BANGKOK'S WATER WORLD

       With the exception of the occasional escape-the-rain-as-fast-as-you-can event which we involuntarily partake in far too often, water sports are rarely, if ever, mentioned in connection with this otherwise multi-faceted city. But now we have Bueng Nong Bon, a public park and reservoir - two other things surely not synonymous with Bangkok - which features a water sports centre.
       Located on Chalerm Phrakiat Soi 43, Bueng Nong Bon was originally created to help alleviate flooding in eastern Bangkok and actually encompasses three inter-connected reservoirs that have the capacity to hold up to five million cubic metres of water. Under the initiative of former governor Apirak Kosayodhin, the water sports centre at Bueng Nong Bon was opened in 2008 to honour His Majesty the King's 60th anniversary on the throne. There are also facilities available for various sports like cycling, basketball, football and sepak takraw in this serene public greenspace.
       For a small yearly fee of 40 baht, members of the sports centre can rent out a variety of equipment free of charge, including sail boats, windsurfers and kayaks. Casual athletes are more than welcome to try their hand at these sports, and if you are a newbie there's a professional coach on hand to guide you along.
       Bueng Nong Bon has only been open to the public for less than two years, but the water there has long been used by various Thai national teams for training, and it was the venue for the SEA games qualification trials.
       "Before this we had to go all the way out to Bueng Taco in Samut Prakan," said Arpornpan Buapath, whose daughter is a canoe slalom athlete, "which is further out and much more expensive. Here the fee is so low and they have basically everything we need."
       Father and daughter were busy at work setting up poles in the water to create a slalom course for her training.
       "We're training for the upcoming Canoe Slalom event in Nakhon Nayok [which takes place this weekend], so we're setting up these poles," said Mr Arpornpan. "We're going to leave it up afterwards for everyone to use."
       The action is not only on the water, however, as plenty of locals were sweating it out at the various facilities set up for sports played on a firmer foundation. A group of senior men were engaging in a variation of the regular sepak takraw, called hoop takraw or takraw laud huang, where instead of kicking the ball back and forth over a net as in volleyball, the objective is to get the ball into a basket suspended above the court, much like basketball.
       The park is also popular amongst cyclists who like to go for a spin on the paths stretching across this 644-rai space.
       "I try to come here at least a couple times a month to get some exercise and fresh air," says Ake Krainkah, a banker who was decked out in full gear and zipping along the pathways.
       Bueng Nong Bon is still not well known among most Bangkok residents, but this peaceful and spacious park provides an excellent facility for trying out some new sports and getting some exercise and fresh air and is surely a welcome alternative to being stuck in a shopping mall for yet another weekend.
       Relate Search: Bueng Nong Bon, Chalerm Phrakiat Soi 43, Apirak Kosayodhin