Travel news - destinations in north Thailand

Old houses with tales to tell

Tak, the town of King Taksin , sits 426 kilometres north of Bangkok . From a town it has grown to become a province today.

Tak has several tourist attractions _ Bhumibol Dam in Sam Ngao, the border market in Mae Sot, and deeper in the countryside in Umphang District, pristine forest, waterfalls and streams where you can indulge in whitewater rafting.

But it is old teak houses in downtown area, through which runs the Ping River , that hold a piece of Tak's history although not many tourists know about them. One of them _ Trok Ban Chin _ dates to the town's glory days and is within walking distance from Viang Tak Hotel.

Trok Ban Chin is essentially a lane, an old community boasting of old wooden houses, some of them still in good condition, built by early Chinese settlers and now occupied by their descendants.

Walking the lane, an eerie calm descends on visitors. You will find some of the houses have no occupants, perhaps left there to rot by their former owners who moved to greener pastures. However, some new tenants have also moved into the community.

As I walked deeper into the lane I came to house number 704 whose occupant grandma Boonma Pho-udom, in her 80s, has there since birth. She recalled the time when the Ping River flowed next to her staircase. Today the river has retreated 50 metres from her house, a two-storey structure with ornate windows, one of the most elaborate in the community.

History has it that a Chinese trader, Teng, from Bangkok arrived in Chiang Mai during the reign of King Rama V. He then joined hands with two other Chinese traders in Tak, Boonyen and Thong Yu. Later the trio joined His Majesty's service as tax collectors. Together they ran a general store in town called Kim Seng Lee.

As business grew they invited other Chinese from the mainland to come and live in Tak.

In the old days, grandma Boonma said most houses doubled as shops selling grocery, clothes, books and tableware. It was a vibrant community, but after World War II it went into a decline as new roads were cut that sparked an exodus of the town's original settlers.

One house showcased polished wooden doors and its tenants seemed happy with the new look. Grandma Boonma said the young ones in her community wanted to do away with old houses and build new ones in their place, while the older generation wanted to preserve this part of history to attract visitors.

"The lane is a mess with weeds growing wild all over," lamented one resident. "The municipality just doesn't seem interested in preserving this part of Tak's heritage."

I stopped to admire the elaborately carved doors of a house that looked as if it was uninhabited. Only when I got close did I hear the sound of music wafting through the doors.

Further down the lane I saw nicely fenced houses with gardens. There was one house that stood out by its graceful woodwork; it was the former residence of Luang Borirak Prachakon, I was told.

Strolling around the community and admiring its teak houses and gardens with tropical plants was a pleasant experience. I walked undisturbed, not even by dogs that usually bark at the sight of strangers and are a nuisance elsewhere. Actually, the ones I came across this day were even friendly.

I kept walking until I almost reached the end of the lane. There I saw the doors of another wooden house ajar. A closer look revealed it was the grocer's shop.

Ten metres further from the shop, the road led to a temple, Wat Si Talaram, remarkable for its ordination hall sporting graceful Western architecture.

MORE INFO

If you are not exhausted, visit Wat Photaram near Ban Trok Chin. The temple is remarkable for its teak ordination hall. Hungry? An eatery strangely called Ran Thod Rong Thao, meaning take off your shoes, is famous among locals for its a la carte menu and Tom Yam noodle. Diners are required to take off their shoes before entering the eatery.
Bangkok Post October 2005 www.bangkokpost.com