The Old Harbour - 22 Walks in Bangkok - page 35

ing of residences and shops and so tightly hemmed in that the thoroughfare is only a few
metres wide. This is no conventional mosque for at first glance it could easily be mistaken
for a Thai temple, the architectural form following the traditional Thai style. The struc-
ture is entirely white, except for the roof, whose tiles are of an Islamic green. Closer ex-
amination reveals the symbol of Islam on the gable, adorned with Chinese-style stucco
flowers. Thirty pillars support the structure, signifying the thirty principles of the Koran,
while the twelve windows and one door represent the thirteen principles of daily prayer.
On the north side of the mosque is a timber sala , or pavilion, serving as a gathering place
for community members. The only mosque in Bangkok built to this style, Kudi Khao is an
architectural gem that draws Muslim visitors from throughout Asia.
It is possible for the most adventurous of us to chart a way through the back lanes from
Kudi Khao into another of Thonburi's oldest communities, for Bang Sai Gai is only a few
minutes away on foot, and the campus of Bansomdej Chao Phraya Rajabhat University is
the main landmark. We are, however, looking for a village within this village, and it can
be found along Itsaraphap 15, alongside the university, where there is a roadside shrine
and, quite possibly, the sounds of someone down the tiny alley opposite tootling an ex-
perimental tune on a flute. Ban Lao is a settlement that has its origins in the time of King
Taksin. One of his first campaigns was against a rebellion in Vientiane, and he had sent
General Chakri there to bring back the Emerald Buddha, which had been taken by Lao in-
vaders from its Chiang Mai temple two hundred years before. The soldiers stormed Vien-
tiane and along with the holy image they brought back with them a considerable number
of prisoners of war. Some of the Lao were skilled in the ancient craft of making flutes from
bamboo. They settled in this little area near the canal junction and their ancestors remain
here to this day, still making their flutes. I had last entered this little alley, or trok , a dozen
years previously when I met the patriarch of Ban Lao, Jarin Glinbuppha. Jarin passed away
a few years ago, and his daughter Nitaya is now head of the community. She produced her
father's guestbook, which I had signed at the time, and which is full of the signatures of
musicians, academics, television producers, writers, and dealers in musical instruments.
Prominent is the signature of former prime minister Chuan Leekpai, who had made his
own way to Ban Lao and to Jarin's workshop. Jarin had drawn a frame in biro around the
entry.
A traditional Thai musical ensemble will often use a khlui flute, made from a species
of bamboo known as maimak . Because of the quality and reputation of the khlui made at
Ban Lao, the flutes find a ready market. Most of them are delivered to Duriyaban, a mu-
sic store on Tanao Road, on the other side of the river. The bamboo comes from Taipikul