Ban Nong Khao

Village

The Charm of Rural Thai Lifestyle

Photos by Induang

The Village's History

The history of Ban Nong Khao traces back to the reign of King Ekkathat (1758-1767), the last king of the Ayutthaya Period (1350-1767 A.D.). When Ayutthaya was defeated by Burma in 1767, a large number of Thai citizens were driven to Burma. At that time, some of the natives of Kanchanaburi fled to hide in the woods. But the locals of Ban Dong Rang and Ban Don Kradueang united to fight back. At last, they failed to resist the Burmese invaders and their villages were burned down.

After the situation subsided, those who had        escaped from the Burmese soldiers got together to establish a new village near a large pond named Nong Ya Dok Khao meaning a pond with white-flower grass. The new village was named after the pond. Later, it was shortened to Ban Nong Khao.

Regarding the Dong Rang Village which was       situated to the south of Ban Nong Khao, today ruins of pagodas, temples and Buddha images at Wat Yai Dong Rang are left to reveal the damage caused in 1767. The temple was later restored in 1982. The former Don Kradueang Village is now the location of Nong Khao Kowit Phitthayakhom school.

Cultural Village

The local residents in Ban Nong Khao Village simply live in an agricultural society. We saw them growing rice in paddy fields and crops on dry land or in orchards. Ancient-style wooden houses were seen everywhere. The villagers live in unity and strictly observe folk traditions by regularly holding cultural activities and religious rites.

The villagers' harmony in cultural conservation was rewarded with the first prize for outstanding cultural activities from the Ministry of Culture in 2007.

Tourists can go sight-seeing around the village by a farm truck. We enjoyed it a lot as it was a rare opportunity for us to ride on that kind of vehicle. Besides, bicycles are also available as another choice to go round the village. The first spot the truck led us to was Wat Nong Khao where the holy Luang Pho To Buddha image is enshrined. Then, we went to explore the folk museum in the temple compound. It exhibits several aspects of the village including history and culture.

In addition, tourists will get to see demonstrations of some of their daily-life activities such as dessert making and rice husking. We loved the dessert making, especially that of the giant rice crisps. We were allowed to try roasting them and surprisingly found out that it was not easy job as it seemed. Our rice crisp came out too small, and even worse, partly burnt! Well, its taste was no less delicious.  The giant rice crisps are a Thai-style snack. We used to eat them when we were children but in Bangkok nowadays, it's hard to find any.

We also observed how to make hundred-coloured loincloths and bought several pieces as souvenirs. They were so colourful that our parents loved them and regretted that we bought too few.  

The hundred-coloured loincloth is the village's  famous product. It is outstanding because its bright colours and its lustrous texture look like silk. It is also easy to take care of as the colours do not fade and the fabric does not stretch or shrink. The villagers weave according to the ancient patterns. Its producing and distributing centre is near Wat Intharam. Besides loincloth, the colourful fabric is tailoured into shirts, bags, hats and so on.

Riding on a farm truck allowed us to see not only the villagers' houses and the way they live, but also many ancestors' shrines which were miniature wooden houses. What's more, the farm truck took us to see the green rice fields and palm groves where we fully breathed in the fresh air and admired the beautiful nature.

Beliefs

Since this is a cultural village, we learned about their beliefs as well. The Nong Khao people cling onto several beliefs such as the belief about mo yai (grandma's pot), the belief about rice blessing and the belief about mediums. But we will elaborate only on the mo yai belief which is unique.

In the bedrooms of the Nong Khao people, there are small earthen pots hanging on the walls. They are called mo (pot) yai (grandma) and are symbols of their ancestors. The pots are wrapped in white cloth and sacred strings. Inside is a miniature beeswax image of human that is the representative of yai or grandma.       Apart from earthen pots, yai might be placed in other utensils such as a bowl, a basket and a section of bamboo. But the earthen pot is mostly popular. 

Yearly, in the 6th lunar month which roughly       corresponds to May, offerings are presented to yai. And wherever the Nong Khao people move, they will bring along their mo yai with them. When they get married, their parents must make a mo yai for them to take to  their new house as a sign of propitious lives.

On our return trip in the van, we discussed what we saw and learned and we found that it was interesting though a bit spooky when we knew about the mo yai folk belief. With those old earthen pots hanging on the wall of their bedrooms, we would never dare to sleep there at any cost!

To tourists who want to learn about Thai culture and traditional lifestyle, Nong Khao Village is highly recommended. You can choose to go there on a one-day trip or stay longer to enjoy an extensive tour of the province. Since Kanchanaburi Province has many interesting attractions like the Bridge over the River Kwai and war cemeteries, it is suggested that you stay there for two or three days to cover most of the province's attractions.

How to get there

From Kanchanaburi provincial town, go along Highway 324 (Kanchanaburi-Suphanburi) about 12 km. Then you will reach Ban Nong Khao.

• For more information, please contact Kanchanaburi Office of Public Relation on tel: 0 3451 2410
• Special thanks to Kanchanaburi Office of Public Relation for arranging a trip to Ban Nong Khao