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| Pa Sak River (แม่น้ำป่าสัก) | |
|---|---|
 The Pa Sak River flowing east of Ayuttaya's old city | |
 | |
| Location | |
| Country | Thailand |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Phetchabun Mountains |
| Mouth | |
• location | Chao Phraya River at Ayutthaya Island |
| Length | 513 km (319 mi) |
| Basin size | 16,291 km2 (6,290 sq mi) |
| Discharge | |
| • average | 2.4 km3 (0.58 cu mi)/yr |
ThePa Sak River (Thai:แม่น้ำป่าสัก,RTGS: Maenam Pa Sak,IPA:[mɛ̂ːnáːmpàːsàk],Pronunciation) is a river in centralThailand. The river originates in thePhetchabun Mountains,Dan Sai District,Loei Province, and passes throughPhetchabun Province as the backbone of the province. It then passes through the eastern part ofLopburi Province andSaraburi Province, until it joins theLopburi River northeast of Ayutthaya Island, before it runs into theChao Phraya River southeast ofAyutthaya near Phet Fortress. It has a length of 513 km (319 mi) and drains a watershed of 16,291 km2 (6,290 sq mi). The annual discharge is 2.4 km3 (0.58 cu mi).
The valley of the Pa Sak through thePhetchabun mountains is a dominant feature of Phetchabun Province. Water levels vary seasonally. To address drought problems in the lower Pa Sak valley, in 1994 the construction of thePa Sak Cholasit Dam (เขื่อนป่าสักชลสิทธิ์) in Lopburi Province was built. The 4,860-meter (15,940 ft) wide and 36.5-meter (120 ft) high dam retains 0.785 km3 (0.188 cu mi) of water. The dam also supplies about 6.7 MW of electricity.
Tributaries of the Pa Sak include theLopburi River,Khlong Muak Lek,Huai Nam Phung,Huai Pa Daeng,Khlong Lam Kong,Lam Sonthi,Khlong Wang Chomphu,Khlong Huai Na,Huai Nam Chun,Huai Nam Duk,Huai Khon Kaen,Huai Yai,Khlong Saduang Yai,Khlong Ban Bong,Khlong Tarang, andLam Phaya Klang.
The Pa Sak drains an area of 16,291 square kilometres (6,290 sq mi).[1] The Pa Sak Basin is part of theChao Phraya watershed.
In addition to being used as a waterway, course of the Pa Sak River, no less than 60 years ago, especially inPhra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province, it was well known for itsKhanom chin, traditional Thai vermicelli. So, that it was aso known as Khlong Khanom chin. Additionally, the water in the canal was clean and clear, suitable for consumption and use. It was habitat to thezig-zag eel, an eel-like freshwater fish that were a delicacy.[2]
Around the same time, Wat Mondop across from theHua Ro quarter was an important pier because people would board boats here for Bangkok. All around this spot, there were many rafts and boats selling Khanom chin as well as otherKhanom Thai, Thai snacks and sweets, includingKhanom thuai,Khanom thuai fu,Khanom mo kaeng,Khanom tan,Khanom kluai,Khao lam,Khao mak,Lot chong,Pakrim khai tao,Thong yip andThong yod, etc. Many of these were made by people living along the river, where it was referred to asKhlong Hantra.
Moreover, in terms of folk traditions, there is a natural khlong that links Khlong Bang Kaeo atMaha Rat District and the river atNakhon Luang District. Set on its banks are two very important Buddhist temples, Wat Khot Khema Pitaram and Wat Tan En, which are actually gathering places forflying foxes. During the 11th and 12thThai lunar months, following the Buddhist retreat,Wan Ok Phansa, when the waters are high and the paddies flood, it used to be a time for courting, or boat song festivals along with boat races between the two temples. Now, though, only the boat racing tradition is still preserved annually.
14°21′51″N100°34′48″E / 14.36417°N 100.58000°E /14.36417; 100.58000