The subdistrict is named after Khlong Bang Yi Khan, a small
canal that connects the
Chao Phraya River to other nearby canals such as Khlong Bang Bamru, Khlong Bang Chak, and Khlong Pak Nam. The area dates back to the
Ayutthaya period, as evidenced by at least two temples with historical roots from that era: Wat Bang Yi Khan and Wat Phraya Siri Aiya Sawan. In addition, there is an abandoned temple believed to have been built during the Ayutthaya period as well—Wat Suan Sawan, also known locally as Bot Rang ("abandoned sanctuary"). What made Bang Yi Khan most well known was the location of a
liquor factory, believed to have been established during the reign of King
Rama I in the early
Rattanakosin period. During
World War II, this factory came under government supervision and was renamed the "Bang Yi Khan Liquor Factory". It is said that, in those days,
yeast discharged from the factory into the Chao Phraya River attracted
toli shad (
Tenualosa toli) from the sea into freshwater, where they fed on it. Today, the liquor factory is no longer in operation; its location has been transformed into
Rama VIII Memorial Park, a riverside public park beneath the
Rama VIII Bridge with a pleasant atmosphere. In the past, residents of Bang Yi Khan primarily grew
rambutan and produced
lime for
chewing with
betel and
areca nut. The name Pinklao is also commonly used to refer to this area (which overlaps with
Arun Amarin and
Bang Bamru). The name comes from
Phra Pinklao Bridge (often shortened to Pinklao or spelled Pin Klao), which crosses the Chao Phraya River and connects the Thonburi side to the Phra Nakhon side of Bangkok. ==Geography==