Opposite the Grand Palace, the Noi Klong Canal flows into the Chaopraya River, where the wooden royal barge pier has been converted into a museum. Here, under a special canopy, there are only 8 paddle boats out of more than 50 barges owned by the king. This number of vessels may seem excessive, but it should be remembered that in the past, when Ayutthaya was the capital of Thailand, the river was the main transport artery and the personal royal fleet numbered several thousand barges. The Abbe de Choisy, describing the first French embassy to Siam in 1685, mentions that the French travelled upriver in hundreds of vessels, some of which were royal.
When the Burmese captured Ayutthaya, all the barges were burned. Rama I, who made Bangkok his new capital, ordered new barges modelled on the old ones. By this time the vessels were mainly used for various ceremonies. This continued until the coup of 1932, when the absolute monarchy in Thailand was destroyed. Most of the properties owned by the king were confiscated. Many barges were damaged by Japanese bombing raids during World War II.
After the war, the Thai king was returned to the throne. His majesty found his ships in a dismal state. Gradually most of them were restored and the kathin ceremony, held in October or November, was resumed. But the fragile boats on display here are launched only on rare occasions.
The barges in the museum vary in size and purpose. The most luxurious of them is called the Golden Swan. Its bow is created in the shape of a huge swan covered in a layer of gold. The barge was built under King Rama I, but was reconstructed during the reign of Rama V. Next to it is the Narai Song Subar, a boat that belonged to King Narai. Its bow is decorated with a figure of a garuda bird. Around the perimeter of the hangar are showcases displaying oars, flags and other items used during colourful ceremonial ceremonies.
