16 February 2010Bangkok can be quite boring if you stay here long enough. Sometimes I can’t just think of places to hang out on the weekend and desperately end up loitering randomly in shopping malls.
In fact, traveling to the cities nearby Bangkok is not bad if you have a car. I just went to Samchuk Market in Supanburi province, which is only one hour and a half from Bangkok.
This market is established more than a century ago. All houses in the market are built with woods in a simple and classic style. What I really like about it is that there are no such things like 7eleven, modern coffee shop or pub & restaurant in the area. Most people sell signature food and local souvenirs.
What most visitors do when they go here is eating. There are small alleys that full of good Thai food at cheap price. Some dishes are quite rare that you can’t even find them in restaurants in Bangkok. The best time to go is either in the early morning (the market starts around 7 am) or after 3 pm. Avoid going at lunch time unless you will find yourself melting because of the hot weather.
After eating, I join a one-hour trip which costs around 60 Bt. The guide takes me to the old house which belongs to uncle Cheng. He is locally well-known and is born in a big well-off family. His house has turned in to the museum that displays his own antique collections.
Straw hats at really cheap price (25 Bt). In Bangkok this kind of hat costs around 200 Bt! I would have bought them and sell on street
The must-try traditional dish: steamed rice wrapped with lotus leaf.
A drug store.
Their houses and ways of living look like Thailand 50 years ago.
Uncle Cheng, the owner of the house.
Inside the house
It feels funny yet amazing walking in a house while their family members are doing their routines. This is uncle Cheng’s first wife and she is cooking.
This is his third wife. She takes the visitors around the house and explains the history of these old stuffs.
After the trip, I discover that spending the whole day here costs me less than 2 meals in Siam Paragon.
February 16th, 2010 at 6:03 PM
all senior, why? …no teenage in there.
February 16th, 2010 at 10:50 PM
Can we stay over at this house? Anyway, love all the pix here!
February 16th, 2010 at 10:54 PM
How many wives does Uncle Cheng has? How they able to live together???
February 17th, 2010 at 8:03 AM
wow..i really love the photos, you captured it well it raised my interest to visit the place..
February 17th, 2010 at 10:09 AM
Wannapha, you should go there and you will be the youngest person na
GGberry, there is an accommodation for tourists that belongs to uncle Cheng near his house dauy.
Montree, Uncle Cheng has 4 wives and they do live together in the same house. I really have no idea why.
Nayus, Thanks. It’s a classic place really.
February 18th, 2010 at 7:01 AM
(Straw) hats off to Uncle Cheng I say!
Nice pictures sai!
March 13th, 2010 at 9:38 PM
Wow!Is Uncle Cheng is thai chinese ( Chiu Chow) ?? Im chinese too,so i think he is so cool and got four wives..!! Very chinese this way! Hope will have chance to go there one day..coz my bf like this kind of old style house and stores too……xx
March 14th, 2010 at 11:54 PM
Susanna, it takes only an hour to get to Samchuk from Bangkok. You’d better not miss it. I think you should also check out the other photo blog of Sai “Meet the Mon” – http://blog.travelandleisureasia.com/photo-blog/2010/02/24/meet-the-mon/
She seems appreciating local culture and old style constructions. Hope Sai comes up with more great photo blogs
March 16th, 2010 at 4:45 PM
Hi Susanna, thank you for visiting my blog. Yep, uncle Cheng is Thai-Chinese. One of the wives told me that Uncle Cheng was very very handsome when he was at his 20s. I saw his photos and he really was! If you have a chance to go there, don’t forget to share us some pix.
January 15th, 2011 at 12:45 PM
Thailand is a lovely place as you have experienced it. I am planing to visit Bangkok and Thailand in February this year lets hope for the best.
Maruti Swift
January 18th, 2011 at 11:42 AM
Hi Tushar, hope you have a great time in Thailand.
January 9th, 2012 at 6:25 PM
Nice post. I enjoyed your post a lot. It is so interesting that I couldn’t take away my eyes from your blog. I Enjoyed reading it a lot. Best of luck!!
Online Stock Broking | share market India