Introduction to Rajadamnoen Avenue

No place plays a more important role in the modern history of Thailand than Rajadamnoen Avenue. It has been the stage for many dramatic events in Thai history. It was here that the Imperial Japanese Marines marched after seizing Thailand as a client state during WWII. And it was here that the Thai people, on more than one occasion, courageously faced the bullets and batons of corrupt governments to restore democracy to the nation.

Rajadamnoen Avenue was built by King Rama 5 to link his old residence, the Grand Palace, with his new royal palace in nearby Dusit. Taking inspiration from the Queen’s Walk in London, Rama 5 named this road Rajadamnoen which, in Sanskrit, means “Royal Passage.”

Construction on Bangkok’s widest road began in 1899. As there were no sophisticated machines in those days, elephants were used to do all the heavy lifting and pulling. One particular elephant named Plai Mongkol became a local legend after working himself to death clearing trees and hauling rocks for the construction of this avenue.

When first opened in 1903, Rajadamnoen looked nothing like what you see now. At the time, there were hardly any cars in Siam, so most people felt that the road was too wide. 100 years ago there were no shops and no buildings. There were only mahogany trees, an occasional rickshaw, and a few wooden houses scattered here and there. Rama 5 envisaged the road lined with graceful palaces, but most were never built.

It wasn’t until the late 1930s that the avenue began to take its present shape. Anxious to build on Rama 5′s dream of creating a Siamese version of Paris’ Champs-Elysees, Field Marshall Pibul Songkram knocked down the mahogany trees to make Rajadamnoen even larger and wider. His architects designed the huge post-war style buildings that now flank the avenue. These repetitive buildings were all built of the same material and many of them continue to serve as government offices.

The avenue is now lined by broad sidewalks and park benches. Every two weeks this sidewalk explodes in a frenzy of activity as street-side vendors unload discounted lottery tickets from the nearby Government Lottery Office. Over 92 million tickets are sold every month to Thais looking to collect a 3 million baht grand prize. The avenue itself is always bustling, and has become one of the most congested in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of vehicles pass this way daily with traffic snarls becoming particularly ferocious during monsoon downpours.

Rajadamnoen still serves as a royal passage; if you stand here long enough you just might see the King pass by in his yellow Rolls Royce limousine.

If you miss the royal motorcade, you can still spot the royal family in the portraits standing tall over the avenue. King Bhumibol, the world’s longest reigning monarch, is often pictured holding a camera, binoculars and maps emphasizing his unique success in charting the course of the country. His wife, Queen Sirikit, is usually shown working with crafts, marking her effort to revitalize and promote the Thai arts, especially the silk industry. Prince Vachiralongkorn is mostly seen in his pilot’s uniform and cap symbolizing national service, while Princess Sirindhorn is usually shown serving the country through social, cultural and academic endeavors.