Khlong Ong Ang – Award-Winning Urban Renewal
Bangkok boasts a new walking street and night market stretching along Khlong Ong Ang. The market happens on both sides of the canal from Damrong Sathit Bridge to Saphan Han Bridge on Friday evenings through to Sunday evenings, although you can visit the canal and walking street anytime.
It is rich with entertainment, street art, history, tasty street food, and even kayak and stand-up paddleboarding. Yes, I'm not kidding about the watersports. Read on to learn more about that and my recommendations on this new Bangkok attraction.
Khlong is the Thai word for a canal, and this canal divides the area of Bangkok called Phra Nakhon (meaning capital in Thai) from its neighbours (see map). Running north-south for a little less than two kilometres from Phan Fa Lilat Bridge (next to Temple of the Golden Mount), the Ong Ang canal dissects the bustling Chinese and Indian neighbourhoods before joining the Chao Phraya River.
The busy night-time markets along Bangkok’s upgraded Khlong Ong Ang.
More on this new market and walking street shortly. First, let's trace the canal's history and colourful life before its modern-day Brothers Grimm type transformation from frog to prince.
A Chequered History
Khlong Ong Ang is as old as Bangkok itself. Constructed in 1783 when King Rama I relocated the capital from Thonburi on the opposite side of the Chao Phraya River to the current site. Ong Ang canal formed part of the second defensive moat around his new palace and capital. Only one narrow wooden bridge crossed the canal at Saphan Lek, which could be pulled up to restrict access or if under attack.
In those early days, the canal was the lifeblood of trade and travel for people. A place where boats offloaded goods shipped from the countryside or imports from international trading vessels at anchor in the river. The canal also became noted for its pottery market, hence the name "Ong Ang", meaning “jars and pots”.
Like many of Bangkok's urban canals, over time, Ong Ang suffered significant pollution from stormwater, sewage and trash. For the last 30 years, just under a one-kilometre section of the canal (between Saphan Lek and Saphan Han bridges) was occupied by illegally constructed markets, including over the water body. Ong Ang canal seemed like a long, ramshackle shantytown filled with hawkers selling everything from toys and electronic goods to pirated video games and CDs. The cramped conditions made it a pickpocket's delight.
The renewed and revitalised Khlong Ong Ang during the day.
In 2014, the national government of Thailand initiated a revitalisation project. The hawkers and more than 500 illegal structures were removed, and in 2018, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) stepped in for the cleanup before making the surrounding neighbourhoods more accessible. The two-year project included dredging the canal, mandating and installing systems to ensure clean water, paving the waterway banks, tree planting and landscaping the waterfronts and renovating the historical bridges.
The revitalised Khlong Ong Ang was officially opened in October 2020, in time for the annual Loy Krathong celebrations.
Blueprint for Renewal
To the BMA's delight, their urban renewal program was chosen as one of six urban improvement projects for the 2020 Asian Townscape Awards by the UN-Habitat Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific.
Ong Ang canal's success has spurred the BMA to forge ahead with other community development projects. Four other Bangkok canals are now targeted for redevelopment and enhancement for their recreational and tourism use. Khlong Phadung Krung Kasem, the 5.5 km original outer moat of Phra Nakhon, has already introduced electric commuter boats to explore the canal's sites. Improvements in landscaping plus new footpaths and a public park are in BMA's schedule to create Bangkok's next new city landmark.
Khlong Ong Ang – What to Expect
Adding a festive atmosphere, string lights line the landscaped, tree-lined and revitalised canal. A great variety of street food stalls, some with limited seating, offer tantalising fare. Buskers perform to the strolling crowds. Stalls providing art, craft and other items are interspersed along the walkways.
Plenty of street art adorns the building walls depicting historical aspects of canal life, plus 3D arts -- ideal for those social media feed selfies. Many street artists, including internationally renowned Thai muralist Patcharapon Tangruen, better known as Alex Face, have added huge wall paintings, bringing further colour and entertainment to the precinct.
Colourful street art adorns many of the walls along Khlong Ong Ang.
Be sure to look down once in a while, and you'll glimpse a total of five colourful manholes created by the Painting, Sculpture and Graphic Arts Faculty of Silpakorn University. The manhole images include: calligraphic writing of the Thai word Sawasdee, meaning hello; a trader rowing a boat; a man riding a scooter carrying rolls of fabrics; a Chinese family having supper; and calligraphic writing of the words Phra Nakhon.
On weekend evenings, visitors can hire stand-up paddleboards and kayaks to experience an on-the-water perspective of the Khlong. And although the water in the canal is much improved from its incredibly polluted past, I'd still be concerned that falling in may mean you came out as one of those mutant characters from a batman movie.
Getting There
Klong Ong Ang Market takes place every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 4 to 10pm. The walking street's northern end at Damrong Sathit Bridge is a short walk from Exit 1 of Sam Yot station on the MRT's Blue Line.
What's Nearby?
As mentioned earlier, Ong Ang is one of the canals that separate Phra Nakhon (the historic capital) from its neighbours. Here's a quick overview of what is in and around Phra Nakhon so you can make the most of your visiting time.
As the birthplace of modern-day Bangkok, Phra Nakhon offers an abundance of sites and attractions for visitors. Many of which make up a ‘Top 10 must-visit’ Bangkok sites. Think, The Grand Palace and Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Kaew) and the reclining Buddha temple (Wat Pho) for starters. The Museum of Siam is an ideal place to learn about the history of the Thai people, the evolution of their culture and traditions in a very modern and innovative way. Add in the vibrant, highly fragrant and always busy 24-hours Bangkok Flower Market, just to mention a few.
A map showing the major attractions of Phra Nakhon. Map: CC BY-SA 1.0 Mapsof.net
The Phahurat area within Phra Nakhon is Bangkok's Little India. The streets and lanes immediately west of Ong Ang canal, especially around Chakkraphet Road, are filled with restaurants, spice shops, and colourful textile emporiums.
The Chao Phraya Sky Park is where Khlong Ong Ang joins the Chao Phraya River. It is another BMA initiative and the city's first Sky Park. Around 280 metres long and 8.5 metres wide, it is a pedestrian walkway in the middle of the King Rama VII Bridge and is built on the superstructure of an abandoned rail project. The walkway provides panoramic views of the mighty river, while the tropical trees and garden plantings add restful respite. This aerial walkway connects to two additional green spaces - Rama VII Park on the Bangkok side, while Chalermphrakiat Park awaits on the Thonburi side of the river.
The world's biggest Chinatown is immediately east of the Ong Ang canal. Its history, attractions, markets, temples and abundance of eating options are all awaiting your explorations. In fact, Chinatown's famous Yaowarat Road crosses the canal at Saphan Phanuphan Bridge.
In conclusion, I congratulate the BMA for its tasteful and sensitive redevelopment of Khlong Ong Ang. I believe it is well worth adding to your list when you are next visiting Bangkok.
All images courtesy of the Tourism Authority of Thailand
