The Rangsit Canal ( th, คลองรังสิต; ), is a

canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface f ...

in the eastern part of the

Chao Phraya The Chao Phraya ( or ; th, แม่น้ำเจ้าพระยา, , or ) is the major river in Thailand, with its low alluvial plain forming the centre of the country. It flows through Bangkok and then into the Gulf of Thailand. E ...

valley, central

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...

. The name of the canal was given by King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) in honour of his son, Rangsit, Prince of Chai Nat.

History and characteristics

Rangsit Canal was the first

irrigation Irrigation (also referred to as watering) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has been devel ...

project in Siam (Thailand). King

Chulalongkorn Chulalongkorn ( th, จุฬาลงกรณ์, 20 September 1853 – 23 October 1910) was the fifth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri, titled Rama V. He was known to the Siamese of his time as ''Phra Phuttha Chao Luang'' (พร ...

ordered its construction in 1890 and assigned Prince Sai Sanitvongse (maternal grandfather of Prince Rangsit) as the project president. The canal starts at the east bank of the

Chao Phraya River The Chao Phraya ( or ; th, แม่น้ำเจ้าพระยา, , or ) is the major river in Thailand, with its low alluvial plain forming the centre of the country. It flows through Bangkok and then into the Gulf of Thailand. ...

in Tambon Ban Mai,

Mueang Pathum Thani District Mueang Pathum Thani ( th, เมืองปทุมธานี, ) is the capital district ('' amphoe mueang'') of Pathum Thani province, central Thailand. History In the past, the district was called Bang Kadi District after the name of cent ...

, Pathum Thani Province. It then runs eastward passing by Thung Luang and empties into the

Nakhon Nayok River The Nakhon Nayok River ( th, แม่น้ำนครนายก, , ) originates in Khao Yai National Park. It flows southwest, passes through Mueang Nakhon Nayok District, Ban Na District, and Ongkharak District of Nakhon Nayok Province. ...

in Ongkharak District, Nakhon Nayok Province. In the past, the area around Rangsit Canal from Pathum Thani to Nakhon Nayok Provinces was the largest

tangerine The tangerine is a type of citrus fruit that is orange in color. Its scientific name varies. It has been treated as a separate species under the name ''Citrus tangerina'' or ''Citrus'' × ''tangerina'', or treated as a variety of '' Citrus reti ...

growing area in Thailand with no fewer than 150,000

rai RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana (; commercially styled as Rai since 2000; known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane) is the national public broadcasting company of Italy, owned by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. RAI operates many ter ...

(about 59,288 acres), producing 80% of the country's output. The Rangsit tangerine was illustrious, similar to the

Bang Mot tangerine The Bang Mot tangerine ( th, ส้มบางมด, , ) is a local cultivar of the mandarin orange grown in the Bang Mot area of Thon Buri district, Thon Buri, Bangkok, Thailand. Despite its common name, it is a mandarin orange of the species ...

(ส้มบางมด) from the Bang Mot neighbourhood in Bangkok's

Thonburi __NOTOC__ Thonburi ( th, ธนบุรี) is an area of modern Bangkok. During the era of the Kingdom of Ayutthaya, its location on the right (west) bank at the mouth of the Chao Phraya River had made it an important garrison town, which ...

is today. The cultivated area is now almost completely lost, although there are efforts by many individuals to restore the tangerine orchards to their former fame.

Rangsit Canal boat service

The Rangsit Canal passenger boat service is a planned

water bus A water taxi or a water bus is a watercraft used to provide public or private transport, usually, but not always, in an urban environment. Service may be scheduled with multiple stops, operating in a similar manner to a bus, or ...

service that would operate on the Rangsit Canal. The service was originally planned to begin in 2014. However, while construction of piers had been completed in June 2015, by 2019 the service had not begun operations.

References

{{Authority control

Rangsit Rangsit ( th, รังสิต, ) is a city and neighbourhood in Pathum Thani Province, Thailand. Rangsit is a metropolitan city that supports the expansion of Bangkok in the north. Rangsit has become a departure point for travel to provinces i ...