Eco Tour Amphur Wa

Eco Tourism, a trendy word. Any kampong hut that’s on swampy land can be made into an Eco destination. Sleep in the mangroves and enjoy the mosquito bites. Be in nature, donate your blood. Eco tourism, a trend. Seems like many Thais now that have really beaten down homes in their provinces can turn their place into a tourist attraction. They could cost as much as THB$1,000 per night, food inclusive (if you ever could eat them E-san food).


Recently I was in Amphur Wa (correct spelling is unknown, in Thailand, there are 200 different ways of spelling the same destination in English). This district of the Samut god knows what province is located just 1 ½ hours drive away. She is famous for her floating market, shellfish flats and Eco Tourism.


The huts on stilts, next to the river, in the night the water level raises. You can half expect the crocodiles to come by and tear your leg off while you are sleeping.


Sleep in the nettings, the defensive against the mossies.


The monks nearby worked their gardens, the morning air was fresh. And then the pack of dogs came and barked, and chased me away to Holland.


Plant a young mangrove tree, the highlight of the Eco Tourism activity, things that you do to save the planet. Suffered so many cuts the people who went in the mud, the hidden shells sharp like razors. Did I do my part to save the planet? I stayed on the boat.


Reach deep in grab the cockles, on plywood like surfboards they maneuvered. I stayed on the boat. I don’t eat cockles.


And we visited the home grown business, of palm sugar the owner operated. The weather was sticky, there was no single element of luxury. When I bathed the water stopped flowing, my head was still then a mushroom of shampoo. As the night approached I died of boredom, just what the heck we could do in the mangroves? So there was a trip, we rode along the river. The thousand fireflies glowed in a dance of mystic synchronism, I awed, we all did. Shall I go back again Eco Tour? Please no unless it is on an island, with 4 star and above accommodations.

Full photos here under Amphur Wa.

Cockles Farm

Ever wonder when flying into Thailand and you look out the window, the shorelines of Bangkok are streaky lines breaking into the dirty green sea, what they are? Well, this area is Samut Prakan, where the river empties into the Gulf of Thailand. These lines breaking perpendicular to the gulf are actually gravel roads and bunds that encircle farms of sea creatures.


These are the crab farms, fish farms, cockles and other shellfish farms, I visited one of them. Roads leading here are gravel, so when it rains there did be a high possibility that you will turn into a rally driver drifting sideways smashing into the pond of a million crustacean forming the livelihood of the simple people. When it rains, especially during a high sea tide, the proper roads leading into these areas could well be flooded so better to drive your 4WD if you got one.


The farmers live off the land (ok the water). They go into the brackish fields and feel for the cockles. They net in their fish or they massively drain the entire farm during harvest time to pick their “fruits” for the local wholesalers.


As the men work the waters, the women waited the side. The seafood is freshly eaten, by steaming, by cooking, by frying with the smell so fragrant. But the farmers will never openly BBQ their catch on the premise, for they believe it to be burning their live stock, their own money. A superstitious belief that they all strictly adhere to for the fear that their stock will diminish, as the crustacean scream on the hot coal and be heard mysteriously by their herd in the water.



And what they do for fun, they swim in the irrigation canals. The current could be strong, but their bodies could counter the streaming waters. And to the pole they held themselves against, and chatted and laughed as I wonder. I wonder the saying Thais cannot swim, and yet I saw them waddle.


Oh strange Thailand, I discover you everyday, I sat smoking, the long boat passes.

The Fish Bridge

Every town near the sea will always have Saphan-Blar aka Fish Bridge. Well it is not exactly a bridge but a jetty instead. But I guess Thai does not have a word called jetty and so saying “I want to go jetty buy fish” will result in them guiding you to the nearest petrol station called Pump Jet, or Jiffy.


This is Saphan-Blar of Ang Sila in Chonburi. The immediate sea surrounding is a huge oyster farm. This is where you can get fresh catch for your kitchen cheap from the fishing boats arriving. They have scallops too and you could see the discarded shells all over the jetty together with the rubbish stew. Thais are not really environmental friendly and they cannot comprehend the fact that dumping in the area where they eat the shellfish in the oyster beds where they farm is not really a clever thing to do. The folks there are like fish, breathing drinking and eating shit in their own shit pool. So avoid the oysters all you can.


Driving there has always been enjoyable, at speeds of 160 for near 40 minutes enjoying the power of your engine roar before merging into the traffic of Chonburi. However, with prices of stupid petrol inflating like nobody’s business, I am not sure how long more I can enjoy road trips like these as I feel the pockets already starting to burn. Petrol prices now are like in Singapore 4 years ago. At SGD$1.60 per liter. I was complaining then back home. Now, I am complaining in the Land of Smiles. Why did the land not turn into Land of Frowns with escalating prices of everything that was so cheap I don’t know. I am frowning as I pumping gas. The Thais next car still smiling, no effect. New cars flood the road everyday. I must live like Thai, spend all my money no care about future, want the car, want the face, high petrol price no scare me. Or yes go convert to LPG where the electronic idiot mechanics had no idea about air fuel ratio, effects of ECU on engine and drive cheap for $300 Baht per tank till your engine disintegrates. But no, I not stupid must cut down on indulgence. My name is Kings, but I am nowhere near a King.