Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
When Rama IV built the third and final moat around Bangkok, he ordered the con-
struction of five forts along the canal and also the building of a fort on the Thonburi bank,
thereby forming a strong line of defence against any sea-borne invasion. Pong Patcham-
it Fort was built at the inlet of the San canal, the waterway from which the district de-
rives its name, and it was directly opposite to the fort on the opposite bank that guarded
the entrance to the new moat. Three years later, in 1855, the Bowring Treaty was signed
and Siam opened to foreign trade. Steam ships began replacing Chinese junks and foreign
shipping began to crowd into the harbour. In the reign of Rama V , the Harbour Depart-
ment installed a signal flagpole at Pong Patchamit Fort where flags were hoisted to indic-
ate the owners of the trading vessels that were arriving or departing. During Rama VI 's
reign the signal flag was moved downriver to Klong Toei, and the flagpole at the fort was
changed to indicate weather conditions that were provided by the Meteorological Depart-
ment. Later, when the weather forecasting system was modernised, the signal flag method
ceased. The mast however remains, as does part of the fort. The Fine Arts Department
rescued what was left in 1949. Unless the visitor knows it is there, he or she will never find
it, because the fort is hidden away behind the Klong San District Office. Enter Soi Lat Ya
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