The city was only completely surrounded by a moat in 1584 when a canal on the eastern side was widened and deepened in preparation for an expected Burmese attack. From an early period the city was criss-crossed by canals which served as the main means of transportation within the city. One of the earliest canals dug appears to have been Khlong Maha Phram to the north-west of the city which connected with the Chao Phraya River, which at that time ran a few kilometers west of Ayutthaya (It wasn’t until 1857 that another canal diverted the Chao Phraya River to Ayutthaya). Located strategically at the confluence of the Lop Buri and Pasak rivers early canal building was focussed on shortening trade routes. But why were there so many canals, when were they built and why are they to blame for Bangkok’s terrible traffic-jams today? Short Cuts to AyutthayaĪyutthaya emerged as the centre of powerful state known as Siam around 1350. The “Venice of the East” description was originally from the Portuguese explorer Fernão Mendes Pinto writing about Ayutthaya in the 1540’s. In fact the history of Thailand’s canals is older than Bangkok itself. Roland Lefevre is a travel writer who specializes in creating features on leisure as well as business travel destinations across the globe.Bangkok is famous for its canals or khlongs with tourist brochures promoting the city as having once been “The Venice of the East”. One of the things to keep in mind is to discuss and arrive at a price before you go exploring. Look out for these at River city, Taksin, Chang or Maharaj piers. Prefer to add colour to your experience, most tourist piers rent out colourfully painted long tail boats. The ideal boats to navigate through the khlongs are the flat bottom boats as well as the long tail speed boats. Since the Khlongs are only about 6 meters wide, not every boat can travel in them, so it is a no go for the overcrowded ferries. Staying around the area can give you easy access to exploring this part of the city henceforth many make the choice to stay at Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort as it is set right on the banks of the Chao Praya. To get the true taste of the lives of the locals and to avoid exorbitant tourist prices, Thonburi is the best place to be. There are several man-made ” khlongs” in the area among which some of the famous ones are Khlong Mon and Khlong Bangkok Noi. The township is located on the western bank of the famous Chao Phraya River. The old capital, which remained an independent state until 1972 merged with Bangkok later on. Unlike most other parts of Bangkok that have highly adopted the modern development, one region that has remained shielded is Thonburi. If you happen to be staying at a Riverside Bangkok hotel then you are bound to witness all these activities happening. It can be referred to as the Venice of the East as the waterways in Bangkok are often used for transport and even trade. There is always something waiting in this city to entertain the tourist. Bangkok – the vibrant capital of Thailand welcomes tourists from all over the globe.
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