Suea Pa Road, also written as Sueapa or Sua Pa (Thai: ถนนเสือป่า, RTGS: Thanon Suea Pa, pronounced [tʰā.nǒn sɯ̌a̯ pàː]; lit. 'wild tiger road') is a road and intersection in the same name in Bangkok. It's a short road on the southern end of Pom Prap sub-district, Pom Prap Sattru Phai district. It continues on as Ratchawong road after passing Charoen Krung road at Suea Pa intersection in the area of Samphanthawong subdistrict, Samphanthawong district.[1]
The road begins at the Rong Phayaban Klang intersection, where it cuts Luang and Yukol 2 roads. BMA General Hospital (Klang Hospital) sits on the intersection's southeast corner.
Suea Pa road was built in the King Vajiravudh (Rama VI)'s reign in 1921 due to the great fire in Tambon Trok Tao Hu on Charoen Krung road. On September 3, 1921, Pom Prap Sattru Phai was severely damaged. Because of this area houses were built to scramble and there was not enough road to prevent danger in a timely manner. Ministry of Metropolitan (present-day Ministry of Interior and BMA) by Minister Chao Phraya Yommarat (Pan Sukhum) requested the creation of a new road to the King. It is generally understood that the road name comes from the Wild Tiger Corps, or locally known as Suea Pa, King Rama VI personal affairs. In fact, it comes from the brand name of Tiger Balm, an analgesic heat rub founded and owned by Aw Boon Haw (Chinese: 胡文虎) and Aw Boon Par (Chinese: 胡文豹), two overseas Chinese brothers who had made public donations to many countries in this region, including Siam (Thailand at that time). Their name, when combined, literally translates to "wild tiger". The King gave the name on October 20, 1921.[2]
Suea Pa road and its successor, Ratchawong road, in the 1940s and 1950s were the true financial and economic centre of Bangkok. Several large and well-known bulge bracket banks and restaurants lined up one after the other on both sides of these two roads. Because at that time Silom and Sathorn quarters have not developed like they are today.
Presently, Suea Pa road is well-known as a large center of wholesale and retail for cell phone accessories and IT equipments with electric equipments as well as the adjacent Khlong Thom.[3]
- ^ "กรุงรัตนโกสินทร์" [Rattanakosin kingdom]. Bangkok Information Center (in Thai).
- ^ Tanmahaphran, Charoen (2017-02-21). "ถนนเสือป่า" [Suea Pa road]. Facebook (in Thai). Retrieved 2024-07-29.
- ^ "เสือป่าพลาซ่า แหล่งค้าส่งสินค้าไอที เคสมือถือ ราคาถูกสุดๆ" [Sua Pa Plaza source of wholesale IT products, the cheapest cell phone case]. SMELeader (in Thai).