Just a step away from some of Bangkok’s most well-visited locations sits a forgotten neighborhood with a trove of sights mixing cultures old and new.
If you want to step out of the congested crunch of downtown Bangkok for a walk through an interesting part of town, check out the historic community of Baan Krua, just a short walk from MBK Center and BTS National Stadium.
First some context: Minarets spike into the sky above the Baan Krua neighborhood, as it has been a Muslim enclave since being handed over to Khmer Muslims for supporting King Rama I in an 18th Century episode of Thailand’s serial wars with Burma, according to historical accounts.
The descendents of those Muslims, who still weave in the neighborhood today, helped build American Jim Thompson’s 20th Century silk empire, though the busloads of tourists leave his former house just across Khlong Saen Saeb knowing nothing of this.
After Thompson moved silk manufacturing to Korat, the neighborhood went into decline and is impoverished enough for some to call it a slum.
Last year residents welcomed local and international street artists who came for the Buk Ruk festival to spray some color along the canal, or khlong, and in some other less-obvious locations. Stroll along the canal today and take in the riot of cultures. Modern street art, tethered goats, potted greenery and drying laundry sit within prayer-call distance of the Darul Faha Mosque. Walk between hand-crafted shanties and tiny corridors snaking between homes into the narrow, busy sois, where artisans still can be found pulling silk by hand.
Whether you’re a visitor or a local with an hour or two to spare, grab some street food and take in the sights during a stroll of Baan Krua.
Best way to get there is the Khlong Saen Saeb boat taxi; stop at the Hua Chang pier. Otherwise, from BTS National Stadium, take exit one toward the Pathumwan intersection and turn left onto Phaya Thai Road at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre. Walk most of the way over the canal across Saphan Hua Chang, then go down some stairs before the bridge descends to find a walking path along the canal.
FIND IT:
BTS National Stadium – Exit 1 / Khlong Saen Saeb to Tha Hua Chang
