{{Short description|Street in Bangkok, Thailand}} [[File:Utthayan Road (24091313).jpeg|thumb|upright=1.25|Utthayan Road in 2013.]]
'''Utthayan Road''' ({{langx|th|ถนนอุทยาน}}, {{IPA|th|tʰā.nǒn ʔùt.tʰā.jāːn|pron}}), formerly and still colloquially known as '''Aksa Road''' ({{lang|th|ถนนอักษะ}}, {{IPA|th|tʰā.nǒn ʔàk.sàʔ|}}), is a road in [[Bangkok]], which is popularly regarded as the most beautiful road in [[Thailand]]. It is a broad [[avenue (landscape)|avenue]] in western Bangkok's suburban [[Thawi Watthana District]], and leads to the Buddhist park of [[Phutthamonthon]] in the adjacent [[Phutthamonthon District]] of [[Nakhon Pathom Province]]. It has been maintained by the Public Works Department, [[Bangkok Metropolitan Administration]] (BMA).
The road, {{convert|90|m}} in width, runs a short distance of {{convert|3.86|km}}, divided into approximately {{convert|300|m}} in Nakhon Pathom Province and about {{convert|3500|m}} in Bangkok. It is extensively landscaped with 979 ''[[hamsa (bird)|hamsa]]'' (mythological swan) [[lamppost]]s, {{convert|18|m|adj=on}}-wide lotus-ponds in the central [[traffic island]] and three [[fountain]]s. It serves as a link between Phuttamonthon Sai 3 and Phutthamonthon Sai 4 roads, and runs parallel between the nearby [[Petchkasem Road|Phetkasem]] and [[Borommaratchachonnani Road|Borommaratchachonnani]] roads.<ref>{{cite web |title=Utthayan Road (Aksa Road) |url=https://www.thailandtourismdirectory.go.th/en/info/attraction/detail/itemid/3114 |website=Thailand Tourism Directory |publisher=Ministry of Tourism and Sports |access-date=5 March 2019 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Bangkok">{{cite web |title=การออกแบบปรับปรุงฟื้นฟูภูมิทัศน์ถนนอุทยาน |url=http://www.bangkok.go.th/thawiwatthana/page/sub/10104/%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%81%E0%B9%81%E0%B8%9A%E0%B8%9A%E0%B8%9B%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%9A%E0%B8%9B%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B8%E0%B8%87%E0%B8%9F%E0%B8%B7%E0%B9%89%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%9F%E0%B8%B9%E0%B8%A0%E0%B8%B9%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%97%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%A8%E0%B8%99%E0%B9%8C%E0%B8%96%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%B8%E0%B8%97%E0%B8%A2%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%99 |website=bangkok.go.th |publisher=Thawiwatthana District Office |language=th}}</ref>
The road was conceived during the premiership of Field Marshal [[Plaek Phibunsongkhram]] as part of the Phutthamonthon project, which would commemorate the Buddhist year 2500 in 1957. Construction of the park began in 1955, but was halted when the Phibunsongkhram government was toppled in 1957. Construction of the park resumed and was completed in the 1980s, and the road was built during the government of [[Banharn Silpa-archa]], to celebrate King [[Bhumibol Adulyadej]]'s [[Golden Jubilee of Bhumibol Adulyadej|Golden Jubilee]] in 1996. The road was officially opened on 27 February 1999. Costing over one billion baht, it is also the most expensive road in the country.<ref name="Bangkok" /><ref name="royin" />
The original name of the road, ''Aksa'', was derived from the Thai name for the [[Axis powers]] of [[World War II]], which Thailand joined under Phibunsongkhram's government. The name was chosen to convey that the road served as an axis linking Phutthamonthon 3 and 4 roads. Its official name, which means "park", was later bestowed by King Bhumibol.<ref name="royin">{{cite web|url=http://legacy.orst.go.th/?knowledges=%E0%B8%96%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%A9%E0%B8%B0-%E0%B9%92%E0%B9%90-%E0%B8%9E%E0%B8%A4%E0%B8%A9%E0%B8%A0%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%84%E0%B8%A1-%E0%B9%92%E0%B9%95%E0%B9%95%E0%B9%93|title=ถนนอักษะ |date=2010-11-20|language=th|work=royin.go.th|publisher=[[Royal Society of Thailand]]}}</ref>
The road is a popular location for photography, as well as road cycling and the annual [[Songkran (Thailand)|Songkran]] festival.<ref>{{cite AV media|publisher=Voice TV |series=Do The Ride Thing |title=Trip : ถนนอักษะ – บ้านจักรยาน |url=https://voicetv.co.th/watch/102138 |work=VoiceTV |date=6 April 2014 |language=th}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://mgronline.com/onlinesection/detail/9560000045456|title=ประมวลภาพ : สงกรานต์วันสุดท้ายที่ถนนอักษะ ประชาชนเล่นน้ำทิ้งทวนหนาแน่น|date=2013-04-15|language=th|work=ASTV Manager}}</ref> However, all Songkran activities were forbidden by Bangkok due to safety concerns in 2017.<ref>{{cite web |title=กทม.สั่งงดเล่นสงกรานต์ ถนนอักษะ-เลียบคลองทวี |url=https://www.dailynews.co.th/bangkok/567179 |website=dailynews.co.th |publisher=Daily News |access-date=9 April 2017|date=2017-04-09 |language=th}}</ref> The road was also used as the site of political demonstrations by the [[United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship]] during the [[2013–2014 Thai political crisis|2013–2014 political crisis]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Fredrickson |first1=Terry |title=Red-shirt rally ends (Updated) |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/easy/403404/mass-red-shirt-rally-takes-scenic-route |access-date=5 March 2019 |work=Bangkok Post |date=5 April 2014}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
{{coord|13|46|41.49|N|100|20|51.91|E|type:adm3rd_region:TH-10|display=title}}
[[Category:Thawi Watthana district]] [[category:Streets in Bangkok]] [[category:Buildings and structures completed in 1999]] [[category:1999 establishments in Thailand]] [[category:Tourist attractions in Bangkok]]