Richard Barrow Profile picture
🇹🇭 Writer of online Thai travel guides and travel news for nearly 30 years. I tweet tips on where to go and what to do. I’m also on @ThaiTrainGuide.

Oct 12, 2021, 9 tweets

This is going to be a THREAD about Khlong Phra Khanong. The starting point of the canal is the Chao Phraya River in Klong Toei Port and it goes eastwards beyond Srinakarin Road. I will be posting in this thread every time I come here to explore #BKKcanals #walkingBKK #Bangkok

As you can see, Khlong Phra Khanong is not a straight canal. In fact it’s a natural river that has been straightened a little over the years to make it a more efficient “highway”. The community along the banks date back to the pre-Ayutthaya period #BKKcanals #walkingBKK #Bangkok

I was hoping to start my exploration today by taking a public boat from Phra Khanong Pier. Unfortunately due to lack of interest it isn’t running at the moment. But you can rent a long-tailed boat for around ฿1,000.

📍MAP: goo.gl/maps/YYXJvDDxP… #BKKcanals #walkingBKK #Bangkok

The most famous resident along Khlong Phra Khanong is Mae Nak. There have been many movies about her ghostly exploits. A shrine dedicated to Mae Nak is at Wat Mahabut. It’s popular with expectant mothers and people avoiding army conscription.

📍MAP: goo.gl/maps/ykun3Y3DP…

The canal path at Wat Mahabut was on the wrong side and so I went back to the main road and a short distance to Soi On Nut 17. This is where I started the first stretch on the right hand side.

📍MAP: goo.gl/maps/mBacUHw56… #BKKcanals #walkingBKK #Bangkok

One of the problems of canal paths is that sometimes they run out and there’s no bridge to the other side. This happened to me on the left hand side after Wat Yang. A local said I should go back to the temple and hire a boatman to cross to the other side #BKKcanals #Bangkok

At Wat Yang I hired a boatman to cross to the other side of the canal. Normally it costs 5 Baht but I gave him 20 Baht as I had my e-scooter too. He was very chatty. He said he had been doing this all his adult life.

📍MAP: goo.gl/maps/9TSqfLn7M… #BKKcanals

I will map the canal paths for you later. But for the record, I had to go back to the main road and then go down Soi On Nut 25 to Wat Thong Nai where the canal paths continued.

📍MAP: goo.gl/maps/ECfkBpndQ… #BKKcanals #walkingBKK #Bangkok

From Wat Thong Nai, it was a straight run all the way along the canal to the point where it went under Srinakarin Road. You can see the monorail here. This is my final destination for today. I will continue on another day.

📍MAP: goo.gl/maps/gMGgdoaeS… #BKKcanals #Bangkok

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