NOT . . . Tourist Thailand

Thailand's hidden rural "Venice"

Por Grant Cameron

29 de April de 2018

Off the Beaten Track . .

. . lies a spot that probably most tourists and even Thailand expats don't know exists: the small village of Baan Sa Khla. It is home to people living amidst a mangrove swamp, with houses built on stilts. The raised roads are not wide enough for cars, only pedestrians, bicycles and the ubiquitous motorcycle. But . . the most used form of transport through the small village is motor-boat, on the many winding canals and waterways.

"Venice" it is not . .

. . for it does not have the traditional beauty of that famed city (nor its smell), but this village has a charm all of its very own.

Tight knit . .

. . seems the community, though friendly, and we were welcomed with smiling faces everywhere we went. Quaint wooden houses, on stilts, both timber and concrete, made up most of the village, all residential, but many doubling as small family run businesses such as shops, barbers, local cafes and restaurants.

No Seven Elevens . .

. . were to be seen. Not yet, anyway.

No Traffic Jams Here . .

Small boats were quite frequent, but rarely did we see two coming from opposite directions. There is certainly no one-way system in place. It is not needed!

Fauna

Birds were everywhere to be seen. Not being much of a bird fancier, the winged variety in any event, I took few photographs of them, and leave readers to identify these for themselves (for I can't).

Coming . .

. . and going.

Almost . .

. . a grand prix! Whilst the village is quite tranquil, and the absence of the hum of traffic noise is quite noticeable, the two-stroke engines can be heard coming for quite awhile before the boat materialises.