Chanthaburi - Laem Sing

[genghis61]

There is also a small museum building featuring relics recovered from the archeological dig -the crockery identified as being of Chinese origin, photos recording the discovery of the hull of a Chinese barque which is now preserved in the adjoining building, estimated age 300 years; and some interesting old maps

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and in the next building where the hull of the old ship is preserved under water; some nice fish also
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[genghis61]

As I mentioned, all a work in progress, they have more items than can be displayed and another large building is well under construction featuring what appears to be a modernised version of a ship from the era.

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Maps - won't fill the post with pics of them, but a small obsession with me, there was no info accompanying this one - note in the second pic mention of 'The Dwelling of the Hollanders' and a town of 'Amsterdam'

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Overall - in the mildly interesting category for the average tourist who like historic places; not a word of English anywhere I'd like to know more about the old ship preservation and origins of the maps. Great location by the river, just one small Thai-style cafe nearby.

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There's a B Post article here for a little further reading
Warrior of independence
The story of King Taksin the Great and his army's retaking of Ayutthaya from the Burmese invaders

[Yemen]

Very nice thread, thanks for posting.

[keekwai]

So let me get this straight. King Taksin never actually made any ships in the "King Taksin Shipyards" ..and most of the archeological relics and ship are Chinese. It's one of the local "attractions" I haven't seen yet. I might jump on the bike this Saturday.

[genghis61]

^ I was cautious with wording, cannot find anything conclusive re T building ships there

from that BP article I quoted, sounds as though the ships were already there:

Mr Erbprem said: "The reason King Taksin the Great chose Chanthaburi as his base was because Chanthaburi was located the farthest distance from the Burmese and was abundant with natural resources and had a big river where many cannon-equipped junks were being docked.

"King Taksin needed to gather weapons and forces. Those junks were equipped with weapons and capable of carrying more weapons and towing small ships."

Kammanit Direksilp, head of King Taksin's Shipyard Museum at Samet Ngam in Chanthaburi, said King Taksin used Chanthaburi as his base for gathering junks to support his operation. It is believed he used a 4.4-square-kilometre area in Samet Ngam as his shipyard. This area is full of waterways and located only 4km away from the river mouth."

In 1981/2, the wreckage of a 24-metre-long and 8-metre-wide ship believed to be one of King Taksin's warships was unearthed there together with Chinese pottery. Similar wreckage and more than 100 ancient artefacts and carpenters' tools were later found at the site. There is archaeological evidence that suggests seven shipyards were lined up there at that time.

It took about six months for King Taksin the Great to prepare a naval fleet to regain Ayutthaya. The troops travelled by water from Chanthaburi past Rayong, Chon Buri, Pak Nam Samut Prakan, Thon Buri and Tambon Phaniad.

"In the 11th lunar month of the year of the pig (1767), the king led his 100-vessel naval fleet and 5,000 soldiers to depart Chanthaburi," reads the royal chronicle.

So seems he gathered his forces with ships there; some sites refer to it as 'dockyard' and it was an established trading point with Chinese . . .

That article says it was a warship, maybe it was, but not as I have read a Thai-built one, as they identified the wood as being a pine from southern China, and the crockery bits are also of Chinese origin.

It wasn't what I expected, but a nice trip all the same - we went by accident, looking for a temple and missed a turn somewhere, saw some signs and thought why not.

[keekwai]

^ I just looked up the Thai name for the place "อู่ต่อเรือ พระเจ้าตาก" (dock Taksin) .. อู่ต่อเรือ (oo dtor reua) means "dock or shipyard"

One of those "One size fits all" Thai words I suppose!