Sanam Chai Road ( th, ถนนสนามไชย, , ) is a historic street in

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in 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 estimated populatio ...

's Phra Nakhon District. It continues from Ratchadamnoen Nai Road at the northeastern corner of the

Grand Palace The Grand Palace ( th, พระบรมมหาราชวัง, Royal Institute of Thailand. (2011). ''How to read and how to write.'' (20th Edition). Bangkok: Royal Institute of Thailand. .) is a complex of buildings at the heart of Ban ...

, and runs south to meet Rachini and Maharat roads near the mouth of the old city moat, a short distance of . The Grand Palace,

Wat Pho Wat Pho ( th, วัดโพธิ์, ), also spelled Wat Po, is a Buddhist temple complex in the Phra Nakhon District, Bangkok, Thailand. It is on Rattanakosin Island, directly south of the Grand Palace. Known also as the Temple of the Reclin ...

, Museum Siam, and Phra Ratchawang Police Station are located on the west side of the road, while on the east side are the Ministry of Defence headquarters, Saranrom Palace, Saranrom Park, the Territorial Defense Command headquarters and Wat Rajabopit School. Sanam Chai Station of the underground MRT's Blue Line is located beneath the road's final stretch. The road is named after Sanam Chai ("field of prosperity"), a field formerly located in front of Saranrom Palace and used for military training. The field, together with

Sanam Luang Sanam Luang ( th, สนามหลวง, ; lit: 'royal turf') is a open field and public square in front of Wat Phra Kaew and the Grand Palace, Bangkok, Thailand. Sanam Luang is in the Phra Nakhon District, the historic center of Bangkok. ...

, was named by King

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 Ramathibo ...

(Rama IV) in 1855, in order to follow the naming previously used in Ayutthaya. Sanam Chai is overlooked by the Grand Palace's Sutthaisawan Prasat Hall, which is used by the king for public appearances.

References

{{coord, 13, 44, 52, N, 100, 29, 39, E, type:landmark, display=title Streets in Bangkok Phra Nakhon district