Pathum Wan

Pathum Wan 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 royal villas were built there in the late nineteenth century. The district was officially established in 1915, and covers an area of . A large part of the district area is taken up by the campus of Chulalongkorn University and the green expanses of Lumphini Park and the Royal Bangkok Sports Club. By the turn of the 20th–21st centuries, the district had become known as the modern-day city centre, home to the prominent shopping areas of Siam and Ratchaprasong. History When King Rama I established Bangkok as his capital in 1782, he had canals dug including Khlong Maha Nak, which extended eastward from the fortified city proper of Rattanakosin Island. Communities formed along its bank, including Ban Khrua, a Muslim community mainly of Cham settlers, which stood at the end of the canal. As the canal was extended further eastward and became known as Khlong Bang Kapi (later Khlong Saen Saep), the outlying areas were cleared for paddy fields, though apart from the canal's banks the areas remained sparsely populated. By the reign of King Mongkut (Rama IV, 1851–1868), the city had spread beyond its original walls, and Khlong Phadung Krung Kasem was dug to extend the city's periphery in 1852. The eastern fringe of the city was then dominated by expansive rice fields, with Thung Bang Kapi occupying the areas along Bang Kapi Canal. The area that is now Pathum Wan was occupied by royal paddy fields by the canal, between Khlong Phadung Krung Kasem and Ban Khrua to the west and the Bang Kapi fields to the east. Some Lao war captives had also been settled in the area following the razing of Vientiane in 1827. Sometime before 1855, Mongkut had part of the royal fields south of the canal landscaped with ponds and waterways, which were planted with decorative lotuses, for leisurely visits. A royal villa was built there, which was named Pathum Wan, meaning "lotus forest" (from Pali + ). A temple, named Wat Pathumwanaram, was also built next to the palace. The King made annual visits to the palace and the temple, at first travelling by boat. A road was later built, continuing eastward from Bamrung Mueang Road, linking the palace to the city. It was originally known as Sa Pathum or Pathum Wan Road before being renamed Rama I Road in 1920.