Gold! Bangkok's treasure hunters | DW Documentary

In Bangkok, divers hunt for treasure that's lain on the riverbed of the Chao Phraya for centuries.
For generations, families living along Bangkok's Chao Phraya river have been diving for the more-or-less valuable treasures found on the riverbed. It's their livelihood and their huts lie right on the riverbank.
Mana Onsgaard is a treasure diver. He plunges 20 meters down to the bed of Bangkok's Chao Phraya river, looking for valuables that have been there for centuries. But digging around in the muddy riverbed can be dangerous. Divers must wear gloves to avoid cuts and losing their fingernails, which become soft from being immersed in water for so long. Their finds include old teak wood, various metals, ropes, ceramics and old glass bottles -- anything they can sell for cash. Sometimes they even search for cameras or cell phones that tourists have let fall into the river. Depending on their luck, some divers earn up to 500 euros a month -- just enough to feed a family. But soon treasure diving could be a thing of the past on the Chao Phraya, as the city wants to put a stop to the practice.
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