One of three provinces in Thailand’s Eastern Seaboard designated for the development of the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) along the soon-to-be-built Bangkok-Rayong high-speed train network, Chachoengsao has also been selected to host a smart city.

A designation given to a city that incorporates information and communication technologies to enhance the quality and performance of urban services such as energy, transportation and utilities to reduce resource consumption, wastage and overall costs, the smart city aims to enhance the quality of living for its citizens and visitors through technology.

Welcome to Baan Suan Melon

The younger generation of the province’s farming community has taken the smart concept to heart. Known as young smart farmers (YSF), they are actively taking part in the development of the smart city concept by switching to technology and organic farming.

“This YSF group wants to get rid of old idea of farmers being always exhausted as well as poor,” says Jittakorn Phadejsuk, president of the province’s Highly Safe Fruit and Vegetable Cooperatives and vice president of the local Chamber of Commerce.

“It’s hard to work alone in trying to develop the country and improve agricultural productivity, so we gathered together a group of the young smart farmers from all districts and formed a cooperative to raise farmers’ status.

“It makes my family life stable, prosperous and sustainable,” says Pakuna “Kaew” Boonkorkuea.

“People often say that Thai farmers are a disappearing race. I disagree. All the members of our cooperative are part of the new generation of farmers, aged between 20 and 40 years, who hold bachelors’ degrees. They have developed their knowledge and raised the quality of their produce. The highly safe agriculture is chemical-free and we are receiving support from Buddhasothorn Hospital, which has signed a memorandum of understanding with the group,” he adds.

The young smart farmers have been practising pesticide-free farming on a 3-rai parcel of the 46 rai owned by Jittakorn. Each farmer pays Bt1 a year to cultivate the land.

“It’s actually non-arable land. We took the group of young smart farmers to Mab Aung Natural Agriculture Centre to learn how to practise natural agriculture without insecticides and adapt His Majesty the late King Bhumibol’s new theory of sufficiency philosophy. Today, we are a learning centre for natural agriculture or highly safe agriculture as it is sometimes called,” says Artorn Chuaynarong, headman of Bang Phra.

“We also signed an MOU with Thai Airways International to provide five agricultural products.”

The IoT-based agricultural solution used on Kaew’s melon farm.

“We are building a GMP (good manufacturing practices) room to clean vegetables and fruit before delivering them to the hospital. We produce melons, Chinese kale, bok choy, napa cabbage, and yard long beans. Tourists can visit our farms before purchasing our products,” says Jittakorn. “We focus on cleanliness and safety. We are promoting our chemical-free agricultural products and consumers can rest assured that our fruit and vegetable will leave no residue in their bodies.

“Today, we are working on both orders from outside and selling straight from the farm. This is a kind of agrotourism that allows visitors to learn how the young smart farmers work on their land, the tools and technology they use and how they make their money. It can serve as a guideline for other new farmers,” he adds.

Melon is processed for food, smoothies, and cake.

Pakuna “Kaew” Boonkorkuea is one of the cooperative’s members and runs a successful melon orchard, Baan Suan Melon, based on HM the late King’s sufficiency economy philosophy. The melons are grown in 17 greenhouses on her four rai of land in Baan Pho district.

Kaew laughs as she tells me that she didn’t start growing melons for business but because she was so shocked when her husband, who has a passion for melon, bought one of the fruits grown in Japan for Bt3,000.

“I learnt by trial and error and I have now been growing melons for three years and have turned the orchard into a learning centre. I studied the late King’s philosophy and adapted it to my land. I divided it up into 30, 30, 30 and 10 parcels as he advises. The first 30 is a coffee shop designed in the shape of melon and a meeting room near the entrance. The second 30 is for economic crops, in this case melon, and the third 30 is for our economic crops. The 10 per cent is where I built our home.

Baan Suan Melon also offers organic vegetables.

“I planted three types of melon – Chanchai, Baramee and Snow Green – which are easy to grow in the laterite soil we have here. Our melon is a little salty. Chanchai is crispy and sweeter than Baramee melon and is orange while Snow Green is the least sweet but soft. I also grow Kimoji Japan melon, which is priced at Bt150 per kilogram, while the other Thai melons go for Bt100. As production grew, I faced a shortage of labour. That persuaded me to adopt smart farming, using the internet-of-things-based agricultural solution developed by Dtac for my garden. No matter where I’m in the country or the world, I can manage my farm through the internet. For watering the garden, I installed the primer, which is set to work automatically.

“I don’t only plant melons but also tomatoes and cowpea, and breed ducks, chickens and fish. I follow the late King’s sufficiency philosophy to the letter. It has made my family life stable, prosperous and sustainable,” says Kaew.

“I want consumers to visit my farm and pick the melons they want before paying for them.”

Chachoengsao is promoting agrotourism along the Bang Pakong River from Wat Sothon Wararam to Wat Tha It.

“We will have a taxi boat run between the two temples to allow for trade on both banks. That will help reduce traffic on the road. We will also use the pier at Wat Tha It as a flea market where farmers can sell their produce every Sunday,” says Jittakorn.

“Wat Tha It is planning to build a big Buddha statue, which will be 10 metres wide. It will serve as a landmark and our agricultural products will support tourism. Wat Sothon is always packed with people. In the future, visitors will be able to park at Wat Tha It and travel by boat to Wat Sothon.

“And before going home, they can stock up on their favourite vegetables and fruits,” adds headman Artorn.

LINED WITH ancient temples, mosques, shrines and churches, Thon Buri is home to a broad mix Chinese, Muslim, Buddhist and Christian residents who have lived happily in harmony here for more than 250 years. The former capital of Siam, it’s still a great place for visitors, both local and foreign, to spend a day observing the traditions of the old riverside communities and looking back at what the area was like in the old days.

Wat Kanlayanamit Woramahawihan is home to a huge statue of Phra Buddha Trai Rattanayok created during the reign of King Rama III. 

Not too far from Bangkok’s latest high-end shopping mall Iconsiam, the revered King Taksin statue guards the front of the monarch’s former palace Phra Ratcha Wang Doem.

The elegant Throne Hall, the apartments of King Pinklao and the Whale Head Shrine have been maintained although today, the palace serves as the headquarters of the Royal Thai Navy. It will open its doors to welcome the public in December but also allows visitors by appointment.

Older than King Taksin’s palace is the Wichaiprasit Fort, formerly known as the Wichayen Fort. It was built in the reign of King Narai the Great and was a stopover for sea merchants from China, Portugal, France and India during the Ayutthaya to early Rattanakosin periods.

A stone’s throw away is Wat Kanlayanamit Woramahawihan, an attractive mix of classic Chinese-Thai architecture and home to Thailand’s biggest bell. Sitting at the mouth of Bangkok Yai canal, Chao Phraya Nikon Bodin donated his house and land in 1825 to build this temple as a tribute to King Rama III.

In 1837, the main hall was constructed to enshrine the gigantic statue of Phra Buddha Trai Rattanayok, which is inspired by the Sam Por Kong Buddha statue at Wat Phanan Choeng in Ayutthaya. Local pilgrims come here to ask for success in business, safety and good friends.

The 100-year-old Guan Yin statue is the centrepoint of Kuan An Keng Shrine.

“King Rama III and Chao Phraya Nikon Bodin were close friends. They did business together, so King Rama III named this temple Kanlayanamit (which actually means good friend in Thai) to represent their relationship,” says Thanat Bhumarush, a tourist officer with the Bangkok Tourism Division of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, who serves as a guide on our tour, organised by Iconsiam.

“King Rama III renovated several temples around town, adopting classic Thai and Chinese style architecture and focusing on simple elegance. For example, this temple only has the gables and hang-hong decorative ornaments at the centre.”

A short walk from Wat Kanlayanamit is the 240-year-old Kuan An Keng Shrine, which was recently designated a historical site by the Department of Fine Arts. Built by the descendants of Hokkien immigrants, this shrine is home to an old statue of Guan Yin carved out of fragrant wood and brought from China as well as a collection of beautiful gold Buddha images attired in floral robes crafted in the reign of King Rama III.

“This area was inhabited by Chinese residents from the mid to late Ayutthaya period. According to Prince Damrong Rajanubhab’s letter written in 1930 while visiting Wat Kanlayanamitr, the river was dotted with floating homes,” says Boonyanit Simasathien, the fourth generation of the Simasathien family that has been responsible for taking care of the Kuan An Keng shrine.

“Initially, this land was home |to a compound of two shrines built in the Thon Buri period, which fell into disrepair. Our Hokkien ancestors moved here and constructed a new building to enshrine the man-like statue of Guan Yin. The legend has it that Mercy goddess was a monk, who transfigured himself into a beautiful angel to help humans.”

The shrine itself is currently undergoing extensive restoration but visitors can still see some of the unique Hokkien-style murals and fine woodcarvings depicting Chinese legends of the Three Kingdoms.

Kuan An Keng Shrine boasts ancient powder-coloured wall paintings and wood carving portraying the legend of the Three Kingdoms.

“The Fine Arts Department |has spent millions restoring |the architecture here, including |the powder paintings on the walls and wood carvings damaged by bats and humidity. We’ve used special cement made from animal glue, sugar cane juice and sand to reduce the heat,” says Teeranun Mandee, art technician of the Fine Arts Department.

Not far from the Guan Yin shrine is the Kudeejeen community that dates back to 1767 when King Taksin established the Thon Buri Kingdom and allocated the land to Portuguese migrants. Its name means the “Chinese monks’ abodes” in Thai.

Spread over narrow sois behind the Santa Cruz Roman Catholic church, the area is famous for kanom farang kudee jeen, a cupcake-like pastry that is soft on the inside but crispy on the outside.

We take a break from the heat in a shady cafe on the ground floor of the Baan Kudeejeen Museum. Opened two years ago by Navinee Pongthai and her family, this three-floor wood house boasts classic Thai-Portuguese style architecture and a striking exhibition detailing the history of Portuguese communities from the Ayutthaya era to present days.

“I retired from my job and wanted to find a hobby. I bought this house from my cousin and turned it into a community museum so that our young generation can come and trace their roots. This neighbourhood was surrounded by the river and we used to enjoy fishing blue prawns,” Navinee says.

A time capsule of bygone |days, the third floor has a living room, bedroom and dining room furnished with old wood furniture, zinc kitchenware and ceramic tableware, plus some collectible books and letters.

The third floor of Baan Kudeejeen Museum allows visitors to observe the daily life of Portuguese ancestors. 

“Portuguese houses tend to be airy with high ceilings and several windows that allow the air to flow. Unlike in Thai houses, there’s no shrine room but the biggest altar is installed in the master bedroom,” Navinee says.

Next door is Baan Chantanaphab, which welcomes tourists and students interested in Thai architecture and culture.

This 125-year-old teak house is today in hands of 77-year-old retired teacher Charupa and her husband. It showcases the traditional techniques of wood joints and boasts a front frame constructed in rising sun style and windows embellished with carved Puttan flowers.

“We’ve opened our house to help promote tourism in the community. Made from teak and takien, it has a gable roof and on the walls, you can see the holes made by bullets fired during the Mahattan Rebellion of the Royal Thai Navy in 1951,” Charupa says.

Back on our boat, we head to Wat Hong Rattanaram, which was built in the Ayutthaya period. The main hall underwent major renovations during the reign of King Rama III and is now enshrined with an ancient black statue of Phra Saen brought from Champasak province in southwest Laos.

“Phra Saen is a mixture of bronze, brass, zinc and gold. It comes in the posture of subduing the mara and has a flat nose with a skinny body. The bottom of the stairs is decorated with a couple of three-legged toad sculptures, representing wealth according to Chinese beliefs,” guide Thanat explains.

 Baan Chantaphab is a showcase of classical Thai architecture. 

The wall paintings were recreated a decade ago, depicting the story of Lord Buddha and above the windows, visitors can now admire beautiful old paintings on glass recounting the legend of the Emerald Buddha image.

Another hall is home to an ancient gold Sukhothai-style statue of Luang Poh Thong Kham. Initially, it resembled an Ayutthaya-style Buddha statue but during the restoration in the reign of King Rama IV, its white shell cracked and revealed its real form.

We end our sightseeing tour at Suvarnabhumi Mosque in Klong San district, a simple but elegant edifice with a display of walking sticks adorned with mirror glass that King Rama IV gave to Imams around the country. The sticks glitter in the light given out by the attractive lamps used in King Chulalongkorn’s royal cremation ceremony.