Chao Phraya River in Bangkok, Thailand

We traveled up the Chao Phraya River to Bangkok. It is the most important waterway in Central Thailand with winding canals covered in floating grocery stores, water taxis, Temples and houses on stilts, flowing 231 miles through Bangkok and then into the Gulf of Thailand. When measured from the longest source, which is the origin point of the Nan River in the Luang Prabang Range, the river measures 691 miles. In Bangkok, the Chao Phraya is a major transportation artery for a network of river buses, cross-river ferries, and water taxis ("longtails"). More than 15 boat lines operate on the rivers and canals of the city.

Due the Chao Phraya River the earliest civilizations in the south east Asia were established, the ancient Mon kingdom and the civilization of Dvaravati from the 7-11th century. The river also played a crucial role in the Lavo kingdom, the Ayodhaya and the Ayutthaya Kingdom in the 14th century, which became Thailand. During this time several shortcut canals were constructed to bypass large loops in the river, shortening the trip from the capital city to the sea. The course of the river has since changed to follow many of these canals.

The river became very significant after the establishment of Bangkok in 1782 on the East bank of Chao Phraya River ensuring protection to Siamese kingdom from the Burmese invasions coming from the West. There are more than a dozen cities are among the most historically significant and densely populated settlements of Thailand due to their access to the waterway.

Although there are over 50 bridges crossing this river, the major bridges that cross in Bangkok are: the Rama VI railroad bridge; Phra Pin-klao near the Grand Palace; Rama VIII, a single tower asymmetrical cable-stayed bridge; Rama IX, a semi-symmetric cable-stayed bridge; and Mega Bridge, on the Industrial Ring Road. A new bridge running parallel to Rama IX Bridge across the Chao Phraya will be finished in 2024. It was strange to go under a bridge that only went out over the water halfway from both sides and did NOT yet meet in the middle.

The principal tributaries of the Chao Phraya River are the Pa Sak River, the Sakae Krang River, the Nan River (and the Yom River), the Ping River (and the Wang River), and the Tha Chin River. Each of these tributaries (and the Chao Phraya itself) is extended by minor tributaries referred to as "khwae". All of the tributaries, including the lesser khwae, form an extensive tree-like pattern, with branches flowing through every province in central and northern Thailand (none of the tributaries of the Chao Phraya extend beyond the nation's borders.)Les mer