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| KHLONG BAN PLA MO (คลองบ้านปลาหมอ) |
| Text & photographs by Tricky Vandenberg - March 2011 |
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| Khlong Ban Pla Mo was a canal situated off the city island in the northern area running partly in present Tha Wasukri and Khlong Sra Bua Sub-districts. The canal is defunct, but there are still some stretches existing from this canal. It is difficult do determine where exactly the canal ran in the Ayutthayan Era. Khlong Ban Pla Mo joined the Pha Lai canal somewhere south of Wat Pa Daeng. Wat Nom Doan and Wat Saliang stood on its east bank. Wat Pa Daeng, Wat Kwid, Wat Laiso, Wat Raeng, Wat Chao Ya and Wat Bailo were situated west of the canal. The canal could have ran further north, passing Wat Klang (Sra Bua) towards Wat Khae and running into the Lopburi River on the west side of the last temple; it remains anyway guess work. The canal is not indicated on a mid-19th century map, neither on Phraya Boran Rachathanin's map. The waterway is nevertheless mentioned as the Pla Mo Village canal in the Royal Chronicles of Ayutthaya. The Phraya of Phichai and the Phraya of Sawankhalok were delighted and went along to lie in ambush at the Pla Mo Village Canal with Khun Phirenthorathep, Luang Si Yon, and Mun Ratchasaneha who was in government service. [1] The chronicles mention the ambush on the usurper king Worawongsa in 1549. The Royal barges were navigating the larger canal Khlong Sra Bua. The attack must have been occurred either on the junction of the Pha Lai canal and the Sra Bua canal (1), which in this case Khlong Ban Pla Mo should have run into the Pha Lai canal in the vicinity of Wat Raeng; or in the other case the Ban Pla Mo canal could have had a junction directly with the Sra Bua canal. The canal is named after a village, which on its turn is named after a common species of fish in the Siamese waters, but of different genus. There are three kinds of "Pla Mo": the common climbing Perch (ปลาหมอไทย), the Java Tilapia (ปลาหมอเทศ) and the Striped Tiger Nandid (ปลาหมอช้างเหยียบ). The last two are the ones which are the most used in the Thai kitchen. Footnote: (1) I presume that even if Khlong Ban Pla Mo was interconnected with Khlong Sra Bua and the old Lopburi River (present Khlong Hua Ro), it was not possible for the royal vessels such as the Suphannahongsa, to turn into these smaller canals. References: [1] The Royal Chronicles of Ayutthaya - Richard D. Cushman - page 25 / Source: Phan Canthanumat, British Museum, Reverend Phonnarat, Phra Cakkraphatdiphong & Royal Autograph. |
| (Ban Pla Mo Canal near Wat Pa Daeng) |
| (Ban Pla Mo Canal near Wat Laiso) |
| (Ban Pla Mo Canal near Wat Raeng) |