# Samran Rat

Samran Rat (Thai: สำราญราษฎร์, pronounced), popularly known as Pratu Phi (ประตูผี,), is a historic neighbourhood in Bangkok. The neighbourhood roughly occupies the area of its namesake subdistrict and road junction in Phra Nakhon district.

## History

The name Pratu Phi means "ghost's gate", because the area used to be the location of the city gate used to transport dead bodies out of the fortified city for cremation during the early Rattanakosin period. Cremations were usually held at the nearby Wat Saket, just across the city moat of Khlong Rop Krung. The area was later officially named Samran Rat ("happiness citizen") for auspiciousness. But the name Pratu Phi remains in use by many people.
In modern times, Samran Rat is known as the hub of notable restaurants, serving a variety of Thai street food such as pad thai, yen ta fo, salapao as well as multiple traditional cafés (kopitiam). The neighbourhood's better known restaurants include Jay Fai, which received one Michelin Guide star in 2017, and Thipsamai, which is famous for pad thai.
Samran Rat is also home to the first pawn shop in Thailand. It has been operating since the reign of King Mongkut (Rama IV).
At the behind of the Mahakan Fort, one of the fortresses of Rattanakosin. It is the site of a Mahakan Fort Community where people in this community lived for a long time since the early Rattanakosin period. They are considered one of the oldest and most unique communities in Bangkok. But in the year 2018 their houses were ordered by the government and Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) to demolish and expel them from here, because to open the way to create a new urban park of Bangkok.

## Geography

Samran Rat is considered to be the central part indented to the east of the Bangkok's old town zone or Rattanakosin Island. Within the area there are two main traffic junctions:
Samran Rat Intersection is a four-way intersection of Bamrung Mueang and Maha Chai roads. From the intersection, Bamrung Mueang road crosses the nearby Sommot Amonmak bridge into Pom Prap Sattru Phai district's Ban Bat subdistrict. The next junction on Bamrung Mueang is Maen Si. Pratu Phi used to be located along Maha Chai road, catty-cornered from the current Jay Fai restaurant.
Ruan Cham Junction is a T junction where Maha Chai and Luang roads meet. The point is known by this name because it used to be the location of the Special Bangkok Metropolitan Prison (ruan cham in Thai), built by the order of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) in 1889. It served to detain and train prisoners so that they could become good citizens. Later in 1987, the Department of Corrections moved the prison from this place to where is now Khlong Prem Prison in Chatuchak district's Lat Yao subdistrict. BMA turned it into an urban park, named Rommaninat, to present to the Queen Sirikit on her fifth cycle birthday in 1992. Some of the buildings were developed into a Bangkok Corrections Museum.

## Surroundings

* Giant Swing
* Bangkok City Hall
* Devasathan
* Wat Suthat
* Mahakan Fort
* Wat Ratchanatdaram and Loha Prasat
* Wat Thepthidaram
* Wat Saket and Golden Mount
* Royal Pavilion Mahajetsadabadin and King Rama III Memorial
* Phan Fa Lilat Bridge
* King Prajadhipok Museum
* Samranrat Police Station
* Rommaninat Park
* Bangkok Corrections Museum
* Benjamarachalai School

## Gallery

* Fort Mahakan one of landmarks of Samran Rat area (although in truth, it is located in neighbouring Bowon Niwet subdistrict
* Shophouses along Bamrung Mueang road, Samran Rat intersection is ahead
* Community behind the Mahakan Fort
* Cooking area of Jay Fai restaurant
* Thipsamai pad thai restaurant
* Bangkok City Hall
* Ruan Cham Junction (seen from Luang road, Bangkok Corrections Museum is ahead)