBK Center
MBK Center, also known as Mahboonkrong , is a large shopping mall in Bangkok, Thailand. At eight stories high, the center hosts around 2,000 stores and services, including the 4-story Tokyu department store, restaurants and entertainment....
(also known as Mah Boon Krong). It is packed with shops offering fashion items, mobile phones and souvenirs. A covered, air-conditioned pedestrian bridge over Phaya Thai Road
Phaya Thai
Phaya Thai is a district in central Bangkok, Thailand. It is also the name of a major road, as well as a BTS Skytrain station, both of which are in the nearby Ratchathewi district....
connects to a congested sister shopping center, the Bonanza Mall, which mostly sells inexpensive clothing and fashion accessories.
Siam Square
Siam Square
Siam Square is a shopping and entertainment area in the Siam District of Bangkok, Thailand. The area connects to other shopping centres and links to the other shopping districts by sky bridge, such as Siam Center/Siam Discovery Center, MBK Center, Siam Paragon, Ratchaprasong shopping district and...
, unlike others, is a shopping area consists of a block of buildings and lots of small roads full of shops, attracting mostly teenagers. There are three cinemas in Siam Square, built in the 1970s and run by the Apex chain: the Scala and Siam theaters offer a single, big screen; the Lido is a small multi-plex with three screens. Besides shops, many exam preparation schools are found in Siam Square. So the area is full of students during evening and weekends.
Suan Lum Night Bazaar
Suan Lum Night Bazaar was a market in Bangkok's Pathum Wan district, at the intersection of Rama IV and Wireless/Sathorn Roads, opposite Lumphini Park at the Bangkok Metro's Lumphini Station. Located on land owned by the Crown Property Bureau. It opened in 2001, and had closed by early 2011.The...
, at the intersection of Wireless and Rama IV roads, is located in a large plot of land that used to be a military school. It is an outdoor shopping area open nightly focusing on clothes and souvenirs. Some pet shops can be found there. There are a few restaurants, a food center, and an outdoor beer garden with retractable roof with live music performances. A unique traditional Thai puppet theatre named Joe Louis Theatre is also inside the bazaar providing nighty shows. It was expected to be closed down in 2007 the old lease was expired and Central Group
Central Group
The Central Group of Companies is a family-owned conglomerate holding company in Thailand that is involved in retailing, real estate, hotels and restaurants...
won the bid to redevelop the area but the site remains open pending on litigation.
The Ratchaprasong
Ratchaprasong
Ratchaprasong is the name of an intersection, and a shopping district named after it in Pathum Wan District, Bangkok, adjacent to Siam District. Located at the BTS Skytrain's Chit Lom Station and the intersection of Phloenchit, Rama I and Ratchadamri Roads...
intersection is in Pathum Wan district, which is flanked by CentralWorld
CentralWorld
CentralWorld is a shopping plaza and complex in Bangkok, Thailand. It is the third largest shopping complex in the world. The complex, which includes a hotel and office tower, is owned by Central Pattana...
(formerly World Trade Center and then Central World Plaza), BigC
BigC
Big C, or Big C Supercenter , is a grocery and general merchandising retailer headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand. It is the leading hypermarket chain in Thailand, managed under the umbrella of Groupe Casino...
Ratchadamri, Narayana Phan, Gaysorn
Gaysorn
Gaysorn Plaza is a shopping mall located on the Ratchaprasong shopping district, in Bangkok, Thailand.The mall contains international high-end brands such as, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada, Givenchy, La Perla, Christian Dior, Loewe, Fendi and Hugo Boss.Gaysorn has five levels with more than 100...
and Central Chit Lom
Central Group
The Central Group of Companies is a family-owned conglomerate holding company in Thailand that is involved in retailing, real estate, hotels and restaurants...
shopping malls.
Places
Near MBK, Chulalongkorn University
Chulalongkorn University
Chulalongkorn University is the oldest university in Thailand and is the country's highest ranked university. It now has nineteen faculties and institutes. Regarded as the best and most selective university in Thailand, it consistently attracts top students from around the country...
is the oldest university in Thailand. The main auditorium together with Faculty of Arts buildings Maha Chulalongkorn and Maha Vajiravudh are famous architectures. The Museum of Imaging Technology within the Faculty of Science houses a large collection of cameras from old to new.
Next to the university are Chulalongkorn Hospital and Thai Red Cross. Inside the Red Cross there is a snake farm called Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute
Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute
Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute in Bangkok, Thailand, is a famous institute that specialises in the husbandry of venomous snakes, the extraction and research of snake venom...
(or Sathan Saovabha in Thai
Thai language
Thai , also known as Central Thai and Siamese, is the national and official language of Thailand and the native language of the Thai people, Thailand's dominant ethnic group. Thai is a member of the Tai group of the Tai–Kadai language family. Historical linguists have been unable to definitively...
) showing venom extraction and producing serum to treat snakebites.
One of the major tourist attractions is the Jim Thompson House
Jim Thompson House
The Jim Thompson House is a museum in Bangkok. It is a complex of various old Thai structures that the American businessman Jim Thompson collected in from all parts of Thailand in the 1950s and 60s...
. It is a complex of magnificent Thai wooden houses formerly home to James H.W. Thompson
Jim Thompson (designer)
James Harrison Wilson Thompson was an American businessman who helped revitalize the Thai silk industry in the 1950s and 1960s. A former U.S. military intelligence officer, Thompson mysteriously disappeared from Malaysia's Cameron Highlands while going for a walk on Easter Sunday, March 26,...
, an American who lived in Thailand, developed Thai silk
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
industry, and brought it to fame to the western world. Now it is turned into a museum filled with lots of antique decorations.
The Erawan Shrine
Erawan Shrine
The Erawan Shrine is a Hindu shrine in Bangkok, Thailand that houses a statue of Phra Phrom, the Thai representation of the Hindu creation god Brahma. A popular tourist attraction, it often features performances by resident Thai dance troupes, who are hired by worshippers in return for seeing...
at the Ratchaprasong
Ratchaprasong
Ratchaprasong is the name of an intersection, and a shopping district named after it in Pathum Wan District, Bangkok, adjacent to Siam District. Located at the BTS Skytrain's Chit Lom Station and the intersection of Phloenchit, Rama I and Ratchadamri Roads...
intersection is a sacred place where people come to pray and make wishes to Brahma
Brahma
Brahma is the Hindu god of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. According to the Brahma Purana, he is the father of Mānu, and from Mānu all human beings are descended. In the Ramayana and the...
. Wishes could include getting admitted to university, babies, jobs, and so on. Flowers, wooden elephants, or traditional Thai dances are returned when a wish is granted. The Trimurti
Trimurti
The Trimurti is a concept in Hinduism "in which the cosmic functions of creation, maintenance, and destruction are personified by the forms of Brahmā the creator, Vishnu the maintainer or preserver, and Śhiva the destroyer or transformer," These three deities have been called "the Hindu triad" or...
shrine and Ganesha
Ganesha
Ganesha , also spelled Ganesa or Ganesh, also known as Ganapati , Vinayaka , and Pillaiyar , is one of the deities best-known and most widely worshipped in the Hindu pantheon. His image is found throughout India and Nepal. Hindu sects worship him regardless of affiliations...
shrine at CentralWorld
CentralWorld
CentralWorld is a shopping plaza and complex in Bangkok, Thailand. It is the third largest shopping complex in the world. The complex, which includes a hotel and office tower, is owned by Central Pattana...
are popular places to pray as well.
Also located in Pathum Wan are Royal Bangkok Sports Club, a horse racing track operating every other Saturday, the National Stadium, the Lumphini Boxing Stadium where traditional Thai boxing matches are held, and Lumphini Park
Lumphini Park
Lumphini Park is a 360-rai park in Bangkok, Thailand. This park offers rare open public space, trees and playgrounds in the Thai capital and contains an artificial lake where visitors can rent a variety of boats. Paths around the park totalling approximately 2.5 km in length are a popular...
, the first park in Bangkok.
Festivals
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
and New Year
New Year
The New Year is the day that marks the time of the beginning of a new calendar year, and is the day on which the year count of the specific calendar used is incremented. For many cultures, the event is celebrated in some manner....
, shopping centers, hotels and sidewalk
Sidewalk
A sidewalk, or pavement, footpath, footway, and sometimes platform, is a path along the side of a road. A sidewalk may accommodate moderate changes in grade and is normally separated from the vehicular section by a curb...
s in the Ratchaprasong
Ratchaprasong
Ratchaprasong is the name of an intersection, and a shopping district named after it in Pathum Wan District, Bangkok, adjacent to Siam District. Located at the BTS Skytrain's Chit Lom Station and the intersection of Phloenchit, Rama I and Ratchadamri Roads...
shopping district are heavily decorated with lights celebrating the event. It was started by Peninsular Plaza and The Regent hotel, and later expanded to Sogo
Sogo
Sogo Co., Ltd. is a department store chain that operates an extensive network of branches in Japan. It once owned stores in locations as diverse as Beijing in China, Causeway Bay in Hong Kong, Taipei in Taiwan, Jakarta, Medan, Bandung & Surabaya in Indonesia, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, Singapore,...
(now out of business), Amarin Plaza, CentralWorld, Central Chit Lom, Gaysorn and more. Bangkok Metropolitan Administration also provides lights along the BTS Skytrain
Bangkok Skytrain
The Bangkok Mass Transit System, commonly known as the BTS Skytrain , is an elevated rapid transit system in Bangkok, Thailand. It is operated by Bangkok Mass Transit System Public Company Limited under a concession granted by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration...
pillars. During the period, it is the brightest lit area of Bangkok. The countdown is held on the ground in front of CentralWorld.
Rail
- Hua LamphongHua LamphongHua Lamphong Railway Station , officially known as the Bangkok Railway Station, is the main railway station in Bangkok, Thailand. It is located in the center of the city in Pathum Wan District, and is operated by the State Railway of Thailand....
is the central train station of Bangkok and the State Railway of ThailandState Railway of ThailandThe State Railway of Thailand is the state-owned rail operator in Thailand. The network sees around 50 million passengers per annum.-History:SRT was founded as the Royal State Railways of Siam in 1890...
. Trains depart from the station to destinations throughout Thailand.
Mass transit
- Bangkok MetroBangkok MetroThe MRT , sometimes referred to as the Bangkok Metro, is Bangkok's underground metro system in Thailand. It was constructed under a concession concept...
subway stations in the district are Hua LamphongHua LamphongHua Lamphong Railway Station , officially known as the Bangkok Railway Station, is the main railway station in Bangkok, Thailand. It is located in the center of the city in Pathum Wan District, and is operated by the State Railway of Thailand....
, Sam YanSam YanSam Yan is the name of an intersection and its nearby neighbourhood in Bangkok, Thailand. It connects Rama IV Road with Phaya Thai Road to the north and Si Phraya Road to the south, and is located within Pathum Wan District, next to its border with Bang Rak...
, Si LomSi LomSi Lom is a sub-District and road in Bang Rak district, Bangkok, Thailand. Constructed in 1851 as part of a dyke and irrigation system, Silom road has become one of Bangkok's most cosmopolitan streets and major financial center; it is the home to some of the largest companies in Thailand ex...
, and LumphiniLumphiniLumphini is one of the 154 sub-districts of Bangkok, covering the area around the Lumphini Park...
along the southern border of Pathum Wan. - Bangkok SkytrainBangkok SkytrainThe Bangkok Mass Transit System, commonly known as the BTS Skytrain , is an elevated rapid transit system in Bangkok, Thailand. It is operated by Bangkok Mass Transit System Public Company Limited under a concession granted by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration...
's main interchange station, SiamSiam stationSiam Station is the cross-platform interchange station for the BTS Skytrain in Pathum Wan district, Bangkok, Thailand. The largest and busiest station on the BTS with 40,000 - 50,000 passengers per day, it is where passengers on the and change trains....
, is here providing connection between the Si Lom Line and SukhumvitSukhumvitSukhumvit can refer to:* Sukhumvit Road, one of the four major highways of Thailand, which follows a coastal route from Bangkok to Trat* Sukhumvit Line of the Bangkok Skytrain in Bangkok...
Line. Other BTS stations in Pathum Wan are National Stadium and Ratchadamri on the Si Lom Line and Chit Lom and Phloen Chit on the Sukhumvit Line.
Waterway
- Express boats run along the narrow and polluted Khlong Saen SaebKhlong Saen SaebKhlong Saen Saeb is a canal in central Thailand, connecting the Chao Phraya River to Prachin Buri and Chachoengsao. A portion of the canal is used for public transport by an express boat service in Bangkok...
, the canal on the northern district border.
Diplomatic missions
The embassies of Japan, SwitzerlandDiplomatic missions of Switzerland
This is a list of diplomatic missions of Switzerland, excluding honorary consulates. Switzerland is well known as a protecting power, having used its embassies abroad to represent the interests of states hostile to each other since the Franco-Prussian War...
, the United Kingdom, and the United States are located in Pathum Wan.
External links
- Bangkok's Crucible of Construction (Some of the mentioned places are located in nearby Ratchathewi district)
- Pictures from Snake Farm In Thailand
- Jim Thompson Thai House Museum