Waterways of Bangkok: Memory, Landscape, and Twilight

Just published!

Michael Hurley

The Chao Phraya River is a maternal being at the heart of Bangkok. Long before the invention of Thailand, the river shaped life in Siam. In the 19th century, Bangkok had an extensive canal system, numerous floating dwellings, and people traveled primarily by water. Even now, although many canals have become roads, the river remains a vital artery of the metropolis. Furthermore, the waterways are full of meaning.

This ethnographic study explores memory along the waterways, a realm of boats and hovels, merchants and war captives, temples and ghosts. The river also flows into the dissonant realities of Thailand, a country of deep conflicts over power and national ideology. Based on research in a time of political turmoil, centered on the late years of the long-reigning monarch, Rama IX, this book invites readers to look beyond established images of Thai society. More broadly, this work will speak to readers interested in water, cities, and the bonds of memory and landscape.

"Anyone who has either taken a river taxi or long tailed boat through the canals of Bangkok and Thonburi or admired barges slowly meandering down the lumbering Chao Praya River will resolutely adore this rich study of the city's history and culture told through the story of its waterways. These waterways form the connective tissue and tendons of Thai life in one of the world's great cities. The author offers broad reflections, poetic moments, and delightful asides. More than anything, he shines in the details and writes about the small moments of history and changing communities with verve and aplomb. I highly recommend this book for students, scholars, and visitors to Bangkok and Central Thailand." - Justin McDaniel, University of Pennsylvania

Michael Hurley is an independent scholar who does ethnographic research in Southeast Asia. He attained a doctorate in anthropology at the University of California, Irvine.

Publication Year: 2025
212 pp, 229 x 152mm
19 b/w photos, 2 maps
Paperback
ISBN: 978-981-325-278-3