An old market lumbers back from sleep
An old canal-side market in the provincial heart of Chachoengsao, Nuang Khet, has grown by leaps and bounds as visitors who numbered only a few hundred a year ago are now flocking there in thousands on weekends.
Nuang Khet market straddles a canal in Chachoengsao. It is now a popular weekend destination.
According to Mayor Lersan Saivanich, their number now averages 10,000 on weekends and the number of vendors have jumped from 17 to 190 after the local municipality embarked on a plan last year to revive Nuang Khet and its former ambience.
The market dates back some 130 years when it was a busy port by a canal that cut through a Chinese community trading in rice, tea and fresh food. It was also a small but significant stop for people travelling to Bangkok, Samut Prakan and Pathum Thani.
But when roads gained ascendancy Nuang Khet went into a gradual decline, a trend that continued until the middle of last year when a plan was mooted to revive and present it as a new destination for tourists. They can hire boats and tour of the canal, from which the market takes its name, or enjoy hot meals and local delicacies some of which are a rarity these days.
There is a local museum where on exhibit are old artefacts and photographs from its halcyon days. Nuang Khet’s popularity means more tourist dollars for vendors whose average income on weekends has gone up substantially.
To get there from Bangkok, take Highway 304 that cuts through Suwinthawong district, and follow the road signs to Chachoengsao.
Bron: bangkokpost 24-09-2010