Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Bangkok also had ample access to free Thai labour via the
prâi lŏoang
(commoner/noble)
system, under which all commoners were required to provide labour to the state in lieu of
taxes.
Using this immense pool of labour, Rama I augmented Bangkok's natural canal and
river system with hundreds of artificial waterways feeding into Thailand's hydraulic life-
line, the broad Mae Nam Chao Phraya. Rama I also ordered the construction of 10km of
city walls and
klorng rôrp grung
(canals around the city) to create a royal 'island' - Ko
Ratanakosin - between Mae Nam Chao Phraya and the canal loop.
Temple and canal construction remained the highlight of early development in Bangkok
until the reign of Rama III (King Phranangklao; r 1824-51), when attention turned to up-
grading the port for inter- national sea trade. The city soon became a regional centre for
Chinese trading ships, slowly surpassing in importance even the British port at Singapore.
Water-borne traffic, supplemented by a meagre network of footpaths, dominated Bangkok well into the
middle of the 19th century.
