Bangkok neighbourhood: Pratunam
Welcome to our Bangkok neighbourhood series!
In the first of this series, we’ll take a closer look at Pratunam, Bangkok’s retail destination and home to the city’s biggest wholesale clothing market.
Pratunam (Thai: ประตูน้ำ) also written as Pratu Nam, literally means water gate, as at one time there was a water gate nearby, built by King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) in 1905 to drain water from the Khlong Saen Saep (Saen Saep canal) to distribute to the people for agriculture and leisure purposes. This canal still exists today, linking Pratunam to other important parts of the city by boat.
Saen Saep Canal in Pratunam
Today, Pratunam is one of the busiest neighbourhoods in Bangkok and one of the most important transportation arteries in the city, close to two other important intersections Ratchaprasong and Pathum Wan, with Siam and Ratchadamri at a shooting distance.
Despite its central location, it’s also one of the few areas that Bangkok has kept much of its identity. Shunning the glass and steel skyscrapers of Sathorn and a world away from the royal grounds of the Grand Palace, Pratunam sits somewhere in in the middle, a melting pot of both old and new.
Most notable as a prominent shopping district, Pratunam is home to many shopping centers and department stores in the area such as Platinum Fashion Mall, Pratunam Market, CentralWorld, Big C Supercenter (Big C Rajdamri) and many more.
Top five things to do in Pratunam
1. Visit Suan Pakkad Palace
Suan Pakkad, if translated directly, means “cabbage patch”. The land, that the Palace now sits on, used to be one. The palace and museum boasts of a beautifully landscaped garden with tranquil ponds nestled among eight Thai traditional teak houses. The Lacquer Pavilion is the most striking of the houses and is over 450 years old, one of the best examples of traditional domestic architecture in Bangkok. The museum displays an array of Thai antiques, including Ban Chiang pottery that’s over 4,000 years old.
2. Soak in the city views from Baiyoke Sky Tower Observation Point
A trip to Pratunam warrants a visit up in the Observation Deck in Baiyoke Sky Tower, which was for a long time, Bangkok’s tallest building. Rising 77 stories above Pratunam, the Observation Point of Baiyoke Sky Tower offers the most exhilarating and unparalleled views of the city and beyond. A visit at the observation deck includes a drink at the roof top bar on the 83rd floor.
3. Explore Bangkok’s waterways by boat
Saen Saep pier offers one of the best launching points to explore Bangkok by way of its many circuitous canals and rivers. The Saen Saep canal boat service is a water bus operating on the Saen Saep Canal in Bangkok through the city's commercial districts. The service carries about 60,000 passengers per day, serving an 18 kilometre route.
4. Get the most authentic Bangkok street food experience
While you can find street food just about anywhere in Bangkok, the culinary diversity of Pratunam from Thai to Chinese and Indian makes it one of the best street food experiences in the city. See Phetburi Soi 19 and Soi 5 lined with an almost endless array of food stalls selling authentic Thai food from Kao Man Khai to Pad Thai and Kway Tiew noodle soup. These streets know their food.
5. Shopping, shopping, shopping
And of course, we can’t finish the list without mentioning what Pratunam is most famous for. One can’t walk in Pratunam without bumping into a store selling clothing and accessories – from the hot and balmy Pratunam market to the air conditioned comforts of Platinum Mall. There’s also Palladium Mall, Indra Square, Krung Thong Plaza, Shibuya, Watergate Pavilion, and many more. The whole Pratunam intersection is literally exploding with shops selling garments direct to consumers or other businesses.
What did I miss? Is there anything else you like about Pratunam that I haven’t mentioned? Let me know in the comments below.
