S.a.b.

[The Enforcer!]

Originally Posted by ncr

Maybe an internal project of the traffic police?

I think not as all the number stickers and sign boards have the BMC logo on them suggesting their funding.

The Enforcer!

[ncr]

Talking about the history behind names - what is the significance of 22 July, honored by the wong wian yii sip song karakada khom traffic circle at the eastern end of Chinatown?

[Wisarut]

Originally Posted by ncr

Talking about the history behind names - what is the significance of 22 July, honored by the wong wian yii sip song karakada khom traffic circle at the eastern end of Chinatown?

22 July ? The Day Kingdom of Siam Declaring the War Againt Prussia, Austria, and Turkey on 22 July 1917

[ncr]

You know your history, don't you? Thanks, Khun Wisarut.

[Wisarut]

Important circles in Bangkok area
http://www.manager.co.th/Travel/View...=9520000064906

[ncr]

Originally Posted by Wisarut

Important circles in Bangkok area
http://www.manager.co.th/Travel/View...=9520000064906

Interesting coincidence that the Manager posts this article just now. They mention:

• Wong Wian Yai
• Wong Wian Lek*
• Anusawari Chaisamoraphum (Victory Monument)
• Anusawari Prachthipatai (Democracy Monument)
• Anusawari Phitak Ratthamanun (Guarding-of-the-Constitution Monument?) (Laksi** Circle - or actually: oval - intersection of Ram Inthra/Chaeng Watthana and Phahonyothin Rds)
• Wong Wian Odian (Odeon Circle) (eastern entrance to Chinatown, a half-circle where Yaowarat merges into Charoenkrung Rd)
• Wong Wian 22 Karakadakhom (22 July Circle)

* this is new to me:

มีวงเวียนใหญ่แล้วก็ต้องมี "วงเวียนเล็ก" ซึ่งก็อยู่ไม่ห่างจากวงเวียนใหญ่นัก เพียงวิ่งลงจากสะพานพระปกเกล้ามาทางฝั่งธนฯ ก็จะถึงบริเวณวงเวียนเล็กแล้ว หลายคนอาจไม่เคยสังเกตเห็นมาก่อนว่าแถวนี้ก็มีวงเวีย นอยู่ด้วย นั่นก็เพราะว่าปัจจุบันนี้วงเวียนเล็กเหลือเพียงแต่ช ื่อ ไม่ได้มีสภาพเป็นวงเวียนเหมือนเมื่อก่อน โดยแต่เดิมนั้นวงเวียนเล็กจะมีหอนาฬิกาขนาดย่อมๆตั้ง ตระหง่านอยู่บริเวณหน้า โรงเรียนศึกษานารี แต่หลังจากที่มีการสร้างสะพานพระปกเกล้าขึ้นในภายหลั งทำให้วงเวียนเล็กถูก แบ่งออกเป็นสองฝั่ง ภายหลังจึงได้ยกเลิกวงเวียนแห่งนี้ไปเสีย ส่วนหอนาฬิกาที่เคยตั้งอยู่กลางวงเวียนนั้นก็ได้ย้าย มาตั้งไว้ทางด้านถนน สมเด็จเจ้าพระยาที่จะมุ่งหน้าไปยังคลองสาน ในบริเวณนั้นยังเป็นที่ตั้งของตลาดพระเครื่องวงเวียน เล็ก และมีร้านอาหารอร่อยๆ อยู่หลายร้าน ทำให้ชื่อของวงเวียนเล็กยังคงคุ้นหูคุ้นปากของผู้คนอ ยู่จนปัจจุบัน

i.e. There used to be a 'Small Circle' complimenting the 'Big Circle' (Wong Wian Yai), complete with clock tower, on the Thonburi side immediately south of Memorial Bridge (not clear at the intersection of which roads, the article only says not far from Sueksanari School). However, with the opening of Pokklao Bridge (1984) and its access roads, the circle was cut in two, and the clock tower moved east towards Somdet Chao Phraya Rd, where there's still a 'Wong Wian Lek Market' (and a 'Princess Mother Memorial Garden', according to my map, possibly the location of the tower).



**but it is actually in Bangkhen district (Anusawari sub-district), not Laksi

[ncr]

Not to forget the former Pathumwan Circle.

And the Saladaeng / Witthayu Circles (source: Bangkok Post, November 8, 1968).....:

[hdamm]

Back to the original question:
I found in my very interesting book "ชื่อบ้านนามเมืองในกรุงเทพฯ" (Old Names of Streets, Bridges, Places in Bangkok) an explantion for the "Yaek S.A.B.".
Unfortunately is my Thai not so very good, so maybe somebody could translate this Thai language story into acceptable English?

Regards
hd

[ncr]

Mmmh..... can give it a try when I have time, but not right now.

Otherwise >>> Khun Wisarut.

Looks like an interesting book indeed. When was it published, and where did you find it?

[Wisarut]

Originally Posted by hdamm

Back to the original question:
I found in my very interesting book "ชื่อบ้านนามเมืองในกรุงเทพฯ" (Old Names of Streets, Bridges, Places in Bangkok) an explantion for the "Yaek S.A.B.".
Unfortunately is my Thai not so very good, so maybe somebody could translate this Thai language story into acceptable English?

Regards
hd

Originally Posted by ncr

Mmmh..... can give it a try when I have time, but not right now.

Otherwise >>> Khun Wisarut.

Looks like an interesting book indeed. When was it published, and where did you find it?

Ah, that book from Matichon Press - it has been published 6-7 times ... Too bad, My tightenign scheduels does nto allow me to do soem transation as you request right now

[hdamm]

Right, Matichon Press (พิมพ์ครั้งที่ ๖ ๒๕๔๖) ISBN 974-322-821-7
I found it years ago in a small bookshop in Nakhon Sawan.

[Ahoerstemeier]

Originally Posted by ncr

...and the clock tower moved east towards Somdet Chao Phraya Rd, where there's still a 'Wong Wian Lek Market' (and a 'Princess Mother Memorial Garden', according to my map, possibly the location of the tower).

The Suam Somdet Ya is close to that clock tower, but not directly there - inside Soi 3 of Somdet Chao Phraya Road close to the river, see this map. For a blog post with photos see here.

[ncr]

Okay..... turns out my Thai is just good enough to translate this (with a little help from Longdo.com) - here we go:



SAB Intersection

Is a [four-way] intersection of Chakkrawat and Charoenkrung Rds. The name of this intersection comes from the S.A.B. Company, as the company's building is situated on Chakkrawat Rd. "S.A.B." is a short form of Société Anonyme Belge and was founded by Belgian national Dr. Eugene Reytter, the [former] personal doctor of Phra Bat Somdet Phra Chulachomklao Chaoyuhua [King Chulalongkorn], in 2455 BE [1912]. [Rama V died in 1910.]

At first, SAB Company was a distributor for motor cars, automobile spare parts, and [included] a car repair shop. Later the business activities were expanded to the import of foreign products, for example: 'Zenith', 'Election', 'Beckschmick' [-schmidt???] [-smith???] and 'Junghans' brand watches, complete with a repair shop for watches of all kinds. Apart from this, they also offered gold, jewelry, polished glassware; perfume and perfumed soap of various brands; tobacco; as well as an import service for foreign products according to individual customer wishes. Thus, SAB Company used to be one of the [most] famous and progressive companies of that era.

And while after the company ceased its business activities, the building was transformed into the headquarters of the Sing Sian Yoe Pao* newspaper, the name "SAB" stuck with the population until the present day**, and the intersection where the company was located is called "SAB Intersection".

Image 1: Front of SAB building, with a tramway going past.
Image 2: SAB intersection in modern times. The headquarters of Sing Sian Yoe Pao can be seen in the lower right corner.



* I have no idea why it is usually transcribed as "Yit Pao" in English, inconsistent with the Thai pronunciation....?

** Or, literally: "...sticks in the mouth of the ordinary people" (tit pak prachachon thuapai) - German language would allow for a more literal translation than English here: "die Bezeichnung blieb im Volksmund erhalten", or something similar.

[ncr]

Andi und Heiner, habt Ihr Euch denn schon mal getroffen, wo Ihr beide in Aachen lebt sowie aehnliche Interessen in Bezug auf Thailand habt?

[Wisarut]

Old Housewife - JManeekul - has written abotu Bangkok durign the 1960's here along with the old days of Thai shopping malls - still remember the day whne Ararn Hotel is Thai style hotel as you have seen in her weblog.

http://jmaneekul.exteen.com/