Sommot Amon Mak Bridge, Registered historic bridge at Samran Rat intersection, Thailand
The Sommot Amon Mak Bridge is a concrete bridge over Khlong Bang Lamphu, carrying Bamrung Mueang Road between the Samran Rat and Ban Bat areas of Bangkok. It is recognizable by its Ionic-style banisters, which are a visible trace of an earlier construction phase.
The bridge was first built in 1901 under King Chulalongkorn as a steel structure, then later rebuilt in concrete to handle growing traffic. It is now listed as a registered Thai historic site.
The bridge is also known locally as Saphan Lek Pratu Phi, which translates roughly as the Iron Bridge at the Ghost Gate. This name comes from its past role as a route used to carry the dead out of the city, and locals still use this name today.
The bridge is easy to reach on foot and sits at a busy road junction along Bamrung Mueang Road. Going early in the morning makes it easier to take in the details of the banisters without heavy traffic around.
Near the bridge once stood a cement crematorium used during cholera outbreaks that hit Bangkok hard in the early 20th century. The bridge served as the route by which the dead were brought there, which is why the ghost gate name stuck.
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