Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Oddly, before the founding of Bangkok, city pillars do not appear to have been a Sia-
mese tradition: no documentary evidence of them has been found. City pillar shrines were
erected in a handful of other provinces during the reigns of Rama
II
and Rama
III
, but
after Rama
IV
's pillar the idea died out. Directly after World War
II
., however, with a gov-
ernment policy of nationalism in full play to mould the image of the country in the wake
of the transition from absolute to constitutional monarchy, city pillars were encouraged
throughout the country. The idea caught on, although not universally, until in 1992 the In-
terior Ministry issued a directive to all provincial governors to make sure every province
had its own city pillar. There is another shrine next to the main City Pillar shrine, and this
one represents all the provincial pillars. Thai people paying their respects almost invari-
ably do so at both shrines.
The land upon which Bangkok was to be built already had a moat, dug in the time
of King Taksin, and there was a defensive wall running along its inner bank. Inside the
moat were a number of ancient temples, and prior to their relocation, this is where the
Chinese community had lived. Far from being just an overspill from Thonburi, they were
an organised community, many of them having been encouraged to come from China to
Siam by Taksin. Their leader was a man named Phraya Choduek, who was greatly trusted
by the king and who handled diplomatic relations with China. Outside of the moat and
defensive wall were villages and agricultural areas, marshy ground and creeks alternating
with patches of dryer ground, although most of the scattered population lived on rafts or
houseboats, tied up at the banks of the river or in the streams.
To expand the size of the fortified city Rama
I
ordered the digging of a second moat,
running parallel to the first, 10,000 Khmer levies being used for the work. The first moat
was named Klong Ku Muang Derm (Old City Moat Canal), and the second moat Klong
Rop Krung (Canal Encircling City), although in accordance with Siamese tradition dif-
ferent stretches of the waterway were known by names relating to the immediate local-
ity. Two small canals known as
lot
, which means “tube”, were dug to connect the two, for
transport and for adjusting the water levels.
Using Ayutthaya as the blueprint, land planning for Bangkok fell naturally into three
divisions: Inner Rattanakosin, Outer Rattanakosin, and the outlying areas beyond the city
wall, which was rebuilt alongside the second moat. The inner island was for the Grand
Palace, residences for royalty, royal temples, institutional buildings, and the assembly
ground and royal cremation area named Sanam Luang. The outer island was residential,
divided by the two
lot
canals, and was for court officials, low-ranking officials, general res-
idents, and foreign communities such as Malays and Vietnamese. Outside the wall, on the
