As the controversial Chao Phraya River Promenade comes ever closer to fruition, old communities along the river are living in fear of eviction. Among those potentially affected are Udom Khamking, 67, and Chalong Songbundit, 34, of Mittakham community, who work as divers hunting for sunken treasures in the Chao Phraya River. We speak to them about their unusual profession, which is still going strong after more than half a century.
Udom: I was a vintage goods dealer after moving here from Ayutthaya in 1957. I saw others diving in the river and thought it was pretty cool. I started learning from a friend and have been diving myself since 1972.
Chalong: When I was 14 I quit junior high school to help my father with his diving. By 20 I was also a diver.
What gear do you use?
Chalong: It’s pretty much like in the old days. For the helmet, we cut in half an aluminum tank and hire a welder to mold lead onto it to make it heavier. We then attach a rubber tube to connect to the air pump. All up, it costs about B5,000-B6,000.
How has the job changed since the old days?
Chalong: The only difference is we now use an automatic air pump. Back in the old days it was all done by hand, which was a lot of hard work. You could only dive for around half an hour at a time.
Udom: We’ve always needed a buddy to help us on the boat. The helmet is really heavy, about 20kg, so we need someone to help put it on our head. We don’t need to swim as the helmet causes us to sink. A rope allows us to climb back to the surface.
What’s it like at the bottom of the river?
Udom: It’s like a giant junk yard, with everything from whole wrecked boats to large trees. It’s almost mountainous, due to the things that get stuck in the mud. As it’s so dark, divers need to develop theirs skill for years in order to find treasures. You’ll find celadon from the Sukhothai era, coins from the King Rama V era, and vintage bottles which can be sold for as much as B1,000 per piece. But, of course, the most valuable thing is still gold.
Chalong: If we find something we believe to be gold, we keep it in our mouth as we’re afraid to lose it. When it comes to antiques, we need to know the basic history of different eras otherwise we will be duped by vintage dealers who buy directly from us. Lesser finds we sell at Chatuchak Market.
What the most valuable treasure you have found?
Udom: A piece of gold carved in the shape of a junk boat that I found more than 20 years ago. It weighed nearly 400g—worth about B500,000 according to today’s gold prices, but I sold it for far less than that.
What’s the weirdest thing you have found?
Chalong: What shocks us the most must be the bodies, mostly people who have committed suicide. As we live near Saphan Thonburi, we occasionally save people who have jumped off the bridge. Sometimes it’s just students messing around, but often these people are in great despair. We give them clothes and money and send them home.
Where do you normally dive today?
Udom: There are fewer places to dive now. We normally dive around Saphan Phut near the Flower Market. There’s such a long history of people commuting to the area since the early Rattanakosin era. That means there’s a lot of stuff still to be found there.
Chalong: We also go to some other provinces that have rivers, such as Ratchaburi, Ayutthaya, Sing Buri, Angthong, Suphan Buri and even Samut Songkram. We go for a month at a time, sleeping on the boat and bringing along a gas cylinder for cooking.
What’s the most challenging thing about this job?
Udom: During the flood season we can’t go out for around three months because the current is too strong. The job really depends on luck—one day we might find something worth B1,000 after a month of nothing.
Chalong: We can’t dive in the winter, either. It’s like a refrigerator under the water. Sometimes we go fishing instead and sell our catches at B10 cheaper than market price.
How do you feel about the Chao Phraya River Promenade project?
Udom: We’re afraid that if we are expelled from the river, we will be like fish out of water. I was born here, I don’t know what to do. I’m 67 already. Who will give me loan to buy a new house?
Chalong: I heard the study team from KMITL will keep our old community intact with a learning center and preserve our job, which is a rarity. But I don’t know if that is it true or not.
