Bang Lamphu or spelled Banglampoo and Banglamphu ( th, บางลำพู, ; in the past, it was often misspelled บางลำภู) is a neighbourhood in

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estima ...

located in Phra Nakhon District. The history of the Bang Lamphu community dates to the establishment of the Rattanakosin Kingdom, or earlier. Bang Lamphu covers an area north of Phra Nakhon in Rattanakosin Island from Phra Athit Road to

Samsen Road 350px, Samsen Road in the phase of Thewet Naruemit Bridge (view backward to Phra Nakhon side) Samsen or spelled Sam Sen ( th, สามเสน, ) is a road and neighbourhood in Bangkok considered to be one of Bangkok's oldest. Samsen road start ...

, which leads toward Dusit District.

History

The name "Bang Lamphu" can mean ''area of mangrove apple'' (''lamphu'' is Thai for mangrove apple).

Mangrove apple ''Sonneratia'' is a genus of plants in the family Lythraceae. Formerly the Sonneratia were placed in a family called Sonneratiaceae which included both the ''Sonneratia'' and the ''Duabanga'', but these two are now placed in their own monotypi ...

s ('' Sonneratia caseolaris'') once flourished along waterways in the area, including the

Khlong Bang Lamphu Rattanakosin Island ( th, เกาะรัตนโกสินทร์, , ) is a historic area in the Phra Nakhon District in the city of Bangkok, Thailand. It is bordered by the Chao Phraya River to the west and various canals to the east t ...

and

Chao Phraya River The Chao Phraya ( or ; th, แม่น้ำเจ้าพระยา, , or ) is the major river in Thailand, with its low alluvial plain forming the centre of the country. It flows through Bangkok and then into the Gulf of Thailand. Et ...

. There are no more mangrove apple trees in the local

Santi Chai Prakan Park Santichaiprakarn Park ( th, สวนสันติชัยปราการ, , ) is a small urban park of about 8 rai (round about 3 acres) in Bangkok located on the ending phase of Phra Athit Road, Chana Songkram Subdistrict, Phra Nakhon Dis ...

, since the last one died in 2012 from

2011 Thailand floods Severe flooding occurred during the 2011 monsoon season in Thailand. The flooding began at the end of July triggered by the landfall of Tropical Storm Nock-ten. These floods soon spread through the provinces of northern, northeastern, and centr ...

, but the name Bang Lamphu is still commonly used to describe the area. Bang Lamphu became a community prior to the Rattanakosin period. It is the residence of royalty, courtiers, vassals and citizens of many ethnic groups, including

Thai Thai or THAI may refer to: * Of or from Thailand, a country in Southeast Asia ** Thai people, the dominant ethnic group of Thailand ** Thai language, a Tai-Kadai language spoken mainly in and around Thailand *** Thai script *** Thai (Unicode block ...

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...

Mon Mon, MON or Mon. may refer to: Places * Mon State, a subdivision of Myanmar * Mon, India, a town in Nagaland * Mon district, Nagaland * Mon, Raebareli, a village in Uttar Pradesh, India * Mon, Switzerland, a village in the Canton of Grisons * An ...

and

Muslims Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abraha ...

who settled in the vicinity. Once the Khlong Rop Krung canal was excavated, a pier was established at Bang Lamphu by which goods such as vegetables and fruits could be transported from the

Thonburi __NOTOC__ Thonburi ( th, ธนบุรี) is an area of modern Bangkok. During the era of the Kingdom of Ayutthaya, its location on the right (west) bank at the mouth of the Chao Phraya River had made it an important garrison town, which is ...

side. Bang Lamphu also became a major market for overland trade via the

Khaosan Road Khaosan Road or Khao San Road ( th, ถนนข้าวสาร, , ) is a short ( long) street in central Bangkok, Thailand constructed in 1892 during the reign of Rama V. It is in the Bang Lamphu area of Phra Nakhon District about north o ...

and a number of other roads. The community is home to

likay Likay ( th, ลิเก, , ) is a form of popular folk theatre from Central Thailand (not in Bangkok, where Teochew opera are folk theatre.). Its uniqueness is found in the combination of extravagant costumes with barely equipped stages and vagu ...

dancers and Thai musicians and is the birthplace of

Montri Tramote Montri Tramote ( th, มนตรี ตราโมท, , ; 17 June 1900 – 6 August 1995) was a Thai musician, known as a master of Thai classical music. He was a professional musician under the employment of Fine Arts Department throughout his ...

, a Thai musician recognized as "master of Thai classical music" and National Artist of Performing arts (Thai music). Bang Lamphu has become a popular

tourist destination A tourist attraction is a place of interest that Tourism, tourists visit, typically for its inherent or an exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure and amusement. Types Places of ...

, especially for

Westerners The Western world, also known as the West, primarily refers to the various nations and states in the regions of Europe, North America, and Oceania.

. The Khaosan and Rambuttri Roads feature tourist attractions. Accommodations and dining are available including guest houses,

hostels A hostel is a form of low-cost, short-term shared sociable lodging where guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed in a dormitory, with shared use of a lounge and sometimes a kitchen. Rooms can be mixed or single-sex and have private or shared ba ...

, restaurants,

street foods Street food is ready-to-eat food or drinks sold by a hawker, or vendor, in a street or at other public places, such as markets or fairs. It is often sold from a portable food booth, food cart, or food truck and is meant for immediate consumption ...

, bars,

cafés A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café is an establishment that primarily serves coffee of various types, notably espresso, latte, and cappuccino. Some coffeehouses may serve cold drinks, such as iced coffee and iced tea, as well as other non-caf ...

clothes Clothing (also known as clothes, apparel, and attire) are items worn on the human body, body. Typically, clothing is made of fabrics or textiles, but over time it has included garments made from animal skin and other thin sheets of materials ...

, and travel agencies including

Thai massage Thai massage or Thai yoga massage is a traditional therapy combining acupressure, Indian Ayurvedic principles, and assisted yoga postures. The idea of Sen-lines ''alias'' energy-lines was first used as "Thai yoga massage". These are similar to ...

services. For Thai people, Bang Lamphu is also considered to be a hub for notable

school uniform A school uniform is a uniform worn by students primarily for a school or otherwise an educational institution.They are common in primary and secondary schools in various countries. An example of a uniform would be requiring button-down shir ...

stores. Bang Lamphu, especially Sip Sam Hang Road, the area opposite Wat Bowonniwet Vihara considered as a center of teenagers in 1950s–60s, like Wang Burapha. Since it was home to many restaurants including cafés and ice cream parlours that offer jukebox and television, which was are rare appliances in those days. Hence, Bang Lamphu and Sip Sam Hang Road was cited in the 1997

heroic bloodshed film '' Dang Bireley's and Young Gangsters'' as a backdrop for the characters in street gang battles.

Interesting places

Transportation

MRT Purple Line The MRT Purple line ( th, รถไฟฟ้ามหานคร สายสีม่วง) or MRT Chalong Ratchatham line ( th, รถไฟฟ้ามหานคร สายฉลองรัชธรรม) is Bangkok's fifth rapid tra ...

: Bang Khun Phrom Station (future extension) * BMTA bus:

route Route or routes may refer to: * Route (gridiron football), a path run by a wide receiver * route (command), a program used to configure the routing table * Route, County Antrim, an area in Northern Ireland * ''The Route'', a 2013 Ugandan film * Ro ...

A4, S1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 30, 32, 33, 43, 47, 53, 56, 59, 64, 65, 68, 70, 82, 127, 503, 516, 524 * Khlong Bang Lamphu Boat Service: Bang Lamphu Pier (under Norarat Sathan Bridge) * Chao Phraya Express Boat: Phra Arthit Pier (N13)

References

External links

Banglamphu
in

Lonely Planet Lonely Planet is a travel guide book publisher. Founded in Australia in 1973, the company has printed over 150 million books. History Early years Lonely Planet was founded by married couple Maureen and Tony Wheeler. In 1972, they embarked ...

{{Authority control Neighbourhoods of Bangkok Phra Nakhon district Tourist attractions in Bangkok