The Chao Phraya is a barometer of Bangkok’s – and by extension – Thailand’s progress since the era of city formation. When the Burmese army sacked Ayutthaya in 1767 and leveled it, the Siamese kingdom moved to establish its new seat of power downstream. Bangkok was then built around a network of canals starting from the river.
Its status as Thailand’s most important hub was cemented in 1782 when King Phutthayotfa Chulalok (Rama 1) established his capital on the island of Rattanakosin – still the epicenter of royal Bangkok – and it has barely ceased to breathe ever since.
Today, Greater Bangkok covers about 1500 km² in the Chao Phraya Delta and is home to at least 9.5 million souls according to recent estimates. Yet while the capital has become Thailand’s powerhouse, the Chao Phraya itself wields considerable influence over the national psyche.
The Chao Phraya originates in the central Thai province of Nakhon Sawan, where several tributaries descend from the hills in the north of the kingdom. The river then flows for just under 400 km before emptying into the Gulf of Thailand at Bang Pu. It’s not particularly long (or deep), but its importance cannot be underestimated.
All current and former Thai capitals are located along or connected to the river, which feeds the fertile agricultural heartland of central Thailand and more than half of the population with it. It is not surprising that the Thais consider it the lifeblood of their civilization.
We take a quiet first light lunch on the Loy River Song – resident chef Suthat “Ton” Aim-anan sets the culinary tone just for the trip with a tangy Thai beef salad followed by creamy coconut ice cream. During our meal, I ask Phun, one of the boat’s butlers, about the emotions the Chao Phraya evokes in Thai people.