Amongst Bangkok's Canals

Video on the Chao Phraya, the river through Bangkok

Video on the Khlong Bangkok Noi

Defunct light fixture on the boat

Bougaunvillea on Khlong Mon, Thonburi district, Bangkok

Bridge over Khlong Mon, Thonburi district, Bangkok  

 A long-tail boat passes us on Khlong Chak, Thonburi district, Bangkok  

Satays over an glowing embers, served from a boat, Taling Chan Floating Market, 

Thonburi district, Bangkok  

 Salad to go, Taling Chan Floating Market, Thonburi district, Bangkok  

Food delivery, Taling Chan Floating Market, Thonburi district, Bangkok

Floating food stall, Taling Chan Floating Market, Thonburi district, Bangkok

Stately traditional music, Taling Chan Floating Market, Thonburi district, Bangkok

TIMES HAVE CHANGED and Bangkok is hardly the "Venice of the East" these days. The Chao Phraya, the river that divides the city, remains a scene of hyperactivity. Most of the canals that branch off it however, have been filled in, and turned into roads instead. But gone is also the dreaded cholera that used to inhabit the city's waterways too. The few "khlongs,"  or canals that remain, still offer a little glimpse of the past. 

In the first week of January, i chartered a boat one day, all to myself. I was taken up the Chao Phraya by a stern looking young woman in her covered boat. We were heading for Thonburi, the sprawling district, west of the river. On the way, we passed big hotels, left and right and under bridges. The skipper often slowed down too, because of the choppy waves or the wake from passing boats. After a half hour of motoring upstream, we turned left into the Khlong Mon, through a gateway beside a pumping station. The canal was lined by small factories and businesses that gave way to ramshackle houses and beautiful homes. More and more, gardens appeared too, under heavy tree canopies. Was this still Bangkok, given the bucolic scenes along this canal route?

Now we turned into an even narrower water way. Khlong Chak, lined by more vegetation and houses elevated on posts, even offered the occasional view into an open field or paddy. Out of nowhere much more powerful long-tail boats overtook us, forcing our boat to the side. Taling Chan Floating Market approached and i got out of the boat for a half hour. Yes, i had landed in a very popular tourist destination, but it was still a completely enjoyable experience. The floating market was vibrant, colourful and there was tasty food to be had. I located an excellent cup of coffee too, watched for a while, a musical ensemble performing traditional and stately Thai music. After listening to the dignified melodies, i gawked at fish being fed, in an enclosed area, before returning to the boat. Finally, the skipper motored us onto Khlong Bangkok Noi (Little Bangkok Canal) for the final leg through Thonburi before returning to the Chao Phraya. The skipper dropped me off in front of the Wat Arun, or Temple of the Dawn, before driving off into the busy river traffic.