The Khlongs - Bangkok's Canals., Bangkok

The Canals or Klongs as the are called, meander through the older part of the city. It was here that the city of Bangkok was originally founded in the late 18th century. Once called the Venice of the East, the klongs can best be explored by hiring one of the many longboats the ply the river and its waterways. Along the klongs, you will see stilt houses, children playing in the water and even some wildlife like I did. These boats can be hired at one of many stops along the Chao Phraya River.

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Longtail Boats are a fast, sometime exciting way of getting around the Chao Phraya river. You can hire one for your own ride through the khlongs, and get up close to the riverside housing off the main straight of the river. The small floating stores never miss an opportunity to get a few tourist Baht, and add to the interest of the ride. The juxtaposition of the variable housing - much of it very basic - and the opulent highrises alongside and behind them, makes it all the more interesting. There is also the reality that many of the locals actually bathe in this dirty river.

Canal (khlong) transport is the chosen method of getting to work and back home for some 60,000 thousand Thais. They don't take the boat for fun but do so because it is a very efficient, inexpensive and fast way to commute. But for tourists, taking a commuter canal boat can not only be a great way to get from A to B, it can also be great fun. Don't be put off by reviewers who say it is too dangerous. Sure, the water is filthy and the boats come into and leave the piers at quite a lick, so it's not suitable if you are carrying luggage or you are unsteady on your feet. But if you keep your wits about you it's safe enough, and well-worth the effort. You will see a side of Bangkok not possible by any other means of transport.
The main artery of the inner city commuter canal system is called Klong Saen Saap and runs from The Golden Mount (Poo Cow Tong) all the way to Bangkapi, a distance of some 18 kilometres. There are 23 stops on the route, many of them at road bridges. So if, for example you are staying in Cow Saan Rd, and you want to go to Jim Thomson's House get on the boat at Golden Mount and get off at Charoen Phon; if you want to do some shopping or catch a movie get off at Hua Chang (near Siam Bridge) and take a short stroll to some of the city's main shopping malls such as MBK, Paragon or Siam Centre. If you want to get to Sukhumvit Rd stay on the boat for another couple of stops; if you want to go to the Eastern Bus Station (Ekamai) ask the ticketman or a fellow passenger to tell you when you get to Prasan Mit, etc.
On your way you will sometimes see people swimming (believe it or not!), you will see into the shacks of the khlong people, some will wave to you, while others will go quietly about their chores, washing clothes, cooking, watching TV, feeding their children.
Be warned: The service starts quite early in the morning but shuts down at 8pm.

Take a trip in a longtail boat along the Klongs. Our trip covered some of the northern Khlongs so we did not see the floating market, but we did see the royal barge museum.
Here you get away from the hectic pace of the Bangkok raods and see another side of living here. The houses range from small huts on stilits where the residents use the khlong for bathing and washing, to large luxery canalside mansions
We set out from the Taksin bridge and paid 2000 baht for 4 of us in a boat. Got the impression that 2000 was the price you pay regardless of party size

The khlongs we travelled along were very peaceful, we only saw about 4 or 5 other tourist boats during the whole trip. Even when you are going past the houses and people are down in the water it still seems a whole world away from the bustle on the street.
However I was somewhat concerned about the wave created by the boat as it seemed to hit the banks of the khlong and the houses over the water quite strongly

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A trip down the khlongs on a longtail boat is a great way to spend an hour or so.
You certainly see a different side of Bangkok. It makes you realise that the river and the khlongs are an essential part of these peoples lives.

You can do a Canal tour by a number of ways. One do one of the organised tours by a tour company which uses large boats and you do not see as much. Two hire a Longtail boat from the Bangkok Tourist Information Centre, or three go to Wha Chang Pier and the Longtail boats are there waiting to take you on a tour for a couple of hours. The tour is quite good as you get to see what is happening on the Chao Phraya River and then you travel into the canals and get to see life on the river. You can stop at Wat Arun, then you stop to feed some fish and other locations. You can also stop at the Royal Barge Musuem where the King keeps all the Royal Barges which are used on the River to mark special occassions.

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It is difficult to describe properly how Bangkok is: oh, yes, it is a very modern city, with beautiful skyscrapers; and it is also a monumental place, so marvellous wats; and it is also a shopping paradise, where you get the impression that you can buy anything at any hour. But when you are close to a khlong (a small canal in the middle of the city), you could easily think that you are more in a village. Houses at the banksides of the khongs seem sometimes to be hanged over it. They are usually very modest houses, which make a shocking contrast with the malls or the buildings that you can see just beside them. You can do a boat tour of the khongs. We did not, but you can look to life there from many places in Bangkok. These pics are taken at the khlong near Jim Thompsons. It was our first morning in Bangkok and we were quite impressed.
Es dificil describir bien como es Bangkok: oh, si, es una ciudad muy moderna, con hermosos rascacielos; y tambien es un lugar monumental, son tan maravillosos sus templos!; y tambien es un paraiso de las compras, donde te parece que puedes comprar de todo a cualquier hora. Pero cuando te acercas a un khlong (un canal), podrias pensar facilmente que mas bien estas en un pueblo. Las casas de las orillas parecen estar colgadas encima del khlong. Normalmente son casas muy modestas, lo cual hace contrasta de un modo chocante con los centros comerciales o edificios que ves justo al lado. Puedes hacer un tour en barco por los khlongs. Nosotros no lo hicimos, pero puedes ver la vida alli desde muchos lugares en Bangkok. Las fotos de este consejo estan sacadas en el khlong que hay al lado de la casa de Jim Thompson. Fue nuestra primera manhana en Bangkok y nos quedamos bastante impresionados