Mueang Trat River

Mueang Trat River Trat River, Khao Saming River, Khlong Khao Saming, Khlong Yai
Location
Country	Thailand
Province	Trat
Physical characteristics
Source	Confluence of Khlong Sato and Khlong Ang
• location	Bo Phloi, Bo Rai and Sato with Wang Takhian, Khao Saming
• coordinates	12°29′36.0″N 102°28′59.2″E
Mouth	Ao Trat
• location	Nong Khan Song and Tha Phrik, Mueang Trat
• coordinates	12°11′26.1″N 102°34′14.7″E
Length	55 kilometres (34 miles)
Basin features
River system	East coast basin

Mueang Trat River (Thai: แม่น้ำเมืองตราด, pronounced [mɛ̂ːnáːm mɯ̄a̯ŋ tràːt]), or just called Trat River (แม่น้ำตราด, pronounced [mɛ̂ːnáːm tràːt]) is the longest and largest river in Trat province, eastern Thailand.

It originated from the canals Khlong Sato and Khlong Ang, which receive water from the Banthat range, flowing together at the border Bo Rai and Khao Saming districts. Then flows south passing through Khao Saming district to the southeast entering Mueang Trat district passing through the downtown Trat before empties to Ao Trat, part of the Gulf of Thailand. It is approximately 55 km (34.2 mi) long.^[1]

As it flows through Khao Saming district, it is called Khao Saming River (แม่น้ำเขาสมิง, pronounced [mɛ̂ːnáːm kʰǎw sā.mǐŋ]), otherwise known as Khlong Khao Saming (คลองเขาสมิง, pronounced [kʰlɔ̄ːŋ kʰǎw sā.mǐŋ]) or Khlong Yai (คลองใหญ่, pronounced [kʰlɔ̄ːŋ jàj]).^[2]

The water in the Trat river in the phase of the Khao Saming river is murky red and flows rapidly. In 1931, it was also recorded as the first place in Thailand where an Asian arowana, a rare species living fossil fish was caught for the first time by a local boy scout. The caught fish was 26 cm long and specimen were sent to Bangkok for species identification.^[3] Currently, believed to have been locally extinct.^[4]

Mueang Trat river is an important transportation route from the past to the present. In the area of Mueang Trat, there were junks that sailed in and docked to pick up and deliver goods. At present, there are many ports along the river where fishing boats congregate along the jetty.^[5]

References

1. ราชบัณฑิตยสถาน. อักขรานุกรมภูมิศาสตร์ไทย เล่ม ๑ ฉบับราชบัณฑิตยสถาน. พิมพ์ครั้งที่ 5. กรุงเทพฯ : ราชบัณฑิตยสถาน, 2557, หน้า 138. (in Thai)
2. Tovenus, Sasithon. "การศึกษาเพื่อจัดทำแผนที่มรดกทางสถาปัตยกรรมชุมชนรักษ์คลองบางพระ จังหวัดตราด" (PDF) (in Thai). Silpakorn University.
3. Kittipong Jaruthanin (story) and Pued Fish Zone (photo), ตะพัด ปลามังกรแห่งลุ่มน้ำไทย (Asian arowana the dragonfish of Thai basins), Fish Zone, Vol. 2 Issue 17 (15 October - 15 November 2001) (in Thai)
4. Nonn (2010-09-22). "Species : Scleropages formosus". Siamensis (in Thai). Retrieved 2023-07-18.
5. "จังหวัดตราด" [Trat province] (in Thai).