Runnung Kites
Beaches apart, Phetchaburi lines up a host of other attractions for tourists every summer
- Published: 8/04/2010 at 12:00 AM
- Newspaper section: Horizons
The long Songkran holidays approaching, Petchaburi and its beaches make a good choice for those looking for family fun, with plenty of other stops and attractions also thrown in.
Just 135 kilometres south of Bangkok, the province is noted not only for its long sandy strip of Cha-am Beach, but also for its forest, rivers and culture tours.
And it's Cha-am that the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) chose to host the 11th Thailand International Kite Festival last month which drew teams from 21 countries, including Belgium, China, Netherlands and Korea.
The festival proved an instant hit with children who thoroughly enjoyed the sight of giant fancy kites taking the form of jellyfish, octopus, tiger, panda, dragon and characters straight out of comic books, fluttering in the breeze, and though the conditions _ windy and bright sunshine _ were not exactly kind, they jumped with excitement when invited to join in the fun _ by holding the string or manoeuvring the spool.
Dressed like Superman, this kid learns to fly kite.
The festival may be over but kite flying is a popular beach sport in Cha-am in the summer, in the day as well as at night time, when adorned with decorative lights and batteries, the kites glow like stars against the black background of the sky.
A cruise down the Bang Taboon River _ one of the three feeding the province; the other two are the Phet and Bang Kloy _ is another popular family activity. The cruise begins at Wat Pak Aow in Ban Laem district, 12 kilometres northeast of Phetchaburi town. You can hire a 15-seat boat to observe life on either side of the river, how the locals make charcoal in mangrove forest and work their oyster and cockle farms.
Phetchaburi province sits on the Gulf of Thailand, and the points where the three rivers empty their contents into the sea takes on a greenish tinge. At one such point in Cha-am is the Sirindhorn International Environmental Park. It is part of the Rama VI Camp and adjacent to King Rama VI's Mrigadayavan Palace. The park is an education centre specialising in rehabilitation of soil reforestation. So far it has succeeded in reclaiming 200 rai of mangrove forest.
No trip to Phetchaburi is complete without a stop at its first royal palace built in 1859 by King Rama IV. Now part of Phra Nakhon Khiri Historical Park, you need at least half a day to explore the place, where you can enjoy a leisurely walk along a path 500 metres long lined with fragrant plumeria trees from Indonesia. The trees bearing the flowers are as old as the palace itself.
At the foot of the hill on top of which the palace is located is Wat Phra Buddha Saiyat named after the large reclining Buddha statue housed in its main viharn.
Two other temples in the vicinity dating to the Ayutthaya period are also worth visiting.
Onf of them is Wat Yai Suwannaram, a royal temple on Pongsuriya Road. One of its teak doors bears a scar from history _ from axe wielded by Burmese troops during Siam's long and protracted war with its neighbour.
The other is Wat Koh Suvannaram, known for old murals paintings, which sits in a village named after the temple. From Wat Koh, there is a walking trail that lead you through interesting places within the community, among them are century-old buildings, a Chinese shrine and home of a family specialising in traditional Thai desserts.
Spare yourself a few days to enjoy Phetchaburi this summer!
❖ Wat PhraBuddha Saiyat: www.watphranon.com, tel: 081-297-2152.
❖ Wat Yai Suwannaram: www.suvarnaram.com, tel: 032-402-815.
❖ WatKohcommunity:http://gold.pbru.ac.th/temple/ index1.html, tel: 085-179-7164.
❖ PhraNakhon Khiri is open daily 9am-4pm. Call 032-401-006 for moreinformation.
❖ Bang Taboon River Cruise: Call Pleo Payapruk at 032-581-114 and 081-780-1100, the charge is 1,500 baht for a boat ride.
❖ Sirindhorn International Environmental Park: www.sirindhornpark.or.th, tel: 032-508-396 and 032-508-352.
❖ Tourism Authority of Thailand: www.tourismthailand.org, tel: 1672.
❖ The reclining image of Buddha at Phra Buddha Saiyat Temple at the foot of the hill atop which perches the Phra Nakhon Khiri Palace (also known as Khao Wang). The 43-metres-long image cast during the Ayutthaya period, it’s said, was in need of an ubosot, duly provided by King Rama IV.
❖ Wat Yai Suwannaram dated back to the Ayutthaya period but has not attained the status of a royal temple until the time of King Rama V of Rattanakosin. According to the abbot, the word ‘Yai’ in the temple’s name refers to the vast plot of land it occupies, while ‘Suwannaram’ came from the name of Somdet Phra Suwan Munee, a Supreme Patriarch during the Ayutthaya period who spent his early years in the monkhood at this temple. Among the highlights of Wat Yai Suwannaram is the ordination hall which houses mural paintings more than 400 years old and a seated Buddha with 6 toes on the right foot. The temple also boasts a large teakwood house which once served as residence of Somdet Phra Suwan Munee.The seat from where he addressed his audience is on display, still in good shape.
❖ Also built during the Ayutthaya period, the ubosot of Wat Koh Kaew Sutharam boasts prominent murals on its walls painted red depicting the faces of foreigners —Chinese, Indian and Western. The temple is the nucleus of Wat Koh community.
❖ Phra Nakhon Khiri Historical Park can be spotted from afar atop a hill from Highway 4. Locals call it Khao Wang, and it is the province’s first summer palace. Built in 1859 by King Rama IV, it was turned into a museum in 1989. Well kept, it boasts a complex of residential and court buildings. Visitors can observe his reception room, bedrooms, living room and bathroom. The King also had a temple built on the east side, Wat Phra Kaew Noi, mimicking the Temple of the Emerald Buddha next to the Grand Palace in Bangkok. Between the summer palace and the temple is a white stupa, Phra That Chom Phet, where the relics of Buddha are enshrined. Khao Wang is also home to monkeys. They do not pay you attention unless you have something for them to eat. The palace is featured on the logo of Phetchaburi Province.
❖ Bang Taboon residents have long banked on mangrove forest for wood they use to produce charcoal. Mangrove charcoal is known for quality, for it doesn’t give off sparks when burned. These days only two kilns are still firing as chacoal’s popularity as cooking fuel has declined in recent years. The igloo-shaped kilns are made of bricks coated with a mixed texture of soil and sand. Dry logs are stacked inside and burned for 15 days, followed by a 15-day cooling period. Bang Taboon sits by the Bang Taboon River just before it empties into the Gulf of Thailand. A fishing village, its residents are also adept at cockle farming. They use ‘kateng’ wooden shacks built on stilts as shelters when guarding their aquatic farms.
❖ Fancy kites larger than life are a major draw. Unfortunately, they were on view only during the 11th Thailand International Kite Festival that took place in Cha-am last month. Venues of the biennial event, which began in 1989, rotates around tourist destinations such as Sanam Luang, Pattaya and Ayutthaya.
❖ A visitor interfacing with a game dealing with wastes at Sirindhorn International Environment Park on Phetchakasem Road. Opened in 2005, the park is dedicated to Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn who turned 48 that year. The main building is features eight exhibition rooms focusing on energy generation, alternative sources of energy, and future energy crises. Also on view is a pencil HM the King used when working on his farreaching forest rehabilitation initiative launched in 1983. The Princess, meanwhile, has taken part by planting tree saplings, and the park has been able to reclaim 200 ‘rai’ of mangrove forest, says park Deputy Director Dr Sonjai Havanond. Eco-tourism activities such as bird watching, canoeing and trekking are available to park visitors.
About the author
- Writer: Karnjana Karnjanatawe
- Position: Reporter
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