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Easier done than told For a short trip out of Bangkok, Phra Pradaeng, a district in Samut Prakan by the Chao Phraya River seems ideal, but some how it has failed to attract tourists, at least not as many as it would have wanted. Even Bangkokians feel it is far. The district is the last stretch of the River of Kings before it empties into the Gulf of Thailand. Perhaps fear of getting stuck in traffic jam is to blame, as the road link to Phra Pradaeng is being expanded. Work is slated for completion soon and in December when the ring road in the district opens to traffic, you would be able to drive there more conveniently and enjoy its cultural and historical attractions. Phra Samut Chedi Follow Suk Sawat Road. When you exit the King Rama IX Bridge drive on to Phra Pradaeng pier. Phra Samut Chedi is right there and Samut Prakan on the other side of the river. When the chedi was first built, it sat on an islet. These days there is no sign of the islet and the chedi sits firmly on the west bank of the Chao Phraya, the result of soil erosion and changing course of the river. King Rama II initiated construction of the chedi but it was completed during the reign of his successor. King Rama IV had the chedi's height increased from 20 to 38 metres. There is a Western style building next to the chedi. It was built during the reign of King Rama V and houses a statuette of King Rama II. Phra Chulachomklao Fort From the chedi, drive for seven kilometres and you reach the Phra Chulachomklao Fort. Its brochure reads: "In 1892 King Rama V became aware of the threat of colonialism from Western powers towards Siam. Thus, he commanded that a modern fort be built on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River near Laem Fa Pha District, Samut Prakan, for defence of the country against foreign invasion. To enable the completion of the fort, the King contributed 10,000 chang (one chang is equivalent to 80 baht in today's value) of his own personal funds in addition to funds from the Privy Purse allocated for the construction. Once the construction was completed in 1893, the King named the new fort, Phra Chulachomklao Fort." A statue of King Rama V towers the area. At the foot of the statue, there are his statuettes and that of Prince Chumphon Khet Udomsak, his son, who studied ship-building in England and helped modernise Siam's fleet. I was ushered to an exhibition room over which towered the King's statue. It showcases ancient Siam and royal activities, and his handling of foreign relations backed by a seven-minute documentary. It's a pity, on ordinary days the room is closed. However, if you are visiting in a group, the staff will open it for you but you must notify in advance. The fort also showcases seven guns, originals, from his time. After the fort was completed in 1892, the King ordered 10 cannons from Sir W.G. Armstrong and Co. They were the most state-of-art weaponry at the time. Three of them were installed at Phee Sua Samut Fortress. On July 13, 1893, what in popular local parlance is called Incident 112, the cannons opened fire for first time on French battleships - Inconstant and Comete - as they tried to sail upstream the Chao Phraya to join the Lutin, a gunship moored in Bangkok. The guns never fired in battle again and were decommissioned in 1933. The one and only time they have seen action since was on August 12, 2003, during a royal ceremony. Next to the fort sits the battleship HTMS Mae Klong that was mothballed after 60 years of service and has since been turned into a museum. It was built in Japan in 1936. Visitors are welcome aboard. Sakhla Village
Turning back on Suk Sawat Road from the fort, you will pass several bridges over canals that connect to the river on the right. There is a small road branching off on the left-hand side to Ban Sakhla in Phra Samut Chedi District. The village is dissected by a maze of canals, mangroves and Chak trees. You will see villagers, mostly fishermen, loading bivalve cockle molluscs into baskets. Ban Sakhla's original name was Ban Sao Kla, meaning the "village of brave women", after they drove away intruding Burmese soldiers just as the men were out at war. The scene of battle was Bangkok, 700 years ago during Sukhothai period. To salute their heroics, the narby canal was named Khlong Chai or victory canal. In the past, the villagers cultivated rice but about 35 years ago they switched to salt, but 10 years ago when its prices fell they turned to fishing and shrimp farming. The village is famous for its sweetened shrimp called goong yiad. We took a tour of Sakhla Canal. "This is the original canal," said Prayoon Suwannawin who's lived there all his life. In a few minutes, the canal weaved its way through thick jak (nipa palm) trees before forking in three directions. The left one is Khlong Khun Ratchavinit, the middle Khlong Ka Om and the one on the right Khlong Sappasamit. "When Khlong Khun Ratchavinit was dug it was just 2.5 metres wide," he said, reminiscing the time when he was still young. It is 20 metres wide today. In the past the canal was the only link to Samut Sakhon and Khlong Ka Om to Thon Buri. The next half hour we spotted a few houses, but mostly it was lush vegetation of jak and other trees that thrive in mangrove forest. On the way back we stopped at Wat Sakhla for a look at its leaning chedi, the result of land subsidence as the coast is being eaten away by the sea. From the village we drove to Bangkok in less than an hour. But with all that I had been through that day, I felt that I had been far, far away from the city. MORE INFO Phra Pradaeng can be easily reached from downtown Bangkok. Take the Rama IX Suspension Bridge to cross the Chao Phraya, keep left and exit on Suk Sawat Road. The road is being expanded so the traffic can be annoying, but bear with it. If coming from Samut Prakan, drive to the pier at the end of Pu Chao Saming Phrai Road and take the ferry across the river to Phra Pradaeng. People driving there can take the ferry near Wat Phra Samut Chedi, Samut Prakan, and cross the Chao Phraya River to Phra Pradaeng side. Phra Chulachomklao Fort is open daily from 8am-8pm. For group visit with guide, call 02-475-6073, 02-475-6259. |