วันอังคารที่ 27 กรกฎาคม พ.ศ. 2553

Surfing Thailand's royal palaces


  • Published: 22/07/2010 at 12:00 AM
  • Newspaper section: Horizons

Web surfers around the world can now take a virtual tour of six of Thailand's royal palaces via http://www.palaces.thai.net.

Prasat Phra Dhepbidon at the Emerald Buddha Temple, as it appears during the virtual tour.

Run by the Bureau of the Royal Household, the website features the Grand Palace (including the Temple of the Emeral Buddha) and Vimanmek in Bangkok, Bang Pa-In in Ayutthaya, Phu Phing in Chiang Mai, Sanam Chandra in Nakhon Pathom, and Pak Phanang in Nakhon Si Thammarat.

Navigation is easy. Just take a look at the map of each palace, click the spot you wish to explore, and a 360-degree photo - which you can use the mouse to turn sideways or in any direction as well as zoom in and out at will - will pop up.

The virtual tour does not take you into the interior though. For that you'll have to actually visit the palaces.

Coast guards for Phuket

Phuket is employing a team of 83 coast guards to provide protection and first aid to tourists this monsoon season.

The provincial administration is spending 10 million baht to set up the coast guard team that will be on duty 9am to 7pm daily at popular tourist spots including Patong, Kamala and Mai Khao beaches.

New mall in Chatuchak

A new shopping mall is rising in the Chatuchak area of Bangkok not far from the weekend market.

Called JJ Centre, the eight-storey mall being built at a cost of some 4.5 billion baht is located on Kamphaeng Phet 2 Road. Its builder, Deva Development, was granted a 30-year lease of the land which is owned by the State Railway of Thailand.

When the mall opens, towards the end of 2011, it will boast 40,000 square metres of space and, apart from the usual assortment of retailers and wholesalers, feature outlets selling Otop goods and handicrafts.

Aow Nang pollution

About 30 per cent of visitors do not want to return to Aow Nang Beach, one of the popular stops in Krabi, due to environmental pollution, according to a survey by the Tourism Association of Krabi.

The visitors were not happy with waste water management, they complained, was being channelled directly into the sea as well as the problem of garbage and taxi service.

The association will present the findings of the survey to the local administration in the hope to find a solution to the problems, for which it plans to enlist the support and cooperation from the public and private sectors.

THAI-KTB link up

Passengers flying Thai Airways (THAI) on domestic routes can now pay for their air tickets via Krung Thai Bank (KTB) ATMs.

The "Easy Fly Easy Pay" service allows passengers access to the bank's 7,011 ATMs nationwide, enabling them to buy air tickets any time of day.

Danut Boonnak of THAI said that after payment, passengers will get a confirmation message via SMS, and they must present the payment slip at the check-in counter to receive a boarding pass.

KTB will also provide free travel insurance, with maximum payment fixed at 200,000 baht per passenger paying for air tickets via its ATM.

Honolulu-Bangkok flights

Hawaiian Airlines has introduced a Honolulu-Bangkok service through a codeshare agreement with Korean Air.

Bangkok is the newest Asia-Pacific destination for which Hawaiian is teaming up with Korean Air to offer codesharing benefits, said Hawaiian Airlines CEO Mark Dunkerley.

"The relationship with Korean Air allows us to offer our customers destinations in Asia beyond our own route network, while at the same time promoting Hawaii tourism by easing access to all of Hawaii from additional points in Korean Air's network," he explained.

Honolulu-Bangkok will be a daily flight with a stop at Incheon, South Korea. It will depart Honolulu at 12.30pm and arrive in Bangkok 11pm the following day. The return flight from Bangkok is at 12.30am and arrival in Honolulu at 10.10am the same day.

For more information, visit http://www.hawaiianair.com and http://www.koreanair.com.

High-flying chefs

Turkish Airlines has launched a "Chef on Board" service for business and first class passengers on the Istanbul-Bangkok route.

The chefs will be serving up an international menu that will be rotated every three months. The airline said the service, first introduced last April on the Istanbul-New York flights and later extended to Chicago and Tokyo routes, is like a luxury restaurant in the sky.

Bargains galore

The Amazing Thailand Grand Sale Fair 2010, which opens at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre on July 22, will feature about 800 booths that promise visitors attractive holiday packages and discounts of up to 80% on some leading brand name products.

Part of the Tourism Authority of Thailand's attempt to promote the country as a destination for shopping, the four-day fair that runs until Aug 1 is hoping to woo some 15,000 visitors with some very attractive packages put up by leading hotels, resorts, airlines and tour agents.

The event will also feature an "Amazing Thai Sweets and Fruits" zone as well as lots of family activities and fun. It will open 10am to 8pm.

Visit http://www.amazinggrandsale.com for more information.


If you have any comments or news to share, send them to

karnjanak@bangkokpost.co.th.

About the author

columnist
Writer: Karnjana Karnjanatawe
Position: Reporter
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Gorgeous Gorges


Rugged landscapes and exotic cuisines await adventurous visitors to La Reunion

  • Published: 22/07/2010 at 12:00 AM
  • Newspaper section: Horizons

You can forget quaint notions of an isolated backwater where time is measured in tomorrows; La R?union is very much with us in the modern world.

Paragliding allows you to get a bird’s-eye view of La Re´union’s azure waters and the coral reef beneath it. The excitement of paragliding reaches new heights on La Re´union, where sharp drops in altitude offer those game enough to fly spectacular views over the landscapes and coastline. Europeans accustomed to bad weather revel in Re´union’s agreeable microclimates, which offer more than 300 flying days per year. Neophytes can enjoy the comfort of tandem flights with highly experienced instructors; make a running leap, take a seat, and enjoy the show!

A bit of France in the Indian Ocean, La R?union is as much a part of l'Hexagone as Bordeaux or Burgundy; the few bottles of wine produced on the slopes of this French d?partement, though, rarely leave the island _ except perhaps in duty-free bags carried off by lucky visitors travelling home to less endowed parts of the world where verdant forests, coral reefs, and benevolent volcanoes remain exotic items of curiosity.

These and many other appealing sights await visitors to La R?union, easily reached by a simple, nonstop flight from Bangkok.

Just how much a part of France La R?union is will be revealed on arrival, where such Gallic mainstays as Carrefour supermarkets, Mr Bricolage hardware shops, and Paul, the divine breadmaker, exert the same irresistible force over island consumers as over their continental counterparts.

That's where the similarities end, for La R?union is a uniquely attractive destination; in a world of fierce competition for tourism revenue, La R?union's typically French nonchalance toward the marketability of its charms is finally being challenged by a tourism board presented with the enviable task of bringing more visitors to an island bursting with beautiful scenery, diverse activities, and cultural appeal complementing a variety of microclimates from coastal tropical to highland chill.

Visitors are spoiled with choices of entertainment, too. What to do today? Moonwalk across the lunar-like Plaine des Sables (Plain Of Sands), float over the beach in a morning of paragliding, or fly over dramatic landscapes in a helicopter, the most popular activity of all?

Helicopter rides are well worth the outlay to enjoy the splendid experience of seeing La R?union's magnificent scenery from above. After the excitement of the morning settles down, lunch will be a bonanza of flavours, as are all other meals on an island where the local cuisine cr?ole takes your tastebuds out for a night on the town at every encounter with a tasty m?lange of French, Indian, African, Malagasy, and Chinese influences.

When brave enough to pull yourself away from the table, the nightclubs pulsing with s?ga will welcome you to dance the night away.

On the island itself, the best thing to do is sit back, relax, and enjoy the views. Let's do that now, shall we?

Only three million years old, La Re´union is a very young island in geological terms. It hasn’t been around long enough for the evolution of large species of animals, and birdlife is more pelagic than continental. There are no snakes or other nasties on the ground, so kids can explore the landscapes without parental worry when off chasing colourful lizards like this Re´union Island Day Gecko (Phelsuma borbonica borbonica) a diurnal species found only on La Re´union.

La Voile de la Marie´e does indeed resemble a bridal veil. Waterfalls are a common sight on La Re´union, adding an aqueous element to the landscape even when away from the sea. Abundant rainfall keeps the waters flowing, though sunshine is by no means a stranger to this bit of land between Mauritius and Madagascar, just north of the Tropic of Capricorn.

Le Trou de Fer is the location of some of La Re´union’s most scenic waterfalls, which here drop 300 metres to the canyon below. They are best viewed by helicopter; an expert pilot will enliven the trip with acrobatic turns to make sure the experience is not soon forgotten.

Helicopter flightseeing tours are the island’s most appealing activity. A 45-minute tour takes you over the entire island and enjoy the spectacular scenery that ranges from beautiful coastline to ethereal waterfalls to the inside of a volcanic crater. Small villages in remote mountains are normal sights, but that never reduces the impression made when coming across their life at the edge-literally. Such villages, called ‘ıˆlets’, are in fact islets, albeit the landlocked kind.

Salazie, one of the island’s three cirques, is one of the wettest places on the planet and holds many records for most precipitation in a day, week, month, and year (7 metres). The rain also makes Salazie one of the most beautifully luxuriant places on Earth, with flowers and exotic vegetation creating a green world where fresh, clean water is never in shortage.

La Plaine des Sables is La Re´union’s no man’s land between the lunar landscapes surrounding Piton de la Fournaise, the island’s second-highest volcano, and its more terrestrial counterparts, most of which are carpeted with dense, green vegetation. The stark expanse of volcanic basalt leaves a lasting impression.

Piton de la Fournaise (2631m) is La Re´union’s second-highest peak, after Piton des Neiges (3070m), where indeed snow is not unheard of. The most accessible of the island’s high peaks, Piton de la Fournaise is a favourite destination for hikers, geologists, and others curious to explore the unusual volcanic landscape. Impressive, too, is the fast rise in altitude on the island: Piton de la Fournaise is only a short drive from the coast.

Boucan Canot is the best beach on the island. Beaches are only found on Re´union’s western coast, where the coral reefs are also located and most easily accessible; the rest of the island belies its volcanic origins in steep, black cliffs with few openings to the sea. Europeans escaping winter make up the biggest portion of visitors, though the most temperate weather comes in summer.

Cap Me´chant is one of the most scenic spots on the island. Wicked it may be in name, but beautiful it is in reality, even if currents swirling offshore are treacherous. Paths along Cap Me´chant’s cliffs lead through primeval forest and reveal the wild side of La Re´union.

Extreme sports enthusiasts will be in their element on La Re´union. With its steep terrain, this place is a mountaineer’s paradise. For those who prefer the sea. Surfing is one of the most popular water activities on La Re´union, with the town of Saint Leu serving as Surfer Central thanks to the challenge of its lefthanded waves. Surfing is a bigtime sport throughout France, though the continental charms of Biarritz are miles away—literally and figuratively—from the surf of the Indian Ocean. With France home to one of Europe’s most avid surfing cultures, La Re´union provides French surfies with an exotic locale to pursue their sport without leaving the country.

Caves are found all over the island. Volcanic caves are formed horizontally from lava flowing through them, then dissipating, meaning that Re´union’s caves are drier than ordinary caves. They provide ideal roosting spots for swallows, which fly deep into the caves in total darkness, using echolocation to find their nests built attached to the cave ceiling.

Before tourism became itinerant gold, sugarcane was the island’s lifeblood. It’s hard to imagine a time when everyday food items we take for granted were instead highly coveted and expensive ingredients. Europe’s insatiable craving for sugar saw sugarcane production become a staple crop on the island, not only for the sugar itself, but for the rum made from it. Today, the Re´unionnais still enjoy their rum, often mixed with exotic fruit juices to stave off the heat of the day. Re´union produces more than 200,000 tonnes of sugarcane annually; the crushed stalks, called bagasse, are burned after cane extraction and produce 25% of the island’s electricity. The process is greenhouse neutral since the amount of carbon dioxide emitted in the burning is equal to the amount absorbed by the plant during growth.

Sabine, the affable owner of Chez Sabine, welcomes guests to her home for a truly special Cre´ole dining experience. Roots in both France and Asia and a Chinese husband have had Sabine preparing ame´lange of dishes for decades. She hosts lunches and dinners in her lovely home, where herbs and spices are grown in the garden and guests palates are tantalised in the dining room.

Bananas prepared Cre´ole style, saute´ed in butter and sugar in a big iron pan and finished with the flourish of rum flambed at the table. Cre´ole cooking incorporates a whole range of cuisines and ingredients; from classic French be´chamel to Indian curry to Chinese sweet and sour, the sauces of the islands are as well blended as the locals who savour their flavours.

As befits an island with rugged topography, fish and goat are popular dishes, especially when prepared in a Cre´ole massala.

Woven hats of La Re´union are famous for their craftsmanship, especially those made from the precious ‘paille de chouchou’. Particularly supple, the straw from the chouchou plant, originally from Mexico and imported to La Re´union, is used to this day to weave intricate designs both dyed and in its natural colour.

Hell-Bourg is famous for its Cre´ole architecture and the lengths its residents have gone to preserve and maintain it. Many homeowners in town have benefited from government subsidies to help offset the enormous cost of authentic restoration, which requires using the same materials as those of the original construction.

December is the date of Fet’ Caf, which is La Re´union’s biggest holiday. It was on this day in 1848 that 62,000 men, women, and children were simultaneously emancipated from slavery to become free citizens of France. On an island with a full calendar of festivals and parties, Fet’ Caf today is the island’s most joyous celebration.

he unusually named Hell-Bourg is La Re´union’s only member of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France. The town honours one Admiral Hell, sent to La Re´union in 1838 to help put an end to slavery on the island; the admiral, born in Alsace, was especially fond of the cirque de Salazie. Today, Maison Folio is the town’s best-preserved historic home; still inhabited by elders of the Folio family, the public is welcome to marvel at both the house and the gardens.

Every major town on the island of La Re´union is named after a Catholic saint. The church of Sainte Anne is one of the most impressive, almost Hindu temple in appearance. Perhaps the construction workers from Tamil Nadu had more in the final say of the building’s appearance than the European architect.

La Maison du Volcan is one of the few volcano museums in the world. Located in La Plaine des Cafres near Piton de la Fournaise, the ‘Volcano House’ presents an interesting display of volcanic information as well as continuous films about the island’s ongoing volcanic activity. No need to worry, though; La Re´union’s volcanoes are not exploding volcanoes, but rather shield volcanoes typical of mid-ocean locations. Instead of building up unmanageable stress and blowing its top, a shield volcano oozes its lava less explosively to ease internal pressure. This being a French island, exceptional is much preferred to ordinary. Even the lava flowing from Re´union’s volcanoes is no ordinary lava. This sample shown in the smaller photo loaded with olivine, better known as the gemstone peridot.

About the author

columnist
Writer: Robert La bua
Position: Reporter
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วันจันทร์ที่ 19 กรกฎาคม พ.ศ. 2553

Market battles to keep charm

Vendors at Sam Chuk fear its history, culture and even architecture are at risk now a Unesco award has put it on the tourist map

  • Published: 17/07/2010 at 12:00 AM
  • Newspaper section: News

Vendors at the popular Sam Chuk Market are fighting to preserve its traditional heritage which earned it a Unesco award as a sudden influx of tourists turns it into a gaudy, modern venue.

Tourists are greeted by the sign ‘The 100-year-oldSam Chuk Market’ at the main entrance.

The committee which manages the more than century-old market in Suphan Buri is discussing ways to tackle overcrowding and an invasion of non-native products going on sale.

The market won the 2009 Unesco Asia Pacific Heritage Award for Cultural Heritage Conservation. Since winning the award, it has appeared on tourism maps and is attracting more and more Thai and foreign visitors looking for a nostalgic experience from witnessing the old shophouse commerce.

The market in Sam Chuk district sits on the banks of the Ta Chin River. The market is well-known for its rows of wooden shop-houses which used to be a rest-stop for travellers in the old days.

Ratree Opas, a retired government official and community committee member, said the Unesco award has led to a sudden surge of tourist interest in the market.

However, the community committee is worried that increased popularity may come at a price.

Chinese-made,massproduced toy drums are sold atSamChuk Market. They are amongitems nonnative to the area which have ‘invaded’ the market.

The market risks losing its own cultural identity as many tourists do not care enough about the history, the culture or even the architecture of the market.

"Most of the tourists come here to shop. Only a few of them are really interested in our culture and way of life.

"We're afraid the economic gains may have hidden the appeal of the cultural heritage the market has to offer. The appeal will one day vanish altogether," said Mrs Ratree.

Mrs Ratree said some shops at the market were selling mass-produced items instead of local products reflecting the local cultural identity. She said the 'threat' could be curtailed through cooperation from traders. She recently convened a meeting of local shop owners and asked that they sell only locally-made products and food.

"But the problem is that we don't have strict regulations to make them comply. It's up to them whether they want to cooperate with us or not," she said.

Crispy noodles are neatly packed in plastic boxes.

In addition to protecting culture, the tambon Sam Chuk Municipality and the Sam Chuk Market committee have now been training young students to be tour guides to give tourists information on different types of cultural heritage at the 100-year-old community.

The young guides, some of whom are English-speaking, are knowledgeable in local architecture, folk arts and tradition.

Pongwin Chaiwirat, mayor of tambon Sam Chuk Municipality and chairman of Sam Chuk Market community, said the market has been changing very fast over the past few years. Local residents have recognised the need to preserve the integrity of the local architecture and the culture of the market where traders form a close-knit community.

The traders banded together to fight against the Treasury Department's plan to relocate the Sam Chuk Market and construct modern buildings at the present market location.

Ashopkeeper selling all kinds of utensils waits for customers at his store.

The traders wrote to the Fine Arts Department requesting that it declare Sam Chuk as a cultural heritage site so it could be preserved. The subsequent declaration prompted the Treasury Department, which owns the Sam Chuk Market land, to cancel the plan, Mr Pongwin said.

Mr Pongwin said in order to preserve the cultural heritage at the market it was necessary for locals, non-governmental organisations, universities and government officials to work together to make it a sustainable community. They must work together in their efforts to preserve the market.

"Even though we still want help from government agencies, especially in terms of funding and participation, they should first ask us what type of projects we want to see taking place here," he said.

He said now the community wants the traders and vendors to be trained to speak basic English so they can communicate with foreign tourists.

Jankai Dejpien, 36, a salted egg vendor at the market, said after the market won the Unesco award, many more tourists started coming to the market.

"Some foreigners have dropped in at my stall, but I can't speak English fluently. If they give me English training, I would attend it for sure," said Ms Jankai.

Sompong Chotiwannasap,47, a cloth shop owner, said: "I'm ready to cooperate with the municipality and committee to help protect the culture of Sam Chuk Market."

Poonsap Suksaranjit, 30, who sells toys, said she was also concerned that cultural preservation at the market might be threatened by an increasing number of visitors.

But she did not think selling modern toys there would be detrimental to the market. She was merely giving buyers a greater choice of products, she said.

Cloth and polysynthetic bags are a commonsight atSam Chuk Market.Many are produced outside of the area. PHOTOS BYANUCHACHAROENPO

Ashop hangs up wooden masks for tourists to see. They add to the long list of items ‘alien’ toSam Chuk.

Anarrowstreetbeside the market is full of shops selling beveragesandreadyto- eat food.

About the author

columnist
Writer: Anucha Charoenpo
Position: Reporter

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Unique floating market makes triumphant debut

Ayutthaya's newest attraction aims to recreate the charm and ambience of old Siam, from the design of the buildings to the costumes of the vendors

  • Published: 18/07/2010 at 12:00 AM
  • Newspaper section: Brunch

It's well known that eating and shopping are favourite Thai pastimes, so perhaps it's not surprising that a new floating market in Ayutthaya that has not yet held its official ribbon-cutting ceremony is already attracting thousands of visitors every day and is very crowded on weekends.

Informally launched on May 2, the Ayothaya Floating Market is on and alongside a giant man-made pond on a 30-rai plot of land situated just before the bridge over the Pa Sak River that takes you to the area of the old city.

The market is easily reached from Bangkok - signs point the way from the Rangsit area heading north.

The market came about as a 150-million baht investment from four Thai business people; one is a part owner of the Suan Luam Night Plaza and another is the founder of Ayothaya Elephant camp, which shares the same entrance as the floating market.

From the entrance, framed by a brick wall built to resemble the old city wall, you may cross a wooden bridge and go directly to the floating market or take a shuttle boat (20 baht per trip) to tour the pond and get an overview before exploring on foot.

There are about 300 shops in all, comprised of those built on stilts in the water and those run by vendors plying their goods on paddle boats and sellers in a flea-market zone. Here goods are put on tables or on the floor in imitation of an up-country market. The products are mainly food, snacks and clothes. There are also services including traditional Thai massage and spa and a fish spa.

Market manager Wilai Traweentusnee said there is great potential in this new travel destination to attract Thai and foreign visitors. "We tried to recreate the charm and ambience of old Siam, from the design of the buildings to the costumes of the vendors," she said.

One of the outstanding buildings here is Khum Khun Phan, a Thai-style wooden house built on an island in the middle of the front zone. The house contains many rooms, one of which contains replicas of nine famous Buddha images from nine temples. Khum Khun Phan is surrounded by a lawn where cultural performances are held daily.

Next to the structure vendors sell food and drinks from wooden boats. They offer various local delicacies such as som tam, pad thai, moo sarong and khanom bueng. The dining area in this zone is a big floating platform where you sit on a mat and put your plates on a small table.

The food zone is connected to other shopping areas via wooden bridges and also linked to a bigger performance area where classical Thai dances are performed regularly, including likae (musical folk drama), khon (masked drama) and the Klong Yao Drum dance.

Almost at the end of the floating market is another food zone with proper tables and seats and more choices of food, snacks and drinks. During the weekend, however, you may have to fight for a table.

Besides shopping and eating, there is an elephant show and an elephant ride service offered in conjunction with Ayothaya Elephant Camp, which makes for an enjoyable side trip as well. There are also some interesting ruins not far from the market.

Ms Wilai said there is a plan to develop a second phase for the market, which will include the excavation of a canal through surrounding countryside. Visitors will be able to rent paddle boats to explore traditional Thai houses in the area. The second phase is expected to be finished within the next four months, said Ms Wilai.

USEFUL INFORMATION

The Ayothaya Floating Market is open daily from 10am to 9pm. There is no entrance fee.

Performances are hosted three times a day on weekdays at noon, 5pm and 7pm, and four times a day on weekends, at 11am, 2pm, 5pm and 7pm.

A light and sound performance, just been introduced this month, starts at 7pm.

The market offers parking for 500 cars, but on the weekend it may be hard to find a free space.

To get there, take Highway 32 from Bangkok and turn left into Ayutthaya town. Turn right at the first intersection marked by an old pagoda (Jedi Wat Sam Pleum) and keep driving on route 3058 for a short while. The floating market is on your right.

For details and map, visit the website http://www.ayothayafloatingmarket.com or call 035-881-678.

About the author

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Writer: Karnjana Karnjanatawe
Position: Reporter

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Excellent eateries very close to home

Great places to go to enjoy good food, relax and enjoy the natural surroundings, especially during the rainy season

  • Published: 18/07/2010 at 12:00 AM
  • Newspaper section: Brunch

Within only 70 or so kilometres of Bangkok there are many places that are perfect for some out-of-town relaxation, each having its own special setting. On the Eastern Seaboard there is Chon Buri. To the west is Jao Samran Beach and Phetchaburi. And Ayutthaya, with its many historical sites and ancient ruins, is to the north, although during the beginning of the rainy season it can get quite wet.

PLENTIFUL: A view along the road from Amphoe Wihan Daeng to Nakhon Nayok.

However, there are some areas that become all the more inviting when the rainy season gets under way. Nakhon Nayok and Prachin Buri become refreshing havens as the water level begins to rise in the canals and rivers, the foliage turns to a brilliant green and, more importantly, an abundant variety of fruit start to appear.

Fruit lovers can enjoy their favourite fruit straight from the hands of the grower with fine flavours at low prices. Besides the fruit, there are some local cooking traditions quite different from that of Bangkok to be explored along the way, as well. Since the dishes change from season to season, there are new eating experiences to enjoy all year round.

‘AROI’: ‘Chuchee pla nuea awn’, top, and ‘pla phat prik’ dishes served at the Mangkhon Thong restaurant.

To get to Nakhon Nayok you have to pass through Rangsit. And if you get there in time for lunch, there are some great dishes available not to be missed. The Jay Buay food shop is right at the corner of the entrance to the road leading to Amphoe Thanyaburi, a little passed Khlong 6.

The menu at this particular shop offers only a few dishes, including haw mok pla chon (snakehead fish meat and herbs steamed in a spicy curried coconut custard-like sauce), tom yum pla chon (spicy-sour soup made from the same fish), dtap moo thod kratiem prik Thai (pork liver fried with garlic and pepper), and khai jiew koong (omelette with shrimp).

Regular customers know that none of these dishes will ever disappoint. Day in and day out the Jay Buay shop serves up flawless versions of excellent original dishes, especially their haw mok - a gold-medal champ that can't be matched.

The route to Nakhon Nayok passes through a series of numbered canals, going all the way to Khlong 15. There are many sellers of ornamental plants near Khlong 15, offering both large plants and flowering annuals.

On holidays many Bangkok residents drive there to buy plants for their garden or to simply walk around and be marvelled by the beautiful array of plants, which feels like you're at a giant flower festival.

If you don't go as far as Khlong 15 and turn off at Khlong 14, there are still some interesting things to see. The road is a good one that runs along the edge of a canal for quite a distance. The people who live along this road have a lifestyle so rural that it is hard to believe a place so close to Bangkok can be so similar to the provincial countryside with banana orchards and rice fields.

The road reaches all the way to Amphoe Wihan Daeng in Saraburi, an area where straw mushroom farms thrive. And the road from Hehan Daeng goes through to Amphoe Ban Na in Nakhon Nayok.

The canal that runs alongside it frequently sees locals paddling boats and spraying fertiliser on the pak boong (morning glory) vines that grow in the water.

The local people plant the vines along the banks of the canal and allow them to spread out over the surface of the water. And they look beautiful when the fertiliser produces new shoots and fresh leaves. The farmers claim that the quality of the water does not suffer because the fertiliser produces no residue, and the canal water circulates constantly.

Ban Na district is close to two temples: Wat Charoen Tham and Wat Tha Sai. There are numerous places worth visiting in Nakhon Nayok, though most people opt to visit the waterfalls, Sarika and Nang Rong.

But there is even more to be seen in Prachin Buri province.

Both sides of the road to Prachin Buri are so deeply shaded by big, overhanging trees that it feels like you're moving through a long tunnel of vegetation. Local people bring bamboo shoots, custard apples and santols to sell at food stalls set up alongside the road. This is a year-round feature because whenever different kinds of fruit come into season, they, too, find their way onto the shelves of the food stalls.

Prachin Buri farmers like to grow many kinds of fruit on the same plot of land like bamboo, mango, durian, santol, custard apple, betel nut, tamarind and papaya. Growing them all together this way is much better than just growing the one kind; the same way durian is grown in some provinces because the mixture creates an ecological balance with different plants contributing to a system that benefits them all. Some absorb water and store it, for example, while others attract red ants that control pests like aphids.

The eucalyptus trees that grow on the earthen dykes separating the fields may not look especially beautiful, but they bring the farmers extra income because there are many paper mills in the area that are always ready to buy the wood.

Prachin Buri is a very small province, but in the provincial centre there are many types of buildings, from concrete structures to wooden shophouses. Many visitors like to go to the Chao Phya Abhaibhubejhr Hospital because of the great variety of Thai herbal products sold there. The hospital is reviving the use of traditional Thai-style medical treatments of every kind, including the growing of medicinal herbs and the use of them in treating diseases. It can be seen as a model facility for traditional Thai medicine. The hospital also has a museum housed in an old building that once belonged to Phya Abhaibhubejhr, who was an important government official during the reign of King Rama V.

No one who visits Prachin Buri should miss trying the local dishes. One favourite dish is khao tom krapoh moo (rice soup with pork tripe), which was once served at many food shops, all of them good. But today there is only one shop left - Nai Tue - located next to the municipal market in front of the dam on the Prachin Buri River that still offers it.

It is a very old shop that offers various dishes to be eaten with rice soup. Among them are the pork tripe and seasoned, ground pork that is shaped into balls like the look chin served with noodles. The rice soup itself is made by first cooking the rice, then cooking it briefly again in hot water, then serving it into bowls. Some of the side dishes are spooned into the rice soup with a few vegetables added, and then it's ready to enjoy. Though a long process, the end result is delicious. Nai Tue is open daily from 5pm until late.

There's another old restaurant named Mangkon Thong (Golden Dragon), which is more upmarket, with all the dishes listed on the menus. It's a family operated business; the father doing most of the cooking, while his wife and children take orders and serve the food to customers.

There are many tasty dishes available, including chu chee pla mae nam Prachin Buri (freshwater fish from the Prachin Buri River in thick coconut cream curry sauce). On some days, the blade-like pla neua awn is used, and on other days it will be with another type of local fish like pla khao or pla trakhoak. Also on the menu is tom yum pla (spicy-sour fish soup) with the choice of fish left up to the customer, pad phet pla (spicy stir-fried fish), and pla siew thod krawb (crispy fried local fish). Kangkon Thong is open for a late lunch and supper at 5pm.

This is a sample of what you might find in Prachin Buri. So plan a trip to discover more, but be sure to go during the rainy season when the weather is cooler.

About the author

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Writer: Suthon Sukphisit
Position: Writer


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