Si Yaek Maha Nak ( th, สี่แยกมหานาค, ) is a sub-district (''

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 othe ...

'') of Dusit district, Bangkok.

History

The name ''Si Yaek Maha Nak'' means "Maha Nak Intersection" or "Maha Nak Four Corners". It's a water intersection. This area is famous for its past

floating market A floating market is a market where goods are sold from boats. Originating in times and places where water transport played an important role in daily life, most floating markets operating today mainly serve as tourist attractions, and are chie ...

. The name "Maha Nak" is named after Khlong Maha Nak (คลองมหานาค; Maka Nak canal). The canal has a starting point at the Khlong Rop Krung (คลองรอบกรุง; lit: ''around the city canal''), which is part of the old city moat (

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 Saphan Mahat Thai Uthit (Mahat Thai Uthit bridge) near

Ratchadamnoen avenue Ratchadamnoen Avenue ( th, ถนนราชดำเนิน, , , also spelled Rajdamnern) is a historic road in the Phra Nakhon and Dusit Districts of Bangkok, Thailand. Ratchadamnoen Avenue may be the most politically charged thoroughfare ...

and then Mahakan fort passes through to the east. In this area it confluence with

Khlong Phadung Krung Kasem Khlong Phadung Krung Kasem ( th, คลองผดุงกรุงเกษม, ) is a canal (''khlong'') in Bangkok. It was dug in 1851 in order to serve as a new outer moat for the expanding city, extending its boundaries from the Rattanakosin ...

(Phadung Krung Kasem canal) and flowing continuously to meet with

Khlong Saen Saep Khlong Saen Saep (, ) is a canal ''(khlong)'' in central Thailand, connecting the Chao Phraya River to Prachinburi Province and Chachoengsao Province, Chachoengsao. A portion of the canal is used for public transport by an express boat service in ...

(Saen Saep canal) at

Ban Khrua Ban Khrua ( th, บ้านครัว, ; other spellings include ''Ban Krua'' and ''Baan Krua'') is a historic community neighborhood along Bangkok's Khlong Saen Saep from Saphan Hua Chang to Wat Phrayayang. It includes an area of about 14 ra ...

quarter. All of these canals were built in the early Rattanakosin period during the reigns of King

Phutthayotfa Chulalok Phra Phutthayotfa Chulalok Maharaj (, 20 March 1737 – 7 September 1809), personal name Thongduang (), also known as Rama I, was the founder of the Rattanakosin Kingdom and the first monarch of the reigning Chakri dynasty of Siam (now Thai ...

(Rama I),

Nangklao Nangklao ( th, พระบาทสมเด็จพระนั่งเกล้าเจ้าอยู่หัว, ; 31 March 1788 – 2 April 1851), birth name Thap ( th, ทับ), also styled Rama III, was the third king of Siam u ...

(Rama III) and

Mongkut Mongkut ( th, มงกุฏ; 18 October 18041 October 1868) was the fourth monarch of Siam (Thailand) under the House of Chakri, titled Rama IV. He ruled from 1851 to 1868. His full title in Thai was ''Phra Bat Somdet Phra Menthora Ramathibod ...

(Rama IV). It was the main transport route of the people in those days. It was the centre of travel and trade by boat and connected to

Chachoengsao province Chachoengsao ( th, ฉะเชิงเทรา, ) is one of Thailand's seventy-six provinces (''changwat''), located in eastern Thailand. History ''Chachoengsao'' or ''Paet Riu'' ('eight stripes') is a province in eastern Thailand. It has a ...

eastern Eastern may refer to: Transportation *China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai *Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways *Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991 *Eastern Air Li ...

by Khlong Saen Saep. It became a floating market at the end of that era. There's an incredible story behind this area's naming of "Si Yak Maha Nak", it is due to

Mae Nak Phra Khanong Mae Nak Phra Khanong ( th, แม่นากพระโขนง, meaning 'Lady Nak of Phra Khanong'), or simply Mae Nak ( th, แม่นาก, 'Lady Nak') or Nang Nak ( th, นางนาก, 'Miss Nak'), is a well-known Thai ghost. Acc ...

, Thai female ghost, and was well known as being haunted by her inflating her body to a gigantic size here. And it's rumored that King Mongkut had visited to see her. (Maha is Thai loanword from

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

महा (''mahā'') meaning ''the great''). At present Si Yak Maha Nak is still an important market, as in the past. It's the location of the Maha Nak Market, also known as Saphan Khao Market, Bangkok's largest wholesale and retail fruits market. In addition, it's also adjacent to

Bobae file:BobaeTower.jpg, Bobae Tower and Prince Palace Hotel file:BobaeStreetVendors.jpg, Street stalls Bobae Market ( th, ตลาดโบ๊เบ๊, , ), usually shortened to ''Bobae'', is a well-known cheap clothing market, both retail and whol ...

, wholesale and retail cheap clothes market located in

Pom Prap Sattru Phai Pom Prap Sattru Phai ( th, ป้อมปราบศัตรูพ่าย, , or popularly just called Pom Prap, ) is one of the 50 districts (khet) of Bangkok, Thailand. Neighbouring districts are (from north clockwise) Dusit, Pathum Wan, ...

district.

Geography

Neighbouring sub-districts are (from the north clockwise): Suan Chitlada in its district (Phitsanulok and Nakhon Sawan roads are the divider lines), Thanon Phetchaburi of

Ratchathewi Ratchathewi ( th, ราชเทวี, ) is a district in central Bangkok, Thailand. Clockwise from the north, its neighboring districts are Phaya Thai, Din Daeng, Huai Khwang, Watthana, Pathum Wan and Dusit. History The district was part o ...

district ( Northern railway line is a divider line),

Rong Mueang Rong Mueang ( th, รองเมือง, ) is a '' khwaeng'' (subdistrict) of Pathum Wan district, downtown Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous ...

Pathum Wan Pathum Wan ( th, ปทุมวัน, ) is one of the fifty districts (''khet'') of Bangkok, Thailand. It lies just beyond the old city boundary of Khlong Phadung Krung Kasem, and was a rural area on the eastern outskirts of the city when roya ...

district (Khlong Saen Saep is a divider line), Khlong Maha Nak and Wat Sommanat of Pom Prap Sattru Phai district (Khlong Phadung Krung Kasem is a divider line), respectively. It has a total area of 0.375 km² (round about 0.14 mi²), considered as the smallest sub-district and the southernmost area of the district.

Places

* Maha Nak Market or Saphan Khao Market *

Asia-Pacific International University Asia-Pacific International University is a private Christian university located in Saraburi, Thailand. Its main campus is in the rural town of Muak Lek, Saraburi Province and the nursing school is located on the grounds of Bangkok Adventist Hos ...

: Bangkok Campus * Hall of Honour of The Prime Ministers & The National Council of Women of Thailand Under The Royal Patronage of Her Majesty The Queen (formerly Ban Managkasila) * Phitsanulok Mansion *

Bangkok Adventist Hospital ) , Org/Group = Seventh-day Adventist Church , Image = , Caption = , Logo = , Location = Bangkok , Region = , State = , Country = Thailand , Coordinates = , HealthCare = , Type = Gener ...

(Mission Hospital)

References

{{Coord, 13, 45, 28.64, N, 100, 30, 59.12, E, region:TH_type:landmark, display=title Dusit district Retail markets in Bangkok Neighbourhoods of Bangkok Subdistricts of Bangkok