Phaya Thai district was set up in 1966 by taking areas that were part of Dusit and Bang Kapi Districts.[2] It was named after Phaya Thai palace, which was built in 1909 at King Rama V's behest.[3] Since then, many changes to the district have been made. In 1973, the Huai Khwang district was separated from Phaya Thai. Later in 1978, as an effort to balance the population among districts, the boundaries between Phaya Thai, Huai Khwang, and Bang Kapi Districts were modified.[4] A new Ratchathewi district was created by carving off the southern part of Phaya Thai in 1989.[5] In 1993, some eastern parts were moved out of the district to the newly-formed Din Daeng,[6] leaving Phaya Thai with only one remaining sub-district, Sam Sen Nai.
Due to the split off of Ratchathewi, Phaya Thai Road is no longer in Phaya Thai District. It runs through Ratchathewi and Pathum Wan. Similarly, Phaya Thai BTS Station is in Ratchathewi, on Phaya Thai Road.
During the reign of King Rama VI, Phaya Thai was an area filled with military cantonments. "Sanam Pao" is another familiar name of the area, owing the original name of Phaholyothin Road, the main thoroughfare through the area.
The population is more concentrated in the area called Saphan Khwai (สะพานควาย) with many shops, apartments, and a BigC shopping center.
The Thai Philatelic Museum was renovated and moved to a building behind the Samsen Nai post office at Saphan Khwai in December 2004. Among the exhibits are awards Thai philatelists received from various international competitions together with photocopies of the winning entries, posters depicting rare Thai stamps, and winning postage stamp designs.
^Phaya Thai Police Station, although its name suggests that it is "Phaya Thai", in fact, the location of the station is in the vicinity of Ratchathewi.[7]
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