Sam Yan

Sam Yan
สามย่าน
Aerial view of Sam Yan at night in July 2020
Location
Pathum Wan, Bangkok, Thailand
Coordinates	13°43′58″N 100°31′43″E
Roads at junction	Phaya Thai (north) Si Phraya (southwest) Rama IV (east–west)
Construction
Type	Four-way at-grade intersection with bidirectional flyover

Sam Yan (Thai: สามย่าน, pronounced [sǎːm jâːn]) is the name of an intersection and its nearby neighbourhood in Bangkok, Thailand. It connects Rama IV Road with Phaya Thai and Si Phraya roads, and is located within Pathum Wan District, next to its border with Bang Rak. The neighbourhood lies in the intersection's northwest corner on land owned by Chulalongkorn University, and is famous for its restaurants.

Location

Sam Yan Intersection is where Rama IV (which runs in a roughly east-west direction) meets Phaya Thai Road to the north and Si Phraya Road to the southwest. Originally consisting only of an at-grade intersection, the Thai–Japan Flyover Bridge, constructed in 1992, now allows Rama IV traffic to bypass Sam Yan, as well as the eastward Henri Dunant and Sala Daeng intersections.

The intersection area is served by the Sam Yan Station of the MRT, which connects to the Chamchuri Square complex and Samyan Mitrtown in the intersections' northeastern and northwestern corners, respectively. Wat Hua Lamphong sits on the intersection's southeastern corner, while the large campus of Chulalongkorn University lies alongside Phaya Thai Road to the north of the intersection.

Tai Sia Huk Chou Shrine, a white Chinese shrine dedicated to Sun Wukong is on Phaya Thai Road front of Chamchuri Square.

History

The neighbourhood known as Sam Yan lies in the northwest corner of the intersection. The name "Sam Yan" can be translated as "the neighborhood of three", referring to the meeting point of the three roads.

In 1910, a bridge was built across the canal Khlong Hua Lamphong to connect Phaya Thai with Si Phraya Roads at Sam Yan, named Chaloem Dej 57 Bridge, which was a bridge in the "Chaloem" series built on the occasion of King Rama V's birthday each year, as well as Chaloem Sawan 58 Bridge.

Later, the bridge was demolished and the canal was filled in to widen a Rama IV road.

Sam Yan, including neighbour Saphan Lueang, is inhabited by Thai-Chinese people. They originally engaged in trading used car parts that expanded along Rama IV Road from Sieng Kong or Talat Noi in Chinatown area. Thus, culture of locals reflected such combinations as seen through shrines or festivals at San Chao Mae Tub Tim (Mazu shrine), San Chao Pho Suea (Xuanwu shrine) or Sun Wukong Shrine mentioned above. In terms of performing culture, they include Chinese opera etc.

The university began developing the area's real estate for rent in 1963, and until the late 2000s, the neighbourhood consisted of various shophouses which held many well-known restaurants. At the heart of the neighbourhood was Sam Yan Market, a permanent foodstuff marketplace established in 1965, whose cheap upstairs restaurants were popular with students. In 2008 the university, which owns and manages the area's real estate through its Office of Property Management, began work on development plans which required the demolition of old establishments at the immediate intersection. Sam Yan Market was relocated a few hundred metres away to the northwest nearer Suphachalasai Stadium, and most shop owners followed. The plot of land was finally developed into the Samyan Mitrtown mixed-use project by Golden Land Property Development, and opened in 2019.

Sam Yan, together with the adjacent Suan Luang neighbourhood (also on university land), continues to be well known as a gastronomic destination. Sam Yan, together with Suan Luang, was named the "coolest neighbourhood" in Bangkok by Time Out magazine in 2020. However, the re-development has also prompted criticism of gentrification from conservation groups and students, especially Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal.