{{Short description|Road and neighbourhood in Bangkok, Thailand}} {{Redirect|Samsen|the aerospace engineer and car designer|John Samsen}} {{Infobox street | name = Samsen Road | native_name = {{lang|th|ถนนสามเสน}} | image = ถนนสามเสน เขตดุสิต กรุงเทพมหานคร Samsen Road,Bangkok (3).jpg | caption =Samsen Road at [[Bang Krabue Intersection|Bang Krabue]] | former_names = Saphan Kaew Road |length_km= 4.6
| namesake = Khlong Samsen |direction_a = South |terminus_a = [[Phra Sumen Road]] and Chakrabongse Road, [[Phra Nakhon]] |direction_b = North |terminus_b = [[Pracharat Sai 1 Road]] and Thahan Road, [[Khet Dusit|Dusit]] | location = [[Bangkok]], [[Thailand]] | coordinates = {{coord|13.783449|100.512118|format=dms|type:landmark_source:enwiki-googlemaplink|display=title,inline}} | mapframe-wikidata = yes | mapframe-zoom = 12 }} '''Samsen''' or spelled '''Sam Sen''' ({{langx|th|สามเสน}}, {{IPA|th|sǎːm.sěːn|pron}}) is a road and neighbourhood in [[Bangkok]] considered to be one of Bangkok's oldest. Samsen Road starts from Bang Lamphu Intersection in the area of [[Bang Lamphu]] within [[Phra Nakhon]] district and wends northeast to [[Dusit District|Dusit]] district as far as it ends at [[Kiakkai]] Intersection, covering 4.6 km (2.9 mi). It runs parallel to east [[Chao Phraya river]] all the route.
== History == Samsen began during the [[Ayutthaya period]] (1351–1767), particularly in the reign of King [[Narai]] (1633–1688). The Portuguese came to live and work in the kingdom, and the king allowed them to settle in Samsen. At that time, this area was mainly [[paddy field]]s and [[khlong|canal]]s, including Khlong Samsen (Samsen canal), which is believed to be a natural canal. The Portuguese founded the [[Immaculate Conception Church, Bangkok|Immaculate Conception Church]] around 1674, which is the oldest church in Thailand.
During the reigns of King [[Phutthayotfa Chulalok]] (Rama I) and King [[Nangklao]] (Rama III) of the [[Rattanakosin Kingdom]], Christian [[Khmer people|Khmer]] and [[Vietnamese people|Annamese]] (Vietnamese) refugees fleeing crackdowns in their countries migrated to Siam (now Thailand). They were allowed by the king to settle near the Portuguese church in Samsen. The area became known as "Ban Khmer" (บ้านเขมร) and "Ban Yuan" (บ้านญวน).
Samsen has at least two [[wat|Thai temple]]s dating back to the Ayutthaya period or earlier: [[Wat Rachathiwat]] and [[Wat Thewarat Kunchorn]].
In the past, the area from Samsen to [[Pak Kret district|Pak Kret]] in [[Nonthaburi province|Nonthaburi]] was known as a spawning ground for [[toli shad]] (''Tenualosa toli''). These fish would swim from the sea to spawn in the freshwater stretches of the Chao Phraya river, from the Bangkok area northwards. As a result, they were once heavily fished, which has led to their endangered status today.<ref>[[Kittipong Jaruthanin|Jaruthanin, Kittipong]] and [[Chavalit Vidthayanon|Chavalit, Vidthayanon]], ปลาน้ำจืดหายากที่สุด ๑๐ ชนิดของไทย (The Top - Ten Endangered Freshwater Fishes of Thailand), Aquarium Biz , Vol. 2 Issue 16 (October 2011) {{in lang|th}}</ref> [[file:Community along Khlong Samsen 2.jpg|thumb|350px|Community along Khlong Samsen, near the [[Si Rat Expressway]]]]
===2025 collapse=== {{Main|2025 Bangkok road collapse}} On September 24, 2025, at 7:13 a.m., a section of Samsen Road subsided in front of [[Vajira Hospital]], creating a [[sinkhole]] measuring {{convert|30|m|ft|1|abbr=on}} wide, {{convert|30|m|ft|1|abbr=on}} long, and {{convert|50|m|ft|1|abbr=on}} deep. The collapse expanded to the area in front of the Samsen Metropolitan Police Station. Two electricity poles and three vehicles fell into the hole. As a result, traffic was closed on Samsen Road from Wachira Intersection (where it meets Sukhothai Road) to Sanghi Intersection (where it meets [[Ratchawithi Road]]). Patients were evacuated from Vajira Hospital, as well as residents living in nearby apartments.<ref>{{cite web|title=Huge sinkhole appears in Bangkok|url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/easy/3110016/huge-sinkhole-appears-in-bangkok|date=2025-09-04|accessdate=2025-09-25|first=Gary|last=Boyle|work=Bangkok Post}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/cqjeg47v0k4o|work=[[BBC]]|date=2025-09-24|accessdate=2025-09-25|title=Moment sinkhole pulls down power lines in busy Bangkok street}}</ref>
[[Governor of Bangkok|Bangkok Governor]] [[Chadchart Sittipunt]] stated that the road collapse was caused by soil and water leakage into the tunnel area under construction for the [[MRT Purple Line]] extension (Tao Poon–Rat Burana section), possibly due to heavy rainfall.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2025-09-24|language=thai|title="ชัชชาติ" ชี้ถนนทรุดเกิดจากดินไหลเข้าอุโมงค์ก่อสร้างรถไฟฟ้า |url=https://www.thaipbs.or.th/news/content/356873 |access-date=2025-09-25 |work=[[Thai PBS]]}}</ref>
[[Thai Prime Minister|Prime Minister]] and [[Ministry of Interior (Thailand)|Interior Minister]] [[Anutin Charnvirakul]] announced that the matter would be brought up for discussion at the special session of the [[Anutin cabinet|65th cabinet]] meeting, to be held the same day after the swearing-in ceremony and official assumption of duties. He further noted that repairing the tunnel at the incident site would take approximately one year.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2025-09-24 |title="อนุทิน" คาดใช้ 1 ปี ซ่อมทางเชื่อมอุโมงค์รถไฟฟ้า เหตุถนนทรุดหน้า รพ.วชิรพยาบาล |url=https://www.pptvhd36.com/news/%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A3%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%B7%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%87/257708 |access-date=2025-09-25|work=[[PPTV (Thailand)|PPTV HD]]|language=thai}}</ref>
== Toponymy == "Samsen" has no specific meaning in [[Thai language|Thai]].<ref name="pi" /> It may have derived from [[Pali]] or from [[Bahasa Melayu]]. Legendarily a floating [[Thai Buddhist sculpture|Buddha statue]] required up to three hundred thousand people to raise it from the water. "Samsen" is similar to "Sam Saen", which means three hundred thousand. This Buddha statue, known as Luang Por Phuttha Samsen or simply [[Luang Por]] Samsen, is depicted in the rain-stopping posture and is enshrined in front of the Samsen Metropolitan Police Station today.<ref name="sam" /><ref name="pi">{{cite web|url=http://www.sanfah.com/portfolio/%E0%B8%9E%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%88%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%84%E0%B8%A3/%E0%B8%9E%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%88%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%84%E0%B8%A3-season3-%E0%B8%95%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%99-%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A1%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%99|trans-title=Samsen...history of international ancestors the origins of the Rattanakosin waterworks|title=สามเสน...ประวัติศาสตร์บรรพชนคนนานาชาติ ต้นกำเนิดการประปาแห่งกรุงรัตนโกสินทร์|date=2012-05-04|language=thai|work=[[Thai PBS]]|author=Pinijnakorn}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/DamrongJournal/photos/a.795332103839866.1073741835.605432619496483/799694556736954/?type=1&theater|trans-title=Samsen known since the Ayutthaya period|title=สามเสนเรียกกันมาแต่สมัยอยุธยา|author=Damrong Journal The Faculty of Archeology, Silpakorn University|date=2014-07-24|language=thai|via=[[Facebook]]|access-date=2018-05-06|archive-date=2022-06-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220605100013/https://www.facebook.com/DamrongJournal/photos/a.795332103839866.1073741835.605432619496483/799694556736954/?type=1&theater|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Two related sub-districts are Samsen Nai in [[Phaya Thai District|Phaya Thai]] and Samsen Nok in [[Huai Khwang]] districts. They are connected to Khlong Samsen rather than the road.
== Route == Samsen Road was built during the reign of King [[Chulalongkorn]] (Rama V) and is considered the first road connecting the inner city with the northern suburbs. It was originally informally known as "Saphan Kaew Road" (ถนนสะพานแก้ว, {{IPA|th| tʰānǒn sā.pʰāːn kɛ̂ːw|}}).<ref>{{cite book |first=Pranee|last=Klamsom|language=Thai|trans-title=Old areas in Bangkok [vol 2]|title=ย่านเก่าในกรุงเทพฯ [เล่ม ๒]| publisher =Muang Boran|year=2007|pages=80|isbn= 974-7385-02-3}}</ref>
Although it is short, Samsen Road runs through historic and important places such as [[Bang Khun Phrom Palace]] and [[Bank of Thailand]] with [[Devavesm Palace]], [[Thewet Bridge]], [[Immaculate Conception Church, Bangkok|Immaculate Conception Church]], Saint Francis Xavier Church, [[Saint Gabriel's College]], [[Vajira Hospital]], Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University, [[Sukhothai Palace]], [[National Library of Thailand|National Library]] and Royal Pier, Thavasuki, Wat Bot Samsen, [[Boon Rawd Brewery]] Headquarters and [[Sappaya-Sapasathan]], the new [[Parliament House of Thailand|Parliament House]].<ref name="sam">{{cite web|work=[[ASTV Manager]]|url=https://mgronline.com/travel/detail/9520000125099|date=2009-10-20|language=thai|author=Num luk thung|trans-title=Visiting the old town a tale of legend of "Samsen"|title=เยือนย่ำย่านเก่า เล่าตำนาน "สามเสน"}}</ref><ref name="Ban">{{cite web|url=https://mgronline.com/onlinesection/detail/9600000075929|date=2016-07-26|language=thai|first=Rome|work=ASTV Manager|last=Bunnag|title=เหตุที่มี "บ้านเขมร" และ "บ้านญวน" อยู่ที่ทุ่งสามเสน! ก่อนจะถูกบุกเบิกเป็นย่านสร้างวังจนเต็มทุ่ง!!|trans-title=The reason that there are "Ban Khmer" and "Ban Yuan" in the Samsen field! before being pioneered as a district, creating palaces full of fields!!}}</ref>
The road also a location of five piers for [[Chao Phraya Express Boat]]: Thewet (N15), Payap (N18), Irrigation Dept. (N19), Kheaw Khai Ka (N20), and Kiak Kai (N21).
At the intersection with [[Ratchawithi Road]] (Sanghi Intersection), near [[Krungthon Bridge]] (Sang Hi Bridge) on Ratchawithi Road, stands San Chao Mae Thapthim Samsen, a [[Chinese temple|Chinese shrine]] dedicated to [[Shui Wei Sheng Niang]], the sea goddess worshiped by the [[Hainanese people|Hainanese]] since ancient times, similar to [[Mazu]]. It is considered her oldest shrine in Bangkok, believed to have been built during the reign of King Nangklao.<ref>{{cite web|language=thai|title=ขนมแห่งศรัทธาในศาลเจ้าแม่ทับทิม เทพเจ้าแห่งสายน้ำของชาวไหหลำ|trans-title=Snack of faith in the Chao Mae Thapthim Shrine, goddess of river of Hainanese|date=2019-06-28|accessdate=2019-11-20|first= Jaruwan|last=Duangkamchan|work=Sarakadee|url=https://www.sarakadee.com/2019/06/28/kanom-jinde/}}</ref>
Samsen Road is also the administrative boundary line in the following ''[[khwaeng]]s'' (sub-districts): *[[Chana Songkhram subdistrict|Chana Songkhram]] (outbound) and [[Talat Yot]] (inbound) in Phra Nakhon district from Bang Lamphu Intersection to [[Norarat Sathan Bridge]] *[[Wat Sam Phraya subdistrict|Wat Sam Phraya]] (outbound) and [[Ban Phan Thom]] (inbound) in Phra Nakhon district from the Nararat Sathan Bridge to Bang Khun Phrom Intersection * Wat Sam Phraya (outbound) and [[Bang Khun Phrom]] (inbound) in Phra Nakhon district, from Bang Khun Phrom Intersection to Thewet Naruemit Bridge * [[Wachiraphayaban Subdistrict|Wachiraphayaban]] (outbound) and [[Dusit Subdistrict, Bangkok|Dusit]] (inbound) in Dusit district, from the Thewet Naruemit to Sophon Bridges
== References == {{reflist}}
[[Category:Phra Nakhon district]] [[Category:Dusit district]] [[Category:Neighbourhoods of Bangkok]] [[Category:Streets in Bangkok]] [[Category:Populated places on the Chao Phraya River]] [[Category:Buildings and structures on the Chao Phraya River]]