THON BURI is celebrating the 250th anniversary of the year it became Siam’s capital with an invitation to trace the path of its founder, King Taksin the Great. Most of the trail hugs the river, so it’s a wonderful cruise with frequent stops to contemplate history.

Grab a tour boat at the Tha Tien Pier, from which Phra Racha Wang Derm can be glimpsed in the distance. King Taksin had it erected in 1768, signalling his decision to establish his kingdom on the western bank of the Chao Phraya River.

Here he would recreate in layout and architecture the glories of Ayutthaya, the centuries-old capital lost to the invading Burmese. The river and newly dug canals would protect Thon Buri from the same fate.

King Taksin also erected Thon Buri Palace in 1768.

King Taksin’s palace, situated alongside present-day Wichaiprasit Fort, had in its grounds two fine temples, Wat Arun Rajawararam and Wat Molee Lokayaram.

King Rama I ascended to the throne in 1782 and relocated the royal palace to Rattanakosin Island, the beginnings of Bangkok’s elevation as the capital.

Thanks to its strategic location, though, King Taksin’s palace remained a royal residence until the reign of King Chulalongkorn, Rama V, when it was bestowed on the Royal Thai Navy to serve as its headquarters.

The elegant Throne Hall within has been retained, as have the apartments of King Pinklao – Siam’s viceroy under King Rama IV – and a shrine to King Taksin, and the Whale Head Shrine, open to visits by appointment only.

A few minutes upriver is world-famous Wat Arun Rajawararam, whose unforgettable Khmer-style, nine-spire prang has recently undergone a Bt100-million renovation. It was known as Wat Makok when first built, then was renamed Wat Chaeng – the first reference to a “temple of the dawn” – after King Taksin paid a dawn visit to worship among the venerable 16-metre-tall prang.

King Rama II ordered a major restoration and changed the name again, this time to the present Wat Arun Rajawararam. His ashes are interred in the base of Phra Phutthatham Misaratlokdilok – the temple’s large Buddha statue with a beautiful oval face.

King Rama III completed the refurbishing, adding at the entrance a pair of guardian statues of the demons Tosakan and Sahatsadecha.

The ubosot is trimmed with porcelain in pastel hues and flower motifs, plus 144 Chinese stone sculptures of deities, knights and animals. Inside are marvellous murals illustrating scenes from the life of the Buddha and the Vessantara Jakata.

It took nine years to construct the compound from which the 68-metre corncob-shaped prang rises. Inspired by Buddhist cosmology, the assemblage is meant to evoke mythical Mount Meru. From base to pinnacle, the stonework is adorned with seashells, Chinese porcelain, floral tiles and statues of demons and angels ascending to Heaven (or descending from it).

The stunning murals of Wat Arun’s ubosot depict scenes from the Lord Buddha’s life. 

The King Taksin Shrine draws pilgrims with the opportunity to crawl beneath his wooden bed, which dates to 1767, the year Ayutthaya fell. Close proximity to the very place where King Taksin dreamed is said to bring good fortune and protection from harm.

Just a stone’s throw away is Wat Rakang Kositaram Woramahavihan, constructed while Ayutthaya was still enjoying its heyday. King Taksin had it renovated and made it the residence of Supreme Patriarch Sri.

The temple’s classic Rattanakosin-style ubosot with its three-tier roof was built in the reign of King Rama III to enshrine Phra Prathan Yim Rub Fa, a bronze statue of the meditating Buddha. And King Rama VI blanketed the walls with striking murals of angels paying homage.

At the rear of the temple is the original hardwood residence of King Rama I while he was in service during the Thon Buri period. Transformed into a Tripitaka Hall in 1982, it’s filled with antiques, cabinets holding age-old scriptures and murals with episodes from the Ramayana.

Tam Nak Daeng is King Taksin’s residence that was moved from the Thon Buri Palace during the reign of King Rama I. It’s currently being renovated as a showcase for a revered statue of King Taksin and other artefacts.

The Royal Barges National Museum holds eight of the 52 royal barges. 

At the mouth of the Bangkok Noi Canal is the former Royal Barge Procession Dockyard, established under King Taksin and converted into the Royal Barges National Museum in 1974. This is where you can see eight of the beautiful royal barges that have carried all the Chakri kings, topped by the truly magnificent barge Suphannahong.

King Rama V commissioned the building of Suphannahong and the work was completed in 1911, not long after his death. The gilded prow takes the form of a mythical swan and sparkles with mirrored glass. The hull is black on the outside and red on the inside.

Docked alongside, the Narai Song Suban HM King Rama IX Royal Barge is the newest in the fleet. It was built in 1996 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s accession to the throne. Coated with gold lacquer, the prow is a carved depiction of the four-headed god Vishnu riding the Garuda.

Barge oarsmen demonstrate a stroke used only by crews of the four royal barges that carry the King and members of his family.

Ask politely for permission and you might get to visit the Royal Barges division offices and watch the oarsmen actually paddling a barge, singing as they go. Lieutenant Nattawat Aramklua, who has served as cantor in royal barge processions for 37 years, conducts the crews through training both on the land and in the water several months a year. Their strokes have to be perfectly synchronised with his resonant singing.

“We compose new songs for specific occasions,” Natthawat explains. “It takes 1,614 oarsmen to propel a procession of 52 barges, using three basic strokes to speed up and control the direction.

“The crews of the four barges carrying the King and other members of the royal family use a special gesture, raising their oars into the air between each stroke.”

THE PAST ACROSS THE RIVER

>> Phra Racha Wang Derm is on Arun Amarin Road. Admission is Bt100 (Bt50 for students).

>> Tour groups can book a visit through the Phra Racha Wang Derm Restoration Foundation at (02) 475 4117 or http://www.WangdermPalace.org.

>> The Royal Barges National Museum is next to Khlong Bangkok Noi and open daily from 9 to 5. Admission is Bt100.

LOCATED AT THE head of the Mae Sa Watershed in the Mae Sa-Kog Ma Biosphere Reserve – a crucial component of the greater Chiang Mai region water supply – the sleepy mountain town of Pong Krai has traditionally been home to the hilltribe people of Northern Thailand. For decades, the villagers led a largely pastoral life, raising livestock and growing crops for subsistence, until the modern world and consequences of the Vietnam War era encroached upon their traditions, exposing them to the demand for opium. In just a short time, the surrounding region was mostly deforested to accommodate the new cash crop – the poppy. The drastic transformation the village has undergone since is nothing short of remarkable.

Although the term sustainable development is widely used globally, there are few concrete examples of successful projects and their impact on local communities.

Last month in Chiang Mai, Thailand, the 11th Southeast Asian Biosphere Reserves Network (SeaBRnet) Meeting defined sustainability, telling stories and providing practical examples showcasing successful sustainable development initiatives in Unesco Biosphere Reserves throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

Biosphere Reserves are Unesco site designations that aim to foster sustainable use and conservation of natural resources by improving the relationship between humans and their environment. The goal is to find a balance between biodiversity conservation and sustainable human living. This is typically done through ecological research to identify and appropriately use the natural resources available, developing more efficient agricultural practices, and utilising the unique natural environment of an area to promote ecotourism. With 669 Biosphere Reserves in 120 countries, it is becoming increasingly important to share knowledge and lessons learned in the ongoing efforts to improve the livelihoods of communities, reduce dependence on unsustainable practices, and maintain the biodiversity of the surrounding ecological systems – all while retaining local cultural values.

During the conference, delegates from 17 countries were taken on a field trip to visit the Mae Sa-Kog Ma Biosphere Reserve located just outside Chiang Mai. Designated a Biosphere Reserve in 1977, Mae Sa-Kog Ma is a prime example of sustainable development concepts at work and it has long been a key area for hydrological research and watershed management in Thailand. The Biosphere Reserve has a total area of 57,366 hectares and comprises most of Doi Suthep-Pui National Park, along with part of the Oab Khan and Khun Khan National Parks. More than 679 species of vascular plants and 439 species of wild animals can be found within the reserve. It is also home to a population of nearly 40,000 people, including the Northern Thai, Hmong, Karen and Lisu ethnic groups. Diversity, both cultural and genetic, is an important feature of the Biosphere Reserve.

The deforestation that occurred in the area surrounding Pong Krai proved detrimental to the regional watershed and ultimately resulted in severe depletion of groundwater resources. Trees are vital in absorbing water runoff into the soil and groundwater table. This groundwater eventually diffuses across the watershed, supplying freshwater resources for the entire region. The forest also provides a natural filter system, removing pollutants and sediment from the water. Without the trees, runoff torrents are not absorbed, with most of the water flowing downhill over the surface until coming into contact with a river or other open waterway.

It is a well-documented phenomenon demonstrating how the forests are extremely important to local agriculture and play a key role in ensuring irrigation to an estimated US$14 million (Bt458 million) worth of crop production per year in the local area. Recognising the geographical importance of Pong Krai, the Unesco Biosphere Reserve proposed a plan to restore watershed functionality to pre-Vietnam War levels through a reforestation project.

Pong Krai village was highlighted during the SeaBRnet meeting as an example of local community involvement in various sustainable development initiatives. In partnership with Aura Water, a subsidiary of Tipco Foods, and Usaid Leaf, a pilot payment for ecosystem services was launched in Pong Krai Village. Many contemporary environmental science strategies are based on the PES model, which posits that ecosystems such as forests, mountains and wetlands provide a variety of “services” that are economically valuable to humanity. These services can include anything from water filtration and food production to power supply and timber products.

The PES concept involves local communities in restoring and maintaining these important ecosystem services in return for financial incentive. There are multiple benefits to this model. Local residents are able to supplement their earnings by participating in conservation and restoration efforts, while moving away from unsustainable sources of income, and the overall cost of projects is typically far lower than other, manmade interventions such as building water-treatment plants or constructing dams to control river flow.

In addition to the reforestation project, a research and community fundraising enterprise involving an endangered, indigenous species of orchid called Blue Vanda –Fah Mui in Thai – further displays the innovative approaches Pong Krai village has taken to maintain that balance between economic development and nature conservation. The species is highly valued for its sweet smelling, vibrant and impressively large blooms. With the assistance of Mae Sa-Kog Ma Biosphere Reserve, Pong Krai village initiated a Blue Vanda tissue culture research centre that utilises micro-propagation to reintroduce the orchid back into the wild. Micro-propagation is a method of growing plants in a laboratory that involves using a combination of plant tissue and growth hormones to produce large numbers of identical clones from a selected “mother plant”.

Community members trained in the specialised technique also reproduce the plant to sell Blue Vanda take-home kits. For just Bt399, tourists can purchase an orchid propagule neatly packaged in a glass jar and box, along with detailed instructions on how to grow their very own. Proceeds from the “Orchid for Life Project” go to the community, local schools and back into research for continued reproduction of the plant.

The project became so successful, tourists began to inquire about learning the methodology behind Pong Krai’s micro-propagation techniques. In response, the community enterprise organised a Blue Vanda micro-propagation training course in partnership with the nearby Queen Sirikit Botanical Garden Laboratory. For $1,250, guests receive an intensive eight-day certification programme on orchid tissue culture, and the satisfaction in knowing they are contributing to local community conservation efforts.

Pong Krai village is only one example of how sustainable human living and biodiversity conservation can be successfully achieved within Unesco Biosphere Reserves, providing insights that can be applied to other Biosphere Reserves and communities around the world. By committing to ongoing research and understanding of natural systems and the resources they provide, innovative solutions that allow for sustainable development in balance with nature will continue to evolve.

M Wade Million is a Master’s of Sustainable Resource Management student at the Technical University of Munich who is completing an internship in the Natural Sciences Unit at UNESCO Bangkok.

ONCE THE leading – not to mention tallest – hotel in Thailand’s capital, the Dusit Thani Bangkok Hotel has always been a venue of choice among the Thai elite for fine dining, entertainment and wedding receptions.

Famous for its illustrious design and five-star Thai-style hospitality services, over the years it has become a home away from home for such travelling celebrities as Rod Stewart, Whitney Houston, Jackie Chan, the Pet Shop Boys, Johnny Tillotson, Tom Jones, Gwyneth Paltrow, Coldplay, Got 7, Rain and Super Junior.

A hexagonal swimming pool is located alongside the artificial waterfall, making it a popular recreational spot for guests 

Now the hotel in its present incarnation will close its doors on January 5 next year to make way for a Bt36.7 billion mixed-use project being developed in collaboration with Central Pattana, which will feature residences, retail areas and office space, as well as Mark II of the hotel.

As might be expected, the closure is bringing sadness to its loyal customers, among them Chantana Kunjan, who has stayed there every couple of months during her trips back home.

“Since 1992, I have stayed at the Dusit Thani every time I have come back to visit my family. The prime location near BTS and MRT stations makes it very convenient for me to get around,” she says.

“Staff members here are friendly and hands-on while the room is always comfortable and clean. I’m sad that the hotel will close. Now I’ve got no idea where I can stay and feel as much as home as I did in the Dusit Thani.”

British trader James Simpson, who spends most of his holidays in Bangkok, says he was stunned to hear the news.

“I come to Thailand three or four times every year and I’ve often stayed at Dusit Thani, sometimes for two or three weeks. With its good location and modern facilities, I’ve always found it super convenient and comfortable. During the day I enjoy spa treatments and the Dusit itself has a wonderful calming effect on me. I’m sad that such an iconic Bangkok landmark is closing.

The Napalai Ballroom was once a popular venue for fashion shows, concerts and weddings.  

The Dusit Thani’s history began in February 1970 when Thanpuying Chanut Piyaoui teamed up with Thai-Obayashi Corp and spent the next three years building the luxury 23-floor hotel. Her aim was to elevate the Thai hotel chain to international standards – and it became Bangkok’s tallest edifice and landmark.

“Thanpuying Chanut studied in the US and travelled a lot. When she returned to Bangkok, she founded Dusit International in 1948 by opening the Princess Hotel on Charoen Krung Road. In 1970, the company expanded to Silom’s business district with the flagship hotel Dusit Thani Bangkok,” says Pongsiya Kittikachorn, director of marketing communications.

“This land belongs to the Crown Property Bureau and once housed Chao Phraya Yommarat’s family and the Old England Student Association under Royal Patronage.”

Located at the corner of Silom and Rama IV roads, its exterior designs take inspiration from Wat Arun’s prangs and its name is borrowed from the miniature city, which was created by King Vajiravudh to refer to the fourth heaven.

“There was no spa and well-equipped fitness centre when we first opened. In the past, we defined a luxury five-star hotel through opulent designs, a swimming pool, doormen wearing elaborate Thai costumes and polite staff members,” Pongsiya says.

The hotel was once home to the biggest one-bedroom suites in town, called Thai Heritage. Each occupying more than 80 square metres, they came in four themes – Lanna, Sukhothai, Lopburi and Ayutthaya.

The Thai Heritage Suite offered the largest luxury accommodation in town. 

Designed for elegance and maximum convenience, each has a vintage bathtub and spacious living space complete with premium amenities and beautiful furniture upholstered in Jim Thompson’s top-quality silk.

In 1977, the hotel opened the high-end discotheque Bubbles which was influenced by John Travolta’s hit movie “Saturday Night Fever”. Every night, its glittering glass floor was crowded with stars like Ornapa “Ma” Krisadee and Chanana Nutakom, while a group of international DJs manned the decks until 3am.

The rooftop was turned into a popular fine-dining restaurant called Tiara serving a selection of traditional western delicacies. Famous for its classy vibes, Tiara doubled as a cabaret venue, bringing in acclaimed artists like Francis Yip and Stevie Wonder to perform their hits. Its stage can also take a bow for pioneering Tiffany Show’s lip-sync acts.

On the ground floor, the Chinese restaurant Mayflower was favoured by politicians and their families. Among the most popular menu items were crispy pumpkin julienne coated with golden egg yolk, barbecued Peking duck, fried custard and salted egg buns and scallop dumplings.

The Chinese restaurant Mayflower has long been a popular dining spot for politicians and their families. 

“Our Napalai Ballroom changed the format of the wedding reception, as hi-so families decided to take advantage of the full facilities in the luxury hotel rather than go to a restaurant. Fashion designers turned the ballroom into a chic runway and singers like Nantida Kaewbuasai and Phumphuang Duangjan held their concerts here,” Pongsiya adds.

The new huge mixed-use project will expand the plot from 19 to 23 rai During the construction, some staff members will be rotated to other properties and some restaurants and bakeries will open stand-alone outlets so that loyal customers can continue to enjoy their favourite dishes.

Busaba Sattabun, guest relations manager, speaks fondly of her career with the hotel.

“I started working here in 1990 as the hostess at Hamilton Steakhouse. The senior team trained us in how to greet customers and introduce the menu. We had to notice what guests liked and record all details in a personal notebook. I later moved to the guest relations department as I wanted to improve my English. I was trained for two months in writing messages on greeting cards and how to treat VIP guests,” Busaba says.

Guest relations manager Busaba Sattabun has worked at Dusit Thani since 1990.

“This is like my home. I will retire next year and I want to work until the last day. The owners never left us or let us down even during bad situations like the red and yellow shirt protests and floods. That’s why I love it here,” she says with tears in her eyes.

These days, the hotel offers 517 elegant guestrooms and suites ranging in floor area from 35 to 240sqm. All are decorated with teak furniture and silk. The Nation recently spent a night in the luxurious Princess Suite and really appreciated the Thai vintage ambience. Very comfortable and exactly the right size for a family, the 140sqm suite has two bedrooms, a living room and dining space adorned with refined wood and silk.

The master bedroom has a comfy king-size bed, a vanity area with a giant wardrobe and a bathroom that looks like a Thai pavilion. The vintage bathtub is perfect for a long and luxurious soak using the top-of-the-range amenities while the separate shower is just right for a morning wake-me-up.

The Princess Suite’s colonial design is enhanced by rich teak and silk furnishings.

The smaller bedroom has two single beds, a working area and walk-in closet and an en-suite bathroom with a bathtub, toilet and wash basin. Both rooms overlook Lumpini Park and offer a great view of the Bangkok skyline.

The spacious living room is well furnished with a desk, bookshelf and smart TV, but it’s the dining room that captured our heart with its six-seat dining table, pantry, welcome fruit and minibar with coffee machines, and a painting portraying a colonial-style house in a lush garden.

And while it will be sad to say goodbye to this grand old dame, the hotel is making the most of its remaining days by offering a range of special promotions on both food and accommodation.