Tha Kham ( th, ท่าข้าม, ) is a ''
khwaeng'' (subdistrict) in
Bang Khun Thian District, Bangkok.
History
The name "Tha Kham" literally means "crossing pier", refers to "crossing ''
khlong'' (canal) pier" owing to there is a ferry pier by
Khlong Sanam Chai also known as Khlong Dan, a main waterway in the area.
[
Tha Kham and Bang Khun Thian area is a settlement of the ]Mon people
The Mon ( mnw, ဂကူမည်; my, မွန်လူမျိုး, ; th, มอญ, ) are an ethnic group who inhabit Lower Myanmar's Mon State, Kayin State, Kayah State, Tanintharyi Region, Bago Region, the Irrawaddy Delta, and se ...
since the Ayutthaya period. The great evacuation of the Mons from Samut Songkhram took place during the reigns of King Rama III
Nangklao ( th, พระบาทสมเด็จพระนั่งเกล้าเจ้าอยู่หัว, ; 31 March 1788 – 2 April 1851), birth name Thap ( th, ทับ), also styled Rama III, was the third king of Siam u ...
and Rama IV
Mongkut ( th, มงกุฏ; 18 October 18041 October 1868) was the fourth monarch of Siam (Thailand) under the House of Chakri, titled Rama IV. He ruled from 1851 to 1868. His full title in Thai was ''Phra Bat Somdet Phra Menthora Ramathibo ...
in the early Rattanakosin period.
The traditional occupation of locals is rice farming
Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly '' Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and '' Porteresia'', both wild and domestica ...
, including fruit orchards, with a network of canals was dug for communications, irrigation and flood control. Although the rice farming profession has now disappeared from the area. But in the sermon hall of Wat Tha Kham temple, which is more than 160 years old, there are also murals on the ceiling of the hall, reflecting the rice farming and dressing of the Mons in the past.[ ]
Geography
Tha Kham is the southern part of the district, with total area of 84.712 km2 (32.707 mi2), considered as the largest sub-district of Bangkok and is also the only area that is adjacent to the sea. The coastline is about 4.7 km (2 mi) long, and this muddy landscape is home to mangrove forests, which are the only mangrove forests in Bangkok.
These mangrove trees serve a vital purpose in protecting the environment and have several functions. In addition, the mangrove forests in Tha Kham are also habitat to the last herd of long-tailed macaque
The crab-eating macaque (''Macaca fascicularis''), also known as the long-tailed macaque and referred to as the cynomolgus monkey in laboratories, is a cercopithecine primate native to Southeast Asia. A species of macaque, the crab-eating macaque ...
s (''Macaca fascicularis'') and the last smooth-coated otter
The smooth-coated otter (''Lutrogale perspicillata'') is an otter species occurring in most of the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, with a disjunct population in Iraq. It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 1996 and is threa ...
s (''Lutrogale perspicillata'') in Bangkok. [ ][
Its terrain is a narrow strip of land between the provinces of Samut Prakan and ]Samut Sakhon
Samut Sakhon ( th, สมุทรสาคร, Pronunciation is a City in Thailand, capital of Samut Sakhon province. It is a stop on the Maeklong Railway. Samut Sakhon is 48 km from Bangkok.
It is part of the Bangkok Metropolitan Region ...
.
The area is bounded by other places (from north clockwise): Samae Dam
Samae Dam ( th, แสมดำ, ) is a ''khwaeng'' (sub-district) of Bang Khun Thian District, Bangkok.
History
Samae Dam is an area where Mon people lived since the reign of King Nangklao (Rama III) during the early Rattanakosin. With most of ...
in its district, Bang Mot and Thung Khru in Thung Khru District, Khlong Khun Racha Pinitjai in Na Kluea, Ban Khlong Suan and Laem Fa Pha of Phra Samut Chedi District in Samut Prakan Province, Bay of Bangkok (upper Gulf of Thailand), and Khlong Bang Sao Thong in Phan Thai Norasing
Phan Thai Norasing ( th, พันท้ายนรสิงห์) is a legendary figure mentioned in some later editions of the royal chronicles of Ayutthaya. He is described as a coxswain of King Sanphet VIII's royal barge in the Ayutthaya pe ...
of Mueang Samut Sakhon District
Mueang Samut Sakhon ( th, เมืองสมุทรสาคร, ) is the capital district ('' amphoe mueang'') of Samut Sakhon province, central Thailand.
History
''Mueang'' Tha Chin dates back to the Ayutthaya Kingdom. The city was ...
in Samut Sakhon Province, respectively.
Tha Kham is also filled with seafood restaurants and fish ponds, especially on both sides of Bang Khun Thian Chai Thale Road (Bang Khun Thian Coastal Road).
Environmental issues
Tha Kham experiences seawater eroding the coast an average of 30 meters (98 ft) a year, as well as a risk from the industrial waste discharged from the factories in the vicinities.[
]
Population
In the year 2018, it had a population of 58,962 people. Most of residents engaged in vegetable and fruit farming as well as fish, shrimp, crab and cockle farming.
Important places
*Wat Tha Kham
*Wat Hua Krabue
*Pittayalongkorn Pittayakhom School
* Bang Khun Thien Museum
*Taweethapisak Bangkhunthian School
*Bang Khun Thian Geriatric Hostipal
* Thin Doem Khun Kala (macaque scenic viewpoint)
* Prince Chumphon Shrine
*Guanyin
Guanyin () is a Bodhisattva associated with compassion. She is the East Asian representation of Avalokiteśvara ( sa, अवलोकितेश्वर) and has been adopted by other Eastern religions, including Chinese folk religion. She ...
Shrine
*Brahminy Kite
The brahminy kite (''Haliastur indus''), formerly known as the red-backed sea-eagle in Australia, is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors, such as eagles, buzzards, and harrie ...
Scenic Viewpoint (only brahminy kite scenic viewpoint in Bangkok and central region)
*28th Milestone of Bangkok & 29th Milestone of Bangkok (only two Bangkok boundary markers are in the sea)
References
Bang Khun Thian district
category:Subdistricts of Bangkok
{{Coord, 13, 29, 51, N, 100, 27, 15, E, type:landmark, display=title
category:Gulf of Thailand