pakkret happiness

If the past were a person, it would be an elderly person denied by his offspring who keep looking forward to the future and forget the fact that both current and future prospect is rooted upon historical foundation. However, for Pak Kret, its past and history are always alive, attractive, valuable and worth listening to. History of Baan Pak Kret “..In the period of King Somdej Phra Narai Maharaj’s reign (B.E. 2199-2231), there was a French ambassador La Loubere, who was dispatched to Ayutthaya for a bilateral relationship. He drew a map of the Chao Phraya River and described the communities along the river ranging from ones situated near the river mouth to those in Ayutthaya, and Baan Pak Kret or Baan Pak Tret Noi. This therefore proves that Baan Pak Kret was established before B.E. 2230” The narrative presentation of Pak Kret history based on a critical examination and evaluation as shown in the book Bhuminam Pak Kret of Pisarn Boonpook (published by The project on Information Management of Local Wisdom in Nonthaburi Studies to Enhance Services for Community Public Libraries, Office of Documentation and Information, Sukhothai Thammathirat University, page 21) reflects that Pak Kret has been a prosperous city for more than 350 years since Ayutthaya period. Baan Pak Kret or Baan Pak Tret Noi was once a part of Kwang Talad Kwan in Ayutthaya. It is located on the horseshoe-shaped bank of the Chao Phraya River. Due to its geographical landscape, the river current will slow down at this point and finally stop when colliding with the sea current. The natural condition as such paves way towards deposition and fertile soil which constitutes a popular settlement area for immigrants, agriculture, farming, livestock raising and community building. In La Loubere’s records, he reported that fruit orchards in Bangkok took up a vast area of land along the bank and was 4 li (distance measurement unit) from the starting point up to the city ending at Talad Kwan. The land was rich in fruit and vegetation that primarily constituted a local diet. After the war and defeat of Queen Sri Suriyothai (B.E. 2092), there were not enough men in Ayutthaya to be recruited for a military service since most of the citizens had fled into the forest. Therefore, King Somdej Phra Maha Chakapat ordered Kwang Talad Kwan be upgraded in administrative status to Muang Nonthaburi as written in the historical record “Thai Rob Phrama” (the battles between Thai people and Burmese people) stating that “….for convenience and effectiveness of war mobilization, it was deemed appropriate to establish 3 new cities (Muang) by promoting Baan Talad Kwan to Muang Nonthaburi, Baan Ta Jean to Muang Sakhornburi, and parts of Ratcha Buri and Suphan Buri to be merged and form Muang Nakhon Chaisi” Muang Nonthaburi, or Muang Nonthaburi Simahasamut, was under the supervision of the South Province because of the fact that it was located adjacent to the mouth of the Chao Phraya River and Thai Gulf. The South Province included Muang Nonthaburi, Thonburi, Sakhornburi (Samut Sakhon), Muang Nakhon Chaisi (Nakhon Pathom), Samut Prakarn, Samut Songkhram and Chon Buri. At that time, the downtown of Muang Nonthaburi was situated in Tambon Bang Kra Sor The nearby area of Wat Klang Bang Sue (where now Phra Nang Klao Hospital is located) was the city’s northern boundary limit, whereas Wat Tai Muang marked the city’s southern border line. In 1586 (B.E. 2129) under the reign of Phra Chao Prasat Thong, there was an order from the king to dig the canal Khlong Om Yai approximately 5 kilometers long to meet the part of Khlong Bang Kruay that flowed to the south of Wat Khemapirataram. Later due to its strong currents, the canal was continuously scoured and finally became part of the Chao Phraya River. In 1665 (B.E. 2208) under the reign of Somdej Phra Narai Maharaj, the king realized that the change of river current direction allowed for a possibility of enemies’ encroachment. Therefore, the king gave a royal command to construct a fort at the mouth of the Om River and relocated Muang Nonthaburi there. At present, there still exists the City Pillar Shrine. In 1721 (B.E. 2264) under the reign of Phra Chao Yoo Hua Tai Sra, there was an order from the king to dig a new canal, Khlong Lut Kret, in Pak Kret District to shortcut the Chao Phraya River in an attempt to facilitate transportation and boost regional economy. According to the historical record, “In the Year Of Tiger (Chinese year zodiac sign), the king assigned Phra Thonburi to be a leader who recruited 10 thousands of people from the South Province to canalize Khlong Tret Noi with 6 sok (Thai measurement unit) deep, 6 wa (Thai measurement unit) wide and approximately 29 wa long. Khlong Tret Noi was established as a solution to a sinuous watercourse of Bang Bua Thong”. »Ò¡à¡Ãç´ ¹¤ÃáË‹§μÓ¹Ò¹ The City Of Happiness 22