Pathum Wan

Infobox_Amphoe
name=Pathum Wan
province=Bangkok
thai=ปทุมวัน
capital=Wang Mai
coordinates=coord|13|44|12|N|100|31|24|E|type:adm2nd_region:TH
population=97,533
population_as_of=2003
area=8.37
density=11,654
postal_code=10330
geocode=1007

Pathum Wan or Pathumwan ( _th. ปทุมวัน) 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 Padung Krung Kasem), and Dusit.

History

The district was established in 1914. It is named after a Buddhist temple Wat Pathum Wanaram (literally means "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 plenty of lotus in Khlong Saen Saeb during his reign.

hopping

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 [ [http://www.reic.or.th/home_eng/news/news_detail.asp?nID=11647&t=36&p=1&s=15 CPN's Suan Lum project gets go-ahead] , Real Estate Information Center, retrieved December 27, 2007.] but the site remains open pending on litigation. [ [http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/world/view_article.php?article_id=63144 Bangkok night bazaar defies deadline to close] , Inquirer.net, retrieved December 27, 2007.] [ [http://www.nancychandler.net/product.asp?pId=1062 Nancy Chandler's Map of the Suan Lum Night Bazaar] , retrieved December 27, 2007.]

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.

Places

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.

Festivals

Every year around Christmas and New Year, shopping centers, hotels and sidewalks 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.

Transportation

Rail

* Hua Lamphong is the central train station of Bangkok and the State Railway of Thailand. Trains depart from the station to destinations throughout Thailand.

Mass transit

*Bangkok Metro subway stations in the district are Hua Lamphong, Sam Yan, Si Lom, and Lumphini along the southern border of Pathum Wan.
*Bangkok Skytrain's main interchange station, Siam, is here providing connection between the Si Lom Line and Sukhumvit 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 Saeb, the canal on the northern district border.

Administration

The district is sub-divided into four sub-districts ("Kwaeng").

References

* [http://www.bma.go.th/bmaeng/pathumwan/ BMA website with the touristical landmarks of Pathum Wan]
* [http://203.155.220.217/pathumwan/ Pathum Wan district office] (Thai only)

External links

* [http://www.2bangkok.com/2bangkok/MassTransit/crucible.shtml Bangkok's Crucible of Construction] (Some of the mentioned places are located in nearby Ratchathewi district)
* [http://www.thailandguidebook.com/snakefarm.html Pictures from Snake Farm In Thailand]
* [http://www.jimthompsonhouse.com/index.asp Jim Thompson Thai House Museum]