Bangkok Khlong Longtail Boat Ride 🇹🇭 Thailand ล่องเรือหางยาวกรุงเทพฯ 🇹🇭 ประเทศไทย

A khlong (Thai: คลอง, pronounced [kʰlɔ̄ːŋ]), alternatively spelt as klong (/ˈklɔːŋ/) commonly refers to a canal in Thailand. These canals are spawned by the rivers Chao Phraya, Tha Chin, and Mae Klong, along with their tributaries particularly in the low-lying areas of central Thailand. The Thai word khlong is not limited to artificial canals. Many smaller rivers are referred to as "khlong" followed by the name of the stream.
As of 2019 there are 1,682 canals in Bangkok, totalling 2,604 kilometres in length. Nine canals are primary flood drainage conduits.
In years past, the Thai capital was crisscrossed by khlongs, and so gained the nickname "Venice of the East". Khlongs were used for transportation, for floating markets, but also for sewage disposal. Today, most of the khlongs of Bangkok have been filled in, although the Thonburi side of Bangkok (covering areas west of the Chao Phraya River) still retains several of its larger khlongs.
Khlong Saen Saep in central Bangkok is a significant thoroughfare in traffic-congested Bangkok's public transportation network.
Traditional floating markets now exist mainly as tourist attractions. The best-known is the Damnoen Saduak floating market in Ratchaburi Province.
Khlong Saen Saep (Thai: คลองแสนแสบ, IPA: [kʰlɔ̄ːŋ.sɛ̌ːn.sɛ̀ːp]) is a canal (khlong) in central Thailand, connecting the Chao Phraya River to Prachinburi Province and Chachoengsao. A portion of the canal is used for public transport by an express boat service in Bangkok. The 72 km long canal passes through 21 districts and is connected to more than 100 smaller canals.
The Saen Saep Canal was built on the order of King Rama III during a conflict between Siam and Annam over Cambodia in order to establish water transport for soldiers and weapons. Construction began in 1837 and cost 96,000 Baht. Construction was finished in three years. Klong Saen Saep was once filled with lotus plants. King Mongkut, Rama IV (1851-1868) built Sa Pathum Palace (Lotus Pond Palace) in Siam District. The name of the palace and present-day Pathum Wan District are derived from it.
The Saen Saep starts from Maha Nak Canal (Khlong Maha Nak) (Thai: คลองมหานาค) at Ban Krua on the border of Ratchathewi and Pathum Wan Districts. In Chachoengsao Province it ends in the Bang Pakong River.
The Saen Saep Canal is one of Bangkok's major drainage arteries. It is also heavily polluted. In 2015, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha initiated a two-year effort to clean up the canal in 2017-2018. A survey by the Pollution Control Department (PCD) inspected 631 buildings and residences beside the canal, concluding that there were 412 sources of pollution, including 62 hospitals, 107 restaurants, 14 markets, 66 hotels, 144 condominiums, 81 department stores, and 157 homes. Between October 2015 and January 2017, the department inspected 210 of the potential polluters and found that 40 percent of hotels, 23 percent of hospitals, 20 percent of department stores, and 50 percent of condominiums discharged waste water into the canal in contravention of existing laws. The department charged the 49 worst offenders with illegally discharging wastewater into a public watercourse. Those charged must pay a 2,000 baht daily fine until they fix waste management problems and halt illegal discharges. The remaining 363 establishments were ordered to improve wastewater treatment standards. The PCD refused to reveal the identity of the polluters. To maintain the cleanliness of the canal Natural Resources and Environment Minister General Surasak Kanjanarat proposed charging waste water treatment fees to households and tourists. "If we do nothing, all rivers and canals in the next 20 years will be completely ruined. And if you are not ready to pay now, you might have to pay more in the future.", he said. The PCD recommended that the charge should be 0.43 baht per cubic metre. This would bring in 5.3 billion baht per year. Plans have been made to charge each tourist 50 baht for waste water treatment which will bring in an additional 1.5 billion baht of revenue each year, assuming 29.9 million tourists, the number who visited in 2016. The PCD intends to study wastewater treatment in an additional 21 districts with sub-canals linked to the Saen Saep Canal.
Etymology
Borrowed from Angkorian Old Khmer *គ្លង៑ (*gloṅ), *ឃ្លង៑ (*ghloṅ, “passage, way; waterway”). Cognate with Northern Thai ᨣᩖᩬᨦ, ᨣᩬᨦ, Isan คลอง, คอง, Lao ຄອງ (khǭng), Lü ᦅᦸᧂ (koang). Also extended as Thai ครรลอง.
Schuessler (2007) relates this word to Proto-Sino-Tibetan *kl(j)u(ŋ/k) (“river; valley”), whence 江 (OC *kroːŋ, “river”), 谷 (OC *kloːɡ, “valley”), Tibetan ཀླུང (klung, “river”), Burmese ချောင်း (hkyaung:, “stream”).