DISCOVER THAILAND
Travel News - Thursday 17 April 2003

Suphan Buri sojourn
Ancient temples, hi-tech museum, and a sprawling wildlife sanctuary make for a complete family vacation on weekends
Story and pictures by THANIN WEERADET

When the Indian laburnam (Cassia fistula) bursts into vibrant yellow I know summer has arrived and it will last several months.
I was looking for a place close to Bangkok to spend the weekend and a beach resort would have just been fine, but I decided to go for Suphan Buri, a province of which I knew very little.

I decided to begin my tour of this temple-laden province in Thailand's central plains by arriving at an area where most of the local government offices are located, and most importantly the Suphan Buri National Museum which will officially open later this year. Built at a cost of more than 50 million baht and showcasing rare art and artefacts, the museum is equipped with latest multimedia technology to give visitors a thorough run down of the province's history and its evolution into a modern society.

According to its director, Phnombootra Chandrajoti, the primary aim of the museum is to accord the province its rightful place in history, and allow visitors to appreciate its distinct heritage and culture.
The museum is spread over two floors. It opens with a section devoted to history of the province and moves on to U Thong city.
From there visitors are led into a mini theatre to view a 15-minute documentary profiling important dates and milestones in the annals of Suphan Buri. A room next to the theatre gives an account of important Suphan Buri personalities since the Ayutthaya period.
Visitors then move on to the section dealing with ethnic people of Suphan Buri from their character and the way they dress and live Thai Lawa, Thai Phuan, Thai Vieng, Thai Karen, Thai Khmer,
and Thai Vietnamese.

Next to the museum is a theatre which holds a show every Saturday from 2 p.m.

One of the more frequently visited provincial landmarks is the
123-metre-high Banharn-Jamsai Tower. Four-storey tall, the top floor is an observatory tower, while other floors house souvenir shops, restaurants, restrooms and toilets. And if you remember your lessons from school days then you will enjoy the impressionist paintings depicting the classical Khun Chang-Khun Phaen folklore that has been the subject of many a films and TV dramas.
For contemporary theme go to Wat Pa Lay Lai and admire the expressionist paintings on the interior walls of the temple.

Back to the tower. It's surrounded by a compact garden that will invite you to take a walk. At a corner is a small landscaped garden of palm trees that will remind you of Moroccan gardens.
In an arch around the tower are colourful fountains that open up every Friday from 5-7pm and on weekends from noon to 2 p.m.
and 5 p.m.-7 p.m. There is also a kids' corner equipped with a water park.


A replica of Lord Buddha's
foot print at Wat Khao Dee Saluk near Farming Promotion
and Deverlopment Centre.


The dilapidated hall
(foreground) and prang of
Wat Phra Si Rattana Maha That.


The Banharn-Jamsai Tower
is a popular landmark.

The City Pillar Shrine is Buddhist influenced; there is a statue of Lord Shiva made from rock.
The head is decorated with a headdress influenced by Khmer art.
In addition, there are dragons and swans.

Suphan Buri is dotted with temples. During the Ayutthaya period, Suphan Buri formed the
buffer between the ancient capital and the invading forces. One of the most attractive roads
is Somphan Khong that snakes off Highway 321(Malaiman Road) through various temples
including Wat Phra Si Rattana Maha That, Wat Naw Buddhangkul. Another interesting temple
is Wat Phra Non or Temple of the Reclining Buddha. The temple has become one of the
hottest properties under the new tourism campaign, Unseen Thailand, launched by
the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

That said, some temples are losing their grace. They are, unfortunately, being given a modernised look. Wat Naw Buddhangkul, located at tambon Phihandaeng, two kilometres from Wat Khae on the western bank of Suphan Buri River, was built during the reign of King Rama III. Originally, Phihandaeng was inhabited by Lao prisoners of war captured during the reign of King Anuwong of Vientiane. The murals were painted in 1848 by Kam, an artisan in the court of Vientiane who was in Suphan Buri to see his brother, a prisoner of war. Murals in the hall of Wat Naw Buddhangkul have worn out with age but continue to fascinate visitor


The next day I left town and headed for
Doembang Nangbuat to visit the
Bueng Chawak Wildlife Extension Centre.

Bueng Chawak is a natural marshland
that has been declared a non-hunting area.
It consists of a centre for tourists and
an exhibition area.

 

A peacock in full flair at
Bueng Chawak Wildlife Extension Centre, Doembang Nangbuat.

There is a huge bird sanctuary, demonstration of breeding endangered species of animals
and birds such as waterfowl and pheasant and much more. Bird watchers should head for
the non-tailed Jacanas.

At the Chicken Centre you can watch a demonstration of breeding techniques used for different kinds of fowl. There is an ostrich cage, too.

The Local Vegetable Park features over 500 indigenous medicinal herbs. After wandering around the park, I walked further to the Siamese Crocodile Pond and spotted a few crocs basking in the sun. The park has also an aquarium for freshwater animals.

If you wish to taste edible herbs and are in luck go to a restaurant outside the gate where herbs grown there are served in a variety of dishes.

Since the demonstrations and the garden are spread over a wide area, the centre provides
a shuttle service every hour. Otherwise, travellers should have their own car.

The following day I headed west to U Thong district where the Farming Promotion and Development Centre is working on breeding and growing economic plants and trees through the application of tissue culture technology. The centre today features seven greenhouses set up with Israeli expertise. A staffer walked me from one greenhouse to another where humidity, light intensity and temperature are computer-controlled. It has an impressive cooling system in which a row of huge ventilating fans is installed on one wall while the opposite is studded with pockmarked sheets of water-soaked hard paper. It's much cooler inside the greenhouses.
Farmers in 12 neighbouring provinces have already been introduced to tissue culture technology which is being applied to aspagaragus, pineapple, anthuriums, herbal plants, bananas and a few temperate flowers like chrysanthemum and other daisy-like flowers.

Travellers can take a side trip to Wat Khao Dee Saluk temple. Perched on top of a mountain,
the temple houses a replica of Lord Buddha's footprint. It provides a good platform for viewing and admiring Suphan Buri and its surroundings.

A few days there woke me up the charms of Suphan Buri. This ``City of Gold'', as the name translates in Thai, is a good destination for the weekend if you are looking for something different.

 

A blend of ancient and modern architecture:
Suphan Buri's National Theatre.

 

 




Travel tips

Suphan Buri is 107 kilometres from Bangkok and can be reached in two hours.
There are several ways of getting there. For example, Bangkok-Bang Bua Thong-Suphan Buri, Bangkok-Rangsit-Pathum Thani-Lat Loom Kaew-Suphan Buri, Bangkok-Ayutthaya-Suphan Buri, Bangkok-Ang Thong-Suphan Buri (Asia Highway). Alternatively, get a bus from
Mo Chit Bus Terminal. From Suphan Buri, it is 52 kilometres to Ayutthaya and 65 kilometres
to Kanchanaburi in different directions.

Accommodation
Suphan provincial town
- Songphanburi Hotel (035-522-555 to 7, 546-667 to 71) charges 800 baht a night.

- Khum Suphan Hotel (035-522-273 to 6, 523-553 to 4) also offers 800 baht a night.

- Sports and Health Hotel, (035-555-112-3, 09-742-0417) Muang district, 600-800 baht a night.

Si Prachan
- Wang Yang Resort (035-548-870-2, 01-216-2835) provides resort-style accommodation.

Dining
Provincial town
- Phae Suphan in town offers riverside dining.

- Night market across from Banharn-Jamsai Tower.

- There are local eateries on Somphan Khong Road, such as one in front of Wat Rattana Maha That.

- Lai Mai Restaurant near Bueng Chawak Wildlife Extension Centre is a good choice for lunch.

Attractions
- The tower and park is open daily except Monday from 10am-8:30pm.
Ticket costs 40 baht for a tower tour. Call 035-522-973.

- Spare half a day at Bueng Chawak Wildlife Extension Centre as it is 64 km from the provincial town and there are at least six stops that need to be made. The centre is open daily from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Tour buses depart every hour. Ticket costs 20 baht per person.

- The Farming Promotion and Development Centre of Suphan Buri opened a year ago. For a visit, an advanced notice is required for a guided tour. The centre is located at Moo 12, tambon Phlap Phla Chai, U-thong. Call 035-551-399 ext 101.

- Travellers can take a side trip to Phu Toei National Park in Dan Chang. Trekking can be arranged by national park officials. Allow for a few days at the park. Call 01-985-6360, 035-529-215, Phu Toei Protection Unit at 01-934-2240, 035-481-708.

For further details, call Suphan Buri Tourism Coordination Centre at 053-536-030. The office is located on the 3rd floor of Suphan Buri City Hall.

Uppdaterad 14 November, 2003