Along the Saen Saep Canal

Once known as the “Venice of the Orient”, Bangkok earned its romantic nickname due to its vast network of canals (khlongs) that once served as the city’s main arteries for transportation, commerce, and daily life. In the 19th century, boats were as common as cars are today, and much of the city was built along waterways rather than roads. Many of these canals have been paved over, but several still exist, and are just as important today as they ever were.

Khlong Saen Saep, built between 1837 and 1840 on the orders of King Rama III, is one of Bangkok's most important and prominent waterways, spanning 72 km and connecting the Chao Phraya River to Chachoengsao and Prachinburi Provinces. The canal passes through 21 districts and is connected to more than 100 smaller canals.

I usually enjoy taking the Saen Saep Canal river boat from Hua Chang ("Elephant Head") Bridge to Phan Fa Lilat ("King's Crossing") Bridge, but on this day, I was in the mood for an adventure. Getting lost and exploring on foot is one of my favorite things to do in Bangkok, but I haven't gotten to do much of it lately. I decided that I was going to skip the boat and walk along the canal to Rattanakosin, the city's Old Town.

I got a bottle of water from the station and made my way down the steps to the pier beneath the bridge. The walkway took me past colorfully painted walls and shady, drooping trees through a familiar path towards Jim Thompson's House. I've been this way before, but after passing by the luxurious home of the art collector turned spy turned silk magnate (who mysteriously disappeared in Malaysia in the 1960s), I was entering new territory.

As I walked along the banks of the canal, I passed through shops, restaurants, and communities, many of which have existed here for decades or longer.

I had anticipated the canal's walkways to be no more than a railed sidewalk meandering alongside the water. I was surprised, however, to see just how lived-in the edge of the waterway really was. 

Along the way I passed the Binmahmood House, a beautiful painted teakwood house with stained glass windows which dates back to around 1909. The house originally belonged to Mr. Hajji Ismaael Binmahmood, a Muslim silk merchant whose family had fought in the Nine Armies War between Burma and Siam (1785–1786).

This neighborhood is known as Ban Khrua, and is the oldest Muslim community in Bangkok. The community was known for its silk production, which was made internationally famous by the aforementioned Mr. Jim Thompson. Ban Khrua silk was so famous that it was used for costuming in the movies The King and I and Ben Hur.

The walkway I was following abruptly came to an end, and I realized that it was undergoing a massive reconstruction project. I was forced to go off-path, and veered off along a side canal and through a mazelike neighborhood I had never seen before.

After passing over some train tracks and wandering in roughly the right direction, I was able to make my way back to the canal.

By this time, I had entered Bobae Market, one of the oldest and largest clothing markets in Bangkok, and a great place to buy elephant pants. It's not a super touristy market, and seems mainly marketed towards the local community.

Across the water, I could see the domed green tower of a local mosque and the jumbled-up community of houses, shops, and market stalls surrounding it. 

Finally, I arrived in at the end of my walk near the Golden Mount. A detour had taken me a little way off track, and I ended up just outside the gates of Wat Sitiram, a Buddhist temple dating back to the reign of King Rama II.

The local Chinese-Thai community in the area at the time were mostly pig farmers, and when it was built, they named the temple "Khok Mu", or "Pigsty Temple". The original name was in Thai, unusual for a Buddhist temple. 

Around the turn of the 20th century, the Supreme Patriarch, in an attempt to standardize and institutionalize Thai Buddhism, renamed the temple in the liturgical Pali Sanskrit language. The new name, Wat Sitiram, is a form of the name of the founder of the temple (Yim) and the word aram, meaning "monastery".

The temple, overshadowed by the incredible Wat Saket (The Golden Mount) which stands nearby, is itself quite beautiful. It's small, but the large statues of Buddha in various postures which ring the prayer hall set it apart from other temples.

Looking back down the canal, I could see how far I had come. The towers of downtown Bangkok seemed really far away! The boat ride probably takes 15-20 minutes, but the walk had taken nearly an hour. The boat is super fun, and still my favorite way to get around, but there's something to be said about going on foot. You end up seeing and discovering places that you never would if you just stick to the tourist route.

It was a weekday, and Old Town was relatively quiet. I love this part of Bangkok with its old shophouses, delicious local food, temples, shrines, and historic charm.

It was getting close to noon, so I decided to look for lunch. I ended up walking to the nearly Kolun.h (not a typo!), a Michelin recommended noodle restaurant.

Kolun.h is known for their Hainanese-style rice noodles. The signature dish comes with the choice of clear or "sticky" broth. I ordered the sticky broth, a thick, gravy-like stew which was filled with thick, chewy wheat noodles, braised pork, stewed radish and crispy pork belly. 

The noodles were topped with the aromatic flavors of fried garlic, toasted sesame seeds, chopped green onions, and pickled mustard greens, which all added up to create a filling and delicious lunch.

After that, it was time to go back home. I had ended up near the MRT station, so I took the metro back to my condo.

I was tired after a long walk out in the sun and the heat, but I was so happy to have gone out exploring again. I need to do that more often. Lately I've been working so hard that I feel like I've been stuck at home most of the time. I'm trying to get out and about more like I used to.