Sukhumvit Road

Thailand Route 3
ทางหลวงแผ่นดินหมายเลข 3
ถนนสุขุมวิท
Thanon Sukhumwit
Route information
Length: 400 km (200 mi)
Major junctions
West end: Bangkok, Phloen Chit
Southeast end: Khlong Yai District, Trat,
border to  Cambodia
Highway system

Highways in Thailand

Motorways
Street sign depicting the name of Sukhumvit Road (Thanon Sukhumvit) in Thai and Latin letters

Sukhumvit Road (Thai: ถนนสุขุมวิท, Thanon Sukhumwit), or Thailand Route 3 (Thai: ทางหลวงแผ่นดินหมายเลข 3), is a major road in Thailand, and a major surface road of Bangkok and other cities it winds through. It follows a coastal route from Bangkok to Trat and is just over 400 km (250 mi) in length.

Sukhumvit Road is named after the fifth chief of the Department of Highways, Phra Bisal Sukhumvit. It is one of the four major highways of Thailand, along with Phahonyothin Road (Route 1), Mittraphap Road (Route 2) and Phetkasem Road (Route 4).

Route

Sukhumvit Road
Legend
Intersections and junctions
Chalong Rat Expressway
(Start of Route 3)
Udom Suk Road (Sukhumvit 103)
Chaloem Maha Nakhon Expr.
Khlong Samrong
Theparak Road
Pu Chao Saming Phrai Road
Thang Rot Fai Sai Kao Road
Srinakarin Road
Phraeksa Road
Sai Luat Road
Bang Pakong River
Hwy. 36
Eastern Line
Hwy. 318
Khlong Bang Phra
End of Sukhumvit Road

Sukhumvit Road begins in Bangkok, as a continuation of Rama I Road and Phloen Chit Road roads which span Pathum Wan district. Starting from where the boundaries of the districts of Khlong Toei, Pathum Wan and Watthana meet, it runs the entire length of the border between Khlong Toei and Watthana, then passes through Phra Khanong and Bang Na districts.

It then crosses the border between Bangkok and Samut Prakan Province and subsequently continues east through Chachoengsao Province, south through Chonburi Province skirting the Khao Khiao Massif, east through Rayong Province, south-east through Chanthaburi Province, and ends in the town of Trat, capital of Trat Province, about 100 km short of the Hat Lek border crossing with Cambodia.

In Chonburi Province it passes through the towns of Chonburi, Laem Chabang, Bang Lamung township, Si Racha, and Pattaya.

Bangkok

In the capital, Sukhumvit Road serves as a main commercial street, and this section is often congested, even at late evening hours. The Chalerm Mahanakhon Expressway has an exit at Soi 1. Ratchadaphisek Road crosses Sukhumvit at the Asok (Asoke) intersection.

The Sukhumvit area of Bangkok is easily accessible on the Skytrain Sukhumvit Line, which runs from Mo Chit through the Silom Line interchange at Siam Square up to Bearing on Soi (side-street) 105. The Bangkok Metro's Sukhumvit Station interchanges with the Skytrain at Asok.

The Sois are numbered from West to East, with odd numbers branching off North-East of Sukhumvit, and even numbers branching off South-West.

The area between Sukhumvit Soi 1 and Sukhumvit Soi 63 is popular as residential area for western expatriates. Japanese nationals tend to prefer from Soi 21 Asok intersection upwards, especially Soi Thong Lo. Rentals tend to be higher in the even numbered streets between Soi 8 and Soi 28 and in the odd numbered streets between Soi 15 and Soi 39. Soi 12 is occupied mainly by Indian expatriates, see Phahurat.

The areas of Soi Cowboy (between Soi 21 Asok and Soi 23) and Nana Entertainment Plaza (Soi 4) are packed full of go bars and other places of prostitution. Restaurants of various levels of luxury exist all along the road, as well as hotels including famous names such as The Westin, JW Marriott, Sheraton, Ramada Hotel and Suites Bangkok Sukhumvit, and Four Points by Sheraton. Also several shopping malls are found, like the upscale The Emporium shopping center. It also harbours the eastern bus station at Soi 63 Ekkamai.

Major sois off Sukhumvit Road in Bangkok:

Soi number Soi name Remarks
3 Nana Nuea (North Nana) Opposite to Soi 4 Nana Tai (South Nana)
21 Asok Part of the Ratchadaphisek (Silver Jubilee) inner ring road
22 Sai Nam Thip
23 Prasan Mit Srinakharinwirot University campus at the end of the soi
24 Starts at The Emporium shopping center and Phrom Phong Skytrain station
39 Phrom Phong
50 Exit from and access to Chalong Rat Expressway towards Kanchanaphisek Eastern Outer Ring Road via Rama IX and Raminthra Roads
55 Thong Lo (Thong Lo) Booming up-market residential and commercial strip; location of Pridi Banomyong Institute
62 Exit from and access to Chaloem Mahanakhon Expressway towards Din Daeng or Dao Khanong via Tha Ruea
63 Ekkamai Opposite to Bangkok Eastern Bus Terminal and Science Centre for Education and Bangkok Planetarium
71 Pridi Phanomyong Named after Statesman Pridi Banomyong, who ordered the road to be built
77 On Nut Major road linking the city with its eastern suburb of Suan Luang, Prawet, Lat Krabang and Suvarnabhumi Airport
101 Punna Withi
101/1 Wachiratham Sathit
103 Udom Suk
105 La Salle
107 Bearing
113 Wat Dan Samrong

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sukhumvit road.

External links

Coordinates: 13°44′34.09″N 100°33′1.46″E / 13.7428028°N 100.5504056°E