PART I - Exploring the THONBURI side of Bangkok [ธนบุรี]

Bangkok off the beaten track

Thonburi Yai canal area

Map exploration

The Bangkok Post article of the Gingerbread house (previous post) prompted me to return to the Santa Cruz area of Thonburi, on the western bank of the Chao Phraya River.

So, yesterday, I took my camera, put on walking shoes and went on a further exploration of this area. Thonburi became the next capital of Siam after the fall of Ayutthaya and before King Rama I settled his new area on the island of Rattanakosin across the river.

After taking two metro lines (the MRT & the BTS-Skytrain), I arrived at the pier under Saphan Taksin (King Taksin Bridge). He was an Ayutthaya army general, who became King Taksin after founding Thonburi. There, I took the water-taxi to Pak Khlong Talad (The Flower Market). I was not interested in going back to the Flower Market on this day as I went there before. They have now built Yodpiman River Walk, which is a very pleasant place despite its purpose to cater for the tourist crowds. But at this early morning hour, it was still very quiet. It is here that you can take the ferry across the river to reach Thonburi (B2.5 one way). This Thonburi pier is at Wat Kanlayanamit. These days, there is much construction going on as they are making a river walk for pedestrians and bicycles. My purpose was first to walk as far as the Memorial Bridge (known as Phra Phuttayotfa Chulalok Bridge in Thai, สะพานพระพุทธยอดฟ้า).

→ Memorial Bridge (Wikipedia)

Wat Pratoon chedi

There are many smaller khlong (canals) on this part of the river bank. Most of the houses are made of wood. It feels far away from the hustle and bustle of the modern Thai city. It has a definite provincial atmosphere and people are so friendly! On top of that, there are absolutely no tourists there. It has retained an original atmosphere.

Before reaching the Memorial Bridge, there is an outstanding wat (temple) called Wat Prayurawongsawas Wora [วัดประยุรวงศาวาส] It is a royal temple, which has just finished restoring its huge 60.5m high white chedi (stupa) built in the Sri Lankan style. Actually, this is Bangkok's oldest religious construction, which received an honor from UNESCO:

→ Bangkok's Wat Pratoon bags Unesco award for restoration (The Nation)

Here is what the historical landmark of the temple says:

The place of the temple was originally the site of a coffee plantation belonging to Somdet Chao Phraya Maha Prayurawong. In 1828, he donated the site for the building of this temple. King Rama III gave the temple its current name but the local people preferred calling it Wat Rualek because of its big fence surrounding the temple made from iron in the form of lances, swords, and axes. Only a part of the fence remains. This is the first temple of Rattanakosin period where the chedi (pagoda) was built in the Lanka style. Inside the wiharn is a Buddha image in subduing Mara posture called Luang Phor Nark.We believe it was one of a pair with Phra Sri Sakkayamuni, the principal Buddha image of Wat Suthat Thepwararam.

Some of the rock garden turtles

Rock mountain view

Khao Mo

Besides the chedi, the other remarkable site there is its adjoining Rock garden. It is nicknamed Khao Mo (rock mountain, in Thai) or also Turtle Mountain due to hundreds of turtles swarming in its surrounding pond. It is indeed an unexpected and beautiful rock garden, extremely well-tended.

→ Wat Prayurawondsawas preserving a cultural heritage

Another historical landmark sign within the rock garden tells this story about one of the mondop:

This is the definition of a mondop [พระมณฑป] in Wikimedia Commons: « it is a specific square based building or shrine with a pyramidal roof (seemingly) carried by columns within a Thai Buddhist temple or temple complex. It can house relics, sacred scriptures or act as a shrine ».

Replica of the Gothic-style Mondop : In the North-easterly direction of the Rockery is the site of another Gothic-style Mondop, a replica of the original one. It has been assumed that the building of the replica might have been placed in 1885, when the large Mondop was built, or it might have been built by a committee that managed the inheritance of Thanphuying Phan (née Buranon), wife of Somdetch Chao Phraya Borom Maha Suriyawongse (Chuang Bunnan) at the same time when the Gothic-style concrete crematorium was built at the front of the Rockery. The construction of this crematorium was financially supported by Thanphuying Phan and it was inscribed with her name and the year of construction, « Phannakarn Ror Sor 115 » in 1896. The architectural style of the replica of the Gothic-style Mondop again resembles that of a Christian church. It is a tall building with eight spires located on a miniature mountain. The first level of the base is indented in the corner as in the Gothic architectural plan. The second level has arches to house Buddha images.

From there, I went back onto the river-walk to Santa Cruz Church and its historical Portuguese area.

And first, I wanted to have a closer look at the Gingerbread house. Here are some of the new shot I made there:

Sta.Cruz Gingerbread house

House front detail

Back window

Santa Cruz Church is the oldest Portuguese church in Bangkok as it was built in the early Thonburi age. Another historical landmark sign reads as follows:

This building (« Igreja de Santa Cruz ») is considered of outstanding interest for the 500 years long history of Thai-Portuguese relations. King Taksin rewarded the Portuguese that fought for Ayutthaya in the campaign against Burma (1767) with a plot of land, for them to settle and build a church, near his palace Wang Derm in Thonburi, the new capital of Siam. The Royal grant is dated 14th September day of the exaltation of the 'holy cross' ('Santa Cruz') in the Catholic liturgy. The first church finished in 1770 was made of wood. When the whole settlement burned down in 1833, a new church was built, already in masonry. The present building, after a near total renovation in Italianate architectural style dates from 1916.

Village narrow lane

On the right-hand side of the church front, there is a historical trail that goes through the narrow lanes of the Portuguese descendants of this village. Some houses have already been gracefully restored. One, in particular, is in total renovation at the time being. As I was photographing a gate frame with Portuguese tiles, the lady, who owns that house, came to talk with me. We had a very interesting discussion and she told me that it was her family, who was restoring the house across the alley. It will be a museum dedicated to the Portuguese heritage of this compound. She also told me that her next door's neighbor was a scholar, who was the author of the Thai-French dictionary. Amazing encounters!

There is another interesting fact. I created a Google Collection on door-knockers, which I keep updating. In Thailand, usually, door-knockers are only found at temples. But here, in this alley, two houses had door-knockers on their gates.

Lion door-knocker

Thai door-knocker

Portuguese tiles

I also went back to the little local bakery and café that keeps baking the old recipe of the Portuguese cookies. Being all alone there, I had the privilege of having a freshly cooked hot cookie with my glass of iced jasmine tea. A real treat!

As I pursued my trek on the trail, I stopped in the back of the old gingerbread house. It is still inhabited despite its crumbling state. The owner of the house just across this back alley came to chat with me for a while. It was another friendly encounter.

Then, I was back on to the river-walk to Wat Kalayanamitr [วัดกัลยาณมิตรวรมหาวิหาร], where the Rajinee pier is located. This royal temple was built in the 19^th c by a Chinese nobleman. Its name means 'good friend'. It has a massive Vihara housing a huge gilded statue of Buddha.

Wat Kalayamitr

→ Multicultural Place Along the Chao Phraya River

→ Lord of Suvarnabhumi

This is a Thai monastery with Chinese features as the buildings in the back show it. There is a temple bell tower in the back of the Vihara, which is dark blue. This is an unusual color as temple bells have normally kept their bronze color.

Chinese monastery

Blue temple bell

A large khlong separates this side of Thonburi from the other, where Wat Arun stands. It is a major khlong called Bangkok Yai.

→  Bangkok Yai District (Wikipedia)

At the confluence of the khlong with the Chao Phraya River, there is a fort, which is still used by the Thai Royal Navy. It is called Wichai Prasit Fort (built in 1688). Actually, this area gave Thonburi its name as it means 'wealth' [thon ธน] 'fortress' [buri บุรี].

→ Fort Vichai Prasit

Wat Tai Talad

This is the part of Thonburi, which was invested by King Taksin to become the site of the Siamese new capital. The former palace was built in the same compound. Another temple is located here next to the fort: Wat Molee Lokayaram Ratchaworawihan [วัดโมลีโลกยารามราชวรวิหาร]. It was also nicknamed Wat Tai Talad, literally 'the temple at the bottom of the market'. It is quite an interesting Wat. It has a sort of long white building resembling a British colonial construction. The monastery has a series of beautiful Thai wooden houses.

It is not a long walk from here to Wat Arun. On the way, there is a modern Thai place called Horse House Café that provides a nice air-conditioned break for lunch or a drink. Wat Arun (the Temple of Dawn) is still under complete renovation but is now open to the public. This iconic Wat will be all white emphasizing its colorful floral decorations.

I chose to go back to Rattanakosin from Wat Arun pier to Tha Tian, near Wat Pho and then walk back to Yodpiman River Walk as far as the Memorial Bridge to see the public park by the river.

Then it was time to have a coffee break at Yodpiman while waiting for the next water-taxi to Saphan Taksin.

Christian Sorand

Santa Cruz Church former pier sala.

--> A day in Thonburi (Google+ slideshow)