Seven small and sleepy villages, palm trees, bananas, temples and pottery: Ko Kret, a tropical looking island in Chao Phraya River, just 15 kilometres north from Bangkok, is a pretty place for a boat and walking trip, its quiet during the week and quite busy on weekends (Market on Sundays). One way up by boat takes one hour. You take the Chaophraya River Express to Nonthaburi and get there out at the last stop and walk to the street. Get into a Minibus to Wat Sanam Neua. Walk through the temple to the river pier. From here you can cross by ferry to Ko Kret.
The island is more than two hundred years old. It was created, when 1722 a canal was built to shorten the Kings sailing trips upwards Chao Phraya River to the capital Ayutthaya. Mon people who came down from Burma are living here for generations, and they are famous for pottery in kwan arman style and sweet Thai desserts. First they took the earth from Ko Kret to create pots. This led to erosion on the island. So by the years the base of the around two hundred years old Chedi of Wat Poramaiyikawat วัดปรมัยยิกาวาส was washed away, so today the Chedi is leaning towards the river.
Picture marhas1
The Chedi of Wat Poramaiyikawat, leaning towards Chao Phraya River
At the temple in Mon style is also a small pottery-museum. The pots are known for their red-black glazed surface and design. If you are hungry: thera are many food vendors. The island is wellknown for Khao Cher: rice with chilled fragrant water and small side dishes. or you enjoy Tod mun pla nor gala, spicy fish cake with ginger. Or: Mon tempura: deep-fried vegetables, fish, shrimp in a banana-leaf. of course you find also restaurants.
If you take a bout tour around Ko Kret you see traditional thai houses. A walk around the island takes 2 to 3 hours. There are also motor cycle taxis. And you can even rent bikes.
Don't forget to be back at the ferry pier by sunset: then the last ferry is leaving. There is no hotel or guesthouse for staying during the night, but a resort: Baan Dvara Prateep is offering yoga and meditation courses with accommodation.
If you don't want to travel by yourself, then there is a tour every sunday operated by Chao Phraya Express Boat for 300 Baht.
“You not ride bikes here in Bangkok, no!” Many Thais will react like this, when you are preparing your bike for a ride through the town. And they will add: „Very dangerous traffic, very bad air“. And you will think about it and probably agree, that there will be no car, bus, taxi, tuk-tuk or motorbike, that won’t cut you off and that you will be pushed from the road or find yourself under a vehicle. And you’ll ask yourself: Do I really want to shorten my life?
Okay, now you have bean warned, now you know, that you need a guide. There are many tour operators, which offer bicycling in Bangkok. They help you discover the heart of the city – not the big roads full of traffic, but the small lanes, ancient temples and canals. You can discover Bangkoks green lung, Bangkrachao (also: Bang Kra Jao) with a floating market (only on weekends), or you cycle through Chinatown, then there are tours to Thonburi and to the countryside with rice fields and green tropical landscapes, you visit schools or a womens kooperative.
From Rama III Road to temples and Bangkrachao, the green lung of Bangkok Colors of Bangkok
From Rama III Road to a Buddhist temple complex, a sweatshop making sandals to an open-air Muay Thai school (kick boxing), a Burmese style (Mon) Chedi, and a local elementary school and to Bangkrachao, the green lungs of Bangkok Bangkokbiking
To the floating market in Taling Chan on Weekends: Bangkokbiking
The Saturday Night Tour:
The Bangkok Tourist Bureau has organised a guided tour every Saturday evening to landmarks around Bangkok including Sanam Luang, Wat Pho, Wat Suthat, the Giant Swing and the Democracy Monument. The cost is 290 Bahtper person including bicycle hire, a guide, snack, beverage and insurance. See a blog about this event: http://thailand.prd.go.th/ebook_bak/story.php?idmag=2&idstory=15 Contact: 1. Environment and Tourism Conservation Foundation, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), 4 Ratchadamnern Road, Pomprap, Bangkok 10110 Thailand, Tel. 282-0524 or Fax. 282-2129. 2. Tourism Promotion Center, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) Tel. 225-7612-4 or Fax. 225-7616. E-mail address: bangkoktour@hotmail.com
Thonburi, every first Sunday ot the Month:
The Bangkok Tourist bureau recommends a one-day cycling tour to explore Thon Buri, located on the other side of the Chao Phraya River. Stops include Sala Dhammasop Train Station, Maha Sawat Canal and Taling Chan Floating Market. The tour runs every first Sunday of the month. At 650 Bahtper person, the fee includes bicycle hire, a guide, two meals with snacks and beverages and insurance.
For more details, call 02-255-7612-4, fax: 02-225-7616, e-mail: bangkoktour@hotmail.com
If you dont’t want to go by tour but on your own, then you can also just rent a bike, for example here: Rent a bike
Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has published „A handbook featuring ten cycling routes in Bangkok“. You can obtain it from from Tourism Division, Culture Sports and Tourism Department, phone 0-2225-7612. Blogger Moffle has started describing these routes here:
Ian shows us his routes from Khao San Road and from Taling Chan Floating Market combined with boat rides on his Google Map. And he has more routes around Bangkok Noi on another Google Map.
Cycle routes in East Bangkok: The Khlong Cyclist has Google Maps showing routes on Khlong paths and quiet sois.
And here you find Bike-Shops in Bangkok Probike Cannasia Siamsuperbike Red Baron
Saengthong Bicycles Prachakaj Rd, Nonthaburi 525-1789, 526-4664
Viwat Bike Phahon Yothin Rd 552-8583, 972-3934
World Bike Ram Inthra Rd 946-4117-9, 510-1041
Sahapatt Bicycle 447-0169, 879-4259
Lan Luang Bikeshop Worachak / Chinatown 221-3775, 221-8545
And of course you need the Survival Kit of this blogger.
You can even find a bike path in Bangkok, at Narathiwat Road. But see, what happened to this Bicycle Path
And meanwhile there is a large bicycling rescoure: Bicycle Thailand with indexes of bike shops, bike tours, ride maps and Thailand cycling blogs.
A great historical travel site is Bangkok Legacies: Discover more about famous homes, traditional thai houses, communities, monuments, temples, shrines, old churches, little museums located in obscure corners of the city, roads, old hotels and the areas these hotels are in.
If you are looking for old Thai houses and want to know the differences between buildings from the different regions of Thailand, "Bangkok Legaces" gives you the informations to find them in Bangkok. For example you find a model settlement with life-sized replicas at Siam Niramit, a theatre in Din Daeng ดินแดง, where the visit to the village is included in the tickets for the show .
Houses in the design of the central region you find also here Home of M R Kukrit Pramoj, a former Prime Minister and writer, in Sathon สาทร.
A Lanna House (Northern Thailand) is Kamthieng House in Watthana วัฒนา. The 160 years old teakwood house built on wooden stilts is a museum run by the Siam Society, which edites the wellknown Journal of the Siam Society. Artifacts help you understand the the rural way of life in traditional agricultural communities in the North. Read background by siamese-dream.com
Then on Bangkok Legacies you learn, that an Italian, the sculptor Corrado Feroci, created many famous monuments in Bangkok as the Democracy Monument in Phra Nakhon พระนคร.
Not to forget: There ist a great overview of Bangkok Museums Here you find also not so well known institutions as the Folk Museum in Bangrak, a preserved family home, which shows the lifestyle in Bangkok in the early 20th century.
Last, but not least: if you are interested in traditional handicraft, Bangkok Legacies knows the directions. For example: The Pracha Narumid community of wood craftsmen in Soi Pracha Rat 24 in Bang Sue บางซื่อ is noted for wood carvings and carpentry. The Thai bronzeware makers in Baan Bu in Bangkok Noi you find near Bangkok Noi Museum.
Let's warn you first: This palace in italian style with Chinese elements is only accessible by boat from Chao Phraya River. And it has been a neglected building for many years. But then came Wichai Pitakvorrarat, assistant professor at Rangsit University's architecture faculty and principal of Process Architect and Planner Co, and his wife Preeyadhorn, owner and executive director of the company. They fell in love with the more than eighty years old mansion on the Thonburi side of Chao Phraya, searched the owners, convinced them, leased the palace, started the restauration of the old lady to its former glory in april 2008 and turned it into a luxury hotel with 14 rooms: Praya Palazzo has been born. And Nina Suebsukcharoen told this story in details in the Bangkok Post. Originally this house with the name Ban Bangyeekhan was built in 1923. Later it served as a school.
The Praya Palazzo hotel (757/1 Somdej Phra Pinklao Soi 2) is accessible by its private boat, which departs from Wat Rajathiwas pier every 30 minutes and service Phra Arthit pier on request. The room rates start from 10000 Bath. Read the excellent review by Bangkok Post. jakoboertle has a pretty photogallery, and Chakchai's site has another gallery. See also the video of the transformation of the old palace on youtube and follow an interview with Vichai Pitakvorarat on youtube. Praya Palazzo is also on Facebook.
Authorities warn, that the water level of Srinagarind Dam and Vajiralongkorn Dam in Kanchanaburi and Pranburi Dam in Prachuap Khiri Khan have risen rapidly and all were close to full capacity, according to The Nation. Meteorological Department director-general Wanchai Sakudomchai warned that Thailand will receive more rain during the next few days as a result of the stronger southwestern monsoon, especially in western region, which is directly facing the monsoon.
People in Phetchaburi brace for devastating floods Tuesday night at around 10pm, reports Bangkok Post. This after a massive volume of water was released from a major dam to the Phetchaburi River. Kaeng Krachan dam has begun to overflow. It was close to capacity on Monday evening, with much of the water having flowed in from Myanmar after heavy rain.
Since late last week, the provincial governor have urged residents in the province's central and neighbouring districts to prepare for water levels of up to 50 centimetres on the streets. Muang, Ban Laem, Tha Lat and Tha Yang districts which are located downstream of the dam are expected to be affected, writes The Nation.
Hua Na Dam in Sisaket is holding 7% more water than its intended capacity, according to local officials. They are releasing water now. The Meteorological Department is forecasting more rain in the northeast early this week, which will raise the level of the Moon river. The stepped-up discharge rate should enable the dam to take in more water, reports Bangkok Post.
31.7.18:
People in five districts have been warned of possible effects as Lam Pao Dam in Kalasin province is now releasing more water. Five districts of Kalasin province — Yang Talat, Kamalasai, Khong Chai, Muang and Rong Kham — are expected to be affected by the release of more water from the dam, according to Thai PBS.
This little walk starts at 9 am from Soi Pansook. Your look goes to Thanon Maharat: Schoolgirls and a monk.
Bangkok starts to get busy.
This curtain above the shops tells you: Maharat road is not far from Chao Phraya River. You are in the old centre of commerce, where the goods were brought by ships.
Breakfast is ready - for 25 Baht.
And he is already ready for a joke - in front of a chinese temple in Soi Pratu Nokyung.
Still sleeping? No, at the corner from Maharat Road to Tha Thien Pier the windows stay closed to keep the heat outside.
Great door-design!
Everything for your health: old pharmacy.
Thai and Chinese.
The shophouses of Tha Tien are believed to be built from 1865 to 1910, they lie around a fresh market inside.
Inside the fresh market: Here you find everything what can be salted and dried. Let's get some fish!
Mmh! We get hungry!
Small soi inside the fresh market.
Now we move towards the wood building with Tha Thien Pier.
The first smile today - may be a good day!
Tha Tien Pier looks like this, if you arrive from the boat on the Chao Phraya River.
After the long walk it's time for a foot or body massage by Wat Pho standards.
9.50 pm: Rub Aroon Café is awakening too.
On the other side of Maharat Road: Wat Pho.
A closed door is always a promise: there has to be even more beauty inside!
This view discloses more of the treasures of Wat Pho.
Noodlesoup for breakfast? Try it, you will love it.
Back on Maharat Road.
The side street: Soi Pratoo Nok Yoong again.
Now we have a glimpse of Chakrabongse Villas จักรพงษ์ วิลล่า, built in 1908 by Prince Chakrabongse Bhuvanath as secondary residence on the Chao Phraya River. Later it was the residence of Prince Chula Chakrabongse. Today its maintained by his daughter Narisa. If you want to pay at least 8000 Baht a day, you can stay here. See a picture, how it looks from the river by Dr GiGi
From the street you cannot see that, but Aungaey published this picture in her blog. And 4travel.jp has some nice insights too.
Picture marhas1
Picture marhas1
Picture G4Glenno
