Samre (, ), also spelled Sam Re and Samray, is a subdistrict (''

khwaeng A ''khwaeng'' (, ) is an administrative subdivision used in the fifty districts of Bangkok and a few other city municipalities in Thailand. Currently, there are 180 ''khwaeng'' in Bangkok. A ''khwaeng'' is roughly equivalent to a ''tambon'' in ot ...

'') of

Thon Buri District Thon Buri (, ) is one of the 50 districts (''khet'') of Bangkok, Thailand. On the west bank of Chao Phraya River, it was once part of Thon Buri province. Neighboring districts are (from north clockwise) Bangkok Yai, Phra Nakhon (across Chao P ...

, Bangkok, Thailand. It is also the name of a neighbourhood around the area.

History

The word ''samre'' is a name for the plant '' Malabar melastome'' (also known as ''khlongkhleng''), which probably used to grow in abundance in the area, leading the neighbourhood to be known by the name. It was also the name of a Buddhist temple (''

wat A wat (, ; , ; , ; ; , ) is a type of Buddhist and Hindu temple in Cambodia, Laos, East Shan State (Myanmar), Yunnan (China), the Southern Province of Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Etymology The word ''wat'' is borrowed from the Sanskrit ''v ...

'') in the area, Wat Samre, believed to have been built around 1717 and now known as Wat Ratchawarin. Samre used to be a site of public executions during the late seventeenth to early eighteenth centuries, where prisoners were beheaded and their heads set on spikes by the riverside. It was a place locals feared to be heavily haunted, and is described as such in ''Nirat Thalang'', a travel poem written c. 1815–1816 by Muen Phromsomphatson, a student of

Sunthorn Phu Phra Sunthorn Vohara (Phu) (, , ; 26 June 1786 – 1855), known as Sunthorn Phu (, , ), was a Thai poet. He is often referred to as the "Shakespeare of Thailand." Born four years after the founding of the Rattanakosin Kingdom, he entered royal ...

. In the 1850s, a plot of land in the area was purchased by American missionary

Stephen Mattoon Stephen Mattoon (May 5, 1816 – 1889) was an American Presbyterian missionary who worked in Siam from 1847 to 1864. His works include the translation of the New Testament into the Thai language. Career Mattoon served as a translator for Townsend ...

, and it became the location of the First Presbyterian Church, Samray as well as Samray Boys' School, the country's first formal school.

Geography

Samre is in the southeastern corner of

. Samre is bounded by other subdistricts (from north clockwise):

Bang Yi Ruea Bang Yi Ruea (, ) is a ''khwaeng'' (sub-district) in Thon Buri District, Thon Buri district, Thonburi side of Bangkok. It has a total area of 1.523 Square kilometer, km2 (round about 0.588 Square mile, mi2). History Originally, this area was called ...

in its district (Krung Thonburi Road is a borderline), Bang Lamphu Lang in Khlong San District (Khlong Bang Sai Kai is a borderline),

Wat Phraya Krai Wat Phraya Krai (, ) is one of three ''khwaeng'' (sub-district) of Bang Kho Laem district, Bangkok. It has a total area of 2.300 km2 (round about 0.888 mi2) west side along Chao Phraya river and in late 2017, it had a total population of 26,681 pe ...

and Bang Kho Laem in Bang Kho Laem District with Dao Khanong in its district (

Chao Phraya River The Chao Phraya River 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. Etymology Written evidence of the river being referred to by the ...

and Mahaisawan Road are the borderlines),

Bukkhalo Bukkhalo (, ) is a ''khwaeng'' (sub-district) of Thon Buri District, Bangkok. Its name is also the name of surrounding area. Geography Bukkhalo is the central area of the district. The area is bounded by other subdistricts (from north clockwise) ...

in its district (Somdet Phra Chao Tak Sin Road is a borderline).

Places

*First Presbyterian Church, Samray *Samre Police Station *Bukkhalo Police Station *Samre Post Office *Wat Bang Nam Chon * Samitivej Thonburi Hospital (formerly Krungdhon 1 Hospital) * Rama III Bridge (New Krungthep Bridge, Krungthep 2 Bridge) The local temple Wat Samre, or Wat Ratchawarin, indeed, it is located in the area of neighbouring Bukkhalo.

References

{{Coord, 13, 42, 34.6, N, 100, 29, 29.44, E, region:TH_type:landmark, display=title Neighbourhoods of Bangkok Subdistricts of Bangkok Thon Buri district