Thai people have long been intimately associated with waterways and boats, many deciding to settle by riverbanks to earn a living from trading and agriculture. Boats have therefore featured prominently as vital
transport links in our everyday way of life.
Documented evidence helps shed light on the period when Thai people first adopted boats as a means of transportation. Confirmation that people from days gone by traveled both on land and by water is shown on the fourth side of the fourth inscription stone of King Ramkhamhaeng (circa 12794300 AD).
It is believed that at that time forests in ancient Siam were abundant with dense foliage made up of both large and small trees. Entire tree trunks were felled to form boat hulls, their centers scorched by fire to enable the shape of the hull to be fashioned - hence the name Khud boat. in general, the main building materials were hewn from Malabar Ironwood, which is tough and durable making it resilient to erosion and giving the boat its buoyancy.
In those days, an average boat was 2.5m in length and around 25cm wide, a small, one-man boat in which the lone passenger had to row himself. Meanwhile, a Mad boat was longer and wider than ordinary boats making it suitable for several passengers. Two rowers generally manned it, one at the prow and the other at the stern.
Eventually, wooden planks came into use when larger boats were needed for commercial purposes. The planks were nailed to the frame of the boat making it waterproof; hence the boat was dubbed to boat.
During the Ayutthaya Period, when sea trade with foreign lands prospered, merchants turned to seagoing ships like junks and similar-sized sailing ships capable of carrying substantial cargoes to countries near and far.
A Chinese influence, junks had an eye painted on the prow of the boat in the belief it would guide the vessel, and its cargo, safely to its destination. Normally, junks were built from teakwood, which is resistant to contractions and cracking. They were beautifully decorated.
transport links in our everyday way of life.
Documented evidence helps shed light on the period when Thai people first adopted boats as a means of transportation. Confirmation that people from days gone by traveled both on land and by water is shown on the fourth side of the fourth inscription stone of King Ramkhamhaeng (circa 12794300 AD).
It is believed that at that time forests in ancient Siam were abundant with dense foliage made up of both large and small trees. Entire tree trunks were felled to form boat hulls, their centers scorched by fire to enable the shape of the hull to be fashioned - hence the name Khud boat. in general, the main building materials were hewn from Malabar Ironwood, which is tough and durable making it resilient to erosion and giving the boat its buoyancy.
In those days, an average boat was 2.5m in length and around 25cm wide, a small, one-man boat in which the lone passenger had to row himself. Meanwhile, a Mad boat was longer and wider than ordinary boats making it suitable for several passengers. Two rowers generally manned it, one at the prow and the other at the stern.
Eventually, wooden planks came into use when larger boats were needed for commercial purposes. The planks were nailed to the frame of the boat making it waterproof; hence the boat was dubbed to boat.
During the Ayutthaya Period, when sea trade with foreign lands prospered, merchants turned to seagoing ships like junks and similar-sized sailing ships capable of carrying substantial cargoes to countries near and far.
A Chinese influence, junks had an eye painted on the prow of the boat in the belief it would guide the vessel, and its cargo, safely to its destination. Normally, junks were built from teakwood, which is resistant to contractions and cracking. They were beautifully decorated.
Conversely, sailing ships were western-styled, oceangoingvessels with onboard cannons, and were much larger than junks.Apart from oceangoing ships, houseboats were another form ofvessel used by Ayutthaya residents with a penchant for traveling.More than just a means of transport, these vessels (a Mad boatlook-alike) also served as waterborne homes. To protect the residents from inclement weather, houseboats normally had a curved, woven canopy built onto them.
By the end of the Ayutthaya Period it was estimated that more than 20,000 houseboats were once moored in neighboring Baang Kacha and Wat Pananchoeng waiting in,: rillver traffic to sail downstream to Bangkok.
The Rattanakosin Period marked a golden age in sailing, rivers and canals were not just transportation routes but also major arteries for agriculture, cargo shipments and transportation in general, as more canals were dug to keep pace with demand.
Even as late as 1957, and despite extensive, government-sponsored road building throughout Bangkok, several residential communities continued to commute by boat. By this time, motorboats had come onto the scene, particularly the long-tailed boats that were considered an innovation reflective of the knowledge of folks living by the river.
Passenger boats, too, were introduced as a means of river transport making it possible for people on both sides of Bangkok to connect with one another.
River boatmen might be elderly folk or a young lad in his 20s, almost all starting as orchard farmers or riverside residents who grew up with boats, with some actually born and raised on board. Consequently, certain people can truthfully attest that "boats are like another home to us", reflecting their bond with boats.
Up to the present day, the great Chao Phraya River continues to flow with an endless supply of river tales linking boats and the livelihood of people on both sides of the river, that the younger generation may find worthy of attention. Boats still offer people in riverside communities a mode of transportation to take them to the city, and each house maintains a small boat to use for 'neighborhood calls.
For trips to the city, long-tailed boats ply up and down rivers offering passengers an important service. New boats can be spotted on the Chao Phraya River such as the Chao Phraya Express, for example, which is a common sight picking up and setting down passengers at piers along the river - a community response to urban living.With the passage of time, the role of present-day boats has shifted to become an alternative means of transport to combat rush hour commuting and for leisure trips. Notwithstanding their role change, they continue faithfully to serve as an essential link between waterways and the livelihood of contemporary Thais.