Fitting diversion If you have young children or you are looking for an educational place to take your students, Suphan Buri can be an ideal place to learn about Thai history, at least part of it, on a day-long outing. It's just over an hour's drive from Bangkok. The city and its wealth of attractions give visitors a good feeling. Driving in Suphan Buri one can enjoy wide roads but light traffic with neatly landscaped gardens and ample space to breathe. Let's forget Bung Chawak and its freshwater aquarium for a while. Every Thai learns of King Naresuan's heroics in school. He rode his elephant to battle against invading Burmese prince Upparacha. The battle ground was Don Chedi in Suphan Buri. That is probably the first time most Thais hear of Suphan Buri. It'd be nice if students could travel there and see it for themselves. Places of interest include: Suphan Buri National Museum A visit to the National Museum will take you deep into the roots of the province. The museum here is a different experience from other provincial museums as its exhibits include both art objects, artefacts and multi-media presentation. For a meagre fee, it is worth browsing through the two-storey building. According to curator Nipa Jatamala, the museum can be a good start to learn about several aspects of the city, including history, archaeology, folk culture, literature and others. The main hall exhibits the province's role during Ayutthaya and Rattanakosin periods. Next to it is the movie room that has a painting of King Naresuan battling Upparacha. Figures of key ethnic people, Thai Song Dam and Lawa, dressed in traditional costumes grace the walls. On the second floor is a hall that carries portraits of prominent town figures since ancient times, such as the third monarch of Ayutthaya, King Borom Racha Thirat I or Khun Luang Phra Ngua, who ruled in 1362, regent Chao Phraya Yommaraj, Montri Tramote, an exponent of Thai classical music, folk singers Suraphon Sombatcharoen and Phoomphuang Duangchan and others. They were a rare breed and legends in their own life time. You can hear their songs and compositions in the folk music room. And by the way, do you remember Sonphet Sonsuphan? Natives of Suphan Buri possess a unique pronunciation that some people say is the real Thai accent dating back to the Ayutthaya period. To trace the spirit of Thai folk music, go to Suphan Buri whose people are fiercely proud of their lineage. DON CHEDI MEMORIAL PAGODA It is a majestic white structure encasing the ruins of an earlier pagoda built at the site by King Naresuan to commemorate the battle with his Burmese counterpart in 1592. The original pagoda, when it was discovered in 1913, was already in a sorry state. In 1952 the army built a new pagoda around it to preserve the original one. It has a circular walkpath dotted with episodes from the king's life. U-thong Museum Located in the district by the same name, it is smaller than the one mentioned earlier, but it houses excavated artefacts belonging to the Tharavadi and U-thong periods. It is currently undergoing renovation. It houses beads from Rome and some Scandinavian countries as U-thong was an important trading port in the old days. There is an exhibit outdoors showing thatched houses belonging to Thai Song Dam people. Agricultural Promotion & Development Centre "Inspired by nurseries in the Netherlands, we give music to plants. And it has proved delightful both to our workers and the plants," said director Somchai Songsermsakul. The centre established by the Ministry of Agriculture has a nursery of cattleya and dendrobium on one side and caladium and other foliage plants on the other. In between are an assortment of potted anthurium and orchids that can be bought at reasonable prices. "This is what we call an evaporative nursery where water and ventilation are used to reduce in-house temperature by five to 10 degrees than what is outside. "We hope it can be another diversion for people visiting Suphan Buri as it is just 15 minutes drive from Don Chedi Pagoda," he said. MoreINFO Suphan Buri National Museum (035-535-330) is open from Wednesday-Sunday from 9am-4pm. Book in advance for a guided tour. The museum is located on Suphan-Chai Nat Highway (No. 340) across the Government Office Centre. U-thong National Museum (035-551-021, 035-551-040) is open daily from 8:30am-4pm except Monday and public holidays. The museum is located on Malaiman Road next to the U-thong District Office and U-thong Suksa School. Don Chedi Memorial Pagoda is 31 kilometres from the provincial town on Highway 322 (Suphan Buri-Don Chedi). Agricultural Promotion & Development Centre (035-551-399) is located in U-thong District. |