Waterways of Bangkok

An elegantly written work that seamlessly draws connections between water, cities, landscape, and historical memory throughout Thailand.

The Chao Phraya River is a maternal being at the heart of the metropolis of Bangkok. Before the invention of Thailand, the river shaped life in Siam. Even today, although many canals have become roads, the river is a vital aspect of urban infrastructure. This account examines the complexities of memory along the waterways, where towers of concrete rise over a realm of boats and hovels, merchants and war captives, temples, and ghosts. Written at a time of intense political turmoil, as the long-reigning king was dying, this book brings the reader into the cultural life of the waterways and offers alternate perspectives on the Thai past, present, and future.

As an ethnographic study of the riverine landscape, this is also an exploration of the fissures in collective memory. Deeply evocative of place and time, with extensive use of Thai-language sources—set against a background of state-promoted stories and entrenched military power—Waterways of Bangkok invites readers to look beyond stagnating images and reconsider the meanings of “Thai” and “Thailand.”