GRIOTS REPUBLIC - An Urban Black Travel Magazine - June 2016

ed in the blogs I read prior to
going were familiar to me. Following
Mark Wiens’ directions
from migrationology.com, we
got out at Wong Wian Yai BTS
and hailed a taxi. I asked the
taxi driver to take us to Charan
Sanit Wong Soi 3 and we
were on our way. I checked
the GPS on my phone and we
seemed headed in the right
direction. We turned down a
narrow alley or soi and the
taxi stopped at a dead end. A
bit confused, we got out and
200 years old like Baan Silapin.
The narrow sois leave no
room for cars – most people
get around on-foot, bikes, or
scooters. No skyscrapers or
large condo towers in sight.
This exudes a laidback intimacy
where the rest of the city
moves at a frenetic pace.
You can visit the different
shops and have a look at their
handmade goods. Or you can
buy some fish food, sit on
the bank of the klong, feed
all very friendly and helpful
regardless of the language
barrier.
While I love walking through
the sois of the klong, the
heart of Klong Bang Luang is
definitely Baan Silapin. Here,
the community and visitors
converge to create a lively, interactive
space. Adorning the
walls and the upper floor are
paintings and sculptures by
various local artists.
Getting to Klong Bang Luang
and Baan Silapin
Baan Silapin is accessible by klong boat tour or by public transportation/taxi. Via
public transpo/taxi – take the Bangkok Sky Train (BTS) train along the Silom line
to Wongwian Yai station. Take the stairs down Exit 2. Catch a taxi and instruct the
driver to take you to Charan Sanit Wong Soi 3, Klong Bang Luang (Charan-sanitwong-soi-sam-klong-bang-luang,
ka). Klong Bang Luang is about a 10-15 minute
drive. The taxi will drop you off at the dead end of Charan Sanit Wong Soi 3. From
here you walk across the footbridge and Baan Silapin will be on your left. To get
back into the city – cross back over the footbridge and walk or catch the songthaew
(red truck taxi) up the soi to the main road. Once at the main road you can catch a
taxi back to the BTS.
the locals figured out where
we wanted to go. They pointed
out the little path to the footbridge
and within minutes we
were taking off our shoes at
Baan Silapin.
Upon crossing the footbridge,
it was immediately evident to
me why the Klong Bang Luang
community is a special place
in Bangkok. The wooden structures
and houses throughout
the klong are roughly 100 –
fish and watching the klong
boats motor past. The food
in the klong is very good and
cheap. I have tried the fresh
brewed iced coffees and iced
teas, curries, and boat noodles
from various vendors and
have never been disappointed.
Average price for a plate
or bowl of food is 30-70 baht
($1-$2.50 USD). Not many of
the locals speak English, but
don’t let this be a hindrance.
From my experience, they’re
When not in use, the puppets
of the Kham Nai traditional
puppet troupe are on display
so you can get up close and
personal, admiring their intricate
details. On the ground
floor is a little café and gift
shop where you can purchase
locally made silk screens,
postcards, and books written
in Thai. On weekends, the
house’s groundfloor hosts
a Kham Nai puppet troupe
performance. They present