Ratchathewi district
Template:Infobox Amphoe Ratchathewi (Thai ราชเทวี) is a district in central Bangkok, Thailand. It is also name of a BTS Skytrain station.
Neighboring districts are (from the north clockwise) Phaya Thai, Din Daeng, Huai Khwang, Watthana, Pathum Wan, Pom Prap Sattru Phai and Dusit.
History
The district was once part of Phaya Thai district but has been separated since 1989. The district name inherits from the Ratchathewi Intersection, which is the intersection of Phetchaburi Road and Phaya Thai Road. The name originally came from a royal consort to King Chulalongkorn, Phra Nangchao Sukhummanmarasri Phra Ratchathewi (Thai: พระนางเจ้าสุขุมาลมารศรี พระราชเทวี). The term Phra Rachathewi (also spelled Phra Rajathevi) is a rank in Thai royal and noble titles for royal consorts.
Landmarks
Victory Monument was built by Plaek Pibulsonggram, the Prime Minister back then, to honor the 59 people died in a conflict over land rights around Louangphabang and Champassack area with French army of French Indochina in 1940. The opening ceremony was held on 24 June 1942. It is built to the shape of five bayonets joined together and five statues around its base representing army, navy, airforce, police, and civilian. There are 809 names inscripted below the statues, including the losses from World War II and Korean War. It is now a major bus hub with a Bangkok Skytrain station nearby.
Suan Pakkard Palace is a museum exhibiting Thai antiques, from ancient to recent ones. The museum compound contains eight traditional wooden Thai houses with exhibits inside. The old Ban Chiang pottery dated back to 4000 years ago is among one of the highlight exhibit and is located in a modern Jumphot-Pantip building.
Shopping
Pratu Nam (Thai: ประตูน้ำ) is an area renowned for low-cost clothes. Not evident from outside on Phetchaburi Road, there are hundreds and hundreds of small clothes shops along the small pedestrian lanes and the shopping complexes inside, both wholesale and retail. The easiest entrance to Pratu Nam is walking southward from Baiyoke Tower.
Pantip Plaza is the biggest shopping center about IT in Thailand. There you can find computers (brandname and self assembled from components), computer accessories, software, music and movie (legal and illegal), mobile phones and digital cameras.
Transportation
There are three Bangkok Skytrain (BTS) stations in Ratchathewi: Ratchathewi, Phaya Thai, and Victory Monument. Express boats run along the narrow Khlong Saen Saeb canal in the southern district border.
Administration
The district is sub-divided into four sub-district (Kwaeng).
| 1. | Thung Phaya Thai | ทุ่งพญาไท | |
| 2. | Thanon Phaya Thai | ถนนพญาไท | |
| 3. | Thanon Phetchaburi | ถนนเพชรบุรี | |
| 4. | Makkasan | มักกะสัน |
External links
- BMA website with the touristical landmarks of Ratchathewi
- Ratchathewi district office (Thai only)
- Bangkok's Crucible of Construction (Items 1 to 7 and 35 to 42. The rest are belong to nearby Pathum Wan district)