Ban Hang Ro Ha

Ban Hang Ro Ha in Kamphaeng Phet Province or Ban Pha Po is a two-storey wood building decorated in a combination of Thai and western styles. The whole house is made of teakwood adorned with delicate fretwork, especially at the veranda. Only one piece of teakwood is used for building all the house pillars. There is a long canal at the front of the house, called Khlong Suan Mak. The owner of this house is Pha Po, who biught it from Phraya Ram. Pha Po was a Burmese wealthy man whose job is trading wood at the mouth of Khlong Suan Mak in Nakhon Chum during the reign of King Rama V. One day, when King Rama V privately traveled to Kamphaeng Phet in 1906, he visited Ban Pha Po, resulting in the name Bang Hang Ro Ha. According to the history, in the late reign of King Rama IV in 1875, Maung Su Phor or Phraya Taka, Pha Po’s older brother, asked Phraya Kamphaeng Phet (Ong) to be rented for wood trade. However, he died in the same year. Later, in 1886, Pha Po started his wood trade business. He had his house constructed at the mouth of Khlong Suan Mak, which is a good spot for transporting wood logs from the forest down to Nakhon Sawan-the largest wood trade center in the lower northern part. Having faith to Buddhism, Pha Po and Phraya Taka (older brother) had a chedi restored and raised the top of tiered umbrella together at Wat Phra Borom That Chediyaram in Nakhon Chum. Ban Hang Ro Ha is located on the highway number 1078 in Nakhon Chum Sub-district, Mueang Kamphaeng Phet District, Kamphaeng Phet Province, near Wat Sawang Arom. The tourists can walk along the edge of the canal from Wat Sawang Arom for 500 meters. However, at present, the house is still remained in the ancient style but the woods are already decayed; therefore, there is a sign “Do not enter the house” here. The tourists should strictly abide by the rule in order to reserve Ban Hang Ro Ha to stay with Kamphaeng Phet Province with younger generations.