Charoen Krung Road
This began to change as the country opened up to Western ideas and influences, and underwent modernization during the reign of King Mongkut (Rama IV, r. 1851–1868).
Our country was greatly overgrown with grass or climbers; our pathways were but small or blind alleys; our larger pathways were dirty, muddy, or soiled, and unpleasant to look at.On 19 August 1861, Western consuls, complaining of ill health due to a lack of roads in which they could travel by horse-drawn carriage, requested that the King build a new road on the east side of the river behind the consulates and businesses.
The first section ran from the old city moat, crossed Phadung Krumg Kasem Canal, and continued through the European district to end in Bang Kho Laem, where the river made a sharp turn to the east.
Charoen Krung remained the city's main road and largest thoroughfare up to the early 20th century, when development expanded in-land along the direction of Bamrung Mueang instead.
[6] Charoen Krung's importance gradually declined as the city's rapid expansion in the latter half of the 20th century drew real estate development elsewhere.
[7] Meanwhile, construction of the Blue Line extension of Bangkok's MRT system, which runs directly under Charoen Krung as it passes through the Chinatown and Rattnakaosin areas, has raised concerns that historic communities are being displaced by development.
It begins at Sanam Chai Road, at the corners of the Grand Palace, Wat Pho, Saranrom Park and the Territorial Defense Command headquarters.
[10] The road crosses Khlong Ong Ang (the outer moat) at Damrong Sathit Bridge, which is the site of the Saphan Lek market.
From near the road's beginning at Sanam Chai to Mo Mi Junction, the extension of the MRT's Blue Line runs beneath Charoen Krung, and serves its neighbourhoods via Sam Yot and Wat Mangkon stations, which opened in 2019.
From Mo Mi Junction, Charoen Krung heads south to meet Yaowarat Road at the Odeon Circle, where the Chinatown Gate and Wat Traimit are located.
At the end of the road, adjacent to Charoenkrung Pracharak Hospital, is the Yan Nawa office of the Metropolitan Electricity Authority, where one of Bangkok's former trams is preserved as a tourist attraction.
