Bangkok’s official seal features Indra, King of the Angels, atop Thailand’s beloved elephant

A royal connection for a street name is indicated by Raj/Ratch/Rat (depending on the transliteration), Rama and Luang. Given the importance of the monarchy in Thai history and culture, it is no surprise to find royalty reflected in many street names, such as:

Thanon Ratchadamnoen: Walkway of the King Avenue
Thanon Ratchadamri: Edict of the King Street
Thanon Ratchaprarob: Speech of the King Street
Rama (Phraram in Thai): Named for the kings in the Chakri dynasty
Thanon Lan Luang Road: Royal Nephew Road
Sanam Luang: Royal Field
Ram Indra: King (or God) Indra

The official seal of Bangkok portrays Indra, King of the Angels, riding on the back of an elephant. In addition, Indra is subtly, yet prominently, featured at the cultural centre of Bangkok. Visitors to the Grand Palace and Wat Pho are in an area known as Rattanakosin or "Jewel of Indra".

The ‘lovely’ plaza in the ‘love village’

The word bang is commonly used for district names in Bangkok. This makes sense as the word means ‘area’ or ‘district’, although it is commonly translated as ‘village’. The English name for Krungthep comes from a section of the city formerly called Bang Makok (Plum Tree Village), later shortened to Bangkok. Other bang names include:

Bang Kapi: Shrimp Paste Village
Bang Na: Rice Field Village
Bang Lamphu: Olive Tree Village. And no, Khao San Road, this area’s most famous street, does not mean ‘Backpacker’ but rather "Uncooked Rice Road".

Not all the bang names reflect the Thai’s love of food, some show their sentimental side:

Bang Sue: Innocence (or Naivete) Village.
Bang Rak: Love Village. The marriage registry in this district gets inundated with people every Valentines day. What better place to register your marriage than Love Village? Certainly not...
Bang Plat: Separation Village, or ‘Splitsville’

The only Windmill you’ll find now is about 500 metres from Windmill (Silom) Road

Many of us go through our days travelling on roads with wonderful names that deserve to be known. Bangkok’s financial district is on Windmill Road (Silom), so named for the windmill that used to grace the corner of Silom and Charoen Krung. At the other end of Silom is Suan Lumpini (Lumpini Park), named after the birthplace of Buddha.

Almost every foreign resident of Bangkok has been to the immigration office on Betel Nut Park Lane (Soi Suan Phlu). The trip to immigration got you hot under the collar? Taking a left at the end of Betel Nut Park Lane will get you to Cold Air Lane (Soi Yen Akat). Follow Cold Air Lane and you will hit the corner of Making of a Monk’s Blessing Road (Sattu Pradit). This road takes you through the heart of the district known as "Field of the Great Cloud" (Thung Mahamek).

Waiting for ‘contentment’ along Thanon Ploenchit (contentment road)

A number of embassies are located on Withayu or "Wireless Road", the former site of Thailand’s first radio transmitter (Withayu is the Thai and Khmer word for radio). For clothes and computers, many people go shopping in the ‘watergate’ district (Pratunam) which is bordered on the north by Invincible Street (Thanon Sri Ayuthaya). The vast majority of people flying out of Bangkok take the tollway over Buffalo Bridge district (Saphan Khuai), Coconut Slope Road (Thanon Ladprao) and Silver Jubilee Road (Thanon Ratchada Pisek) to City Plateau (Don Muang) International Airport where they bid a fond farewell to the Land of Smiles.

The cars may still be stuck in traffic and the weather may still be too hot but hopefully this glimpse into the mysteries of Bangkok street and district names will make the traffic jam on "Knowledge of Humility Street" or the guest-house search on "Uncooked Rice Road" just a bit more bearable.

A bevy of activity on Thanon Khao San ("Uncooked Rice Road")

Amit would like to thank the friendly and helpful people at both the BMA tourist office and the business centre at the Pathumwan Princess Hotel for their translation help.

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