This was a second time we surveyed the route for the Fishermen Community Tour. We took the train from Baan Laem to Mae Klong (Traing market). On the way, we saw the salt farm field.
We were eager to see how the fishermen worked. At Mahaachai port (Samut sakhorn province), or for Thai people we called it Saphaan -pla (Fish Bridge). It was 5 AM. in the morning that the fishing boat, arrived to the port. Fishermen laid down the small iron bridge. Later, they slided the fish baskets down from the boat.
Inside the basket, the mackerel fish was contained. Thai Gulf Bay is the source of these mackerel fish.
The mackerel fish is used in many of Thai dishes. The famous one is called "Naam Prik Plaa Thuu". It is the mackerel with Kapi chilli paste. From the picture, the fishermen sorted the fish's size.
Another Fish port, Amphawan. We have got the permission to go inside and take a picture of the fish port and the activities around the port. The fishing boat here came with the bigger size. From the picture, fishermen were helping each other to spread the trawl in order to remove the fish.
The method of loading the fish to the port is the same. The iron bridge and the fish basket!
Later of that morning, we continued to the Fishermen community at Bang kra chaw village, Samut Sakhorn.
The picture showed the mangrove forest. People in this village, lived their lives based on the fishing, searching for clam shells, oyster, angel's wing, small crabs,
From the picture, a villager show us the fishing tool.
She introduced us to the mangrove forest nearby. The nature is 100%. In this mangrove, you can see, crab, clamshells, and mudskippers or in Thai we called it "Plaa-Tiin" which means the fish with legs.
An activity of the Fishermen villager is to fix the boat and paint.
Later on we walked deeper to the village. We found one big shrine. We learnt that this shrine is called " Pae-Kong Shrine" The villagers believed that the Pe-Kong god, protects them from the harm and dangers when they go out to the sea. We were highly requested to visit and pay the respect to the Pe-Kong god, before we could enter their village.
Inside the village, we saw that the ground was almost everywhere covered with the big blue net. We were told that it was for drying the Koey Shrimp. A main ingredient for Thai Shrimp Paste.
Also it is easier to walk on this blue net. The floor can be slippery ,muddy and rocky. So the villager thought that if they covered the ground everywhere with these net. It was 2 ways benefit.
The view of the village, some live in the wooden house and some live in side the hay hut!
To us, this was very exotic!
An old lady has been living in this village for all her life. She earned her living by searching for the oysters, and opening the shell, cleaning them and then selling them to the small retailer.
When we continued exploring this village, we met a lady who was knitting the trawl for the fishing boat. The pile of the trawl you see in the picture is purely handmade.
We passed another house, this house sells dried fish. Thai people used dried fish in many Thai dishes.
This Fishermen village, is completely unknown by the tourists nor the local. I was so excited when I found them. This was really the first I visited the fishermen village that are still raw and non tourist attraction and truly off the beaten paths.
If you are interested in this tour, please visit www.thailandsecrettour.com or
email us info@thailandsecrettour.com
