"Khwai" or
water buffalo were commonly used for ploughing by Southeast Asian farmers, including Thais. In the past, Saphan Khwai was a farming area on the northern outskirts of Bangkok's core, next to the northern part of
Phaya Thai District. It was irrigated by
Khlong Sam Sen and
Khlong Bang Sue, diverted from the
Chao Phraya River. At the beginning of the 19th century, the Saphan Khwai Intersection was the meeting place for rice farmers, buffalo traders, and slaughterhouse workers. Roads at the junction did not meet directly, but a small waterway along Phahonyothin Road carrying irrigation water from Khlong Bang Sue crossed Pradiphat Way. For the convenience of traders, a bridge or "saphan" was built. It was upgraded from wood to concrete as traffic increased. Until the early 1960s, Saphan Khwai remained a largely rural area. According to a local elderly resident, it was still covered with trees and
vegetable gardens. Each night around 8 p.m., herds of bulls would pass through the bridge. This rural atmosphere lingered well into the early 1980s. A resident of Pradiphat Road recalled that even in 1981, there was still a vacant lot with overgrown grass across from his house, despite the area already developing into a busy commercial district. At that time, the neighbourhood was also home to five cinemas. In the mid-1990s, a
flyover was constructed over the intersection along Phahonyothin Road. It was later dismantled in 1997 to make way for the construction of
Saphan Khwai Station. Today, although the fields, buffalo, and bulls have disappeared, the name "Saphan Khwai" is still used for this area. It means 'buffalo bridge'. == Transportation ==