Mae Nam Chao Phraya

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Mae Nam Chao Phraya

Chao Phraya River

This river separates Bangkok areas like where Khao San is - Banglamphu, Chinatown, Sukhumvit Rd etc - from Thonburi.

Thonburi is one of the older 3 capitals of Thailand before Bangkok and there are some fabulous things to see there. Have a look at the posts on Wats for more information on temples that are in the area at least.

Bangkok was the “Venice of the East” before, so you can imagine that the main river was the great, main Highway into the little lanes that people actually lived and worked on.

Have a look at a few photos of what you can see on the river now - business, people commuting...

These photos are taken from the Thonburi - Western - side of the river. The opposite side of the river is Samphan Thawong, which is basically Chinatown - The market is to the left of the middle, Wat Traimit is to the right of the middle - just to give you some idea of where this is in relation to other things I've spoken about.

Where I am taking the photos from, the rolling jetty, is at the interesting Chinese temple where you save your soul (see post on a 'few last sites'), which I found when wandering away from the closed Wat Thawng Nophakhun. If you want to find the Chinese temple, walk towards the pagoda you can see when you are at Wat Thawng Nophakhun - Eastern side of the Wat if you travel by compass much - and head East. It isn't in any guidebooks that I've seen so far and it is really very beautiful and interesting, and worth the effort of finding it.

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