Any city that’s been hanging around for 228 years is bound to have its fair share of lost treasures and forgotten secrets. Thankfully, Bangkok isn’t developing at the same speed as Beijing, where historical corners of the city are being steamrolled to prepare for condos and shopping malls, so there are still plenty of old corners and secrets to enjoy. My friend Lenka and I found one of these lost treasures one of our city bike rides, where we ride by the phrase ‘ever narrower’ to get lost, explore, and experience the real Bangkok. What we found was Baan Bu, a community in Bangkok Noi that produces exquisite handmade bowls the same way they’ve been doing for centuries.
First of all, the ride. I’ve written about that before, and no, Bangkok isn’t as dangerous to ride a bike in as you think, although I wouldn’t call it ‘safe’. You just need to keep your wits about you, know how traffic works, and ride with style and/or skill and/or luck. I met Lenka at the foot of State Tower on Silom Road, and we wound our way past the Oriental, through Chinatown, past the flower market and Wat Phra Kaew, and through Thammasat University, ending up on Soi Phra Athit for an awesome roti motaba lunch.
Then, in a true act of geekery, I whipped out my iPhone and we managed to find a geocache that was hidden nearby. Score!
We continued across the Rama VIII bridge, through some tiny little sois and snaked through a wacky little mooban (village), past the Royal Barge Museum and then across the Arun Amarin bridge, and this is where we started asking around for Baan Bu, where the prized and beautiful bowls are made. Betwen Lenka’s pretty good Thai and my not-so-good Thai, we managed to get a random dude wearing suspenders and a local shopkeep to point us in the right direction, and we made our way across some train tracks and into the Bangkok Noi village.
Bangkok Noi (Little Bangkok) is a section of Bangkok that has been designated as a kind of heritage neighborhood, promoting tourism due to its long history and contribution to Bangkok’s development and artistic production. In fact, the little mooban we were on looked really nice and clean – even the Victorian-style lamposts had shrink-wrap on them!
There were no obvious signs or anything, so we simply asked a group of women standing around a food cart if they knew where they made the bowls. One of the women said “Oh, that’s me.” Lucky! Her name was Khun Metha, and she very kindly picked up her plate of khao man gai (oily chicken and rice) and told us to follow her, unlocking a gate and leading us into her factory, named Jiam Sangsajja Bronze Factory.
It was nothing huge or palatial – a dirty factory sat off to the side with several unlit furnaces where the bowls are made, and a small showroom held a few shelves that displayed the bowls. They were quite exquisite – roughly hewn on the outside with fine decorative carving, and with a brass/copper lining that was so shiny it almost hypnotized you to look at it.
Khun Metha gave us a cup of the cool, fragrant water she kept in a large brass bowl by the door to cool us down and told us how the bowls were made, miming the process for us and showing us examples of the work at different stages. She then gave us a quick tour of the factory, explaining how each of 5 furnace stations did a different job, and how the guy who carves the intricate designs on the outside of the bowl gets no second chances – make a mistake and he must start over.
It was a very interesting detour, and to be honest we were both a bit surprised we managed to find it, but with the friendliness of the locals and a bit of detective work, we did. A visit to this little community is a great way to support local craftsmen and an opportunity to go on a bit of an adventure outside of the normal tourist trails.
Here’s the address if you’re interested: Jiam Sang Sajja Bronze Factory, 133 Charan Santiwong Soi 32, Siriraj, Bangkok Noi, Bangkok 10700. Call Khun Metha on 081-615-7840 if you want to set up an appointment (make sure you’re ready to speak Thai). Also, Eric has a good post about it on his blog here.
And here’s a map:
Thanks for an excellent story. I love to hear about the forgotten worlds which exist in these big old cities.
I used the idea of ‘getting lost’ to find new and interesting places when I lived in Japan. Fantastic!
Thanks Brenton. Some of the best things I’ve seen in Bangkok have been when I have no idea where I am. Everyone should try it! 🙂
Great post Greg – great adventure too. It’s so exciting finding these awesome places.
I loved that murtabak place. 🙂
Awesome Greg. I am now pleased to say that I know 1 person in Thailand who does normal things.
If my parents ever come to visit I now have 1 friend that I’ll feel safe to introduce them too.
Good story. I tend to do something similar in Pattaya like trying to find all the real dodgy places around, one time on the motorscooter (it’s not really a bike) I was whizzing through some fields behind a school following little foot trials to see where they went when I went zipping through a stand of trees near a small spring not realising until I saw the furnicture and the hamocks that this was also 2 Thai guys lounge room.
Bet that surprised them more than it did me.
😉
I have heard of these hand-made bowls before and am interested in seeing them. I did not realize the Bangkok Noi village was designated as a heritage area. It certainly looks very quaint. Can you buy a bowl direct from the factory? Would you have any idea what a reasonable price would be for a smaller bowl?
Hi Peter, thanks for writing. I asked about a smaller bowl and I think she said it was 4,000 baht. A bit steep for me, but it would make a great wedding gift or something like that.
Wasn’t Bangkok Noi also where we stumbled on that wat-cum-Buddha foundry/repair shop? A veritable advent calendar of cultural delights, that part of town.
Are these the bowls that monks use to make a resonating tone when tapped? Seems like they would!
Hey Andrewp, no, but close guess. You're thinking of the Monk's Bowl Village, Baan Baht, which is at the foot of Wat Saket on Rachadamnoen Avenue. That's well worth a visit too, and not so hard to find!
Great piece. Experiences like this bring meaning to my travels in LOS. Please share more.