7 February 2015
- Kayak trip on the Tha Chin River in Central Thailand from Sam Chuk until Wang Yang as part of the Tha Chin River Kayak Route.
- Technical data:
- We launched our kayaks from the Sam Chuk Water Regulator and ended the day at Mai Ngam Riverside Resort in Wang Yang.
- The weather was fair and sunny. Maximum temperature was around 33 C with a E wind of 7.4 Km/Hr. Humidity was 38 % (Source: TMD).
- Technical data of the trip was as follows: Total Distance: 32.21 Km; Moving Average: 5.7 Km/Hr; Overall Average: 5.4 Km/Hr; Maximum Speed: 8 Km/Hr; Moving time: 5 Hr 38 Min; Stopped Time: 19 Min; Total Time: 5 Hr 57 Min.
- Number of participants: 2 (Sean & Pat)
We started off at first light from Ayutthaya and arrived at the Sam Chuk water Regulator around 0745 Hr. We reckoned a bit around to find an adequate launching place south of the San Chuk Water Regulator. After negotiating a deep descent for our kayaks we finally were on the water at 0900 Hr.
A couple of minutes later we paddled by the Sam Chuk Market. This Chinese community and old-fashioned market, complete with wooden shop houses, has retained its authentic Thai style and dates back to a century ago. Visitors can explore the traditional shops, including a photography store that continues to use a century-old camera, an herbal drugstore, or enjoy tasting local sweets and sipping old-fashioned local-style coffee by the river. A three-story building, now transformed into a museum, displays photos from the days of yesteryear, taking visitors back to a bygone era. In 2009, the Sam Chuk Old Market received an Award of Merit in the 2009 annual UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Culture Heritage Conservation.
The weather was warm and there hung a bit of haze. At 05 Hr we took our first and last break along the river bank. The other "fueling" were done drifting on the water, although the current was not that terrible. We could though advance at about 6 Km/Hr. The track was, except here and there some small patches, free of water hyacinth. The local government did here a good job. There were no real high lights along this track and we arrived at the Mai Ngam Riverside Resort at 1500 Hr. Afternoon was used to rest, while in the evening we went out dining close to Suphanburi.
