Travel news - destinations in Central Thailand

Ageing respectfully

Picking up the pieces of days long gone at the century-old Baan Mai and Klong Suan Roi Pee riverside markets in Chachoengsao.

I felt a sense of deja vu strolling through Chachoengsao Province's century-old riverside markets of Klong Suan Roi Pee and Baan Mai on a hot Sunday afternoon.

The province's proximity to Bangkok made it an appealing leisure destination to discover on a day trip that would also involve a river cruise on Bang Pakong River and visiting Buddhist and Chinese temples, around which revolve the lives of local people.

In times of rapid change, it is a rarity to find ancient communities that have preserved their rich cultural heritage and maintained close ties with temples.

The markets, quiet on weekdays, is abuzz with activity on weekends. I found to my amazement that life at both Klong Suan and Baan Mai hadn't changed much through the years. People still lived in closely-knit communities where religion, ancient values and customs were still part and parcel of their daily existence.

Before reaching Klong Suan Roi Pee, which has some of the oldest shophouses in the area, we stopped at a Chinese shrine by the Bang Pakong famous for its century-old religious artifacts and paintings. It was a communal temple, its running and maintenance footed by people living in the vicinity.

As younger residents had left to work in Bangkok, a large number of elderly folks of Chinese ancestry were seen manning shops and stalls at Klong Suan market, conspicuous by a leisurely promenade running its length. Some of my favourite sweets and candies on sale there, the barber shop and tea stalls reminded me of my childhood. I was transported back in time to the '70s.

I stopped at a tea shop, its owner an elderly person who started from scratch many moons ago with a makeshift stall, a single round table and a few stools. He worked hard. In time business grew and he was able to put his six sons through college.

Today he is the proud owner of the shop that boasts of six tables capable of seating 20 customers. His specialty is home-brewed tea and his clients include locals as well as visiting tourists.

Further down the path was a single lane wooden bridge, Saphan Asawanij, as old as the market itself. It links Chachoengsao with Samut Prakan that are demarcated by Klong Pravet Buri Rom. We had such a jolly good time exploring the market and its long history that we almost forget it was time for lunch.

We hit an open-air restaurant and ordered an interesting mix of Chinese-Thai dishes that included stir-fried vegetables, fish and pork.

After lunch we headed to Wat Sothon Wararam Worawiharn, Chachoengsao's most famous temple landmark by the Bang Pakong that attracts Buddhists from all corners of the country all year round.

Its colossal new ordination hall has a spire an astounding 84 metres high. Devotees from all parts of the country come to pay respects to Luang Pho Sathorn and 20 other Buddha images at the temple.

According to folklore, the image of Luang Pho Sothon floated down the river to the current site of the temple. Efforts to retrieve it were unsuccessful so villagers erected for the Buddha image a small shrine that grew into the temple we see today.

At the temple we took a cruise to admire the scenery and landmarks on either banks of the river. Boats leave hourly on weekends and public holidays. The cost is 100 baht for adults and 60 baht for children.

I found the cruise amazingly relaxing, a great way to unwind from pressures of city life. The scene was redolent with traditional Thai-style houses ranging from run-down shacks to elegant teak mansions, temples and banks fringed by elegant tonjak palms that majestically swayed with the wind.

We watched villagers going about their daily chores, envying the easy pace of their life.

Our guide enlightened us with running commentary about important landmarks along the route.

We got off at Baan Mai, a market pioneered by early Chinese settlers and famous for its shrine, the Leng Hok Yee, affiliated to Wat Mangkorn Kamalawat (Leng Noei Yi) in Bangkok's Chinatown.

It has survived several fires and despite its age, the original architecture going back to the days of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) seems largely intact, its teak houses and promenade standing out prominently among a maze of shops selling local as well as imported goods.

Self-sustaining, the market is efficiently run by district officials strict on quality control. Only qualified hawkers are allowed to set up shop selling authentic local cuisine and OTOP products.

On weekends and public holidays the market buzzes with the chatter of Baan Mai's young generation returning from jobs in Bangkok to help out their families, said a vendor selling home-baked Chinese cakes. Thais in particular get nostalgic at the sight of candies and soda streams available readily in the market. It reminds them of their younger days.

Baan Mai residents warmly welcome visitors into their homes and engage them in meaningful conversation to make them feel part of their community.

One noticeable feature was a sense of camaraderie that prevailed among the locals huddling in loose groups in old-fashioned tea and coffee houses. What caught my eye was that they used socks as tea or coffee strainer.

A stone's throw from the market was Leng Hok Yee, the Chinese shrine famous for its papier-mache sculptures. Being Sunday it drew throngs of worshippers who came to say their prayers and make a wish.

The entrance was guarded by two deities and the air thick with smell and smoke billowing from incense sticks. Most of the sculptures were made in Thailand, but a few sourced from China.

It was dusk by the time we headed back to Bangkok. My fond memories of the day could best be summarised by the saying, "Old is gold". It's really worth preserving these markets, monuments to Chachoengsao's past when merchant vessels from mainland China regularly made port calls.

The government as well as the Tourism Authority of Thailand would do well to preserve this piece of history and cultural legacy.

MORE INFO

By car: From Bangkok, there are three routes to Chachoengsao.

Take Highway No. 304 via Min Buri, a distance of 82 kilometres.

Take Bang Na-Trat Highway and turn left before reaching the bridge over Bang Pakong River onto Highway No. 314, the distance is 100 kilometres.

Highway No. 3 via Samut Prakan and Bang Pakong, then turn left to Highway No. 314, the distance is 106 kilometres.

By bus: Mor Chit 2 Bus Terminal (tel: 02-936-2852-66): First and second-class air-conditioned buses leave every 40 minutes between 6am-5pm; the fare is 40 and 36 baht, respectively.

Regular buses leave every 30 minutes starting 5:40am until 7pm from the Eastern Bus Terminal in Ekamai. The fare is 26 baht (tel: 02-392-2391).

First class air-conditioned buses leave every 40 minutes starting 6:30am until 5pm. The fare is 59 baht.

By Train: Nine trains ply between Bangkok's Hua Lamphong Railway Station and Bangkok for Chachoengsao everyday, the first leaving Bangkok at 6am and the last at 5:25pm.

Both regular and air-conditioned coaches are available on the trains. The fare is 40 baht for air-conditioned cars and 13 baht for regular ones.

For more details, contact 02-223-7010, 02-223-7020.
Bangkok Post November 2005 www.bangkokpost.com