KNOWN FOR its orchards that produce such popular fruits as durian, mangosteen, rambutan and longkong, the eastern province of Chanthaburi is working hard to showcase its potential as a culinary destination where visitors can learn about the unique local produce, savour recipes cooked up by the old generation and sample the creative twists dreamt up by younger natives.

Of course, not everyone grows fruit on this fertile land. On her 30-rai farm in Klong Plu sub-district, about 40 kilometres from Muang district, Sivaporn “Bess” Iamjitkusol practises organic farming based on an integrated and sustainable agricultural system. Garden vegetables such as coriander, long bean, cucumber, kale, chilli, holy basil and water morning glory fertilised with bio compost are among her main produce.

Sivaporn Iamjitkusol, far right, leads visitors to learn about her organic farming based on integrated and sustainable agricultural system in Klong Plu sub-district of Chanthaburi. 

“My farm has 10 water gates to generate water flow to the crops. Growing rambutan requires a lot of water. It means that I have to open all my water gates for about two days to provide enough water to nurture the trees. For my vegetables, I only need to open the water gates for 15-minute sessions in morning and evening,” says Sivaporn, 65.

A severe drought three years ago caused tremendous damage to fruit orchards throughout the province but Sivaporn’s farm was able to survive the crisis. Mixed crops, she stresses, help in managing risks from unpredictable weather.

The practice involves multiple cropping and keeping different types of animals such as ducks, geese and cows. Some mangosteen, longkong and rambutan trees also grow but are not the main crops. Hardwood trees like takien thong (malabar ironwood) provide shade for the mangosteens and the fruit responds to its natural umbrella with a shining and smooth skin.

Visitors are also served foods prepared by the descendants of the Chong – the indigenous people of Chanthaburi.

A Bangkok native, Sivaporn worked in construction and lived in a polluted environment for several years. Her health suffered and she decided to quit her job and left the metropolis to buy this pot of land 28 years ago, following the sufficiency philosophy conceived and developed by the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej to sustain Thailand’s agricultural sector.

“I want to develop the organic products that are good for my own health and other people’s. Food should be produced with safe, quality materials, while the production process should be environmentally friendly, without the use of chemicals. I can guarantee that my products are 100-per-cent organic,” Sivaporn says.

She is happy to share her farming practices with interested visitors and also offers farm stays. She also promotes the culture of the Chong – the indigenous people of Chanthaburi – through their cuisine to anyone who visits her farm. Sivaporn can arrange a farm tour for a group of visitors (15 people up) and provide a set menu of five or six dishes prepared by Chong descendants together with fruit. The cost is a very reasonable Bt350 per person.

Papaya salad

Chong people are also found in the neighbouring provinces of Trat and Rayong and it is believed they have lived in the area since the Ayutthaya Kingdom. It is also thought they were early inhabitants of Cambodia, probably pre-dating the Khmer.

They were known as cultivators and gatherers of cardamom – the herb that is largely grown in Chanthaburi. In the past, they lived in small, remote, isolated villages that were often located in heavily forested areas. Only a handful of elderly people still speak the language that is linguistically similar to Khmer.

“There are still thousands of Chong descendants living in Chanthaburi’s three main districts of Khao Khitchakood, Pong Nam Ron and Makham as well as in Trat and Rayong. In the past, the Chong hunted animals for their antlers and tusks for merchants to export to China,” says Chong descendant Chern Panpai, the head of the Cultural Council of Chanthaburi’s Khao Khitchakood.

During the farm tour, Chern and his neighbours prepare Chong-style dishes such as coconut and shrimp paste dip and chicken curry with pumpkin and serve them with fermented rice noodles and boiled fruits like bananas and papayas, as well as shredded papaya salad.

“Herbs and vegetables are the primary foods of Chong, which is why they are healthy and live long lives. Nam prik kati (coconut and shrimp paste dip) is prepared in almost every home. The coconut cream is slowly simmered with shrimp paste until almost dry and the dip is eaten with fresh or blanched vegetables and boiled fruits. Minced pork or fish can be added,” he explains.

“Shredded papaya salad is also unique. The shredded papaya is seasoned with ma-euk (hairy-fruited eggplant), chilli, ground dried fish, and shredded onion. Grated coconut can also be roasted with salt and eaten with steamed rice,” says Chern, 82.

A variety of fresh seafood and local favourite ingredients are available at Charoen Suk Market in Muang district.

The best spot to learn about local produce is Charoen Suk Market in Muang district that is open daily from 2 to 8pm. Home to more than 200 merchants, the market was renovated four years ago and took its clean market model from the Aor Tor Kor market in Bangkok. The carefully selected products are categorised into sections and range from fresh seafood, meats, herbs and vegetables to cooked-to-order food and consumer goods.

At the Lek-Khiew Seafood stall, Pairoh Pohthong gathers fresh seafood sourced from the eastern part of the Gulf of Thailand. Her wares include longtail tuna, grouper, sea bass, squid and shrimp – all selected for their freshness and large size. Next door to her is a stall run by Nongkhran Satjasai who proudly presents the tiny-shaped mollusk the locals call hoy med krasun, which literally translates as bullet-shaped mollusks.

Cha muang leaves

“The rounded and ribbed shell is similar to hoy khaeng (cockle) but not as strong. These mollusks live in the deep sea and can normally be fished in June. However, for five years, fishermen didn’t find any. They seem to have come back this year. The locals normally blanch them and soak for a while in fish sauce before eating them,” says Nongkhran.

Cardamom

Kra waan (cardamom) and cha muang (garcinia cowa leaves) – the two main ingredients that Chanthaburi locals use in the curry and salad – as well as a variety of curry pastes can be found at the stall Paa Nual run by Suthida Thopsri. If you want to cook the popular local delicacy of gaeng moo cha muang (pork belly curry with sour cha muang leaves), Suthida can arrange a set of ingredients and explain how to prepare it.

The legendary restaurant Chanthorn Pochana, whose second branch is shown here, offers a variety of local delicacies.

If you don’t want to cook but prefer to try different local favourites, look no further than the legendary restaurant Chanthorn Pochana that has been in business for nearly 60 years and was the first restaurant in the province to receive the culinary hallmark of Shell Chuan Chim. The restaurant now has two outlets in the Maharaj and Benjama Rachutit areas. Here you can find pork curry with cha muang leaves that is cooked to order or packaged in a can to take home.

Som tum with durian

“We want to promote local favourites to a wider group of people and also use local fruits in both savoury and sweet menus. Our restaurant brings together many food products from different communities in the province to promote local wisdom,” says Noztagon Vananan, the manager of the Benjama Rachutit branch.

Chicken massaman with durian

This season, diners can sample som tum with shredded young durian, chicken massaman with durian, stir-fried long bean with shrimp paste and dried shrimp, as well as pad thai with the province’s unique chewy rice noodle called sen chan. Pad thai sen chan is normally cooked with crispy fried whole baby crab but the taste is relatively sweet.

The 100-seat chef table event called Proud Chan was held last weekend to promote local cuisine with creative twist.

To promote local cuisine with a contemporary twist, the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Chanthaburi office organised the 100-seat chef table event called Proud Chan last weekend and invited two young Chanthaburi chefs to present a five-course menu based on local ingredients.

“Chanthaburi foods normally have sweet taste and make use of herbs such as cardamom and black pepper. They are partly influenced by Chinese and Vietnamese cuisine. We want to reinterpret the local delicacies like pad thai sen chan, moo liang (braised pork in herbal broth) and rice slightly stir-fried with fleur de sel – the salt that is largely available in the province,” says 30-year-old Peeranat L Lorrasamee who also operates the Garage Cafe in Muang district.

 Peeranat L Lorrasamee, left and Nisayanun Pinkachan prepare dishes for the chef table-style dining.

He worked with 23-year-old female chef Nisayanun Pinkachan to present the local cuisine in a contemporary style while maintaining the authentic tastes.

Local ingredients like raew hom (bustard cardamom), brown sugar, ma pued (calamondin), cinnamon, hoy takom (Pacific oyster), as well as different kinds of fruits from durian, mangosteen, mango, longan, malva nut and salacca had a starring role.

The first course was moo liang served with Chinese-style, boiled sticky rice shaped into triangles and drizzled with brown sugar and chilled mangosteen in syrup. Chanthaburi-style stir-fried noodles with crab were served with a forgotten part of pork called lai lee – a chewy cut from the diaphragm – that was grilled and seasoned with cha muang sauce, together with durian-flavoured kanom jak. Kanom jak is made from ground coconut mixed with sticky rice flour, coconut cream and palm sugar and poured into long nipa leaf lengths, then grilled over a charcoal fire.

Moo liang served with Chinese-style, boiled sticky rice and chilled mangosteen in syrup

The large hoy takom were served fresh and seasoned with Chanthaburi-style seafood sauce while the patong ko (deep-fried dough sticks) were lightly seasoned with sour-and-sweet clear sauce and served with mango sorbet.

Pacific oyster with Chanthaburi-style seafood sauce

“The theme was a one-day trip in Chanthaburi through a culinary journey. Diners today are increasingly interested in locally grown produce, artisanal and hand-crafted food and Chanthaburi has potential to match this food trend. I’m going to launch chef table-style dining called ‘One Night: One Table’ in the next two months at my own place for about 15 people at a time. So far, 20 groups have already booked,” says Nisayanun who trained at the Frog Hoxton restaurant in London.

The writer travelled as a guest of Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Chanthaburi Office. 

The global report deep dives into travellers’ preferences, behaviours and pet peeves, spanning from sea level to the stratosphere. While we all have travel horror stories to tell and social media is a perfect vehicle to vent, this year’s findings call out travellers who spread kindness and goodwill on the road. A total of 601 Thai travellers who had taken an average of either 11.2 personal flights or 10.1 business flight per year were surveyed.

“As the social media has portrayed, an act of kindness is still very much valued. And Thai travellers  top the chart when it comes to providing various acts of kindness to fellow travellers,” said Lavinia Rajaram, APAC head of communications for Expedia.

When it comes to acts of kindness, 41 per cent of all respondents worldwide have helped someone lift their luggage into the overhead compartment and Thai travellers top the chart with 50 per cent. Americans (42 per cent) and Taiwanese (40 per cent) are the most willing to change their seat while Thais come in midway (22 per cent) and the Dutch (21 per cent) and Japanese (9 per cent) are the least likely.

The Taiwanese (11 per cent) Japanese (13 per cent), and Thais (15 per cent) are the most sensitive to their neighbours, as the least likely to bring strong-smelling foods on flights. On the other hand, Indians (31 per cent) and Americans (30 per cent) are less likely to care.

The most generous when it comes to illness, offering a tissue or cough drop, are Austrians (57 per cent) and Thai (54 per cent). Japanese (19 per cent) and South Koreans (24 per cent) are much less likely to lend a helping hand to a coughing or sneezing neighbour.

Travellers are steering clear of alcohol to avoid being annoying in the air, with 95 per cent reporting they wouldn’t get drunk. That’s lucky because this year, 43 per cent of global respondents identified the drunk passenger as the most annoying person on a plane. Only 5 per cent of global respondents reported ever getting drunk on a flight.

The top five most annoying behaviour for Thai passengers are namely drunk passenger (43 per cent), germ spreader (35 per cent), aromatic passenger (27 per cent), seat kicker/bumper/grabber (25 per cent) and inattentive parent (24 per cent).

While being confined to an plane seat can bring out the worst in some people, most people don’t think of using social media to deal with rude fellow travellers. When it comes to unruly plane passengers, travellers are dealing with things directly. Thai passengers definitely prefer avoiding a confrontation.

The French (61 per cent), followed by the Swiss (57 per cent) and Germans (57 per cent) are the most likely to confront seat kickers directly, while Thai travellers (41 per cent) would ask the flight attendant to handle that conflict on their behalf. Thais (69 per cent) will go directly to flight attendants when experiencing rude behaviour towards another passenger, instead of confronting the rude traveller directly (16 per cent).

When it comes to armrest hogging, Thais (50 per cent) get straight to the point and would ask a passenger hogging the armrest to make room for them, coming close to the highest ranked, Austrians (60 per cent).

We may be kind on air, but how do Thai travellers react to bad hotel etiquette?

Globally, 70 per cent of all respondents say they would call the front desk for help if noise was an issue during their hotel stay. Thais come in higher than average at 74 per cent. Indians (30 per cent) are most likely to confront pool noise directly, with New Zealanders (44 per cent) and Australians (40 per cent) willing to take a laidback approach and ignore it. Thais (60 per cent) will raise the issue with the lifeguard or the hotel management instead of confronting the noise makers.

The top five most annoying guests for Thai travellers are inattentive parents (42 per cent), inroom revellers (36 per cent), bar boozers (31 per cent), loud lovers (27 per cent), and partygoers (25 per cent)

When it comes to good behaviour, souvenirs seems to be the universal sign of respect among Thai travellers — 18 per cent of Thai respondents said that they would appreciate either a small gift upon arrival. A quick inperson introduction to sights and restaurants in the area was a close second, with 26 per cent of all Thai travellers saying this was the most appreciated thing a host could do. These results highlight that while personal contact is still greatly appreciated when it comes to good hospitality, complimentary food is the way to travellers’ hearts.

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.

His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej had a long and happy relationship with Kui Buri district in Prachuab Khiri Khan province and today his new agricultural theory on land and water management is being applied here for the first time.

The water management system is called khok nong na – khok meaning a moulded mound, nong a catchment, and na a field. Here, when it rains, the water runs down from the Tenasserim hills into the first catchment. When that catchment overflows, the water goes to the second catchment and runs through a khlong sai kai (spiral filling canal) towards the third catchment and the loom khanom khrok (a small catchment dug along the canal) before ending in the field. Along this canal line, the flow is continuously decelerated by a fai or weir. Crops are planted in terraced fields between those catchments to ensure irrigation.

Kui Buri has developed its own khok nong na and it’s known as the Kui Buri Model.

The district has long offered a range of homestay accommodation, but Viroj Soongying is the first resident to connect his homestay with the khok nong na model to promote sustainable tourism following the royal wisdom of the late King Rama IX.

Viroj, who lives in Baan Phubon, recently turned 50 though he looks considerably younger thanks, he says, to his love of cross-country mountain biking. Born and raised in Kui Buri, he left as a young man to work in the jewellery trade for 20 years, returning to his native land after learning about the late monarch’s philosophy related to natural agriculture.

“I love eating local, wild and organic vegetables that are in season and grow organic vegetables on two rai of my land,” says Viroj, who uses a further rai as a demonstration plot for the khok nong na model. “Climate change means that the world is heating up almost daily and we have to reduce the use of chemicals. This Kui Buri Model is a cooperation between three villages – Phubon, Yang Sue, and Ruam Thai.”

Viroj is a mountain-biking coach for five students from the villages and also a member of a group actively promoting the King’s philosophy for sustainable tourism. He has two homestays and also welcomes tourists to his own house.

“Visitors can learn the king’s wisdom by themselves through digging catchments, planting vetiver grass and trees, and finding shellfish, shrimp fresh water fish in the reservoir. And when they’ve done that, they can relax over such healthy dishes as pineapple curry with mussels and pork ribs soup. A homestay is priced at Bt600 per person,” says Viroj.

We start our stay by visiting the check dams built above Yang Chum Reservoir to store water for use as well as slow down the water flow to prevent flooding, maintain soil moisture and to provide water for the elephants that roam this area. The construction of check dams can be done at intervals and take the shape of a pond that is then connected with a pipeline system to disperse water and create moisture for the forest, which continues to serve as a food source for the elephants. We also spend time at the reservoir, which is wonderfully tranquil and demands to be photographed.

We have fried tilapia fish from the reservoir for our lunch and dinner. The freshwater fish, whose history dates back to Ancient Egypt, was introduced to Thailand by the late King in the 1960s. In 1965, the Thai monarch was looking for fish species with high nutritional value and which could breed fast to solve the problem of malnutrition among Thais in rural areas, and the tilapia fish from Japan was the species he chose. Later, the king bestowed the fish with the name “Pla Nil” from its English name “Nilotica” or Nile River fish.

Later, on the way to Kui Buri National Park to watch elephants and gaur and where, we are told, we are only allowed entry between 2 and 5pm, we stop off at a 1,500-rai meadow managed by the Department of Livestock and admire the tunnel formed by chamchuri trees and the herds of cows and flocks of sheep that graze here. Pine trees sway lightly in the background and the bucolic scene reminds me of happy times spent in rural New Zealand. The meadow had also been planted with ruzi and pangola – the highest-quality tropical grasses – which serve as forage for Phra Sawet Adulyadej Phahon, the first white elephant of King Rama IX.

Kui Buri National Park is a sight for sore eyes and we quickly climb into a ranger’s vehicle for the almost eight-kilometre drive to our first stop. After a while we spot a family of three elephants and others in the far distance. After that, we drive on to Phu Yaisai, Payang Ranger Station and Pong Saladdai, spotting the occasional elephant and also some gaur. On our way back, the ranger receives a report of elephants near the path and we stop for a while until these magnificent beasts move away of their own accord.

Prior to the park’s creation, villagers and elephants were at odds, with many conflicts turning tragic, even deadly. In the late 1970s, settlers migrated from all corners of Thailand to the area, establishing the village of Ruam Thai and cultivating pineapple where elephants had once roamed unimpeded. With fields of the fruit encroaching on what had been their territory, the animals began raiding farmlands, destroying crops, and leaving villagers furious. The killing of two elephants in 1997 – one poisoned, the other shot dead and burned – marked the peak of the conflict, attracting countrywide attention, including from King Bhumibol Adulyadej – the unquestionable patron of Thailand’s conservation movement.

Upon the park’s establishment in 1999, the king issued a special royal address calling for people to protect the elephants and their habitat: “Elephants should be in the forest. But we must ensure that there is enough food for them. In practical terms, we should create many small food plots spread around the forest in order to keep the elephants from invading the plantations and to help protect the elephants,” he said.

And thus came the Conservation and Restoration of Kuiburi National Forest Project to conserve wild elephants and wildlife.

The following day, we head back to the national park but this time through a different entrance to see the stumps of sandalwood trees. Nine of the trees were cut for use in HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s royal cremation ceremony, three for that of HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana, and a further three for the funeral rites of Somdet Phra Nyanasamvara Suvaddhana Mahathera, the 19th supreme patriarch of Thailand.

“Some Thai tourists sit and cry while hugging the stump,” Viroj tells us.

We take the longest of the two routes to see the stumps and are led up the two-kilometre climb by park official Somnuek Klinhom, who tells us about the trees, insects and salt licks along the elephant trail.

“Kui Buri National Park has more than 200,000 sandalwood trees and is the first and only place that can grow sandalwood for the royal family’s cremation ceremonies. Because of the dry evergreen forest, the timbers of the sandalwoods don’t contract like in other places. For King Rama IX’s cremation ceremony, a royal brahmin spent more than a month with us selecting the trees that met the criteria – they must be dead and aged over 100 years,” says Somnuek.

If You Go

– To visit Kui Buri National Park, call (032) 510 453, (081) 776 2410, or email kuiburi_np@hotmail.co.th, and kuiburi_np@hotmail.com.

– To reserve Viroj Soongying’s homestay, call (090) 784 7298.