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Sanam Luang or Thung Phra Men
Ratchadamnoen Nai RdAbout
Sanam Luang, Ratchadamnoen Nai Rd (Tha Chang Pier). When Rattanakosin was established as Siam's capital, King Rama I designed this vast open field between the northern wall of the Grand Palace and the eastern wall of the former Wang Na Palace. At that time, the ground was a rice field sometimes used for royal crematoria. The ground was called "Thung Phra Men", which means crematorium ground in Thai. Considering that name was inauspicious, King Rama IV renamed the ground "Thong Sanam Luang", or the royal ground, and all rice farming there was ceased. Later, King Rama V had Wang Na's eastern wall demolished and enlarged Sanam Luang to its current size. The place has been used as the crematorium ground for kings, members of the royal family and nobility, in addition to being a royal sporting ground. 365 tamarind trees are placed around it. Sanam Luang is Bangkok's equivalent of a 'speaker's corner' where the people get together to talk politics. In recent history, the ground has been used for political rallies and demonstrations, such as the yellow and red shirt protests in the late 2000s. At December 5th, the birthday of HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej, literally a million people come here to celebrate his birthday. Every night, a flea market is held on the streets surrounding it.
