Saen Saeb Canal
written by syahrulfikri
on April 27th, 2008
(0 votes)
The Saen Saeb Canal was built by the order of King Rama III during the conflict between Annam about Cambodia to establish a water transport for soldiers and weapons to Cambodia. The construction started in 1837 and was finished three years after.
It starts from Mahanak canal around Mahakan Fortress in Bangkok. In Chachoengsao it terminates into the Bang Pa Kong River in the Central Bangkok, which is a route for a boat service that remains a vital public transportation function in the traffic-congested capital. The 18 km route is served by 100 boats of 40-50 seats, and operates 5:30am
to 8:30 pm daily. An express canal boat service operates on the Saen Saep Canal, providing fast, inexpensive transportation in traffic-congested central Bangkok. Prices are 8 to 18 baht, depending on distance travelled. The service carries about 60,000 passengers per day.
Saen Saeb Canal has lots of stations along it and you could get a ride on a canal boat. The one I took stopped at Nana station, just few hundred meters away from the Nana sky-train station. There are many canal boats you could hop on for every 5 minutes and the fare is only 15 baht (that’s really cheap in USD). The ride took around half an hour to the end of the canal with full speed adrenalin pumping, water splashing to your face felt something like you were in a water theme park’s riding with no safety jacket.
This type of public transportation was probably the best I tried when visited Bangkok. It’s mainly used by the locals to go around the rural areas and certainly an experience of lifetime for me or any other Lomographers. There’s a lot to see and shoot, for example the local traditional Thai wooden houses, the activities of the locals living on the side of the canals, for example kids swimming and also other passengers in the same canal boat either the locals or other all-excited travelers like me. At the end of the canal, there are tourist attractions worth to see, e.g. the Democracy Monument.
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