Another famous spot that many local people (especially men) hangout which actually isn’t so far from Jim’s rice porridge store is Konong Coffee Shop – a coffee shop that has been run for generations by the same family.

Konong Coffee Shop is located on the front right side of the train station next to the police station. Konong is the name of the owner who is very well-known and well-respected around town.  One of the greatest things about Konong is that he is very simple guy. He is very kind, laughs a lot, talks a lot; and he is very very funny.  If you are in the area, I highly recommend (really) that you go find him, (you’ll be in good hands)!  Even though he may not be able to communicate with you verbally, you will soon realize that words are not the only way to communicate.

Let’s get back to his coffee shop…

Every morning, Konong Coffee Shop is packed and noisy. People come from all over to have a cup of coffee.  Some people will have it with donuts and some will even have it with another glass that contains a half boiled egg.   Since everyone knows everyone else at the shop, it’s a great place for the local population to catch up with each other before they head off to their daily lives. Every morning you can expect to see the same crowd show up, sit in the same seats and talk to the same people. It feels as if you’re watching your favorite movie over and over again. It is great!!  I have a short clip of his place that I would love to share with you

Last but not least, a spot that you definitely shouldn’t miss (and even have a bite of the food) is an outdoor open table restaurant that serves fried chicken known as “PaYom Fried Chicken”.

Before we get into PaYom Fried Chicken, I would like to explain one thing about Thai culture. The owner of the restaurant is named Yom, but in Thailand, we put the word “Pa” in front of her name, much like Americans will use Mrs., Miss or Ms., to pay the respect to the person. In Thailand, it is very common for people to show respect to others in this way, and other prefixes used include Lung, Nong, Ko, Je…etc.

Now let’s get back to PaYom Fried Chicken’s story…

PaYom Fried Chicken is also a business that has been run by the same family for generations. In the past 4 decades, PaYom was just a lady who tried to make a living by selling her fried chicken. She first began her business without having any real location. PaYom would put her fried chicken in a tray and take it to the train station. She would walk by all the passenger cars, shouting to see if any passengers had a need to eat or pack some food before embarking on their journey. Sometimes, she even got on the trains, taking a short ride to the next station, where she would hop on a train heading in the opposite direction and ride it back to her origin.  This allowed PaYom to have a close contact with passengers and gave her prospective customers a close look at her chicken. Pa Yom operated her business in this way for many years and the word began to get out about her incredible, tasty fried chicken.   Finally, the demand for PaYom’s Fried Chicken became so great that she decided to open her little restaurant, located at the formal district community in front of the train station.

Pa Yom’s chicken is fried to perfection, and no one can resist the amazing aroma of the wonderful, one of a kind (homemade) seasonings that permeate the air as the chicken cooks. Pa Yom’s Fried Chicken opens in the afternoon and stays open for about 3 to 4 hours, until everything is gone.   If you want some, you should get there early, because it’s just like that every single day.

This story is now coming to an end (for now). I hope it has helped you to learn a few things about my hometown, Bansong. Of course, I’m sure that many of you who are reading this are probably very excited and are planning a trip and packing your stuff to stop by my hometown right now .  People in Bansong will welcome each and every one of you with open arms and big smiles on their faces. Bansong also has a small local motel if you choose to stay and hang out with us for a couple days. The name of the motel is “Weangsrathani Motel”. It is a very clean, affordable, friendly motel that is located in a very convenient location.

Contact Number for Weangsrathani Motal : 0-7736-1064 , 0-7725-8338-9

I hope that when you visit Bansong, you will take your time enjoy the charming town, it’s friendly people and beautiful scenery, both in nature and generations of centuries old architecture mixed with new, modern structures. Enjoy the abundance of food, fruits, desserts (we love sweets), snacks (trust me, if you’re open to trying everything, you will be amazed) and last but not least – enjoy yourself.

From us to you!!!!

Many thanks to:

1.   Wicha Naratham : The author of Bansong’s story

2. Bai Tong : The first visitor who went after Wicha Naratham’s story and came back with a variety of beautiful pictures.

Wow!! Finally I got time to work on the final part of the documentary about my hometown. This last part will cover all the famous topics such as what to eat, where to go, and who to know

One of the best natural wonders that you shouldn’t miss is

Tai Rom Yen National Park

The park covers areas in Ban Na San, Kanchanadit and Wiang Sa Districts. With a total area of 265,625 rai of land, the zone was declared a national park on 31 December 1991.

When you follow the road sign to get into the park, first you will pass a very sweet small town “Nurklong”, a local village which lies within the park area. Along the 10 kilometer road that leads into the park, you will see a lot of rivers and may also see many people picnicking, swimming and have enjoying themselves along their banks.

The actual park is covered by lush virgin forests where rare plants can be found. The mountain peaks are one of the most attractive sights, covered by mist all year round. Other interesting attractions include Tat Fa Waterfall, Muang Thuat Waterfall, Khamin Cave which is decorated with stalactites and stalagmites, and Camps 180 & 357, which once were the base of the Communist Party of Thailand. Prepare to hike if you want to witness one of the best spots the park has to offer. Wild animals such as elephants, mountain goats, tapirs, chevrotains, wild boars, etc. can also be spotted here.

If you’d like to enjoy this lush environment overnight, you can rent a room right in the park

* Contact National Park Office : 0-7734-4633

*References

http://www.tour.co.th/tour.php?p_id=39&t_id=1823

http://www3.suratthani.go.th/km/index-34.htm

http://www.thaisurat.com/bannasan-357.htm

http://203.144.136.10/service/mod/heritage/nation/nationalpark/index48.htm

Now let’s talk about food!!

There are numerous well-known local spots that are regularly jammed to capacity with people buying what they love most.

The first spot is located at a very small corner on the front left side of the train station.  Every morning you will see tons of people lining up to buy “rice porridge” from the lady name “JeJim”.

Rice porridge preferred breakfast for many people in Thailand. It looks like rice pudding; but has a savory flavor. Rice Porridge also has small meatballs – normally make from pork. Some people will also add egg into their rice porridge as well.

JeJim has been selling rice porridge over four decades and the components that make her rice porridge so much better than others are the quality of her meatballs, the clear beautiful homemade broth and the texture of her rice that she carefully and gently combines in just the right amounts while cooking them for just the right time. When you look at JeJim’s hands move through all the ingredients as she combines them together, you will be amazed at how she can just eye-ball every ingredient, yet they come out exactly the same every time.

JeJim has never hired any help, but she has a lot of helping hands from her own clients. Some of them don’t like to wait too long, and amazingly they are happy to help Jim to move things a little bit faster. It is a great scene.

Some strong economic interests in Bansong include:

1. Agriculture

Surat Thani province is well-known for “Rambutan (Ngoh)” This colorful, hairy looking fruit is sweet and succulent. It’s easy to peel and easy to put in your mouth (but it has a big seed inside, so be careful). The most popular variety which well known throughout the country is “Kgoh Rong Rien”, and is originally from Surat Thani . During harvesting season (July-October), the town is full of beautiful vibrant red Rambutan fruit, and (for me) it’s a great season to visit, hand-pick the fruit (at a low price), and enjoy the calm and relaxing farming life style. Some other fruits that are also common in a region are Mango, Mangosteen, Langsad, Longong, Durian, Jackfruit and many more.

Even though Surat Thani is famous about Rambutan, most farmers don’t make a living from growing it due to its low price.

The plant which offers the greatest reward to the local farmers in Bansong and in the South part of Thailand is the rubber tree. You will literally see rubber tree plantations almost everywhere when you travel to the South of Thailand. Imagine the scenery while driving through the Midwest U.S. – row after row after row of corn. In South of Thailand it is the same exact thing, except with rubber trees!

Although the rubber tree is not native to the country, Thailand is one of the biggest exporters of rubber in the world.

Being a farmer and living my life in farm land was never what I envisioned myself doing in the past (it wasn’t considered cool at a time). Looking back, I can’t believe how much disdain I held for the farmer lifestyle in the past, and I’m not afraid to say that I’m ashamed about my immature attitude, but not anymore! Now, I have developed a deep appreciation and truly love and admire the strong work ethic and simplicity of this lifestyle.

Having a life very close to nature… what’s not to love, right? The greens, birds, flowers, blue sky…..etc.

2. Mining

Mining was very popular in the south at around 2516-2518 BC since many lands were discovered full of gypsum, tin, and some other minerals. This discovery made the South region of Thailand very popular, and many people traveled there to find their fortune.

At that time the most convenient form of transportation for people to travel and to do business around the country was by train. King Rama VI expanded the railroad well into the North as far as Chingmai, and into the South as far as PadungBaysa.

Bansong became a busy mining town in that era since it was rich with gypsum and its train station had been used to collect the mineral, and deliver it to its desired destination. Many adventurers from out of town stopped here to connect, to look for opportunity, and to gain more information about the mines.

I can remember seeing huge pile after huge pile after huge pile of gypsum that were very tall and they were very very white. This clearly explains why it was given the nickname “the mountain of snow”. When I was young, I loved to run up and down and play hide and seek in the mountains of gypsum. I have to tell you, it was a great playground for kids in my generation

3. Trading

At the end of mining era, Bansong was gradually becoming quiet, and the economy was slowing down for quite sometime. However, as more and more roads were built, the chief mode of transportation started to shift from trains to cars. As more people began to use cars, Bansong benefitted because its location was ideal for a highway. As a result, Bansong became a convenient destination for many of the people in the surrounding area to do business, spurring a rejuvenation of Bansong’s economy and activities.

Common industries in the area today include: real estate, trading, services, coffee shops, book stores, convenience stores, transportation, restaurants, photo stores, internet stores, beauty stores, salons…..etc.

Many thanks to:

1.   Wicha Naratham : The author of Bansong’s story

2. Bai Tong : The first visitor who went after Wicha Naratham’s story and came back with a variety of beautiful pictures.

Bansong, one of the oldest villages in Thailand, is a territory of Weangsra town in Surat Thani province. There have been many historical artifacts found in Bansong such as prehistoric stone tools and Buddha Statues from many different eras which have confirmed that this village was originally home to many important ancient communities of the South and was thriving since the 7th century BC.

Weangsra Temple

The ancient Weangsra town used to be located at the historic site of Weangsra Temple, which still stands today. The people in this town were very skillful and they protected themselves from enemies by building walls and digging canals all around their village.

An ruins ancient tower

An old swimming pool

A red sandstone Buddha Statue

The ruins of Weangsra Temple include the ancient tower, the old swimming pool (for which the temple and the town were named), and the dilapidated remains of a red sandstone Buddha Statue.

Path to an ancient Weangsra temple

Weangsra is truly one of the hidden treasures of Thailand. There has been little or no advertising or promotion of this area since the people who live there believe ancient and sacred places should not be disturbed. This has allowed the Weangsra Temple to be preserved in it’s natural state for centuries. Although the ruins and the temple may not be as gigantic as others; this does not diminish the fact that when you are in the space, you can sense the collective energy from ancient times that has been gathered for generations, leaving many with a sense of awe.

Travelling to Bansong is very simple; you just hop on a bus or train from Bangkok, then hop off at Bansong’s station.

Map to Bansong

A sign to Bansong

If you decide to drive, from the mainland route # 41 on the highway between Surat Thani province – Nakhon Si Thammarat province, you will see a sign that directs you to Bansong (Sub-path 4009). Also, since lot of transportation is easily available, Bansong can easily be added to your travel plans if you’re already visiting any of the following:
Surat Thani, Phuket, Krab, and Nakhon Si Thammarat.

Hopefully, you will keep this in mind the next time you visit.

Center of Bansong

An old area near train station

Coffee parties

Upon hearing the name “Bansong”, many people will immediately question the origins of it’s name since they associate the word with something negative. Many years ago, communists had established their division in the area in hopes of expanding their dominion. Often times, the people who lived in the area would get caught in the middle of fighting between Thai soldiers and the communists, and many people got hurt and many died. They lived their lives in great fear at that time.

The word “song” means “division” (referring to the groups of communist invaders) and the word “ban” means “home”, so put these two together it means “the home of invaders.” Over time, the local people came to regularly use the name “Bansong” for this area because it was a part of their lives for a very long time and they never forget.

Mining

Busy Market

Agriculture

With the war now long over, Bansong has emerged as a charming small town with strong economic interests in several areas, such as mining, agriculture, trade and several other attractive things that I’ll be excited to share with you later in this post.

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Translated from http://bansong.blogspot.com/ (my younger brother)

The nature beauty at the Niagara Falls

If you want to be closed to the Falls, One option is to take a boat

Another option is to walk right underneath the falls

A view of American Falls

A view of American Falls

A view of Canadian Falls/Horseshoe Falls (when you are at American Border)

A view of Canadian Falls. It’s so beautiful and Powerful.

Let’s enjoy the energy of the Niagara Falls

Here is a story about a quick decision that turned into a gift too marvelous to imagine. I thank God for giving me this incredible experience. My story is about a quiet island called Ko Chang in Ranong, south Thailand. I knew nothing about it even though I grew up not far away.

My cousin, Tee, brought his girlfriend, Aoy, to the Ching Ming ceremony of my family. This ceremony is a Chinese tradition that shows respect for deceased ancestors. Tee had to drive Aoy back to Ranong the same day. The opportunity to visit Ko Chang sprang up from a conversation about how his girlfriend’s family owns the Sunset Bungalows on the island. He described the unspoilt beauty there that has not been destroyed by big investors yet. There are only a few small bungalows are on the island.
Activities that I typically enjoy on an island are running on the beach, swimming in the ocean, eating, reading my favorite books, and of course napping. Tee told me that there is no electricity at night, only candle light. Wow! It sounded so alluring and my desires were growing. When he asked me if I want to go, I said “yes” very quickly. However, as the time to depart approached, I was concerned about leaving my Mom since I had just arrived. She was so happy to have me visit and my goal for this trip home was to be with my Mom, so I was reluctant to actually leave. In the end though, I could not overcome my desire for this new adventure. I packed my bag quickly and left along with Tee and his girlfriend that evening.

Ko Chang Ranong

Ko Chang is a small, forested island about five kilometers off the mainland, which makes for a one and a half hour boat ride in a charming, low-key, laid-back atmosphere. The pace of life on Ko Chang is very slow, with emphasis strongly placed on kicking back and chilling out. I was attracted by the abundance of natural, undeveloped environment. The jungle is pristine, only a few small bungalows on the beach hint at a human presence. Tourists are rare here, in stark contrast to most other Thai island destinations. The solitude allows me to enjoy the environment fully, the sound of crashing waves, the songs from birds and insects, the whispering wind… paradise! My regular swimming and yoga practice have been transformed into an experience like never before, streaming through the ocean and moving in stillness on the beach.

This destination is suitable for anyone who loves to be isolated from all forms of busy lifestyle. Most of the hotels on Ko Chang Island are family owned and operate only six months per year, November through April, because of powerful tropical storms. You can chill out on the island for up to two months on a budget of $500 or less, which includes the bungalow plus food.