TALAT THAI : The biggest wholesale foods market in Thailand and in South East Asia

Many may not know that the biggest foods market in South East Asia is located just on the great capital area of Bangkok,Khlong luang district of Phatumthani province. With the area of 72 hectares, Talat Thai covers flower markets, fruits market,vegetable markets, seafood markets, personal care markets,rice market, dried food market, snack market, IT market, auto market, pet markets, other supplies market. With the separated zone of 20 market hall.It is a truly one stop shopping service for wholesalers, retailers, restaurants, or even the households.Talat Thai market opens daily, 7 days,24 hrs. 

By walking along the market, you will understand about Thai people and Thai way of living more than what you see from any tourist attractions. Talat Thai market is one of the best example to describe and show about Thai way of living , Thai people lifestyles, and Thai cuisine to you. I guarantee that this is one of the interesting "off the beaten track" destination in Thailand.

Moreover, Talat thai even has the specific fruit market such as per below picture which is the biggest tangerine market hall. 

A retailer vegetable truck is a common distribution form in Thailand.

Thai Garland market

The garland florists.

Betel palm set as the offering to the monk, god, goddess according to the Thais belief.

Decoration for the shrines,spirit houses and the temples.

Interested in this tour, contact us at info@thailandsecrettour.com or www.thailandsecrettour.com

Wat Phraphutthachaay, Buddha's shadow and the discovery of his Right footprint, monkey mountain

Not so far from Wat Phraphutthabaat, situated the Wat Phraphutthachaay temple. This temple was known for the shadow of the Buddha's body.It was told that long time ago, when Buddha visited this area and gave the teaching to one hunter. Before he left, the hunter asked him to leave something as the respected memorial. Then the Buddha gave the miracle by showing his shadow shine on the mountain's wall.

The miracle Buddha's shadow was found about 400 years ago. Due to the storms and wars, the Wat Phraputthachaay temple was left abandoned for a long long time. Recently, it has been decided to renovate this temple once again.

One great discovery about this temple is that recently, about 20 years ago, when the fine art institution was trying to renovate the sanctuary, shrines and temple. They moved the mock Buddha footprint altar away from the original spot. After the move and cracked the cements, they discovered the original shape of Buddha's right footprint under the crack. 

Around the Wat Phraphutthachaay, located Khao Lom or Lom mountain. Around Lom mountain, there are lots of living creature such as monkey walking and running everywhere. They are wild monkey.

There was one corn seller. So we bought corn and fed these monkeys.

The monkeys are everywhere around the temple area and the stair.

On top of the hill, one layer down, there was a small pond where monkeys usually 

come here to play and bath.

Wat Phraputthachaay and Wat phraputthabaat are located in the same province. The trip lasts for a day. It is a great combination trip for anyone who is interested in Thai-Chinese way of living, Thai-Chinese temple, Buddhism history, miracle and enjoy the monkey feeding. If you are interested in this tour, contact info@thailandsecrettour.com or www.thailandsecrettour.com

Famous temple among the Chinese on Chinese new Year : Cave Shrine in Saraburee

Driving a bit further from Wat Phraputthabat, we arrived to "Rong Jee tham Pratun", directly translated to English as "Vegetarian cafeteria Pratun cave". At this cave, situated the Tiger god shrine. The shrine is located inside the cave and the vegetarian cafeteria is located in the front beside the shrine.

 From the picture, the entrance of the cave.

This shrine also sell one of the best tea I have ever tasted. It is the shrine's own herbal tea recipe. There are tea tank all over the place offer to the visitors. You can choose either hot/cold tea. If you like, you can also buy the pack of tea back home. 

Inside the cave, there are several small shrines situated all over the cave spots.

Another spot, there is the pagoda, built during the King Rama the fourth. Inside the temple, there is also the holy water which people usually take some and pour it on their head, or wash their face for their good luck.

Not only it is the shrine, this place is also the old people house. Every Chinese New year, they will come out sit on the chairs and wait for the kind minded people to donate some money to them.

Interested in a day trip tour, please contact info@thailandsecrettour.com or www.thailandsecrettour.com

Famous temple among the Chinese on Chinese New Year : Wat Phraphutthabaaat

During the Chinese new year, we visited one of the most popular temple among Thai-Chinese people in Thailand. This temple is called " Wat Phraputthabaat". Every year during the Chinese new year, my family and I always visit this temple. When we arrived, the first thing we did was to eat!

Around the Wat Phraputthabaat temple, there are several vegeterian cafeterias which offer vegetarian foods to the visitors for free. Of course, you can have them for free but usually, people rather donate some money for rice and other foods after the meal. The cafeteria in the picture below was called " Lao-je-tuo" which refers to old vegetarian cafeteria. 

The vegetarian meal we had once we arrived to Wat Phraputthabaat temple. On the table, it consisted of fried morning glory, prickles, fried eggplant, fried cabbage, and soup and steam rice and congee.

After finishing the meal, then we continued to pray to each shrines. Thai Chinese people believed that if you come to visit Wat Phraputthabaat every year, you and your whole family will be blessed for the whole year. 

After you finished praying at one shrine, then it is important to hit the temple drum 3 times. We believe that hitting the drum 3 times will bring us luck.

Outside the shrines, there are also the area where you can make merits and donations. From the picture, it is the day of birth oil lamp donation. For example, if you born on Monday, you donate some money in exchange with bottle of oil and then you pour the oil around the lamp of your day which defined by the position of the Buddha statue. During the pour, you can pray, wish or ask to be blessed. Usually people ask and wish for the happiness, luck, health, wealth.

 During the Chinese new year, lots of golden paper were fold and stacked up like piles of gold. They were ready to be burnt! Chinese people believe that burning the golden paper gold is a way to send the money to their dead ancestors to spend in the heaven.

After we finished praying at one side of the temple, we crossed the street, to pray at another side of the temple. This temple situated, the new vegetarian cafeteria. In Thai-Chinese, eating vegetarian is called "Kin-Jee" , Kin means to eat and Jee means vegetarian.

In the old days, the road transportation was not that convenient like nowadays. Therefore, it took nearly a day from Bangkok to Wat Phraputthabaat. If you left from Bangkok in the morning, you then arrived in the late evening. That's why, there are many free dormitory available for the visitors. The picture below showed the old dormitory. Nowadays, it is still functioning.

Then we crossed to another side of the road to visit the main sanctuary where , according to the belief of Thai people, the Buddha footprint was situated here. According to the history during Ayutthaya, one Thai monk who that time traveled to India, learnt from the Indian monk that there were 5 places where the Buddha footprints were situated and one of the 5 places was in Thailand. Once the Thai monk knew about this. He hurried to tell to the king. According to the old map, the Buddha footprint was located in the 

"Suwan banphot" mountain. 

After searching for a long time, they found the big Buddha footprint situated on this mountain. Since then, the king ordered to built the temple and the sanctuary to protect the Buddha footprint.

From the picture, at the entrance to the Buddha footprint sanctuary.

The big Buddha footprint, has been covered by gold leaves for many hundred years.

 Around the Wat Phraputthabaat, there are rows of hanging bells. People usually use the wooden stick to hit on every bell for their luck and blessing.

 Around the temple, there is a local market which usually sell grains, rice, deep fried banana, deep fried taro, garlics, red onions. If you are looking to buy herbs, grains, rice. This is one of the source and cheapest place to buy.

A day visit to Wat phraputthabaat temple is very interesting for culture, history and Buddhism. You see a way of living of Thai-Chinese people. If you are interested in this tour, book the tour with us. Contact info@thailandsecrettour.com , www.thailandsecrettour.com