Description of the attraction
Opposite the Grand Palace, the Noi Klong Canal flows into the Chaopraya River, where a pier for wooden royal barges is equipped, which has been turned into a museum. Here, under a special canopy, there are only 8 rowing ships out of more than 50 barges that belonged to the king. This number of ships may seem excessive, but it should be remembered that in the past, when the capital of Thailand was the city of Ayutthaya, the river was the main transport artery, and the personal royal fleet consisted of several thousand barges. Abbot de Choisy, referring to the first French embassy in Siam in 1685, mentions that the French traveled upstream on hundreds of ships, some of which were royal.
When the Burmese captured Ayutthaya, all the barges were burned. Rama I, who made Bangkok his new capital, ordered the creation of new barges modeled on the old ones. By this time, ships were used mainly for various ceremonies. This continued until the 1932 coup, when the absolute monarchy in Thailand was destroyed. Most of the objects belonging to the king were confiscated. Many barges were damaged by Japanese bombing during the Second World War.
After the war, the Thai king was returned to the throne. His Majesty found his ships in a dismal state. Gradually, most of them were restored, and the katin ceremony, held in October or November, was resumed. But the fragile boats exhibited here are launched only on rare occasions.
The barges in the museum vary in size and purpose. The most luxurious of them is called the Golden Swan. Her nose is created in the shape of a huge swan, covered with a layer of gold. The barge was built during the reign of King Rama I, but was reconstructed during the reign of Rama V. Next to it is the Narai Song Subar boat, which belonged to King Narai. Her nose is adorned with the figure of a Garuda bird. Around the perimeter of the hangar, there are showcases showing oars, flags and other items used in colorful ceremonies.
