Sai Mai ( th, สายไหม, ) is one of the
50 districts (''khet'') of
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 ...
,
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
. It is bounded by (from north clockwise):
Lam Luk Ka district of
Pathum Thani province;
Khlong Sam Wa,
Bang Khen and
Don Mueang of Bangkok. As of 2014, it had the highest population of all districts in Bangkok.
History
Sai Mai was the name of a ''
muban
Muban ( th, หมู่บ้าน; , ) is the lowest administrative sub-division of Thailand. Usually translated as 'village' and sometimes as 'hamlet', they are a subdivision of a tambon (subdistrict). , there were 74,944 administrative mu ...
'' (village) in ''
tambon
''Tambon'' ( th, ตำบล, ) is a local governmental unit in Thailand. Below district (''amphoe'') and province (''changwat''), they form the third administrative subdivision level. there were 7,255 tambons, not including the 180 ''khwaeng'' ...
'' (sub-district)
Khu Khot, Lam Luk Ka District, Pathum Thani Province. It was transferred to
Bang Khen district and promoted to subdistrict (''
tambon
''Tambon'' ( th, ตำบล, ) is a local governmental unit in Thailand. Below district (''amphoe'') and province (''changwat''), they form the third administrative subdivision level. there were 7,255 tambons, not including the 180 ''khwaeng'' ...
'') in 1940. Due to the growth of population in the area, Sai Mai was elevated to district status effective 21 November 1997 to improve service and administration.
The name of the village "Sai Mai" (lit: late or not) is believed to come from a story told in the past the area was very far from the downtown. Hence, passing by people often ask, "Will it be late to get here?". It is not related to ''
Roti sai mai
''Roti sai mai'' ( th, โรตีสายไหม, ; "sai mai"; ), also known as roti-wrapped candy floss or Ayutthaya's cotton candy, is a Southeast Asian dessert from Thailand. is an Islamic-influenced dessert served by wrapping cotton cand ...
'' in any way.
The dominant feature of the district is
Khlong
A ''khlong'' ( th, คลอง, ), alternatively spelt as ''klong'' () commonly refers to a canal in Thailand. These canals are spawned by the rivers Chao Phraya, Tha Chin, and Mae Klong, along with their tributaries particularly in the low-ly ...
(canal) Lat Phrao. The canal is thought to have been dug in the early period of the
Rattanakosin Kingdom (1782–1932)
The Rattanakosin Kingdom ( th, อาณาจักรรัตนโกสินทร์, , , abbreviated as , ) or Kingdom of Siam were names used to reference the fourth and current Thai people, Thai kingdom in the History of Thailand, h ...
. Khlong Lat Phrao is one of nine canals in Bangkok that drains rainwater flowing into the city from northern Thailand, but it has been neglected for decades and clogged with refuse. In January 2016, 1.6 billion
baht
The baht (; th, บาท, ; currency sign, sign: ฿; ISO 4217, code: THB) is the official currency of Thailand. It is divided into 100 ''satang'' (, ). The issuance of currency is the responsibility of the Bank of Thailand. Society for Worldw ...
was allocated to rehabilitate the canal, widen it to 38 metres and deepen it to four metres. Construction is to be completed by June 2019.
Administration
The district is divided into three sub-districts (''khwaeng'').
Places
*
Bhumibol Adulyadej Hospital
Bhumibol Adulyadej Hospital () is a hospital located in Sai Mai District, Bangkok, Thailand. It is a military hospital operated by the Directorate of Medical Services, The Royal Thai Air Force particularly for personnel of the Royal Thai Air Fo ...
*
Navaminda Kasatriyadhiraj Royal Thai Air Force Academy
The Navaminda Kasatriyadhiraj Royal Air Force Academy () (NKRAFA) is a military academy for officer cadets of the Royal Thai Air Force.
History
In 1950, the Royal Air Force (RTAF) started recruiting officers who completed their training from ...
*
Rittiyawannalai School
Rittiyawannalai School (Rit-ti-ya-wan-na-lai) ( th, โรงเรียนฤทธิยะวรรณาลัย) is a public secondary school, elementary school (Grades 1–12) and nursery school in Bangkok, Thailand . It was established b ...
*
Saphan Mai
350px, Phaholyothin Road, near Saphan Mai
Saphan Mai ( th, สะพานใหม่, ) is a marketplace and neighbourhood in north Bangkok, chiefly in the Anusawari Subdistrict, Bang Khen District and part of Khlong Thanon Subdistrict, Sai M ...
Transportation
There are three
BTS Skytrain
The Bangkok Mass Transit System, commonly known as the BTS Skytrain ( th, รถไฟฟ้าบีทีเอส '' TS'), is an elevated rapid transit system in Bangkok, Thailand. It is operated by Bangkok Mass Transit System PCL (BTSC), a ...
Sukhumvit line
The Sukhumvit line ( th, รถไฟฟ้า สายสุขุมวิท) or Light Green line, is an elevated metro rail line of the BTS Skytrain in Bangkok, Thailand. From the central Siam Station, where it connects with the Silom Lin ...
stations in Sai Mai:
Bhumibol Adulyadej Hospital
Bhumibol Adulyadej Hospital () is a hospital located in Sai Mai District, Bangkok, Thailand. It is a military hospital operated by the Directorate of Medical Services, The Royal Thai Air Force particularly for personnel of the Royal Thai Air Fo ...
,
Royal Thai Air Force Museum
The Royal Thai Air Force Museum is located in Don Mueang District, Bangkok, Thailand. It is located on the Phahonyothin Road just to the south of Wing 6 of the domestic terminal of the Don Mueang Airport. It was served by the Royal Thai Air Force ...
, and
Yaek Kor Por Aor. All stations are on the
Phahonyothin Road, the westside border to
Don Mueang district.
References
External links
BMA website with the tourist landmarks of Sai Mai(Thai only)
Districts of Bangkok
{{Bangkok-stub