Bangkok (Lonely Planet) - Andrew Burke [55]
The reason so many people come to Banglamphu from so many places is Th Khao San. Often referred to simply as ‘Khao San’, the backpacker enclave of guesthouses and amenities has become the benchmark by which backpacker ghettos are measured the world over. These days ‘ghetto’ is a little bit harsh, as the lodgings increasingly cater to ‘flashpackers’, and the lodgings themselves have spread in a 1km radius from the street itself. (For the Khao San story see Click here.)
Long before Banglamphu landed on travellers’ itineraries, it was the original residential district for farmers and produce merchants from Ayuthaya who followed the transfer of the royal court to Bangkok in the late 18th century. The name means ‘Place of Lamphu’, a reference to the lam·poo tree (Duabanga grandiflora) that was once prevalent in the area. By the time of Rama IV, Banglamphu had developed into a thriving commercial district by day and an entertainment spot by night, a role it continues to fulfil today.
Banglamphu spreads from the river north of Th Somdet Phra Pin Klao and eventually melts into Dusit and Thewet beyond Khlong Phadung Krung Kasem. The royal boulevard of Th Ratchadamnoen Klang (royal passage), suitably adorned with billboard-sized pictures of the king, queen and other royal family members, links the Grand Palace in Ko Ratanakosin with newer palaces in Dusit. This central section of the royal road is lined by identical art deco–influenced low-rise buildings, which were built in the early 1940s to house the administration of the new democratic Thailand. Plans to upgrade them and make Th Ratchadamnoen Klang a cultural promenade documenting Thailand’s transition to democracy have stalled, with only King Prajadhipok Museum and the long-established Queen’s Gallery currently welcoming visitors. Running south from Th Ratchadamnoen Klang is Th Tanao, one of Bangkok’s most famous food streets; eat your way along it with our Eats Walk.
Despite the numbers of visitors staying in Banglamphu, the neighbourhood rewards those willing to explore away from the neon of KSR itself. Running parallel to the river west of Th Khao San, Th Phra Athit offers a glimpse of the lifestyle of 19th-century Thai nobility via mansions such as the splendidly restored Baan Phra Athit (Map; 201/1 Th Phra Athit), which once belonged to Chao Phraya Vorapongpipat, finance minister during the reigns of Rama V, Rama VI and Rama VII. By night it offers more than a glimpse into the lifestyle led by the young hipsters of today. Indeed, Th Phra Athit and Th Samsen boast the best collection of small, cool bars in Bangkok; check them out for yourself with the help of the Banglamphu Pub Crawl.
GOLDEN MOUNT & WAT SAKET
Map
0 2621 0576; soi off Th Boriphat; admission to summit of Golden Mount 10B; 8am-5pm; air-con 79, 503 & 511, ordinary 2, 15, 49, 59 & 70; klorng boat to Tha Phan Fah
Before glass and steel towers began growing out of the flat monotony of Bangkok’s riverine plain, the massive Golden Mount (Phu Khao Thong) was the only structure to make any significant impression on the horizon. At the eastern entrance to Banglamphu, the mount was commissioned by Rama III. He ordered that the earth dug out to create Bangkok’s expanding klorng network be piled up to build an enormous, 100m-high, 500m-wide chedi. As the hill grew, however, the weight became too much for the soft soil beneath and the project was abandoned until Rama IV built a small gilded chedi on its crest and added trees to stave off erosion. Rama V later added to the structure and interred a Buddha relic from India (given to him by the British government) in the chedi. The concrete walls were added during WWII.
Today serpentine steps wind through gnarled trees, past small tombstones and up to two platforms that afford panoramic views across the city. At the topmost level Thais pray to a central Buddha shrine and