# Ratchawithi Road

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Street in Bangkok, Thailand

Ratchawithi Road

Bang Phlat Intersection, where this road terminates

**Ratchawithi Road**, also spelled **Rajvithi** ([Thai](/source/Thai_language): ถนนราชวิถี, [RTGS](/source/Royal_Thai_General_System_of_Transcription): **Thanon Ratchawithi**) is a major road in [Bangkok](/source/Bangkok), [Thailand](/source/Thailand). It begins in [Ratchathewi](/source/Ratchathewi) district at [Sam Liam Din Daeng Junction](/source/Sam_Liam_Din_Daeng_Junction), where it intersects with [Din Daeng Road](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Din_Daeng_Road&action=edit&redlink=1) and [Ratchaprarop Road](/source/Ratchaprarop_Road), and runs northwest, past [Victory Monument](/source/Victory_Monument%2C_Bangkok) [Circle](/source/Traffic_circle), through [Dusit](/source/Dusit_District) district, and ultimately crossing the [Chao Phraya River](/source/Chao_Phraya_River) on [Krung Thon Bridge](/source/Krung_Thon_Bridge) and ending in [Bang Phlat](/source/Bang_Phlat) district at Bang Phlat Intersection, where it intersects with [Sirindhorn Road](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sirindhorn_Road&action=edit&redlink=1) and [Charan Sanitwong Road](/source/Charan_Sanitwong_Road).

Ratchawithi Road was formerly known as Sang Hi Road ([Thai](/source/Thai_language): ถนนซางฮี้ or ถนนซังฮี้). It was originally constructed during the reign of King [Chulalongkorn](/source/Chulalongkorn), as one of three new roads constructed at the time [Dusit Palace](/source/Dusit_Palace) was built, along with Lok Road ([Thai](/source/Thai_language): ถนนลก, now [Rama V Road](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rama_V_Road&action=edit&redlink=1)) and Duang Tawan Road ([Thai](/source/Thai_language): ถนนดวงตะวัน, now [Si Ayutthaya Road](/source/Si_Ayutthaya_Road)). The name "Sang Hi" comes from Chinese (囍), and means "[exceedingly happy](/source/Double_Happiness_(calligraphy))".[1]

The original road stretched only from behind Dusit Palace to the edge of the Chao Phraya. It was later expanded to connect to Ratchaprarop Road, and then extended across the river to Charan Sanitwong Road when the Krung Thon Bridge began construction in 1954. Because it connected the two sections of the former Sang Hi Road on either side of the river, the Krung Thong Bridge has been called by locals Sang Hi Bridge ([Thai](/source/Thai_language): สะพานซังฮี้, *Saphan Sang Hi*) since before it was officially christened. The intersection of Ratchawithi and [Samsen](/source/Samsen_Road) roads, the final intersection before crossing the bridge on the east side of the river, is named Sang Hi Intersection.[1]

The name was changed to Ratchawithi Road on February 16, 1918 by King [Vajiravudh](/source/Vajiravudh). The term is derived from the [Pali](/source/Pali)/[Sanskrit](/source/Sanskrit), **rāja** + **vīthi**, and means "royal way" or "king's road".

The stretch of the road from Victory Monument to Kamphaeng Phet 5 Road is lined with a large number of hospitals and health-related institutions. These include [Rajavithi Hospital](/source/Rajavithi_Hospital) and Boromarajonani College of Nursing, the Institute of Dermatology, [Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health](/source/Queen_Sirikit_National_Institute_of_Child_Health) (Children's Hospital), Hospital for Tropical Diseases, [Phramongkutklao Hospital](/source/Phramongkutklao_Hospital) and [College of Medicine](/source/Phramongkutklao_College_of_Medicine), the Royal Thai Army Nursing College, Prasat Neurological Institute and the under-construction extension of [Ramathibodi Hospital](/source/Ramathibodi_Hospital).

At Ratchawithi Intersection, where it meets Rama V Road near [Chitralada Royal Villa](/source/Chitralada_Royal_Villa) and [Dusit Zoo](/source/Dusit_Zoo), at around 6:30 a.m. on Sunday, October 14, 1973, a clash occurred between a group of protesters demanding a constitution and the police. This escalated into a bloody uprising recorded in history as the "[October 14 event](/source/1973_Thai_popular_uprising)".[2]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Oranee_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Oranee_1-1) Naenna, Oranee (2002). *นามนี้มีที่มา* [*These names have origins*] (in Thai). Bangkok: Praphansan. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9789742308483](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9789742308483).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Kasetsiri, Charnvit (2019-10-13). ["เกิดอะไรใน "14 ตุลา" ก่อนมาสู่ชัยชนะสำคัญของประชาชนลุกฮือต้าน "คณาธิปไตย""](https://www.silpa-mag.com/history/article_40175) ["What happened on "October 14" before it became a historic victory of the people's uprising against "oligarchy"]. *[Silpa Wattanatham](/source/Silpa_Wattanatham)* (in Thai). Retrieved 2019-10-16.

[13°46′25″N 100°31′08″E / 13.77361°N 100.51889°E / 13.77361; 100.51889](https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=Ratchawithi_Road&params=13_46_25_N_100_31_08_E_region:TH_type:landmark_source:kolossus-jawiki)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ratchawithi Road](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratchawithi_Road) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratchawithi_Road?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.