{{Short description|Road in Bangkok, Thailand}} {{about|the Bangkok road and intersection|the ''[[amphoe]]'' (district) in Buriram province|Phlapphla Chai District}} {{multiple image | direction = vertical | width = 250 | align =right | image1 = Luang -Phlap phla Chai, Wat Thepsirin, bangkok - panoramio.jpg | alt1 = | caption1 = Phlapphla Chai Intersection | image2 = Luang Wat Thepsirin,Pom prap Sattru Phai, bangkok - panoramio.jpg | alt2 = | caption2 =The temple's entrance gate (on the [[Luang Road]] side) }} '''Phlapphla Chai''' ({{langx|th|พลับพลาไชย}}, {{IPA|th|pʰláp.pʰlāː t͡ɕʰāj|pron}}) is the name of a road in Bangkok's [[Pom Prap]] and [[Wat Thep Sirin Subdistrict|Wat Thep Sirin]] sub-districts, [[Pom Prap Sattru Phai District]], and also the five-way intersection of the road with [[Luang Road|Luang]] and Maitri Chit Roads. It is also the name of the surrounding area in the northernmost of [[Bangkok's Chinatown]].
==The route== Phlapphla Chai Road branches off from the west side of [[Charoen Krung Road]] at [[Plaeng Nam]] Intersection, extending north and intersecting Luang and Maitri Chit Roads at Phlapphla Chai Intersection, continuing north until it reaches [[Bamrung Mueang Road]] in the [[Suan Mali]] quarter, with a total length of about 1.1 km (0.68 mi).
[[Bangkok Mass Transit Authority|BMTA]]'s bus line 2-9 (53) (inner city loop) is the only line running on this road (only in the section between Phlapphla Chai Intersection and the end of the road).
Along the road are Li Ti Meow Shrine, [[Wat Khanikaphon]], [[Poh Teck Tung Foundation]], Phlapphla Chai Police Stations 1 and 2, Tai Hong Kong Shrine, and [[Wat Thepsirin]].
==History== The name "Phlapphla Chai" comes from [[Wat Phlapphla Chai, Bangkok|Wat Phlapphla Chai]] (วัดพลับพลาไชย), a [[wat|Thai Buddhist temple]] situated at the southeast corner of the intersection. The temple dates back to the [[Ayutthaya period]] and was originally known as ''Wat Khok'' (วัดโคก). The surrounding area once served as execution grounds, and numerous human skeletons have been unearthed. Furthermore, the edge of the temple was the location of Pom Prap Sattru Phai, [[Fortifications of Bangkok#1852 forts|one of the eight forts constructed]] along [[Khlong Phadung Krung Kasem]] during the reign of King [[Mongkut]] (Rama IV); this fort later lent its name to the present-day Pom Prap Sattru Phai District.<ref>{{cite web |last=Wongthes |first=Sujit |date=2016-06-14 |title=คลองผดุงกรุงเกษม ส่วนขยายของกรุงเทพฯ สมัย ร.4 |trans-title=Phadung Krung Kasem Canal the extension of Bongkok in the Rama IV's reign |url=https://www.matichon.co.th/columnists/news_174142 |access-date=2021-01-11 |work=Matichon |language=thai}}</ref> The temple was renamed Wat Phlapphla Chai during the reign of King [[Vajiravudh]] (Rama VI), when the area was used as a practice ground for the [[Wild Tiger Corps]], a royal paramilitary unit founded by the king. The word ''phlapphla'' means 'pavilion', and ''Wat Phlapphla Chai'' translates as "Victory Pavilion Temple", referring to the temporary pavilion erected by King [[Phutthayotfa Chulalok]] (Rama I) in the area when he was still known as Chao Phraya Maha Kasat Suek, returning from a military campaign against the Khmer in 1782.
Phlapphla Chai Road was constructed during the reign of King [[Chulalongkorn]] (Rama V). It could not be built in a straight line due to obstruction from the Meng Soon Building, which belonged to a landlord under French protection. At the time, France held extraterritorial rights in Siam and refused to allow expropriation of its subject's property. Chinese businessman [[Hong Taechawanit]] later donated his mansion on Phlapphla Chai Road to the government, and it was converted into what is now the Phlapphla Chai Police Station.
On the evening of 3 July 1974, the area became the site of the "Chinatown Riots", a violent incident that left 26 dead and more than 120 injured. The unrest began when two police officers arrested a taxi driver for illegal parking. The driver resisted and shouted that he was being assaulted, attracting a crowd to the Phlapphla Chai Police Station. Tensions escalated quickly, and the disturbance spread to nearby locations such as [[Hua Lamphong]], the [[22 July Circle]], [[King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital]], [[Rama IV Road]], and [[Wang Burapha]]. Protesters set fire to public buildings, hurled explosives, and opened fire on the police, who were initially unable to regain control. The riots lasted for four days until the government, led by Prime Minister [[Sanya Dharmasakti]], declared a state of emergency. Order was eventually restored after military and police forces were deployed to suppress the uprising. This incident is widely regarded as the first major public revolt since the [[1973 Thai popular uprising|October 14 uprising]] the previous year. In its aftermath, the [[Ministry of Interior (Thailand)|Ministry of Interior]] issued an official statement, stating that the unrest had stemmed from a violent confrontation between two local mafia factions known as the Dragon Gang and the Eagle Gang.<ref name="anm"/><ref>{{cite book |first= Charnvit|last= Kasetsiri|title= Thailand Timeline 1942-2011|year= 2012|publisher= Post Books|location= Bangkok|isbn= 9789742280703|language=thai}}</ref> <gallery mode=packed heights=180> File:Phlap Phla Chai Road on Chinese New Year 2021.jpg|Phlapphla Chai Road bustling with people dressed in red for good fortune during [[Chinese New Year#Thailand|Chinese New Year]] 2021, in the area of the Poh Teck Tung Foundation, home to the Tai Hong Kong Shrine (Phlapphla Chai Police Station is on the left). </gallery> Today, Phlapphla Chai remains one of the areas in Bangkok with a high concentration of [[Sino-Thai]] residents. Located near [[Yaowarat]] and Charoen Krung Roads, the area is home to numerous restaurants and street food vendors, some of which have been recognised with [[Bib Gourmand]] distinctions by the [[Michelin Guide]].<ref name="anm">{{cite web|url=https://mgronline.com/onlinesection/detail/9590000036153|trans-title=Make a mountain out of a molehill! just a traffic police to arrest a taxi became a riot until the police couldn't control must to declare a state of emergency send a tank to defeat!!|title=น้ำผึ้งหยดเดียว! แค่ ตร.จราจรจับแท็กซี่ กลายเป็นจลาจลจน ตร.รับไม่ไหว ต้องประกาศภาวะฉุกเฉิน ส่งรถถังเข้าปราบ!!|last=Bunnag|first=Rome|date=2016-04-11|work=Manager Daily|language=thai|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.manager.co.th/travel/viewnews.aspx?NewsID=9580000009020|trans-title=Pay homage visit Chinatown at "Phlapphla Chai neighbourhood"|title=ไหว้พระทำบุญ เยี่ยมชุมชนคนจีน ที่ "ย่านพลับพลาไชย"|language=thai|work=[[Manager Daily]]|date=2015-01-23}}{{nonspecific|date=June 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://guide.michelin.com/th/en/bangkok-region/bangkok/restaurant/poon-lert-room-phlapphla-chai-intersection|title=Poon Lert Room (Phlapphla Chai intersection)|work=Michelin Guide}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://guide.michelin.com/th/en/bangkok-region/bangkok/restaurant/ann-guay-tiew-kua-gai|title=Ann Guay Tiew Kua Gai|work=Michelin Guide}}</ref> In the past, it was also known as a hub for photography equipment shops.
== References == {{reflist}}
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[[Category:Road junctions in Bangkok]] [[Category:Pom Prap Sattru Phai district]] [[Category:Streets in Bangkok]] [[Category:Neighbourhoods of Bangkok]]