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 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 ...

from

Phra Athit Road Phra Athit Road ( th, ถนนพระอาทิตย์, , ; lit: ''"Sun Road"'') is located along Chao Phraya River to the northeast. Back in the past this road was full with important buildings such as houses of nobility and mansions as res ...

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 apples (''

Sonneratia caseolaris ''Sonneratia caseolaris'', commonly known as mangrove apple, is a species of plant in the family Lythraceae. The fruit is noted for its outward similarity to the persimmon fruit. This tree is a type of mangrove growing up to 20 m in height and ...

'') once flourished along waterways in the area, including the Khlong Bang Lamphu 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, since the last one died in 2012 from 2011 Thailand floods, 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 ...

, Mon 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 Ram Buttri Road or Soi Ram Buttri ( th, ถนนรามบุตรี, ซอยรามบุตรี, also written as Rambuttri), is a small road, or soi (ซอย; alley), in Bangkok, Thailand. It is situated near Khaosan Road in the Bang ...

Roads feature tourist attractions. Accommodations and dining are available including

guest houses A guest house (also guesthouse) is a kind of lodging. In some parts of the world (such as the Caribbean), guest houses are a type of inexpensive hotel-like lodging. In others, it is a private home that has been converted for the exclusive use ...

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 A restaurant is a business that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services. Restaurants vary greatly in appearanc ...

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 A travel agency is a private retailer or public service that provides travel and tourism-related services to the general public on behalf of accommodation or travel suppliers to offer different kinds of travelling packages for each destinatio ...

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 Wat Pavaranivesh Vihara Ratchawarawihan ( th, วัดบวรนิเวศวิหารราชวรวิหาร; , ) is a major Buddhist temple (''wat'') in Phra Nakhon district, Bangkok, Thailand. Being the residence of Nyanasamvar ...

considered as a center of teenagers in 1950s–60s, like

Wang Burapha Wang Burapha ( th, วังบูรพา, ) is a historic neighbourhood in Bangkok, regarded as the first commercial and entertainment district in contemporary Thailand (after 1932 revolution). It is situated between Charoen Krung, Maha Chai, ...

. 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 Heroic bloodshed is a genre invented by Hong Kong action cinema revolving around stylized action sequences and dramatic themes such as brotherhood, duty, honour, redemption and violence that has become a popular genre used by different directors w ...

film ''

Dang Bireley's and Young Gangsters ''Dang Bireley's and Young Gangsters'' (Thai: 2499 อันธพาลครองเมือง or ''2499 Antapan Krong Muang''; literally: ''2499 Gangsters Rule the City'') is a 1997 crime drama film about young Thai gangsters in 1950s Thailan ...

'' 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 The Chao Phraya Express Boat ( th, เรือด่วนเจ้าพระยา ''Ruea Duan Chao Phraya'') is a transportation service in Thailand operating on the Chao Phraya River. It provides riverine express transportation between stop ...

: 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