Samsen Road


Samsen or spelled Sam Sen is a road and neighbourhood in Bangkok considered to be one of Bangkok's oldest. Samsen Road starts from Bang Lamphu Intersection in the area of Bang Lamphu within Phra Nakhon district and wends northeast to Dusit district as far as it ends at Kiakkai Intersection, covering 4.6 km. It runs parallel to east Chao Phraya river all the route.

History

Samsen began during the Ayutthaya period, particularly in the reign of King Narai. The Portuguese came to live and work in the kingdom, and the king allowed them to settle in Samsen. At that time, this area was mainly paddy fields and canals, including Khlong Samsen, which is believed to be a natural canal. The Portuguese founded the Immaculate Conception Church around 1674, which is the oldest church in Thailand.
During the reigns of King Phutthayotfa Chulalok and King Nangklao of the Rattanakosin Kingdom, Christian Khmer and Annamese refugees fleeing crackdowns in their countries migrated to Siam. They were allowed by the king to settle near the Portuguese church in Samsen. The area became known as "Ban Khmer" and "Ban Yuan".
Samsen has at least two Thai temples dating back to the Ayutthaya period or earlier: Wat Rachathiwat and Wat Thewarat Kunchorn.
In the past, the area from Samsen to Pak Kret in Nonthaburi was known as a spawning ground for toli shad. These fish would swim from the sea to spawn in the freshwater stretches of the Chao Phraya river, from the Bangkok area northwards. As a result, they were once heavily fished, which has led to their endangered status today.
file:Community along Khlong Samsen 2.jpg|thumb|350px|Community along Khlong Samsen, near the Si Rat Expressway

2025 collapse

On September 24, 2025, at 7:13 a.m., a section of Samsen Road subsided in front of Vajira Hospital, creating a sinkhole measuring wide, long, and deep. The collapse expanded to the area in front of the Samsen Metropolitan Police Station. Two electricity poles and three vehicles fell into the hole. As a result, traffic was closed on Samsen Road from Wachira Intersection to Sanghi Intersection. Patients were evacuated from Vajira Hospital, as well as residents living in nearby apartments.
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt stated that the road collapse was caused by soil and water leakage into the tunnel area under construction for the MRT Purple Line extension, possibly due to heavy rainfall.
Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced that the matter would be brought up for discussion at the special session of the 65th cabinet meeting, to be held the same day after the swearing-in ceremony and official assumption of duties. He further noted that repairing the tunnel at the incident site would take approximately one year.

Toponymy

"Samsen" has no specific meaning in Thai. It may have derived from Pali or from Bahasa Melayu. Legendarily a floating Buddha statue required up to three hundred thousand people to raise it from the water. "Samsen" is similar to "Sam Saen", which means three hundred thousand. This Buddha statue, known as Luang Por Phuttha Samsen or simply Luang Por Samsen, is depicted in the rain-stopping posture and is enshrined in front of the Samsen Metropolitan Police Station today.
Two related sub-districts are Samsen Nai in Phaya Thai and Samsen Nok in Huai Khwang districts. They are connected to Khlong Samsen rather than the road.

Route

Samsen Road was built during the reign of King Chulalongkorn and is considered the first road connecting the inner city with the northern suburbs. It was originally informally known as "Saphan Kaew Road".
Although it is short, Samsen Road runs through historic and important places such as Bang Khun Phrom Palace and Bank of Thailand with Devavesm Palace, Thewet Bridge, Immaculate Conception Church, Saint Francis Xavier Church, Saint Gabriel's College, Vajira Hospital, Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University, Sukhothai Palace, National Library and Royal Pier, Thavasuki, Wat Bot Samsen, Boon Rawd Brewery Headquarters and Sappaya-Sapasathan, the new Parliament House.
The road also a location of five piers for Chao Phraya Express Boat: Thewet, Payap, Irrigation Dept., Kheaw Khai Ka, and Kiak Kai.
At the intersection with Ratchawithi Road, near Krungthon Bridge on Ratchawithi Road, stands San Chao Mae Thapthim Samsen, a Chinese shrine dedicated to Shui Wei Sheng Niang, the sea goddess worshiped by the Hainanese since ancient times, similar to Mazu. It is considered her oldest shrine in Bangkok, believed to have been built during the reign of King Nangklao.
Samsen Road is also the administrative boundary line in the following khwaengs :