Along a stretch from Lan Luang Road to Nakhon Sawan Road, less than 500m from Phan Fa Bridge, is the Nang Loeng Community. Its former name is E-Loeng, named after the oversized Mon-style jars.
This community was once Bangkok's hub for the Thai traditional performance art called lakhon chatri. It is also a centre of art and a food paradise.
Nang Loeng Community dates back to the construction of Wat Sunthorn Thammathan, or Wat Khae Nang Loeng, in the early 19th century during the reign of King Rama III. The temple was first called Wat Sanam Krabue due to its location in tambon Sanam Krabue. Since the old days, anyone who wants to hire a lakhon chatri troupe can always come to Nang Loeng.
The former name of Nang Loeng is E-Loeng, which is a large red Mon-style unglazed jar. It was changed to Nang Loeng to ensure politeness during the Field Marshal Plaek Phibulsonggram administration. This community was called E-Loeng because it used to be a centre for selling the jars, which would be transported by boat from the suburbs, including Pathum Thani. In the early Rattanakosin period, pottery making was an occupation in this area, as well. Photo: Suwan Wa ewployngam
"Nang Loeng is also a century-old market with Thailand's most delicious food. Besides old things and food, it mixes diverse cultural heritage, architecture and interesting history," said Rapeepat Ketkosol, chief of the Tourism Development Subdivision, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA)'s tourism division.
Things to see in the Nang Loeng area include old buildings inside the market and along Nakhon Sawan Road, old shops, such as Nang Loeng Art, grocery stores, Wat Sunthorn Thammathan, Wat Sommanas and the old red E-Loeng jars placed in front of the house of a community leader.
Bo Bae is one of Bangkok’s largest textile wholesale markets. The name Bo Bae is derived from the word bongbeng, meaning loud noises caused by the many people who came to buy and fight for used clothes sold during World War II. Photo: Pichaya Svasti
A house opposite Wat Sunthorn Thammathan is where the late famed actor Mitr Chaibancha once lived with his mother. "Mitr loved and was grateful to the community. He did a lot of things to make it a better place to live," Rapeepat noted.
Several old houses in Nang Loeng are worth preserving. They are Ban Silpa (a traditional art school), Ban Narasilp (famous for making embroidered traditional dance costumes) and Ban Phoon Ruangnon (home to practitioners of lakhon chatri), and Ban Ten Ram (an old ballroom dancing school).
Local residents have been trying to restore and conserve this community. Suwan Waewployngam, a Nang Loeng community leader, has long pinned her hopes on making Ban Ten Ram and the nearby Ban Silpa, centres for neighbourhood activities.
The 117-year-old Nang Loeng Market is a hub of good food and was once an entertainment paradise. Established on March 29, 1899, it is Thailand’s first terrestrial market because the Siamese travelled by boat and sold and bought goods on both sides of canals in the old days. In the past, the market was full of entertainment and delicacies. Visitors should try the market’s famous dishes, such as saikrok pla naem, sakhu saimu, khaokriab pakmor, bayia and many other desserts, as well as the nearby Ruangruang restaurant’s noodles and Jib Kee restaurant’s grilled duck. Photos courtesy of Tourism Division, BMA
Suwan said she has seen the positive development of this community over the past five-to-six years. She said she is happy with the self-improvement of local teenagers who have been involved with good activities since early childhood. Local people and youngsters regularly conduct and attend workshops, such as learning Thai classical dance and making scarves at Ban Silpa, a centre of activities.
Another must-see is the nearby Maha Nak area, which is situated southeast of Nang Loeng between the locality and the Phadung Krung Kasem Canal.
"Maha Nak was located in the middle between the city and rural areas. It is also an old Islamic community dating to the times when the city moat of Bangkok was dug in the First Reign," Rapeepat said.
Chaloem Thani, or Rongnang Nang Loeng, is Bangkok’s oldest cinema. This two-storey wooden theatre opened in 1918. It grew in popularity because the country’s famous actor Mitr Chaibancha lived opposite of the theatre. This cinema had no fixed seats but long benches for viewers to sit on the first come, first served basis. Before the movie screening began, staff would give a signal with a horn. When silent movies boomed, a brass ensemble would play music during exciting scenes. The cinema closed down in 1993 after 75 years of serving Nang Loeng as an entertainment hub. After its closure, it became an old warehouse until the tenant returned it to its owner, the Crown Property Bureau, on July 1 last year. Photo: Patipat Janthong
Must-sees are the Bo Bae Textile Market and Maha Nak Mosque. According to Rapeepat, Muslims in the Maha Nak area are known for their traditional Thai ways. Their ancestors were known to wear jong kraben (traditional Thai trousers) while some served as courtiers and officials. One was assigned to care for the royal attires of King Rama V.
At Wat Sunthorn Thammathan, visitors can pay respect to the statue of Luang Pu Thoop, a former abbot, and the bones of the late famous actor Mitr Chaibancha. Mitr was one of Thailand’s most popular actors and starred in more than 300 movies. Born in Phetchaburi province in 1934, he moved to live with his mother in a house opposite Wat Khae Nang Loeng when he was nine. He lived there until he graduated and worked as an air force officer. He died at the age of 36 in 1970 after falling from a helicopter in a movie scene in Chon Buri. Photo: Pichaya Svasti
In 2012, the Crown Property Bureau (CPB) as the landlord agreed to support residents of six communities, including Nang Loeng, in restoring and maintaining their houses. Many residents were able to save money under the scheme, making them eligible to borrow soft loans to repair their homes under the Ban Munkhong Project.
Suwan said the small loans offered by the CPB weren't enough to restore houses, limiting its effectiveness. However, the project's requirement for potential loan seekers to deposit 100 baht per month has allowed 180 local residents to have cash deposits with the community's saving co-operative. Also, the CPB recently promised to rebuild old houses and build fire exits without evicting residents.
Rapeepat, who also serves as secretary of the Thai Tourism Society, said the CPB which owns the beautiful but permanently shuttered Chaloem Thani Cinema in Nang Loeng, should make theatre available for community activities.
He said there is still hope among community residents to develop the area, beginning with a new transportation project. In the near future, a passenger boat service will be started on the Hua Lamphong-Thewet route on the Phadung Krung Kasem Canal. The nearest pier to Nang Loeng is the Nang Loeng Market Pier.
He suggests improvement for Nang Loeng through four approaches: enhancing the quality of human resources through training and study trips; creating databases and sources of knowledge; improving signage and maps, and arranging for local tourism and cultural promotion activities.
"Over the past decade, community residents have been working hard to improve their community. They have been trying to use art and culture in tackling social problems. For example, there have been activities for children. Youths here live better lives and are not involved with narcotics," Rapeepat noted.
Located adjacent to Bo Bae Market, Maha Nak Mosque is an interesting place to visit and learn about Islamic culture. It is unclear when the mosque was established, but there is evidence that the first Muslim graveyard was built in front of the first small building of the Maha Nak Mosque. A second mosque building was constructed in 1851, but damaged by fire in 1929. It was rebuilt and extended later as the current mosque building. Maha Nak Mosque is not only a religious centre but also a centre of activity for local people. Photo: Pichaya Svasti
The most famous lakhon chatri performance art in the Nang Loeng area is the Phoon Ruangnon troupe owned by the late national artists Phoon Ruangnon and Thongbai Ruangnon, a father and son team. It is still run by a third generation led by Thongbai’s niece Kanya Thipyosot. However, its performers are ageing and its audience has largely abandoned them. In the past, the troupe performed nang talung (southern shadow puppetry), likay (a local performance art) and the traditional ensemble music called pinpart Thai and pinpart Mon. Their neighbours are the Dokdin theatre troupe and Ban Narasilp, a troupe and khon costume-making centre. Photo courtesy of Tourism Division, BMA
The Maha Nak area is situated between Nang Loeng and Khlong Phadung Krung Kasem Canal. The canal in this area is also called Khlong Maha Nak. The area where Khlong Phadung Krung Kasem and Khlong Maha Nak meet leads to Khlong Ong Ang to the west and joins Khlong Bang Kapi, or Khlong Saen Saeb, to the east. Maha Nak was a transit point between the city and eastern suburbs, such as Bang Kapi. Also, it was a transportation hub for travelling by boat to Bangkok from eastern towns like Paed Riew (Chachoengsao) and Samut Prakan. Photo: Pichaya Svasti
From the early 1950s to the end of the 1960s, Ban Ten Ram was a popular hangout for young, well-heeled Bangkokians. Its official name was Samakkhi Lilas, but most people referred to this club simply as Ban Ten Ram, or “the dance house” -- one of the few places in the city where one could learn ballroom dancing. It began accepting students in 1952. Classes were provided every evening from 5-8pm. The monthly tuition was 100 baht for women and 150 baht for men, who paid an additional 50 baht because men led. Despite the school’s continual success, it was closed down in 1985 due to its co-owner Kijja Tamornsuwan’s tight work schedule as a full-time artist and his family’s need for more living space. Ban Ten Ram was restored and reopened recently as a centre of community activities. Ballroom dancing classes will be offered soon. Photo courtesy of Tourism Division, BMA
Ban Silpa is a centre ofactivities for residents and visitors of the Nang Loeng Community. Photo courtesy of Tourism Division, BMA
Ban Narasilp, or Narasilp Troupe, was established during the early period of King Rama VI’s reign by businesswoman Lamom Susangkornkarn and was carried on by her assistant Chinda Pansamut. They performed khon klang plaeng and khon na jor (both outdoor khon mask performace), lakhon chatri and Thai classical music. It is also a costume house where fine khon and lakhon costumes were made. In its third generation under Chinda’s niece Pumari Pansamut, it continues working on performing arts and khon and lakhon costumes. Photo: Pichaya Svasti
