Rangsit Canal
The Rangsit Canal, is a canal in the eastern part of the Chao Phraya valley, central Thailand. The name of the canal was given by King Chulalongkorn in honour of his son, Rangsit, Prince of Chai Nat.
History and characteristics
Rangsit Canal was the first irrigation project in Siam. King Chulalongkorn ordered its construction in 1890 and assigned Prince Sai Sanitvongse as the project president.The canal starts at the east bank of the Chao Phraya River in Tambon Ban Mai, Mueang Pathum Thani District, Pathum Thani Province. It then runs eastward passing by Thung Luang and empties into the Nakhon Nayok River in Ongkharak District, Nakhon Nayok Province.
In the past, the area around Rangsit Canal from Pathum Thani to Nakhon Nayok Provinces was the largest tangerine growing area in Thailand with no fewer than 150,000 rai, producing 80% of the country's output. The Rangsit tangerine was once famous, just as the Bang Mot tangerine in Bangkok's Thonburi district is today. Though its orchards have nearly vanished, efforts are underway to revive them.