Baan Bat is the only community left that is engaged in turning out the alms bowls by hand. Apparently settled in Bangkok two hundred years ago during the reign of Rama I, they were part of craft villages established at the time.
Craft villages are no longer a part of Bangkok life having succumbed to rapid urbanization. However little enclaves like Baan Bat still cling on and tend a dying art. About five households still depend on making Bats for their livelihood in a narrow alley off Soi Ban Baat. The design of these bowl have not changed for centuries and putting them together happens according to a set practice. The bowls are made by hammering eight pieces of brass together. The eight pieces are said to represent the eight spokes in the wheel of Dhamma. First a piece of brass is beaten to make the rim, three more pieces are beaten in to make the skeleton; then the sides are formed by hammering in four triangular pieces. The whole is welded together and fired in a kiln. It is filed and polished and fired again. Two days are required to make a Bat by hand. A specially made hammer is used to get the brass into the required shape. The neighbourhood of the Bat factory echoes to the sharp noise of metal on metal.
Although factory produced Bats are available in plenty this community continues to turn out the handmade variety laboriously, using an old time consuming process in the belief that theirs are the only true Bats.
Visitors interested in viewing Bats being made can call in advance to arrange a viewing. Bats can also be bought as souvenirs.
The convenient location of Anantara Baan Rajprasong, Bangkok, in the heart of the city’s financial district, close to shopping, supermarkets, attractions and transport facilities is indeed a big boon to its guests in addition to the selection of comprehensively furnished contemporary apartments, a refuge in a busy city. These Bangkok serviced apartments provide up to date guest services that even include a golf simulator and cookery classes. The level of comfort and services provided at this serviced apartment Bangkok matches those of up market properties in the city making them an ideal base for long or short stays.
