Sukhumvit Road
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sukhumvit Road (Thai: ถนน สุขุมวิท), or National Highway 3, is a major highway in Thailand. It runs from Bangkok to the east, ending at Trat Province.
Within Bangkok, Sukhumvit Road serves as a main commercial street. It stretches for tens of kilometers in Bangkok alone, beginning at Phloen Chit Intersection, where it extends in the same direction from Phloen Chit Road. it continues through Samut Prakan, Chachoengsao, Chonburi, Rayong, Chanthaburi and Trat Provinces, where it meets the border with Cambodia.
It is one of the four major highways of Thailand. The other three are Phahonyothin highway (National Highway 1), Mittraphap Highway (National Highway 2) and Phetkasem highway (National Highway 4). Sukhumvit Road s named after the fifth chief of the Department of Highways, Phra Pisan Sukhumvit.
[edit] Traffic
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 On Nut on Soi (side-street) 81. The subway's Sukhumvit station interchanges with the Skytrain at Asok.
The Chalerm Mahanakhon Expressway has an exit at Soi 1. Thanon Ratchadaphisek crosses Sukhumvit at the Asok intersection.
Car traffic on the road is congested most of the time, even at late evening hours.
[edit] Bangkok areas
The area between Sukhumvit Soi 1 and Sukhumvit Soi 55 is popular as residential area for western expatriates. Japanese nationals tend to prefer from Asok intersection upwards. 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.
The areas of Soi Cowboy (between Soi 21 Asok and Soi 23) and Nana Entertainment Plaza (Soi 4) are packed full of go-go bars. Restaurants of various levels of luxury exist all along the road, as well as hotels including famous names such as The Westin, JW Marriott and 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.
