What does Thailand have to offer in the way of forts?

[Fabricus]

There are two types of men in this world: those who are interested in forts, and those who aren't. This thread is for men who are.

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If you've been to Penang you may have checked out Fort Cornwallis. The Malaysian authorities devote a fair few column inches to it in their tourist literature and by all accounts it's a major attraction. Reviews over on Tripadvisor, however, are generally less than positive: the consensus seems to be that the fort is overpriced and overrated.

So how does Thailand compare: is the country a hub of historic forts, or is it the "poor man" of southeast Asia? In this important thread, all will be revealed.

[canuckamuck]

My kids made one in the living room last night.

[SoiBiker]

There's one just round the corner from Khao San Road - Phra Sumen Fort.

[NickJ]

Fort Nana, Fort Cowboy and Fort Patpong. Forget about Fort Pattaya it has been completely overrun.

[SoiBiker]

Fort Nana, Fort Cowboy and Fort Patpong. Forget about Fort Pattaya it has been completely overrun.

Really?

Must we drag every conversation into the gutter?

[NickJ]

Yeah...your right. It is the Pub. So forget what I wrote about Fort Pattaya.

[daveAustin]

There are two types of men in this world: those who are interested in forts, and those who aren't.

I like them but am not really interested in them. Does that make me a woman? An alien perhaps?

IMO, Thailand is a bit lacking on its forts. Great on temples, but.

[Familyonthemove]

Yes - Phra Athit (close to Khao San) has an interesting fort - easy to get to using the Ferry as it's next to Phra Athit jetty.

Also ..... It's a replica fort, so no historical background - but the Buddy Oriental Hotel is a fun visit if you are interested in Forts. It's also next ot the river - but further upstream.

[NickJ]

I just googled it. There is one Used to worry the French. The photos show cannons and guns on display. Samut Prakham .

[gomangosteen]

Noen Wong, Chanthaburi

Noen Wong

Located on Highway 3147 (Tha Chalaep Road), the wall of the fort was built in the reign of King Rama III, approx 1834, for defending the invasion from Vietnamese forces. Old cannons line the walls.

Inside the fort is the National Maritime Museum and the Underwater Archeology Section displaying items recovered from shipwrecks along the Thai coastlines.

National Maritime Museum at Noen Wong

Under the administration of the culture ministrys Department of Fine Arts, the National Maritime Museum Chanthaburi includes a huge variety of ancient artifacts retrieved from ships wrecked along the Gulf of Thailand.

Many of the exhibits in the Conservation Room, located on the ground floor of the building, relate to trading via sea routes during the Ayutthaya period (1351-1767).

Edited July 18, 2016 by gomangosteen

[gomangosteen]

Re the comment on Penang's Fort Cornwallis

Fees are 20 ringgits for adults, 10 for children

200 baht. Didn't break my budget; if you're interested in such places, worthwhile.

[Oxx]

Ayutthaya had 16 forts around the city wall. Today (to the best of my knowledge), only three remain: Pom Phet, Pom Sat Kop and Pom Maha Chai. Of these, only the first is remotely worth visiting. The others are little more than a pile of bricks.

[Wilsonandson]

End of an era: Pom Mahakan residents face eviction as fort to be turned into public park

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has ordered the eviction of the Pom Mahakan community in Phra Nakhon district by the end of April so it can turn the area into a public park.

After the park plan was delayed for over 20 years due to opposition from residents, officials put up an eviction sign outside the fort today.

The area, which has been home to more than 50 households over six generations, will be turned into an eco-tourism spot to complement the historic fort, which was built in the 1700s.

http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2016/03/28/end-era-pom-mahakan-residents-face-eviction-fort-be-turned-public-park

Another similar news article this time looks at what's happening in Saphan Lek due to tourism.

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/bangkok/2016/07/14/saphan-lek-looks-like-now-video/

[Fabricus]

There's one just round the corner from Khao San Road - Phra Sumen Fort.

I didn't know that.

You mission -- if you choose to accept it -- is to find out more and report back.

Good luck. This post will self-destruct in five seconds.

[Fabricus]

Re the comment on Penang's Fort Cornwallis

Fees are 20 ringgits for adults, 10 for children

200 baht. Didn't break my budget; if you're interested in such places, worthwhile.

Excellent feedback, and thanks for posting those (superb) photos. Have you checked out that fort in Chantaburi?

Am I right in thinking there are TWO forts in Chantaburi? I'm pretty sure I am.

Your mission -- if you choose to accept it -- is to investigate this further and kindly report back. Your input is needed.

PS. Are those photos your own?

[Fabricus]

End of an era: Pom Mahakan residents face eviction as fort to be turned into public park

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has ordered the eviction of the Pom Mahakan community in Phra Nakhon district by the end of April so it can turn the area into a public park.

After the park plan was delayed for over 20 years due to opposition from residents, officials put up an eviction sign outside the fort today.

The area, which has been home to more than 50 households over six generations, will be turned into an eco-tourism spot to complement the historic fort, which was built in the 1700s.

http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2016/03/28/end-era-pom-mahakan-residents-face-eviction-fort-be-turned-public-park

Another similar news article this time looks at what's happening in Saphan Lek due to tourism.

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/bangkok/2016/07/14/saphan-lek-looks-like-now-video/

I've seen photos of this fort before. What's actually happened to it?

Surely something as important as this would be preserved?

[SoiBiker]

There's one just round the corner from Khao San Road - Phra Sumen Fort.

I didn't know that.

You mission -- if you choose to accept it -- is to find out more and report back.

Good luck. This post will self-destruct in five seconds.

I already know - went there a while ago. You can't go inside, but it's a nice picturesque spot in a chilled out little park on a pleasant spot on the river. There's a bunch of decent little places to eat and drink just downriver on Phra Arthit road, and a funky little bar just a hundred metres or so up Phra Sumen road on the left - look out for the Chang sign.

[gomangosteen]

Re the comment on Penang's Fort Cornwallis

Fees are 20 ringgits for adults, 10 for children

200 baht. Didn't break my budget; if you're interested in such places, worthwhile.

Excellent feedback, and thanks for posting those (superb) photos. Have you checked out that fort in Chantaburi?

Am I right in thinking there are TWO forts in Chantaburi? I'm pretty sure I am.

Your mission -- if you choose to accept it -- is to investigate this further and kindly report back. Your input is needed.

PS. Are those photos your own?

Hi, yes my own photos. I have many more. Have lived within 8km of Noen Wong since 2011 and it's on several of my favourite cycling routes. River ports of Tha Chalaep and Samet Ngam in this area, historic ties to King Tak Sin in 1760s

The other fort? Site of fort Phairi Phinat perhaps, on hill overlooking Laem Sing at mouth of Chanthaburi River. Nothing on that site now but some cannon and a chedi built as a peace memorial when the French left in 1906. Across the river are the old French barracks, Tuek Daeng, and small prison cell building Khuk Khi Kai. In Chanthaburi city inside the army base are eight buildings from the French occupation, but don't know if this army camp was a fort as such. Off limits to the public, I was able to get an invite and tour through a friend, the army are restoring them, stylish buildings

Edited July 18, 2016 by gomangosteen

[smokie36]

Ayutthaya had 16 forts around the city wall. Today (to the best of my knowledge), only three remain: Pom Phet, Pom Sat Kop and Pom Maha Chai. Of these, only the first is remotely worth visiting. The others are little more than a pile of bricks.

Sadly true...its still an amazing historical site to visit overall.

[Oxx]

small prison cell building Khuk Khi Kai

Which raises the question, was it a prison for chicken shıt? Or did they just think it wasn't a very good prison?

[gomangosteen]

Khuk Khi Kai. Chickens were kept above the prisoners in a grated roof, to defecate on those held below. One more insult from the French.

[pgrahmm]

https://youtu.be/LqdQg4nUlOs

Not sure of your definition of a fort...Like Fort Ross above - a Russian Fort above SF that I found myself driving to a couple of times a year just because I enjoyed it....

Or structures just for defensive purposes.....Many of the Wats seem to have large walls & gates that serve as fortified structures (like the missions did in the US), just without the armory.....Some ancient cities also had the same protections.....

Back in the days of war elephants some armies had up to 100,000 available - almost moving fortresses when lined up so the idea of warfare here was probably very different from most western infuenced places.....

If not elephants then hordes/swarms of people....Seems like the north was one big prize always changing hands - which might be why the temples walled up - and waited......

What we think of as cannoned forts or castles probably didn't exist in numbers like seen in other parts of the world.....The Kings would have had their fort/compounds but fortified outposts were probably small in number away from shipping trade routes......Although Thailand had internal wars for control/take over as a nation it didn't really have a history as a nation that reached out for war - and some borders/territories are still in dipute.....

[Alive]

There's a small fire base on a mountain in Petchabun called Khao kor. It was used during the Vietnam period for artillary and helo ops.

https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/0a/7c/74/b0/the-monument-grounds.jpg

http://www.thailand-blogs.com/2015/05/21/a-postcard-from-phetchabun-armoury-museum-itti-base/

[pgrahmm]

There's similar at Chiang Dao - basically some sand bagged fox holes on the top of the hill staring at their counterparts on the other side of the border.....

[gomangosteen]

Refer post #10

Cannon at Noen Wong

[Fabricus]

@Gomangosteen

More good photos. I see now that Fort Noen Wong varies quite a bit in terms of preservation. Those cannon are British, 18 pounders.

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To all you other fort lovers out there, I can still think of at least ten more forts here in Thailand. I'll detail them myself if no one else rises to the challenge.

Edited July 20, 2016 by Fabricus

[eldragon]

Havent you heard? Thailand was never colonized, so they never needed forts.

[gerry1011]

Chulachomklao Fort.

The fort from where three French ships were fired on, during the Franco-Siamese War in July 1893 (Paknam incident).

[gerry1011]

This drawing of the Paknam incident was done by Pierre Ortz, one of the foreign advisers in the field of law to the government of Siam during the reign of King Rama V.

The drawing names 3 forts:

- Fort de l'ilot (Fort of the small island).

- Vieux fort (desarmé) (Old fort (disarmed)).

- Fort de la Pointe Ouest (Fort of the west point).

The last one being the Chulachomklao Fort, it would be interesting to know if the other ones are still there...

[Fabricus]

Chulachomklao Fort.

The fort from where three French ships were fired on, during the Franco-Siamese War in July 1893 (Paknam incident).

ImageUploadedByThaivisa Connect PRO1469036861.066777.jpgImageUploadedByThaivisa Connect PRO1469036870.850598.jpg

Good feedback.

An important point to note is that the cannon at Fort Chulachomklao are reportedly the world's finest remaining examples of the Disappearing Armstrong Gun.

Read more:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BL_6_inch_gun_Mk_V

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I know of nine more forts in Thailand. I'll come back later if I get time.