KHU MAI RONG  (คูไม้ร้อง)
Text & map by Tricky Vandenberg - July 2010
Review April 2013
(Detail of a begin-20th century map)
Khu Mai Rong or translated the Moat of the Crying Wood, was situated off
Ayutthaya's city island in Tha Wasukri sub-district. The man-made waterway split off on
the northern side of the old Lopburi River (presently renamed Khlong Mueang) near Wat
Phanom Yong and ran about half a kilometer inland.

Khlong Khu Mai Rong contained the landing of the barges. There were 20 barge houses
adjacently situated, from the mouth of Khlong Khu Mai Rong to Wat Choeng Tha. The
name of the canal was probably derived from the creaking of the wood from the wooden
boats.

A land market was held behind the Dock of Royal barges in former times. Talat Wat
Khu Mai Rong was one of the 32 land markets outside the city of Ayutthaya. The name
of the marker suggests that there must have been once a temple in the vicinity of this
canal called Wat Khu Mai Rong, though no traces of the latter has been found as yet.
[1]

At the mouth of Khu Mai Rong there was one of the four primary floating markets of
Ayutthaya. [2]

References:

[1] Athibai Phaenthi Phra Nakhon Sri Ayutthaya  (Description of Ayutthaya) with a
foreword of Phraya Boran Rachathanin - edition 2 and Geography of Ayutthaya (2007)
- page 94.
[2] Markets and Production in the City of Ayutthaya before 1767: Translation and
Analysis of Part of the Description of Ayutthaya - Chris Baker - Journal of the Siam
Society, Vol. 99, 2011 - page 51.