Thong Lo

Thong Lo

Thong Lo (Thai: ทองหล่อ, RTGS: Thong Lo, pronounced [tʰɔ̄ːŋ lɔ̀ː]; also spelled Thong Lor), officially named Soi Sukhumvit 55, is a road and neighbourhood in Watthana District, Bangkok, Thailand. Thong Lo literally translates as 'molten gold'.[1] Its name comes from that of a naval officer, Thonglo Khamhiran, a member of the Khana Ratsadon (People's Party), a 1932 revolutionary group. He owned land and houses in the area. In pre-World War II Thailand, the area along Sukhumvit Road to the Bang Na District was suburban Bangkok and quasi-rural. Much of the area was occupied by the navy.[2]

Thong Lo runs from the Thong Lo BTS Station on Sukhumvit Road north to Phetchaburi Road. Originally housing car dealerships and dowdy shops, during the early-2000s it became increasingly trendy.[3][4] New boutiques, restaurants, and cocktail bars sprang up,[5] creating a demand for new condominiums in the area, partially driven by a significant Japanese expat community.[6] In 2017, to the dismay of many, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) cracked down on the neighbourhood's street food vendors.[7]

  1. ^ "Thonglor: Bangkok's golden mile". The BigChilli. 20 December 2013. Retrieved 2017-04-30.
  2. ^ นายหนหวย (2012). ทหารเรือปฏิวัติ (in Thai). Bangkok: Matichon. ISBN 978-974-02-1025-2.[dead link]
  3. ^ Gagliardi, Jason | (2005-08-01). "Bangkok's Chic Street". Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 2017-04-30.[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ "Bangkok's trendy Thong Lo". www.gluckman.com. Retrieved 2017-04-30.
  5. ^ Kwak, Chaney. "Inside Bangkok's Booming Cocktail Scene". Conde Nast Traveler. Retrieved 2017-04-30.
  6. ^ "Bangkok's Thonglor in high demand from buyers and renters". Property Report. 2016-10-25. Archived from the original on 2017-06-17. Retrieved 2017-04-30.
  7. ^ Tuohy, Laurel (2017-04-19). "Day after law banning street food in Thong Lo takes effect, streets are a ghost town (PHOTOS)". Coconuts Bangkok. Archived from the original on 2017-06-15. Retrieved 2017-04-30.