- Sathon
Infobox_Amphoe
name=Sathon
province=Bangkok
thai=สาทร
capital=Thung Wat Don
coordinates=coord|13|42|29|N|100|31|35|E|type:adm2nd_region:TH
population=107,159
population_as_of=2005
area=9.326
density=11,490
postal_code=10120
geocode=1028Sathon or Sathorn ( _th. สาทร) is one of the 50 districts ("Khet") of
Bangkok ,Thailand . The district is bounded by six other districts (from north clockwise):Bang Rak ,Pathum Wan ,Khlong Toei ,Yan Nawa ,Bang Kho Laem , andKhlong San (acrossChao Phraya River ).History
Sathon district was once part of Yan Nawa. Due to its large area and population, first a branch district office of Yan Nawa was setup on
9 March 1989 to serve the people in 3 "Kwaengs" of Yan Nawa. And then on9 November 1989, the Sathon district is established inheriting the area once served by the branch office.The district is named after the Sathon Road and Khlong Sathon.
Khlong Sathon, the older of the two, is a canal dug for public transportation by a Chinese company. The Chinese owner was later granted the name "Luang Sathon Racha Yuk" (หลวงสาทรราชายุกต์) by KingChulalongkorn for her accomplishment. Along both sides of the canal later became Sathon Road.Incorrect Thai spelling for Sathon สาธร had been used for very long time but it has been corrected since April1999 .athon Road
Sathon Road marks the northern boundary of the district, with the southern lane of the road belonging to Sathon district and the northern lane across the Sathon canal belonging to Bang Rak.
Temples
Wat Yan Nawa (วัดยานนาวา), an oldtemple dated back to the Ayutthaya period, is probably the best known temple in Sathon. It has a unique junk shaped chedi and viharn built by King Rama III. The idea behind the construction was that Chinese junk was quickly disappearing and the pagoda should show present descendants what it looked like. The temple was known as Wat Kok Khwai (วัดคอกควาย) duringAyuthaya kingdom and Wat Kok Krabue (วัดคอกกระบือ) duringThonburi and earlyBangkok era before the construction of the chedi.Wat Don (วัดดอน) is another old temple built in
1797 duringRama I period by people who immigrated here fromTavoy ,Myanmar . But the name Wat Don is equally well known for the Wat Don Cemetery not far away. The graveyard contains buried remains of people of Chinese heritage. Next to the cemetery is Wat Prok (วัดปรก), a Mon-styled Buddhist temple.Administration
The district is sub-divided into three sub-districts ("Kwaeng").
External links
* [http://www.bma.go.th/bmaeng/sathon/ BMA website with the touristical landmarks of Sathon]
* [http://www.geocities.com/stdo_bma/eindex.htm Sathon district office]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
