With a title like that, there's truly a plethora of things to write about, because the area surrounding the capital is brimming with interesting attractions and cities. I could mention, for example, Nakhon Pathom, west of Bangkok, which notably includes the Phra Pathom Chedi (the largest in the world), or Phetchaburi , further south.
This time, we'll focus on the north of Los Angeles, with towns and cities all ending in "buri." As a reminder, this term can simply be translated as "city." A word of Sanskrit origin, it's primarily used for cities in the central plains, often attached directly to the end of the name, as in Kanchanaburi or Lopburi , to name just two well-known examples.
And today, we are going to focus on two provinces in particular: Singburi, and Suphan Buri.
Singburi: Ban Rachan Old-style Market
This is the genesis of this day of visits, because it is a market that Jitima wanted to visit. And since I was going to go to this area, I looked for other visits to do in the surrounding area to spend a day outside the capital walking around, and it gives this article. To do this, we left "easy" at 9:30 am, knowing that it takes 2 hours from our house to get to the market, we arrived around 11:30 am.
The uniqueness of this market is found in the name. The theme being the era of the warrior village of Bang Rachan (also spelled Rajan). This village is famous for the heroic feat of its inhabitants, pushing back the Burmese army and preventing it from reaching the capital of Siam, Ayutthaya, for several months (we unfortunately know the end of the story, since Ayutthaya was finally destroyed a few months later, in 1767). I only found out later, but the market is located in front of a monument dedicated to this episode of Thai history (which is also controversial because it is far too idealized).
We are quickly immersed in the atmosphere, greeted by two large wooden towers symbolizing a fortification, then, a few meters further, by a peacefully seated buffalo, quietly watching the day's visitors pass by. To put it in context, it is then November 2020. Thailand has not yet been too affected by covid (which will cause the country to be confined until April of the following year) but as a result, there are not crowds as there can surely be on a normal weekend. Because yes, the market, as is often the case for this particular type, is only open on weekends, Saturdays, Sundays, but also on Mondays and public holidays.
Arriving at the main area of the market, a group of people wearing warrior outfits from that time, pose for the curious, of which I am obviously one. You can also rent a similar outfit to immerse yourself a little more in this retro environment. Beyond the particular theme of this market, it remains a market like any other; you can find a lot to eat and drink there, if not only that. Incidentally, you can come across plant sellers, maybe products like wicker baskets (I'm not sure about that) and even a blacksmith.
The atmosphere is rather pleasant, the paths are neatly delimited by decorated concrete slabs, and above all, it is mostly in the shade, because it is set in a forest. A strong argument given the heat that we can have to endure in the land of smiles.
Some merchants play the disguise game to the fullest, sporting a nice moustache, the typical hairstyle of the time, and others, are content with a traditional hat or a more contemporary outfit, but overall, it respects the theme well. They pride themselves here on offering very attractive prices, because the site is located on land belonging to the neighboring temple (the Wat Pho Kao Ton).
Wandering through the stalls, all made of bamboo and palm-leaf roofs, you arrive at the edge of a canal. As a side note, just opposite lies the neighboring province of Ang Thong (best known for its giant Buddha temple, Wat Muang ).
We notice a scene set there on the water, while a good number of visitors are having their picnic there. We say to ourselves that it is indeed a nice spot to eat a bite. That's good, it's past noon and we are obviously starting to get hungry. It's then that we start thinking about what we could nibble on that we feel the show in question imminent. And since we are there, we might as well enjoy the little show that was offered to us, eating can wait a little (yes, for a Thai, that would be something almost inconceivable).
Fortunately, this interlude hardly lasted more than 10 minutes so we could quickly resume our wanderings. Before going to eat, I still finished exploring the surroundings. By following the canal a little, we arrive at a portion with plants for sale. At the back, a group of houses with oversized spirits, welcome to Thailand.
It is then time to grab some lunch and relax a bit, which we will finally do in an area with tables available rather than at the water's edge. And then what timing, a group of young girls getting into position, and the little music starting, a traditional dance session begins. If we forget their sinister faces (in "what the hell am I doing here" mode), it is still always pleasant to see.
Once full (well, that's a bit of a stretch, because in the end, it was more of a snack, I'll clarify that for later), it was time to return to the parking lot and continue with the next destination, Wat Sai. In all, we stayed almost an hour and a half at the market, so count on at least a good hour depending on what you have planned for the rest of the day.
My opinion on this market? It's certainly pleasant, but with a two-hour drive from the capital, it's not really worth a special trip just for this experience. Just as we had planned other visits, do the same. If you can't find anything else, you can do the ones I've mentioned in this article, but otherwise, feel free to find something in the region based on your interests (I know some people get tired of the old temples).
In Buri: Wat Sai, visit to a deep-rooted temple
While searching for another site to visit in the "nearby area"—and I use that term loosely because I did search quite a bit—I stumbled upon this temple, completely overgrown with tree roots. It's almost a classic Thai sight, reminiscent of some of the old temples in Ayutthaya, or even Wat Bang Kung near Amphawa, which is a perfect example.
And when I say I searched widely, it's because from Bang Rachan market, it's still almost 50 km and 3/4 of an hour of driving. If we went back down to Bangkok, it wouldn't be a problem, but here, it made us go back up, so it took us even further away since the next destination was further south of the market. No matter, I was the one driving and I took responsibility for my choice. In theory, we did it in this order simply because the first visit was at the request of the wife so we started there.
In other words, if you opt for the same program, you might as well start with this temple in the morning, then go down to the market and finish at the stage presented below. But let's get to the point. Wat Sai, a temple abandoned for decades, probably since the invasion of the region by Burmese troops at the time of the fall of Ayutthaya, is a small religious building located on the banks of the Chao Phraya River.
It's located on what is almost today the village square, although it's more of a hamlet. In truth, there's little information about this place. What I can say is that the current name comes from the presence of the strangler fig tree, a Ton Sai – ต้นไทร, the tree that dominates the structure (thanks to the excellent resource on old temples in Thailand, temple-thai.com ) . Over time, it has encircled the old walls that support it, embracing them with its roots.
Inside, one finds the classic seated Buddha statue. Its head differs from the typical Buddhas of the period, assuming this statue is indeed from the 17th century. Offhand, the face reminds me of statues from the earlier Dvaravati Kingdom (7th-11th centuries). During the Burmese invasion, this statue, like many others, was decapitated. And while the temple has not housed monks since, the statue has been restored to its head and is known as Luang Po Wat Sai.
The advantage of the site is that we are right in the middle of "Unseen Thailand", these small hidden places largely ignored by the general public, including the Thais themselves, because apart from another car, there was no one else around except the locals. The time to take my photos inside, to really go around it, we stayed there for about half an hour. We were entitled to a little bonus just before leaving, when a macaque came out of nowhere and deigned to show up to pose in front of the temple.
Lunch break in Inburi
And here you remember my remark above about the notion of snacking? Yes because here we arrive at 14:20 p.m. and we are already hungry… So, before joining our last planned stop, we decided to go this time to have a “real” meal. After a little research on Google Maps, we headed to a restaurant, still along the river, about 20 minutes further south of the temple.
Here we are, literally at the northern entrance to the town of Inburi, a small town whose main street, running through it, is barely 500 meters long. Our primary goal was to find an inexpensive restaurant with a unique atmosphere. Mission accomplished, as the restaurant in question, whose name could be translated into Rim Nam (only visible in Thai, but here's its location on Google Maps ), is nestled in an old building that originally consisted of a row of wooden shophouses.
A characteristic often found in old city centers, like Lampang for example. Opposite the restaurant, you can also see a similar building, and other wooden houses visible from the street. A charming place. We're also on the banks of the Chao Phraya River, although there's no direct view of it because, traumatized by the major flood of 2011, a wall has since been erected to protect the small town.
If you're in the area and have some time to spare, you can take a look at Muang Boran Ban Khu Muang , 7 km east of Inburi. It's an ancient settlement that now serves more as a museum, after excavations in the area, enclosed by the old moat, revealed artifacts dating back to the Dvaravati period. Just 2 km south of our location was the small Wat Muang (not to be confused with the Wat Muang of Ang Thong). Its charm lies in its small viharn with murals dating from the Rattanakosin era.
Finally, before leaving Wat Sai, you could also head further north, about ten kilometers away. There you'll find the charming Sapphaya Street , lined with colorful wooden houses. It also boasts a well-known "old market." In fact, I mention it here because Sapphaya is one of the top three Thai tourist destinations among the 100 most environmentally friendly sites (according to the Green Destinations Foundation, a major environmental organization). The other two are Ko Mak, a small island off the coast of Trat, which I've already covered on this blog, and the village of Ban Huay Pu Keng, south of Mae Hong Son, which is the subject of my next article!
Suphan Buri: Dragon Descendants Museum, a Chinese temple that stands out
First of all, I would like to point out that this place is primarily designated by the name of the museum installed within it, more precisely, located inside the imposing dragon that has become the spearhead of Suphan Buri. But the site is above all that of the sanctuary of the sacred pillar of the city of Suphan Buri. The sacred pillars are like the heart of a commune, generally built at their foundation in the hope of having a prosperous city and safe from disasters.
But suffice to say that the sacred aspect of the place is quickly overshadowed by the imposing dragon. With its 135 m long and 35 m high, it is considered the largest dragon construction ever made by man. Well, here I "sell" you the place as the creators of the place do, in "come it's great!" mode (the mistake is intentional). However, if the fantastic animal, dear to the Chinese imagination, reigns here, it is not for nothing. Because it is neither more nor less than an ode to Chinese civilization, with which Thailand shares a not insignificant common history.
Created almost 30 years ago (1996), the museum was intended to celebrate 20 years of diplomatic relations between Thailand and China. In the Dragon Museum, you will find a set of 18 rooms with as many exhibitions to understand the history of the Chinese dynasties that have succeeded one another since the XNUMXrd century with the Qin dynasty, until the transition to the communist state that followed the last dynasty in the XNUMXth century. There are also interactive exhibitions mixing models, sounds and lights as well as information to understand Sino-Thai relations.
Quite honestly, if it wasn't so expensive, I would have gladly taken a look, but this museum, run by a private individual, is more expensive than any national park, so it's not very appealing... However, there's already enough to do just by looking at the entire exterior part, since only the interior of the dragon is chargeable.
Already, before arriving at the dragon itself, we cross a whole commercial area. Located right next to the parking lot, we pass a portico like in Chinatown then a bridge and hop, it gives the impression of diving into a China of yesteryear, with its shops lined up, its small canal along, and at the end, paddle wheels that complete this decor. A hundred meters after the parking lot, we arrived in front of the majestic dragon. And it must be said that it impresses. At the foot of the garden next door, converted into a terrace, are several bronze statues in martial combat postures.
The opportunity to take some photos of course, playing in particular on the perspectives. It must be admitted that the site is very well maintained, so at least the money is at least partly used to keep the place clean and develop it. It also remains one of the main attractions of Suphan Buri, so it is pampered. Because although the city is an ancient city, as evidenced by its ancient moat clearly visible from the sky, and its remains of walls, the city struggles to attract due to the lack of historical sites (if we ignore Wat Phrarup).
Across the street stands the enclosure of the city's famous sanctuary (city pillar shrine in English, or Chao Por Lak Muang Suphan Shrine as it is also annotated on Google Maps). After a few photos with the statues, that's where we headed. Red everywhere, lots of decoration and dragons on the roofs, no doubt, it's definitely a Chinese sanctuary.
As always in these sacred places, there are always people who come to say a little prayer in what is the heart of the city. Paradoxically, the modern part of the municipality is nevertheless built elsewhere, separated from the old part where we are by the Tha Chin River. And nowadays, the area constituting the old city is mainly dotted with fields.
Given the time, knowing that it took us a good hour and a quarter to get to Suphan Buri from Inburi, we were starting to have a beautiful late afternoon light that I liked. It was a good time to go explore the part adjacent to the sanctuary. It includes other buildings on the sides, a 7-story tower at the back, greenery, and a whole bunch of statues, including a set representing the 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac.
There is also this shelter, where there is a huge bell. From there, I observe the mural painting of the exterior of the sanctuary, superbly highlighted by these reddish rays of late afternoon. The sun filters through the trees that dot the area. The dragon, seen from here, still seems as imposing with its big mouth from which flows a waterfall (too bad it is made of concrete). It is peaceful but it is also because we arrive at closing time.
It is then almost 17:30 p.m. and it is therefore time to return to the parking lot, taking the opposite direction, not without a few photos along the way. The changing light deserves another stop in front of the sanctuary. In the end, we will have spent, taking our time (well, especially me, the serial photographer), almost an hour on site, not counting the last pee break which will delay the time of the return to Bangkok by 10 minutes.
This concludes a day of sightseeing, less than two hours from the capital. With 3 different places in one day, it's a good average to fully enjoy each place without rushing. By leaving earlier in the morning, you could even fit in a 4th spot, possibly one of those mentioned around Inburi.
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