Does anyone know why there is a several km long, and several metre high, dirt hump along the length of Kampangdin Rd? In sections, people have carved tunnels to get to their homes on the other side, in some spots they've knocked it all down, and in some cases it seems people have built their dwellings on and even partially inside it. To me, it's one of the more peculiar sights of this city!

I would have guessed this hump was originally built to prevent flooding, but I can't really see how it would help much these days, even if it did flood. So why does it remain?

For many years it was a notorious area with numerous short time businesses carrying out there trade. This is not the past 10 or 20 years, you could perhaps add a 0 to the numbers.

Sawasdee Khrup, Khun Clokwise,

Khun That Hump is still in jail for her crimes, and is rumored to have Alzheimer's; her partner in serial ice-pick murders, Khun Moundadirt, was executed. She was born on Thanon Kampangdin, in a bordello named "Phet Chok Dee" ("lucky duck").

The Earth remembers Her and swells in Her honor; the People forget Her, or have had their memories altered. But her remains: remain.

best, ~o:37;

Good question. I used to wonder this myself when I first got here and before I stumbled across some informative literature by chance.

Despite recent history and places of ill-and-fascinating repute, these earthen ramparts were part of the city's fortifications built around 1800, fairly soon after CM was back in the hands of Siam and free from Burmese occupation. Most people know the word 'din' translates as 'dirt', and then a good word for wall in Thai would be 'kamphaeng.' So in this case, the wall of dirt acting as a fortification affords us the chance to use not-oft-heard English word 'rampart.'Rampart rampart rampart! Savor the occasion, you live where you can talk about ramparts. Now where to go to discuss a ferula ?

Check out this link on more CM Rampart history: http://www.cpamedia.com/research/kamphaeng_din/

Thanks for the link. Really interesting

Without going to some reference books, after CM was built with the Moat and Walls, extra communities set up between the New City and the river.

Thaepe was the connecting road and the new settlements built a Earth Wall as their outer Protection. East and South sides, Burma was still main enemy.

There is still one of the Original Corner Forts in existence, Lower South West corner.

I once had a naughty little argument with a local historian who insisted that the Earth Embankment was never brick faced.

If you walk along the extension from the SW corner of the moat down to the remaining Fort you can see the the original almost as constructed. Most bricks have been removed but some are still there.

Yes years later the street became home to Small houses of ill repute but building of the big hotel got rid of most of them.

john

Good question. I used to wonder this myself when I first got here and before I stumbled across some informative literature by chance.

Despite recent history and places of ill-and-fascinating repute, these earthen ramparts were part of the city's fortifications built around 1800, fairly soon after CM was back in the hands of Siam and free from Burmese occupation. Most people know the word 'din' translates as 'dirt', and then a good word for wall in Thai would be 'kamphaeng.' So in this case, the wall of dirt acting as a fortification affords us the chance to use not-oft-heard English word 'rampart.'Rampart rampart rampart! Savor the occasion, you live where you can talk about ramparts. Now where to go to discuss a ferula ?

Check out this link on more CM Rampart history: http://www.cpamedia..../kamphaeng_din/

For those who are interested, there is an article on Chiang Mai's former 'Northern Ramparts' in this month's (August 2010) Guidelines. Unlike the southern Kamphaeng Din, they are no longer readily identifiable, but there was once quite a network of outer defences through Santitam and Chang Pheuak.

Good question. I used to wonder this myself when I first got here and before I stumbled across some informative literature by chance.

Despite recent history and places of ill-and-fascinating repute, these earthen ramparts were part of the city's fortifications built around 1800, fairly soon after CM was back in the hands of Siam and free from Burmese occupation. Most people know the word 'din' translates as 'dirt', and then a good word for wall in Thai would be 'kamphaeng.' So in this case, the wall of dirt acting as a fortification affords us the chance to use not-oft-heard English word 'rampart.'Rampart rampart rampart! Savor the occasion, you live where you can talk about ramparts. Now where to go to discuss a ferula ?

Check out this link on more CM Rampart history: http://www.cpamedia..../kamphaeng_din/

This being Thailand, would it be right to say `manning the ramparts ` or `ramming the man parts` ???

`

Sawasdee Khrup, Khun Clokwise,

Khun That Hump is still in jail for her crimes, and is rumored to have Alzheimer's; her partner in serial ice-pick murders, Khun Moundadirt, was executed. She was born on Thanon Kampangdin, in a bordello named "Phet Chok Dee" ("lucky duck").

The Earth remembers Her and swells in Her honor; the People forget Her, or have had their memories altered. But her remains: remain.

best, ~o:37;

..see Pattaya..we have our very own 'glitterman'

Sawasdee Khrup, Khun Clokwise,

Khun That Hump is still in jail for her crimes, and is rumored to have Alzheimer's; her partner in serial ice-pick murders, Khun Moundadirt, was executed. She was born on Thanon Kampangdin, in a bordello named "Phet Chok Dee" ("lucky duck").

The Earth remembers Her and swells in Her honor; the People forget Her, or have had their memories altered. But her remains: remain.

best, ~o:37;

..see Pattaya..we have our very own 'glitterman'

You can keep him.