1928 Royal State Railway Department of Siam City Plan of Bangkok, Thailand

This is a 1928 Thai issue Royal State Railway Department of Siam city map or plan of Bangkok, Thailand. The map depicts the city from the Bangkok Noi Station to the Royal Bangkok Sports Club and from Tejavanij Road to the Chao Phraya River. The map's focus is on railroads, but 103 other locations are identified numerically and correspond with indexes along the borders. The first, at left, lists locations numerically. The other index, split between left and right, lists streets and klongs (waterways) alphabetically, and the numerically identified locations by category, such as banks, hotels, consulates and legations, post offices, and railway stations.

Railways of Thailand

Created by the government railway department, four different railways are illustrated here. The Paknam Railway, Thailand's first railway, was established in 1893 and runs southeast from the main train station. The Northern and Eastern Railways run to the north from the same railway station, before the eastern line turns east. The Ta Chin Railway, today known as the Maeklong Railway, leaves the city from the Ta Chin Railway Station on the west side of the Chao Phraya and heads southwest. The Southern Railway leaves the city from Bangkok Noi Station on the west side of the river from the city center and heads due west. Numerous locations throughout the city are labeled, including the grand palace, the Pasteur Institute, Chulalongkorn University, and the Phyathai Palace.

Census and Publication History

This map was published by the Royal State Railway Department of Siam in 1928. We have been able to locate two other examples in institutional collections. Rare to the market.