Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Siam's first railway was the Paknam line that ran from Bangkok to what is now Samut
Prakharn, at the mouth of the river, a distance of 21 kilometres (13 miles). Opened in April
1893 by Rama
V
, it was a Belgian-Danish joint venture, with the steam locomotives built
by Kraus of Munich. The Bangkok terminus was built on the edge of the Padung Krung
Kasem canal, for easy access to the wholesalers and markets in Chinatown, just across the
bridge, for the main purpose of the line was to bring in goods from ships at deep anchor
at the river mouth along with fish and other produce. The one-metre gauge line had ten
stops and proved very quickly to also be a popular commuter line, providing a rollicking
ride for passengers alongside the Hua Lampong canal, and then turning to run directly
alongside the river, crossing the small canals along its route via timber bridges before puff-
ing to a halt at Paknam Market. The line closed down in 1960, but the route can still be
