{{Short description|Street in Bangkok, Thailand}} [[File:サナームチャイ通り.jpg|thumb|Sanam Chai road outside of the [[Grand Palace]].]] '''Sanam Chai Road''' ({{langx|th|ถนนสนามไชย}}, {{RTGS|''Thanon Sanam Chai''}}, {{IPA|th|tʰā.nǒn sā.nǎːm t͡ɕʰāj|pron}}) is a historic street in [[Bangkok]]'s [[Phra Nakhon District]]. It continues from [[Ratchadamnoen Nai Road]] at the northeastern corner of the [[Grand Palace]], and runs south to meet [[Rachini Road|Rachini]] and [[Maha Rat Road|Maharat road]]s near the mouth of the old city moat, a short distance of {{convert|1.1|km}}. The Grand Palace, [[Wat Pho]], [[Museum Siam]], and [[Phra Ratchawang Police Station]] are located on the west side of the road, while on the east side are the [[Ministry of Defence headquarters (Thailand)|Ministry of Defence headquarters]], [[Saranrom Palace]], [[Saranrom Park]], the [[Territorial Defense Command headquarters]] and [[Wat Rajabopit School]]. The [[Sanam Chai Station]] of the underground [[MRT (Bangkok)|MRT]]'s [[MRT Blue Line|Blue Line]] is located beneath the road's final stretch.
The road is named after Sanam Chai ("field of prosperity"), a field formerly located in front of Saranrom Palace and used for military exercises. The field, together with [[Sanam Luang]], was named by King [[Mongkut]] (Rama IV) in 1855, in order to follow the naming previously used in [[Ayutthaya Kingdom|Ayutthaya]]. Sanam Chai is overlooked by the Grand Palace's [[Sutthaisawan Prasat]] Hall, which is used by the king for public appearances.<ref name="Oranee">{{cite book|last1=Naenna|first1=Oranee|title=นามนี้มีที่มา|trans-title=These names have origins |date=2002|publisher=Praphansan|location=Bangkok|isbn=9789742308483|pages=42–43 |language=Thai}}</ref>
In terms of [[Thai politics|politics]], Sanam Chai Road during the 1960s and 1970s was often used as a keynote address for [[List of political parties in Thailand|various political parties]] in [[Elections in Thailand|each election]]. Most often start the campaign at Sanam Luang and ends at Sanam Chai.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thairath.co.th/news/politic/2694647?fbclid=IwAR2Nd6yJaopJLXjtDf4Sxe_eDd_Kj75tzcF3XAO6pNFIdPE9CRsdsKEkl_4|title=แด่ “ขวัญใจ” คนเก่า ในวัน “พ่ายแพ้” 2566|author=Zoom|date=2023-05-18|accessdate=2023-05-19|language=thai|work=Thairath|trans-title=To the original “Favorite” on the day of “Defeat” 2023}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
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[[Category:Streets in Bangkok]] [[Category:Phra Nakhon district]]