Approximately 2 weeks ago on a rather hot and humid 40 C day I visited the temple in the sea 30 km south of Bangkok. During the trip to the temple in the sea known locally as Wat Khun Samut Chine I documented the different mass transport of the surrounding area and the temple itself.
The area of Khun Samut Chine is a very unusual area due to its close proximity to the sea and the very marginal nature of the land. The entire area is only accessible by using various on demand klong boat services. There are no roads of any kind to access the 8 villages that are spread around the Samut Chedi and Bang Khunthian areas. A large part of the Samut Chedi area was formally mangrove forests. Today most of this has been removed and converted to prawn farming which is very profitable allowing locals to earn up to 50 times the local monthly pay level.
However this prawn farming has increased the marginal nature of the land even more by increasing the erosion rate of the land by the sea to around 65 meters a year. Over the last 30 years over 2 kilometers of land has been lost to the sea including the town of Khun Samut Chine located close to the temple. Originally the land level of the area was around 1 meter above the high tide mark. Today without the sea walls most of the area would be under seawater at normal high tide.
Wat Khun Samut Chine this temple is famous because of its current location. This temple is located 400 meters out to sea on a small tidal mangrove island that is being swallowed by the sea. However this was not always so, this temple when built over 100 years ago was about 2 km from the seafront. Today the sea surrounds it and sometimes floods the buildings and grounds of the temple during storms. A community of 5 resident monks lives full time at the temple. The temple is a 1.9km walk one way from the closest boat pier and only point of access.
If heading to Wat Khun Samut Chine. Take BTS to Victory Monument then take Bus route 140 Expressway OR Bus route 529 Expressway to Kilometer 9 then take Bus route 20 to Samut Chedi Pier.
Then take Truck – Bus route 1290 towards Ban Sankla and get down at the boat pier for Khun Samut Chine and Take an on demand klong boat service to the pier at Wat Khun Samut Chine and walk 1.9 km to the temple.
The on demand klong boat service costs 80 Baht per trip for one person plus 10 baht for each extra person on the boat. I.e. 80 baht = 1 person, 90 baht = 2 persons.
3. This is another angle on the klong boat service pier. This service is quite different to others in Bangkok in that it is a full on demand service with no fixed route. But a fixed fare is charged for using the boats. It is almost a water taxi service but not quite as it’s a fixed fare to a fixed destination.
4. This is a close up shot of the very powerful LPG powered engine on the klong boats. These boats can do up to 100 kph.
6. This is another view on the klong boat that I used. The maximum number of passengers is 5 adults or a few hundred kilograms of cargo.
9. This is a short movie showing a ride on an outbound klong boat service as it heads to Wat Khun Sumat Chine. Note these boats go very fast and are just 30 centimeters above the water doing close to 100kph. They hardly slow down for curves either.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0KQ8451c3U
10. This is an image of the boat just after getting off at Wat Khun Sumat Chine Pier. To return to Bangkok you need to call the boat by phone and they will come and collect you.
16. This is a shot of the new concrete bridge to Wat Khun Sumat Chine. The bits of wood sticking up out of the mud are the remains of the old wooden bridge. This image was taken at low tide. At high tide this is covered in 2 meters of seawater.
19. This is a view of the only original temple building left. This building used to be 2 meters above sea level. Now the building is regularly flooded with seawater at high tide. The sea has taken its toll on a once nice building.
22. This is a shot of the various sea wall attempts in the past and the power poles in the sea. Where the power poles was once a klong with the village around it. Today it’s a fishing ground.
25. This is a movie of a walk around the temple grounds at Wat Khun Samut Chine. Note how everything is elevated up 2 to 3 meters above the mud and mangroves. Only the old main temple building is not elevated. As time goes by it is likely this temple will end up over 2 km out to sea as the land in the area is being claimed by the sea at a massive 65 meters a year.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPJQBKmNlw0
If you would like to view more images of the temple and its grounds please visit
http://s93.photobucket.com/albums/l74/T ... ?start=all
27. This is a movie of the High speed Klong boat trip back from Wat Khun Samut Chine to the main road pier. Note how fast they go though the curves and the homes around the klong also another temple can be seen one day in the future that temple will be in the sea too. To return you must call the boat as you are walking to the pier.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyiBu69wxn8
28. This is a shot of the rooster tail and wake taken from the boat looking to the rear as we ripped along at 100kph.
29. This is a shot of the Truck-Bus service route 1290 Sumat Chedi pier to Ban Sankla. This is the service you use to access the Klong boat service to the temple. The truck runs every 10 to 15 mins and is 8 baht per trip. Truck – Bus Number 1290 – 1.
30. This is an inside shot of a route 1290 Truck – Bus. The floor is wet from a passenger who had a number of baskets of live fish.
31. This is a shot of another Route 1290 truck bus. Taken at Ban Sankla Terminal. Truck – Bus number 1290 – 18. All of the trucks used are made by Isuzu then converted to have seating and roof installed.
33. This is a short movie showing what it is like to ride on a route 1290 truck-bus. The section of main road it was passing though is very rough and in poor condition and as shown in the film is being upgraded. Traffic delays are common on this 1 km section of road due to the rough surface and narrow points.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQS1Wyv9uwE
35. This is an image of a Route 20 Sumat Chedi Pier to Din Daeng Pier. Bus Number BMTA 5 – 6827. Bus Type Aircon Merc O305. Taken at Sumat Chedi Pier.
36. This is a shot of Bus Number BMTA 5 –6825 doing a u-turn just after it departed from the stop at Sumat Chedi Pier. In the foreground is a motorbike taxi in action.
41. This is a shot of a typical cross riverboat as it pulled out of the pier at Sumat Chedi. Note this cross-river ferry has one of the longest routes and can be very rough at times due to its proximity to the river mouth.
42. This is a shot of a cross river ferry approaching Sumat Chedi with a rather good load on board. Note the nice lean as it comes in.
44. This is an image of the typical inboard engines on the cross river ferries. Taken in the boat repair yard at Sumat Chedi.
46. This is a shot of a newer Euro 2 aircon bus on route 20. Taken at Sumat Chedi Pier. Bus Number BMTA 5 – 65037. Bus Type Merc O405.
47. This is an inside shot of BMTA 5 – 65037. Note the 1 + 1 seating in the front half of the bus. This is to allow easier movement of people in the bus and to carry more standing passengers.
If you would to see more images about the mass transport of Samut Chedi or the Temple in the Sea. Please Visit:
http://thaitransit.blogspot.com/2008/06 ... i-and.html
I hope you find the pictures and vehicles shown to be of interest if you view this please post some comments and feelings about the pictures.
