Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
ROLLIN' ON THE… CANAL
For an up-close view of Thonburi's famed canals, long-tail boats are available for charter at Ko Ratanakosin piers
Tha Chang and Tha Tien. Prices at these piers are slightly higher than elsewhere and allow little room for negoti-
ation, but you stand the least chance of being taken for a ride or being hit up for tips and other unexpected fees.
Trips explore the canals
Khlong Bangkok Noi
and
Khlong Mon
, taking in the Royal Barges National Mu-
seum, Wat Arun and a riverside temple with fish feeding. Longer trips diverge into
Khlong Bangkok Yai
, further
south, which offers more typical canal scenery, including orchid farms. On weekends, you have the option of vis-
iting the Taling Chan Floating Market (
Click here
)
. However, it's worth pointing out that to actually disembark
and explore any of these sights, the most common tour of one hour (1000B, up to eight people) is simply not
enough time - you'll most likely need 1½ (1300B) or two hours (1500B). Most operators have set tour routes, but
if you have a specific destination in mind, you can request it.
If you'd prefer something longer or more personal,
Pandan Tour
( 0 2689 1232, 08 7109 8873;
www.thaicanaltour.com
; tours from 1995B) conducts a variety of mostly full-day tours.
A cheaper alternative is to take the
commuter long-tail boat
(25B;
4.30am-7.30pm) from Tha Chang to
Bang Yai, at the distant northern end of Khlong Bangkok Noi.
SANAM LUANG
(bounded by Th Na Phra That, Th Ratchadamnoen Nai & Th Na Phra Lan; Tha Chang)
On a hot day, Sanam
Luang (Royal Field) is far from charming - a shadeless expanse of dying grass and con-
crete pavement ringed by flocks of pigeons and homeless people. Despite its shabby ap-
pearance, it has been at the centre of both royal ceremony and political upheaval since
Bangkok was founded.
Less dramatic events staged here include the annual Royal Ploughing Ceremony, in
which the king (or more recently, the crown prince) officially initiates the rice-growing
season, an appropriate location given that Sanam Luang was used to grow rice for almost
100 years after the royals moved into Ko Ratanakosin. After the rains, the kite-flying sea-
son (mid-February to April) sees the air above filled with butterfly-shaped Thai kites.
Matches are held between teams flying either a 'male' or 'female' kite in a particular ter-
ritory; points are won if they can force a competitor into their zone.
Large funeral pyres are constructed here during elaborate, but infrequent, royal crema-
tions, and explain the field's alternate name, Thung Phra Men (Cremation Ground). The
most recent cremation was a six-day, 300-million baht ceremony for King Bhumibol
Adulyadej's sister, Princess Galyani Vadhana, in November, 2009; it took 11 months to
prepare.
PARK
