Plong Liam

It is situated at Mu 10, Tambon Tha Mai, near the basketball court in Ban Plong Liam School, on the bank of the Tha Chin River. Plong Liam is a chimney of a Portuguese sugar factory, called Captain Hit. It was built in 1824 during the reign of King Rama III. It is a chimney made of bricks and cement on a 4 metre-width and 4 metre-height square base. From the base rises an octagonal chimney. Each side is 1 metre wide and its overall height is 30 metres.

It is believed that the Portuguese who resided in Thailand during that period might support the villagers to plant sugar cane to supply sugar factories because in the past, this area was a good location for planting cane as evident from many sugarcane press factories, which are called by the locals as “Rong Hip”. Later, due to the geographical change, some of the canals linked to one another. The tide could run through 3 areas of Lat Tha Pla, Lat Hang Pla and Lat Ko, making sea water flood the sugarcane field. When there was no sugarcane to supply the factories, the Portuguese sugarcane press factories and sugar factories had to stop their businesses and have been left deserted until the present.

To get there: Take Phetchakasem Road, passing Phutthamonthon Sai 4 Intersection to the Flora Inn Intersection (1 kilometre before the elephant show space) and turn left for approximately 4 kilometres, passing Wat Tha Kham, cross the Chaloem Phrakiat Bridge to Wat Thian Dat – Suan Phak Intersection. Then, go straight on for approximately 3 kilometres to Wat Tha Mai and go further for 500 metres and turn right for 500 metres.