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In search of history Bamrung Muang Road, one of the very firsts in Bangkok, runs through the old districts of the city. Many forgotten buildings and landmarks along the road reflect how fast the city has changed. If we take the Grand Palace as the starting point, walking through the outbound road will lead us to witness many historical changes. Bamrung Muang Road starts from Chang Rong Si Bridge at the city moat behind the Ministry of Defence building and runs west to meet Rama I Road. Around 140 years ago when Bangkok was still the "Venice of the East", it was quite easy for local people to get around by boat, but for foreigners living in the city it was a bit of a bother because they lacked paddling skill. So concrete roads were built. Bamrung Muang was one of first three roads built in the city using Western know-how complete with drainage pipes, the rudiments of a sewer system that would arrive much later. One morning, I stood on Chang Rong Si Bridge and took note of something unusual. "Chang" is the Thai world for elephant and "Rong Si" can be a rice or flour mill, but how come the bridge bore the symbol of a dog's head. How do you explain that? "In the past elephants were the main mode of travel by land. About 15 bridges were built in Bangkok around the time. This one was built in the year of the dog. That's why it is decorated with the head of a dog," Mr Prayook Bunnak, a historian explained. Around the bridge, there are beautiful and important places worth visiting. On Kalaya Mitri Road, there is a beautiful white building of the Royal Thai Survey Department. The Western style building was constructed in 1885 during the reign of King Rama V who is credited for launching the country on the road to modern development. The department played a significant role in defining the boundaries of the land and its topography using modern scale. Not far from the Grand Palace is the Ministry of Defence whose neo-classic architecture stands out, reflecting the strong Western influence prevalent in Thailand even a century ago. The ministry's muscle and its aura is reinforced by the presence of 40 ancient cannons in its front yard. The more famous ones among them are the Phra Pirun Saenha, Plik Pasuta Ngay and Phaya Tani. The first two were built during the reign of King Rama I, but the longest one, Phaya Tani, is over six metres in length and 24 inches in diameter, probably the longest ancient cannon in Thailand. It was brought to Bangkok in 1846 from Pattani in southern Thailand. Every major city or town in Thailand has a pillar or shrine that in effect is a formal declaration of a city or town's establishment. In the case of Bangkok, it is the City Pillar Shrine opposite the Grand Palace.It houses many sacred Buddha images. Actually the capital has two: the first one was built 224 years ago at the time of its founding. In 1853 a second was built - during the reign of King Rama IV - to replace the first one which was already crumbling. I turned back on Bamrung Muang Road. It was stacked with shops selling bowls monks carry on their morning rounds, candles, incense sticks and related items, and others selling official attires and emblems for the men in uniform. I stopped at a tea shop, Ong Iw Kee, at Si Kak Sao Ching Cha, the intersection where stands the Giant Swing. The tea shop has been around 80 years. It serves different flavours of tea from China and has created some of its own that are sold nationwide. It also has outlets in top department stores in the city like Siam Discovery and Siam Paragon. But the tea shop doesn't exactly show its age. Apart from the traditional brew, it has kept pace with changing consumer preferences by serving more contemporary drinks like bottled green tea and so forth. I turned a corner into a parking lot and came face to face with a building from the last century. The two-storey structure built in Victorian style in 1895 was the home of Kij Nukul Printing House, the most modern in the city in those days. Now it operates under the name Thammasan Printing. It looks rusty and cracks appear all over the building. This section of Bangkok used to be the residence of the gentility and boasted a royal mansion whose occupant was Prince Sommut Amornphand, a son of King Rama IV. Today, that prime residential area is taken up by various businesses. However, the royal mansion located at the end of a metre-wide lane fronted by shophouses still stands. The white two-storey structure built in Western style is a model of elegance, standing there in heroic loneliness flanked by drab looking rectangular houses whose occupants don't have the slightest idea of the prince who was in residence there. Another ranking landmark around Bamrung Muang Road is the Devasthan Bosth Brahmana or the Brahmin Temple that is as old as Bangkok itself. Since the ancient times Brahmin priests have had a vital role when it comes to royal ceremonies. Hundreds of such priests once lived in the area, not any more. "Not many people want to become Brahmin priests now. There are only eight of us here," Phra Rajaguru Vamadevamuni, a royal priest said. After Thailand switched to constitutional monarchy, Brahmin rites have been gradually phased out. From the temple I moved to the Giant Swing, the official congregation point for annual Brahmin rites, the last of which were performed in 1933. Keeping on Bamrung Muang Road, I turned right at Main Poon intersection and on to Ban Bat. Main Poon means concrete crematory. The crematory was in Wat Saket temple next to Pratu Phee or the Ghost Gate. In the old days, funerals were forbidden in the city and the dead had to be brought through Pratu Phee and cremated at the temple. The crematory at Wat Saket served its purpose until a permanent one was built at Dhebsirin Temple. The narrow lane leading to Pratu Phee is the Ban Bat area whose residents are noted for making alms bowls that monks carry on their rounds every morning. They have been doing it for the last 200 years, their main source of income, by beating strips of metal into the shape of a bowl and follow it up with delicate carvings. The hand-made bowls looked elegant and though the process is time consuming, they fetch a decent price. However, the advent of machine has literally put them to pasture. "A factory made bowl of seven-inch diameter costs just 200 baht, while a hand-made version of same size goes for 700 baht," said one worker, sweating profusely as he worked on the shine. By now I was tired and headed for a much-needed rest in Rommanee Park that formerly served as the main prison in Bangkok. It is 103 years old and in 1993 it was turned into a public park. Rustic cells, execution gear, brick walls as well as the tower are still there, but I chose the shade of trees and tried to give my tired legs some rest. The green lawn that spread out before me was a welcome relief from the cars belching black smoke and the din on Bamrung Muang Road. |