Pa Pai Pi × Thammasat Fleet × Riverfront Research Alliance

Once a year, Bangkok’s waterways shift in rhythm and reveal a side of the city rarely experienced. During Songkran, when canal boats on Khlong Saen Saep pause and river traffic on the Chao Phraya softens, the busy water network becomes calm and accessible, opening a rare opportunity to see the city from the water. This special journey invites you to paddle through key historic waterways surrounding Rattanakosin Island, including Khlong Khu Mueang Doem, Khlong Bang Lamphu, Khlong Mahanak, Khlong Phadung Krung Kasem, Khlong Saen Saep, and the Chao Phraya River. These canals are not incidental. They form the structural system of Bangkok, developed over time to protect, connect, and sustain urban life from the Thonburi period to early Rattanakosin.

This is more than a paddle trip. It is a way of reading the city through water, revealing layers of history, culture, everyday life, and environmental change. What were once canals serving as roads, food sources, settlements, and defensive lines are now often reduced to drainage channels. This journey invites a new perspective and a renewed awareness that these waterways remain a shared urban heritage. For a brief moment each year, the city slows down. The canals become quiet, and the stories of Bangkok begin to surface again.

April 13 Chao Phraya River and Khlong Khu Mueang Doem 06.00

April 14 Khlong Phadung Krung Kasem, Khlong Mahanak, Khlong Bang Lamphu 15.30

April 15 Khlong Saen Saep 06.30

Special thanks to Pa Pi Pie as the main organizer for making this journey possible: Special thanks to Pa Pi Pie as the main organizer for making this journey possible: https://www.facebook.com/PaPiPieTH/

See you on the water ❤️