TAKE A BITE
Bang Nokkwaek, a resurrected century-old riverside market, is the new rave in Samut Songkhram on weekends
Writer: KARNJANA KARNJANATAWE
Published: 6/08/2009 at 12:00 AM
Newspapersection: Horizons
These days it is hard to come by food vendors who actually encourage customers to try a bite before buying whatever is on offer. However, at Bang Nokkwaek, an old market in Samut Songkhram resurrected earlier this year, that is the norm and mark of local hospitality.
Small and sitting by the Mae Klong River at the mouth of a canal that connects to Damnoen Saduak floating market in neighbouring Ratchaburi Province, the market, more than a century old remained closed for decades after roads gained ascendancy over river as mode of transportation, until the local residents decided to revive and turn it into a tourist attraction last March.
Using word of mouth and exposure through television they have managed to breathe fresh life into the market and turn their homes in Bang Khonthi district into a major cultural attraction on weekends, explained Poonsak Tantidechamongkol, who raise sand goby, the fish known as pla bu in Thai, for sale.
Like other century-old markets around Thailand Bang Nokkwaek oozes traditional ambience, featuring two-storey wooden shophouses that open on weekends selling typical local exotics like salapao (steamed Chinese buns), phad thai kung maenam (fried noodles with river shrimp), mieng pla (crispy fish salad) and crab noodles.
Most of the dishes on sale are cooked in Chinese style because the local residents are descendants of Chinese migrants who moved from Bangkok to Bang Nokkwaek more than a century ago.
Apart from the food, available are river cruises lasting 30 minutes on the Mae Klong, free of charge.
A fitting mascot for the market.
A short walk from the market is the Church of Virgin Mary built in Gothic style 113 years ago, complete with a tour guide who is always happy to share his knowledge with visitors, particularly if the subject is stained glass that adorn the doors and walls of the church.
Bang Nokkwaek is convenient distance from other floating markets: in Bang Noi and Amphawa, while Damnoen Saduak in Ratchaburi is just 7.5 kilometres adrift. You can do them all in one day.
Bang Nokkwaek was named after the black-crowned night heron called nokkwaek in Thai that’s native to the area. The market is less than two hours drive from Bangkok.
Take Highway 35 from Bangkok to Amphawa and turn onto Highway 325 and then the 6006 to Bang Khonthi.
Follow the sign to Bang Noi floating market. When you reach the T-junction you will see a sign pointing to Bang Nokkwaek. Follow the sign and you come to the Church of Virgin Mary, which is on your left. Next up is a small bridge; cross it and the market is on your left, a small lane from the car leading you there.
If you travel by public bus, get off at Samut Songkhram station and take the local ‘songthaew’ (Maeklong-Bang Nokkwaek) to the market.
For accommodation, look up Ruean Krisana (083-713-7700) located near the market. Big, it is easily capable of accommodating 10 people or more. The cost is 3,000 baht per night. Other alternatives include resorts or homestay facilities in Bang Khonthi, Bang Noi or even around the floating market in Amphawa.
For a list of accommodations, look up www.tourismthailand.org.
An old Shell gasoline pump graces the shop of Poonsak Tantidechamongkol, and according to him, it is perhaps from the very first batch of such machines to have arrived in Samut Songkhram.
Snack vendors here are polite and kind. They encourage you to taste the goodies before you decide to buy them, as this lady holding a tray of ‘kanom pia’ is doing. The sweets in the tray are homemade and there to be sampled. The smaller picture at top left is ‘khao haeng’ which tastes like boiled rice soup but it is served without the soup. The rice is topped with boiled sliced chicken, blood curd, dried shrimp and pieces of chopped celery. The taste is little salty but delicious. The dish in the middle is crab noodle. Priced at 25 baht, it is sold at a stall next to the car park which locals fondly call Jek Pae Kuaytiew Pu. In the market there is also a popular stall where people crowd for phat thai with river shrimp which is sold at 40 baht a plate.
This elderly woman is about to fry ‘eiw kuay’ snack whose recipe was created by her family. The snack, traditional of the Tachiew people, is stuffed with chopped cabbage, mushroom and pork. Alternatively, you can stuff it with sweet beans (smaller picture). It is sold for 10 baht a piece.
This grocery shop doubles as a coffee joint on weekends, attracting patrons who enjoy a cuppa the way it was brewed in the old days. For souvenir hunters, there is a shop selling T-shirts bearing the name Bang Nokkwaek and other shops that offer a variety of handmade items.
Free of charge, a river cruise on the Mae Klong River lasts 30 minutes during which visitors get to admire a Bali-style resort, feed fish and stop over at the house of Sompong Chroenchang, the operator of cruise service, where you can buy herbal plants. A complement of 10 persons is the minimum required for a river cruise.
Christ’s thorn is known as mamuang hao manow ho in Thai. The plant grows in Sompong’s garden. It finds mention in Thai literature ‘Nang Sibsong’. When unripe the fruit is pink but turns dark purple on ripening. You can eat it fresh. The taste is sour like lemon, but it is useful in the treatment of anorexia, biliousness and pruritus. You can buy juice of the fruit, or the plant itself, the cost being 50 baht for a young one.
This finely landscaped garden is a short walk from the Church of Virgin Mary. Its name, Suan Ban Khunmae, means the Mother’s Garden. Roses and several other flowers are on view, making it an ideal stop for a photo shoot.
Construction of the Church of Virgin Mary began in 1890, pioneered by Father Paulo Salmon after the number of followers of the Catholic faith in the area had swelled to 1,000, and took six years to complete. Money for the church was raised in Bangkok, Paris and Rome, while the locals pitched in with clay bricks and labour. Stained glass sourced from France was used to depict events from the Bible and the life of Virgin Mary. The church opened in February 1896. During World War II the church sustained considerable damage after which it was given a major renovation, reopening to public five years later. Today it is one of the most beautiful Gothic churches in Thailand.
*Bron: Bangkok Post / www.bangkokpost.com *