Sarasin Bridge

Sarasin Bridge is a bridge connecting the mainland of Phuket and Phang Nga in southern Thailand. It is known as one of the most beautiful bridges in Thailand. It was built in 1951 and officially opened on 7 July 1967. It was the first bridge linking Phuket and Phang Nga, with a total length of 660 m and a budget of 28.770.000 Baht. It was named after Pote Sarasin, the 9th Prime Minister of Thailand.

On 22 February 1973 occurred an unforgettable tragedy on this bridge, when two young lovers named Dam and Gew, jumped in the water due to an impossible love. Dam was a local 'Song Thaeo" driver and rubber tapping worker. He came from a poor family and struggled to make ends meet. Gew was a teachers college student who used to ride on Dam’s bus. Gew came from a wealthy family and was expected to marry someone who was also rich. As the two got to know each other, they fell in love. They sought Gew’s father’s blessing to get married, but he refused their plea and forbade them from seeing each other ever again. Having their love stifled by Gew’s father, the couple decided that if they couldn’t be together, they would take their own lives. On the night of 22 February 1973, they bound themselves together with a loincloth and jumped from the Sarasin Bridge. The story of the two lovers is forever imprinted in Phuket’s collective memory. In the year 1987, it has also been made into a Thai film titled "Saphan Rak Sarasin" (The Bridge of Love, starred by Chintara Sukapatana and Ron Banjongsang). Sarasin Bridge has since become one of the tourist attractions in Phuket.

In 2011, another bridge named "Thepkasattri Bridge" was constructed adjacent to the Sarasin Bridge. The latter became a pedestrian bridge, installed with light poles and pavilions for sightseeing. The new bridge is commonly known as the New Sarasin of the Sarasin II Bridge. [Source: Wikipedia]

Ayutthaya Historical Research