Khlong Saen Saeb

Khlong Saen Saep ( Thai: คลอง แสน แสบ ) is a canal ( Khlong ) in central Thailand, which allows a connection to water from the Chao Phraya River as far as Prachinburi and Chachoengsao. He is the longest canal in Thailand.

History

Because of the conflict with Annam about Cambodia needed King Rama III. a passage leading east from the capital out. It should speed up the transport of troops and military supplies in Cambodian territory. Thus, the excavation of a dead straight canal was commissioned in 1837. It has a length of 53.519 km, which are in traditional Thai length measurements Sen 1337, 19 Wa 2 and Sok (Lit.: Tanabe, 1977). Construction took three years.

Geography

The channel starts just north of the main station Hua Lamphong in Bangkok, Krung Kasem where he Phadung empties into the Khlong and Khlong Maha Nak thus on the is a direct connection to the Chao Phraya River. He first performs approximately parallel to Petchaburi Road until it turns to the north-east in the Khlong Toei district. Until Min Buri he follows then parallel Ramkhamhaeng expressway. From the village of Nong Chok he performs the province of Chachoengsao due east to he on the border with the province of Prachinburi in Maenam Bang Pakhong opens.

Origin of the name

About the origin of the name, there are several theories:

• The first western country surveyor who sailed the Khlong, was a certain DO King. He wrote: " This connects Khlong Krungthep with the Maenam Bang Pakhong. He leads both through rice fields and through different places, which are inhabited by Siamese and Malays. The people at Khlong live in bamboo huts, which are built on four -foot stilts. People are dressed only in a loincloth, and no matter what job they are engaged, they always need a hand to ward off the mosquitoes. "Maybe this is one reason for the name, as literally translated means Khlong Saen Saep " channel of the 100,000 mosquito bites. "
• But linguists also suspect an origin from the Malay language. It means Su- ngai Senyaep " quiet channel ", because the Khlong has on the whole length hardly slope, so the water does not seem to flow.
• Another option are the two words from the Khmer language: Se meaning " water devils" and Saab "mild".

Environmental measures

According to an article in the Bangkok Post in September 2003, a small group of activists who live in Bang Kapi at Khlong Saen Saep, devised a way to rid the canals of Bangkok from the biggest filth and stench. You have the so-called "ionic plasma enzyme " (enzyme ionic plasma - EIP) thought that, inter alia, consists of peel of citrus fruits, vegetable waste and syrup, which are fermented for about 15 days. This mixture contains natural micro - organisms that supposedly improve the ability to decompose organic waste in the water of Khlongs faster. At the same time, the citrus fruit to improve the smell. Proponents of the EIP system claimed that it is very effective: You have poured on 13 August 2003 about 13,000 liters of liquid EIP paeb at five locations in the Khlong Saen, Asst. Prof. Taeng -On said: "The putrid stench of Saen Saep channel was gone within an hour. The next morning the water was clean. But as always wastewater was initiated, the water of the canal was shortly afterwards black again. " EIP should now be bottled and distributed to households along the Khlongs, for example, put the rinse water so that the toilets before it is discharged into the channel.

Line boats

On the Khlongs of Bangkok, there are some years back line boats. In the year 2004, it will according to a report in the daily newspaper Thai Rath average of 80,000 passengers have used the boats on the Khlong Saen Saep daily. Initially, it was inconceivable for foreigners to take a boat ride through the heavily polluted canal. But today is a ride with a Khlongboot an alternative to the traffic chaos on the roads to get to the example of the Golden Mount quickly past the Jim Thompson House and Pratunam market up to The Mall Bangkapi in the north east of Bangkok. The boat needs for this route ( 17 km) in the rush hour only about 50 minutes while the bus is usually more than three hours on the road. But disadvantages are once the dirty water spray, which can seep into the interior of the flat boats from time to time on the sides despite plastic curtains, and the noise of the engines. The fare is depending on the distance 10 to 20 baht ( less than 0.50 € ).