More than a decade-and-a-half before the northern railway reached Chiang Mai in 1926, the villagers of Ban Mae Phuak in what is now Den Chai district of Phrae province already had their own train station. A century later, this small station, which is less than 6km from the larger one in Den Chai town, was degraded to a "train stop". Unstaffed and unmaintained, the twin two-storey teak architecture was left to decay.
Thanks to concerted efforts between Ban Mae Phuak villagers, academics and social groups, the once neglected wooden buildings won a conservation award from the Association of Siamese Architects (ASA) in 2016. Last weekend, Ban Mae Phuak welcomed its first group of homestay guests. The community is exploring its potential to become a base for culture and history enthusiasts wishing to explore this part of Phrae, which includes Muang Phrae, Den Chai and Long districts.
"Income from tourism will help make villagers realise the benefits of keeping our historical train station. This is a way to make our conservation efforts sustainable," said Noi Thianmanee, or Phuyai Noi, the headman of Mu 5, Ban Mae Phuak, where the award-winning train stop is located.
Asked how it all started, Phuyai Noi recounted that in 2004, while watching TV news about the Sam Chuk community in Suphan Buri -- which these days is one of the province's major tourist attractions -- he was inspired to preserve the village's train stop buildings which sport a design he had never seen anywhere else.
These photographs of Their Majesties King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit during their visit to the town of Long on March 14, 1958, are among many exhibited at the Chalong Sin Photo Studio Museum. From these precious photos, you can learn about the historical moments, culture and many aspects of lives in Long over the past six decades. Many of the old photos put on display at the district's heritage sites, including Ban Pin railway station, are the work of Chalong Phanichphant, the late owner of the studio, which was converted into a museum by his son Komol, who also is an avid photographer and respected guru of Phrae's traditional textiles. xxxxxx
Once permission was granted from the State Railway of Thailand, Phuyai Noi and other villagers joined forces to clean the ex-train station, repainted it and keep the surroundings tidy. "We used the buildings for many purposes, from village meetings to receptions of visiting groups of students and villagers from other communities," he said.
Then five years ago, Prinya Chukaew, an architecture lecturer at King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL) visited the Mae Phuak train stop and met Phuyai Noi. Prinya has a passion for old railway stations and has been active in conservation projects at other sites in Nakhon Ratchasima.
"The twin-tower design of this place makes it unique," said Prinya, who was also in Ban Mae Phuak last weekend. The academic added that after his first visit, he soon returned to the train stop with colleagues and architecture students to conduct a systematic study of the buildings. From then on the villagers and the team from KMITL's Faculty of Architecture has been working hand in hand making sure the heritage buildings will not see the same fate as many other old train stations torn down to make way for new developments such as the dual track railway project.
"The conservation award from the ASA will help prevent such a thing happening here," he revealed.
Putting Ban Mae Phuak on the tourist map is another measure that Phuyai Noi and Prinya believe can immunise this one-of-a-kind former train station. Ban Mae Phuak now receives support from the Tourism Authority of Thailand and local government agencies, as well as social groups such as Ride Explorers, which brought in the first batch of homestay guests.
For visitors, the new overnight service will allow them to get first-hand experience of village life. The locals have planned many activities for this purpose. From Ban Mae Phuak, homestay guests can make short trips to explore the many interesting places in nearby districts, especially Long, which is home to another unique train station in Ban Pin and a number of museums and temples.
At least for now, the future of this former train station and the local community doesn't look as gloomy as it used to be.
Komol Pha Boraan Local Museum showcases a priceless collection of Phrae's loin cloths (pha sin), both antique and new creations, many of which were award winners. Here, you will learn about various aspects of the art of making these exquisite traditional northern textiles. For example, the vertical strip across the lower section of each pha sin shown in this picture serves as the signature of its creator.
Mae Phuak villagers are friendly folks rich in tradition. They are excited about having culture enthusiasts visiting their community. They also hope that tourism will spur the local economy and bring back the village's young men and women, who left to seek jobs in cities.
Ban Pin Railway Station in Long district is another unique station. It was designed like a Bavarian timbre-frame house, a reminder of German engineers' contribution to the construction of the Kingdom's northern railway. Unlike the one in Mae Phuak, which is about 35.6km to the southeast, it is well preserved and still a fully-functioning station. Originally, as shown in the old black and white photo, which is one of the several exhibited at the station, the platform's roof which obstructs the view of the building was non-existent.
Beloved by the local community, the former Mae Phuak station of Den Chai district boasts twin two-storey structures, the only one of its kind in the country with such a design. The upper floor served as the residence of the train station's chief. The State Railway of Thailand pulled out all its employees years ago. Officially, this place is no longer regarded as a station, but downgraded to a "train stop". However, no train stops here anymore, except for the Nakhon Sawan-Chiang Mai route. The northbound train, which can take you to the German-style Ban Pin station, arrives in Mae Phuak at 10.05am. The southbound train arrives at 2.26pm. Pongpet Mekloy
