PHETCHABURI -- For 20 years Sila Sutharat has grilled chicken and pork using only the power of sunlight, and sold it to passing motorists, at his roadside stall in Muang district.
His solar cooker is a reflecting panel fitted with hundreds of small mirrors - an idea he says he came up with by himself.
Mr Sila, now aged 60, has a stall at the Kloom Sakae three-way junction in tambon Nong Sano.
Long ago, he grilled his chicken and pork over a charcoal fire, like most other vendors.
And then, one day in 1997, while sitting at his stall and watching buses and other vehicles passing, it occurred to him how hot he felt when the glass windows on the vehicles reflected sunlight directly at him. He began experimenting, placing mirrors on a panel, trying to reflect the sunlight onto a small area.
Then he built a curved iron frame and attached about 1,000 3x5 inch mirrors to it. The panel and mirrors are adjusted to focus the sunlight on a frame on which chicken and pork are grilled.
Mr Sila said his solar cooker generates temperatures as high as 312°C. It can cook a 1.2 kilogramme chicken in just 12 minutes. The roasted meat sends out a savoury smell and its skin is crispy.
He said the best times for solar grilling are 7-10am and 2-5pm.
And the best part is, sunlight costs nothing, is totally sustainable and clean - unlike fossil fuels like natural gas, charcoal and coal, which are costly, pollute and are being depleted.
Phetchaburi Rajabhat University has acknowledged his wisdom and awarded him an honorary degree in science.
Mr Sila's roadside stall is a huge attraction for tourists, and local people. And his children are very proud of him.
Crispy chicken, grilled by sunlight, at Mr Sila's roadside stall in Muang district, Phetchaburi. (Photo by Chaiwat Satyaem)