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( BANGKOK CANALS TOUR )
(DAILY : 8.30 A.M. & 1.30 P.M.)
( TOURING TIME BY BOAT : APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS ) |
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TOUR ITINERARY :
- DEPART HOTEL BY PRIVATE AIR - CONDITIONED VAN WITH LICENSED ENGLISH - SPEAKING GUIDE FOR
THE RIVER CITY PIER
( REMARK : GUESTS FROM HOTELS BY THE RIVER WILL START THE TOUR BY BOAT FROM THE RIVER
PIER OF THE HOTEL)
- CONTINUE BY PRIVATE LONG - TAILED SPEED BOAT OR EXPRESS BOAT ALONG CHAO PHRAYA RIVER
FOR TEMPLE OF DAWN ( WAT ARUN )
- CONTINUE BY BOAT ALONG BEAUTIFUL CANALS OF BANGKOK FOR THE ROYAL BARGE MUSEUM
- VISIT THE ROYAL BARGE MUSEUM
- CONTINUE BY BOAT BACK TO THE RIVER PIER
- RETURN TO THE HOTEL
TOUR PRICES :
1 PAX - 3,960 BAHT
2 PAX - 2,400 BAHT EACH
3 - 4 PAX - 1,970 BAHT EACH
5 - 6 PAX - 1,700 BAHT EACH
TRANSPORT :
* WIDE-BODY TOYOTA VAN (3000)( 9 - SEATED )
* MERCEDES BENZ VAN (MB140)( 9 - SEATED )
* LONG - TAILED SPEED BOAT ( 6 - SEATED )
* EXPRESS BOAT ( 30 - SEATED )
PRICE INCLUDES :
- PRIVATE VAN WITH LICENSED ENGLISH - SPEAKING GUIDE
- PRIVATE BOAT
- ALL ADMISSION FEES
- 1 MILLION BAHT INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR EACH GUEST DURING THE TOUR
( CHAO PHRAYA RIVER )
THE CHAO PHRAYA MAENAM CHAO PHRAYA IS A MAJOR RIVER IN THAILAND, WITH ITS
LOW ALLUVIAL PLAIN FORMING THE CENTRE OF THE COUNTRY. IT RUNS THROUGH BANGKOK,
THE CAPITAL CITY, AND THEN EMPTIES INTO THE GULF OF THAILAND.
THE CHAO PHRAYA BEGINS AT THE CONFLUENCE OF THE PING AND NAN RIVERS AT NAKHON SAWAN
(ALSO CALLED PAK NAM PHO) IN NAKHON SAWAN PROVINCE. IT THEN FLOWS SOUTH FOR 372
KILOMETRES (231 MI) FROM THE CENTRAL PLAINS TO BANGKOK AND THE GULF OF THAILAND. IN
CHAINAT, THE RIVER SPLITS INTO THE MAIN COURSE AND THE THA CHIN RIVER, WHICH THEN FLOWS
PARALLEL TO THE MAIN RIVER AND EXITS IN THE GULF OF THAILAND ABOUT 35 KILOMETRES (22 MI)
WEST OF BANGKOK IN SAMUT SAKHON. IN THE LOW ALLUVIAL PLAIN WHICH BEGINS BELOW THE
CHAINAT DAM, MANY SMALL CANALS (KHLONG) SPLIT OFF FROM THE MAIN RIVER. THE KHLONGS ARE
USED FOR THE IRRIGATION OF THE REGION'S RICE PADDIES.
THE ROUGH CO-ORDINATES OF THE RIVER ARE 13 N, 100 E. THIS AREA HAS A WET MONSOON CLIMATE,
WITH OVER 1,400 MM OF RAINFALL PER YEAR AND TEMPERATURES RANGING FROM 33C TO 24C IN
BANGKOK.
CITIES ALONG THE CHAO PHRAYA INCLUDE NAKHON SAWAN, UTHAI THANI, CHAINAT, SINGBURI, ANG
THONG, AYUTTHAYA, PATHUM THANI, NONTHABURI, BANGKOK AND SAMUT PRAKAN, LISTED FROM
NORTH TO SOUTH. THESE CITIES ARE AMONG THE MOST HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT AND DENSELY
POPULATED SETTLEMENTS OF THAILAND PRECISELY BECAUSE OF THEIR ACCESS TO THE WATERWAY,
WITH BANGKOK ALONE HAVING A POPULATION OF OVER 12 MILLION
THE MAJOR BRIDGES THAT CROSS THE CHAO PHRAYA ARE IN THE PROVINCE OF BANGKOK: THE
RAMA VI RAIL-ROAD BRIDGE; PHRA PIN-KLAO NEAR THE GRAND PALACE; RAMA VIII, A SINGLE
TOWER ASYMMETRICAL CABLE-STAYED BRIDGE; RAMA IX, A SEMI-SYMMETRIC CABLE-STAYED BRIDGE;
AND MEGA BRIDGE, PART OF THE INDUSTRIAL RING ROAD. IN BANGKOK, THE CHAO PHRAYA IS
A MAJOR TRANSPORTATION ARTERY FOR A VAST NETWORK OF RIVER BUSES, CROSS-RIVER FERRIES
AND WATER TAXIS, ALSO KNOWN AS LONGTAILS. MORE THAN 15 BOAT LINES OPERATE ON
THE RIVERS AND CANALS OF THE CITY, INCLUDING COMMUTER LINES.
THE PRINCIPAL TRIBUTARIES OF THE CHAO PHRAYA RIVER ARE THE PA SAK RIVER, THE SAKAE KRANG
RIVER, THE NAN RIVER (ALONG WITH ITS PRINCIPAL CONFLUENT THE YOM RIVER), THE PING RIVER
(WITH ITS PRINCIPAL CONFLUENT THE WANG RIVER), AND THE THA CHIN RIVER. EACH OF THESE
TRIBUTARIES (AND THE CHAO PHRAYA ITSELF) IS FURTHER TRIBUTED BY ADDITIONAL MINOR
TRIBUTARIES OFTEN REFERRED TO AS KHWAE. ALL OF THE TRIBUTARIES, INCLUDING THE LESSER
KHWAE, FORM AN EXTENSIVE TREE-LIKE PATTERN, WITH BRANCHES FLOWING THROUGH NEARLY EVERY
PROVINCE IN CENTRAL AND NORTHERN THAILAND. NONE OF THE TRIBUTARIES OF THE CHAO PHRAYA
EXTEND BEYOND THE NATION'S BORDERS. THE NAN AND THE YOM RIVER FLOW NEARLY PARALLEL
FROM PHITSANULOK TO CHUMSAENG IN THE NORTH OF NAKHON SAWAN PROVINCE. THE WANG
RIVER ENTERS THE PING RIVER NEAR SAM NGAO DISTRICT IN TAK PROVINCE.
( WAT ARUN )
WAT ARUN RAJWARARAM " TEMPLE OF THE DAWN " IS A BUDDHIST TEMPLE ( WAT ) IN THE BANGKOK
YAI DISTRICT OF BANGKOK, THAILAND, ON THE THONBURI WEST BANK OF THE CHAO PHRAYA RIVER.
THE FULL NAME OF THE TEMPLE IS WAT ARUNRATCHAWARARAM RATCHAWORMAHAWIHAN NAMED
AFTER ARUNA, THE INDIAN GOD OF DAWN, THE WAT ARUN IS CONSIDERED ONE OF THE MOST WELL
KNOWN OF THAILAND'S MANY LANDMARKS. DRAWN ON A NOVEL BY JAPANESE WRITER
YUKIO MISHIMA ( THE TEMPLE OF DAWN - THE SEA OF FERTILITY )
THE OUTSTANDING FEATURE OF WAT ARUN IS ITS CENTRAL PRANG ( KHMER - STYLE TOWER ) .
BEGUN IN 1809, IT MAY HAVE BEEN NAMED " TEMPLE OF THE DAWN " BECAUSE THE FIRST LIGHT OF
MORNING REFLECTS OFF THE SURFACE OF THE TEMPLE WITH A PEARLY IRIDESCENCE. STEEP STEPS LEAD
UP TO TWO TERRACES. THE HEIGHT IS REPORTED BY DIFFERENT SOURCES AS BETWEEN 66.8 M ( 219ft )
AND 86 m ( 282 ft ) THE CORNERS ARE SURROUNDED BY 4 SMALLER SATELLITE PRANGS. THE PRANGS
ARE DECORATED BY SEASHELLS AND BITS OF PORCELAIN WHICH HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN USED SA
BALLAST BY BOATS COMING TO BANGKOK FROM CHINA. THE PRESIDING BUDDHA IMAGE, CAST IN THE
REIGN OF RAMA II , IS SAID TO HAVE BEEN MOULDED BY HIS MAJESTY HIMSELF. THE ASHES OF KING
RAMA II ARE BURIED IN THE BASE OF THE IMAGE.
THE CENTRAL PRANG IS TOPPED WITH A SEVEN - PRONGED TRIDENT, REFERRED TO BY MANY SOURCES
AS THE " TRIDENT OF SHIVA "
AROUND THE BASE OF THE PRANGS ARE VARIOUS FIGURES OF ANCIENT CHINESE SOLDIERS AND
ANIMALS. OVER THE SECOND TERRACE ARE FOUR STATUES OF THE HINDU GOD INDRA RIDING ON
ERAWAN.
AT THE RIVERSIDE ARE 6 PAVILIONS ( SALA ) IN CHINESE STYLE. THE PAVILIONS ARE MADE OF GREEN
GRANITE AND CONTAIN LANDING BRIDGES.
NEXT TO THE PRANGS IS THE ORDINATION HALL WITH A NIRAMITR BUDDHA IMAGE SUPPOSEDLY
DESIGNED BY KING RAMA II . THE FRONT ENTRANCE OF THE ORDINATION HALL HAS A ROOF WITH A
CENTRAL SPIRE, DECORATED IN COLOURED CERAMIC AND STUCCOWORK SHEATED IN
COLOURED CHINA. THERE ARE 2 DEMONS, OR TEMPLE GUARDIAN FIGURES, IN FRONT.
THE MONASTERY HAS EXISTED FOR MANY YEARS SINCE THE DAYS WHEN AYUTTHAYA WAS CAPITAL OF
THAILAND. AT THE TIME NAMED WAT MOKOK, SITUATED IN A PLACE CALLED TUMBOL BANGMAKOK.
THE WORD BANGMAKOK, MEANING " VILLAGE OF OLIVE " , HAS SINCE BEEN SHORTENED TO " MAKOK
THE CENTRAL PRANG SYMBOLIZES MOUNT MERU OF THE INDIAN COSMOLOGY. THE SATELLITE PRANGS
AND DEVOTED TO THE WIND GOD PHRA PHAI.
CONSTRUCTION OF THE TALL PRANG AND FORU SMALLER ONES WAS STARTED BY KING RAMA II 1809-
1824 AND COMPLETED BY KING RAMA III ( 1824 - 1851 ). THE TOWERS ARE SUPPORTED BY ROWS OF
DEMONS AND MONKEYS. VERY STEEP AND NARROW STEPS LEADTO A BALCONY HIGH ON THE CENTRAL
TOWER. THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE BASE OF THE STRUCTURE IS 234 METERS, AND THE CENTRAL
PRANG IS 250 FOOT HIGH.
THE DEMONS ( YAKSHA ) AT THE ENTRANCEWAY TO THE UBOSOT ARE FROM THE RAMAKIEN. THE WHITE
FIGURE IS NAMED SAHASSA DEJA AND THE AREEN ONE IS KNOWN AS THOTSAKAN, THE DEMON RAVANA
FROM RAMAYANA.
( ROYAL BARGE MUSEUM )
THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ROYAL BARGES CONTAINS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT 8 OF THE 52 ROYAL
BARGES AND PROVIDES INFORMATION AND DISPLAYS HISTORICAL AND DECORATIVE OBJECTS
ASSOCIATED WITH THE BARGES AND THE ROYAL CEREMONIES.
TO APPRECIATE WHAT TO SEE THE FOLLOWING EXPLANATION MAY ASSIST. EACH BOAT HAS A
FIGUREHEAD AND EACH HAS SIGNIFICANCE.
VISHNU RIDING ON GARUDA; THE MOST IMPOSING BOAT AND FIGUREHEAD IS THAT OF VISHNU
MOUNTED ON GARUDA. [ IN THAI CALLED NARAI SONG SUBAN. ] ACCORDING TO THE HINDU LEGEND,
VISHNU LIVES IN THE SEA AND ARISES TO THE HUMAN WORLD TO RESOLVE PROBLEMS.
VISHNU'S IMAGE IS OFTEN POSITIONED OPUTSIDE HOTEL BUILDINGS IN THAILAND. HE IS SEEN
WITH 4 HEADS AND 4 ARMS AND HOLDS A TRIDENT, MACE, DISC AND CONCH SHELL. VISHNU IS
MOSTLY PORTRAYED RIDING GARUDA. IN THAI BELIEFS INCARNATIONS OR AVATARS OF GODS
APPEARED AS HUMAN KINGS AND SO THE CURRENT THAI OR SIAMESE KINGS WERE CONSIDERED
AVATARS OF VISHNU.
NAGA; THE NAGA IS A MYTHICAL BEING OF HINDU MYTHOLOGY AND IN THAI CULTURE IS CAN BE SEEN
IN ALL TEMPLE DESIGN AND WORKS OF DECORATIVE ART. THE MYTHICAL NAGA LIVES UNDERWATER
AND THE NAGA KING ANANTANAGRAI IS THE ONE WHO SUPPORTED VISHNU [ OR NARAI ] WHILE HE
CHURNED THE MILK OCEAN [ AS CAN BE NOW SEEN IN THE DISPLAY AT BANGKOK AIRPORT ].
THE ANATANAGARAI ROYAL BARGE DISPLAYS THE TRADITION OF THE PRESENT KING AS AN AVATAR
OF VISHNU RIDING THE BOAT AS DID NARAI ON ANANTANAGARAJ IN THE HINDU MYTH.
THE SEVEN HEADED NAGA BOAT FIGUREHEAD IS SHOWN IN THE IMAGES HERE.
GARUDA; AS A HINDU MYTHOLOGY CREATURE THE GARUDA IS THE VEHICLE OF NARAI [ VISHNU ] AND
IS A CREATURE WITH A BIRDS HEAD, BEAK, TALONS AND WINGS OF AN EAGLE AND THE TORSO OF A
HUMAN BEING. THE GARUDAS ARE THE SWORN ENEMIES OF THE NAGA. THE GURUDA BOAT FIGUREHEAD
IS SHOWN IN THE IMAGES HERE.
KRABI [ THE MONKEY ]; THIS IS HANUMAN THE MONKEY FROM THE RAMAYANA INDIAN EPIC. HAMUMAN
HAS A WHITE BODY [ AS ALSO SHOWN IN THE PAINTED MURALS AR WAT PHRAO KAEO ] AND
SUPERNATURAL POWERS SUCH AS WALKING IN AIR. HIS FIGUREHEAD IS MOUNTED ON THE KRABI PRAB
MUANG BARGES. THESE KRABI CLASS BOATS HAVE A DRIVING SPEED OF 2.6 METERS PER STROKE WITH
36 OARSMEN AND 2 STEERSMEN. THE BOAT ON DISPLAY WAS MADE DURING THE RAMA 1 PERIOD AND
HAS BEEN REPAIRED FOLLOWING WAR DAMAGE IN WORLD WAR 11. IT IS 28.8 METERS LONG, IS 2.1
METERS WIDE AT THE BEAM AND HAS A DEPTH OF 56 CENTIMETERS.
HONG THE SWAN THE HONG IS THE NAME OF AN ANCIENT BIRD OF INDIA WHICH ACTED AS THE
VEHICLE FOR BRAHMA THE CREATOR. IN BUDDHIST WRITINGS THE HONG REPRESENTS PAST LIVES
OF BUDDHA. I THAILAND THE HONG IS A SYMBOL OF HIGH STATUS, ELEGANCE AND IMPORTANCE.
ON THE ROYAL BARGE THE HONG REPRESENTS AS THE VEHICLE OF BRAHMA TO EMPHASIS THE
IMPORTANCE OF THE KING. IN THE MUSEUM THIS IS SEEN ON THE ROYAL BARGE SUPHANNAHONG,
WHICH ALSO HAS WORLD HERITAGE STAUS HAVING BEEN AWARD THE MARITIME HERITAGE AWARD
IN 1992 BY THE WORLD SHIP TRUST OF GREAT BRITAIN.
IT IS 46 15 METERS LONG, 3.7 METERS WIDE AT THE BEAM AND THE HULL IS 94 CENTIMETERS
WITH A DRAUGHT OF 41 CENTIMETERS. IT HAS A DRIVING SPEED OF 3.5 METERS PER
STROKE WITH 50 OARSMEN AND 12 OTHER OFFICE BEARERS [INCLUDING, 1 CHANTER,
1 SIGNALMAN, AND 8 ROYAL REGALIA BEARS] .
ASURA; THE ASURA VAYUPHAK IS ANOTHER CREATURE FROM THE HIMMAVANA FOREST AS DEPICTED IN
THE RAMAYANA AND TEMPLES LIKE WAT PHRAO KAEOW AND ELSEWHERE. THIS CREATURE IS HALF
GIANT [ LIKE HIS FATHER ] AND HALF BIRD [ AS WAS HIS MOTHER ].
HERA; THE HERA IS ALSO A CREATURE FROM THE HAMMAVANA FOREST AND HAS A CROCODILE HEAD
AND A FISH TAIL. THIS ICON AND DESIGN CAN ALSO BE SEEN AT THE CARVED STONE MURALS AT BAYON
AT ANGKOR WHICH WAS CONSTRUCTED BY THE KHMERS IN THE 13 C. THE EKACHAI HERN HOW HULL
AT THE MUSEUM IS DECORATED IN HERA PATTERNS SIMILAR TO THOSE ON THE BAYON CARVINGS
MADE 800 YEARS AGO. THE EKACHAI CLASS OF BOAT IS DESIGNED TO TOW THE ROYAL BARGE.
THIS CLASS OF BOAT HAS 38 OARSMEN WITH 2 STEERSMEN AND A DRIVING POWER OF 3 METERS
PER STROKE. IT IS 30 METERS IN LENGTH WITH A 2 METER WIDTH AT THE BEAM.
THE HULL DEPTH IS 60 CENTIMETERS.
HISTORICALLY BOATS OF THIS STYLE WERE USED IN WAR, PRIVATE TRAVEL AND CEREMONIES AND
TRANSPORT. IN AYUTTHAYA. THE HISTORY AND DESCRIPTION OF THE AYUTTHAYA PERIOD BOATS IS
RECORDED IN ANCIENT TEXT OF THE MANY FOREIGN VISITORS TO AYUTTHAYA. THE THAI RECORDS AND
THE THAI BOATS WERE DESTROYED WITH AYUTTHAYA IN 1767.
IN AYUTTHAYA THERE WERE 2 DOCKS. SEA GOING BOATS WERE DOCKED NEAR POM PHET FORTRESS
[ FORT PHET ] AND THE WARSHIPS AND REGALIA BOATS WERE DOCKED ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE
ISLAND NEAR WHAT ARE NOW THE RUINS OF THE FORMER GRAND PALACE.
REMARK : ALL PRICES INCLUDE 7% VAT
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