Ratchawithi Road
Encyclopedia
Ratchawithi Road, also spelled Rajvithi is a major road in Bangkok
, Thailand
. It begins in Ratchathewi
district at Sam Liam Din Daeng Junction, where it intersects with Din Daeng Road and Ratchaprarop Road, and runs northwest, past Victory Monument Circle
, through Dusit
district, and ultimately crossing the Chao Phraya River
on Krung Thon Bridge
and ending in Bang Phlat
district at Bang Phlat Intersection, where it intersects with Sirindhorn Road and Charan Sanitwong Road.
Ratchawithi Road was formerly known as Sang Hi Road . It was originally constructed during the reign of King Chulalongkorn
, as one of three new roads constructed at the time Dusit Palace was built, along with Lok Road and Duang Tawan Road . The name "Sang Hi" comes from Chinese, and means "exceedingly happy".
The original road stretched only from behind Dusit Palace to the edge of the Chao Phraya. It was later expanded to connect to Ratchaprarop Road, and then extended across the river to Charan Sanitwong Road when the Krung Thon Bridge began construction in 1954. Because it connected the two sections of the former Sang Hi Road on either side of the river, the Krung Thong Bridge has been called by locals Sang Hi Bridge since before it was officially christened. The intersection of Ratchawithi and Samsen roads, the final intersection before crossing the bridge on the east side of the river, is named Sang Hi Intersection.
The name was changed to Ratchawithi Road on February 16 1918 by King Vajiravudh
. The term is derived from the Pali
/Sanskrit
, + , and means "royal way" or "king's road".
The stretch of the road from Victory Monument to Kamphaeng Phet 5 Road is lined with a large number of hospitals and health-related institutions. These include Rajvithi Hospital and Boromarajonani College of Nursing, the Institute of Dermatology, Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health (Children's Hospital), Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Phramongkutklao Hospital and College of Medicine, the Royal Thai Army Nursing College, Prasat Neurological Institute and the under-construction extension of Ramathibodi Hospital
.
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...
. It begins in 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:...
district at Sam Liam Din Daeng Junction, where it intersects with Din Daeng Road and Ratchaprarop Road, and runs northwest, past Victory Monument Circle
Traffic circle
A traffic circle or rotary is a type of circular intersection in which traffic must travel in one direction around a central island. In some countries, traffic entering the circle has the right-of-way and drivers in the circle must yield. In many other countries, traffic entering the circle must...
, through 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...
district, and ultimately crossing the Chao Phraya River
Chao Phraya River
The Chao Phraya is a major river in Thailand, with its low alluvial plain forming the centre of the country. It runs through Bangkok, the capital city, and then empties into the Gulf of Thailand.-Etymology:...
on Krung Thon Bridge
Krung Thon Bridge
Krung Thon Bridge is a bridge over the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok, in Thailand, connecting the districts Dusit and Bang Phlat. The bridge has 6 spans, and consists of a steel superstructure resting on concrete piers.-History:...
and ending in Bang Phlat
Bang Phlat
Bang Phlat is one of the 50 districts of Bangkok, Thailand. Its neighbor, clockwise from north, are Amphoe Bang Kruai of Nonthaburi Province, Bang Sue, Dusit, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok Noi, and Taling Chan districts of Bangkok.-History:...
district at Bang Phlat Intersection, where it intersects with Sirindhorn Road and Charan Sanitwong Road.
Chulalongkorn
Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramintharamaha Chulalongkorn Phra Chunla Chom Klao Chao Yu Hua , or Rama V was the fifth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri. He was known to the Siamese of his time as Phra Phuttha Chao Luang . He is considered one of the greatest kings of Siam...
, as one of three new roads constructed at the time Dusit Palace was built, along with Lok Road and Duang Tawan Road . The name "Sang Hi" comes from Chinese, and means "exceedingly happy".
The original road stretched only from behind Dusit Palace to the edge of the Chao Phraya. It was later expanded to connect to Ratchaprarop Road, and then extended across the river to Charan Sanitwong Road when the Krung Thon Bridge began construction in 1954. Because it connected the two sections of the former Sang Hi Road on either side of the river, the Krung Thong Bridge has been called by locals Sang Hi Bridge since before it was officially christened. The intersection of Ratchawithi and Samsen roads, the final intersection before crossing the bridge on the east side of the river, is named Sang Hi Intersection.
The name was changed to Ratchawithi Road on February 16 1918 by King Vajiravudh
Vajiravudh
Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramentharamaha Vajiravudh Phra Mongkut Klao Chao Yu Hua , or Phra Bat Somdet Phra Ramathibodi Si Sintharamaha Vajiravudh Phra Mongkut Klao Chao Yu Hua , or Rama VI was the sixth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri, ruling from 1910 until his death...
. The term is derived from the Pali
Páli
- External links :* *...
/Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
, + , and means "royal way" or "king's road".
The stretch of the road from Victory Monument to Kamphaeng Phet 5 Road is lined with a large number of hospitals and health-related institutions. These include Rajvithi Hospital and Boromarajonani College of Nursing, the Institute of Dermatology, Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health (Children's Hospital), Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Phramongkutklao Hospital and College of Medicine, the Royal Thai Army Nursing College, Prasat Neurological Institute and the under-construction extension of Ramathibodi Hospital
Ramathibodi Hospital
Ramathibodi Hospital is a university hospital of the ' or Ramathibodi Hospital Faculty of Medicine which is a faculty within Mahidol University and the fourth oldest medical school in Thailand...
.