Like every time I went to Si Sa Ket, I dropped by Khao Phra Wihan National Park again on my latest visit to the northeastern province. As always, the sunrise at Pha Mo E Daeng, the cliff that is one of the park's top attractions, was a refreshing sight. During the rest of the trip, however, I came to realise that Si Sa Ket has much more to offer than Khao Phra Wihan.
The iconic bas reliefs of Pha Mo E Daeng are bathed in the golden rays of the morning Sun. Since the 11th century, these Khmer sculptures on the east-facing part of the sandstone cliff that now marks the border between Thailand and Cambodia have seen hundreds of thousands of sunrises. From the top of the cliff, you can get a sweeping view of Cambodia on the lowland some hundreds of metres down below. Apart from the scenery, you can also see a few bomb shelters that are leftovers from the 2011 military conflict between the two neighbouring countries over the nearby grand Khmer monument known to the Thais as Prasat Khao Phra Wihan and to Cambodians as Prasat Preah Vihear. Pha Mo E Daeng is part of the Khao Phra Wihan National Park, which covers the forest and historical sites atop the steep mountain along the borderline. Within the park’s boundary sits another Khmer monument called Prasat Don Tuan. Ancient inscriptions on one of its pillars is believed to be one of the oldest wanted notices.
After leaving the park on the Thai-Cambodian border, I got to visit a number of communities. At Ban Muang Luang, the villagers descended from Cambodian ancestors. They are very proud of their roots and culture. I was told that everybody in the village owns at least one set of traditional costumes. The Cambodian-style black-dyed silk clothes still play an important role in their lives. They may not don the costume in everyday life like in the past but on special occasions, the entire village goes black.
Every mother must prepare a piece of dyed silk as a gift for each of her daughters on their wedding day. "If they don't weave and dye the silk themselves, they can buy it from the local temple at a cheaper price than at a shop," said a village elder, adding that the black silk normally costs 700 baht per metre and a shirt made from it can be expensive.
Noticing the obvious doubt on my face, the old lady explained that when somebody dies it's a tradition that relatives of the deceased present black silk to the monks. "That's why the temple has a large stock of silk for any villager who needs it," she said.
Clothes made of black-dyed lai luk kaew silk is a cultural identity of people with Cambodian ancestry, common in Si Sa Ket. The word lai luk kaew refers to the rhombus patterns on the silk that result from a special way of weaving, while the black colour is derived from the unripened fruit of the ebony trees, a major ingredient of the traditional months-long dying process, which is done repeatedly for over a dozen times so that the material is completely black. Ban Muang Luang in Huai Thap Than district, 38km or so west of Si Sa Ket’s downtown, is one of several villages where the black silk is still produced. Here, you can learn about every step of making the material and the resulting costumes, from sericulture, silk yarn spinning and weaving to dying the cloth and decorating the tailored products with patterns made by sewing colourful threads on the black-dyed silk. With such embellishment, called saew, the price of a black silk shirt can hike from 2,000 baht to 3,500 baht or higher.
Asked what is the benefit of black, the grandmother said that the dyeing process, which uses the fruits of ebony trees and other natural ingredients, made the material softer but more durable. "Also, the dyed silk doesn't wrinkle easily. So you can wear it without the need to iron it first," she said.
At Ban Trakuan, where the community is made up of different ethnic groups, the cultural identity may not be as strong but the bond between the villagers is amazing. "If anybody gets admitted to the hospital, everybody in the village will visit the patient," said a housewife, laughing. "The doctors don't like to see too many visitors in the hospital but we feel we have to be there to lend support to our folks."
The knowledge of the Ban Trakuan villagers on the sufficiency economy as thought by the beloved King Bhumibol Adulyadej was astonishing. For example, in one of the houses I visited, the owner keeps over 200 catfish in a knee-deep, 2m by 2m pond. Using so little space, he could provide meat that is easy to digest but rich with protein for his family all year round. Imagine how much a city slicker has to spend each year for the same purpose!
Despite having been to Si Sa Ket a few times before, this latest visit was the most eye opening. There are so many things to learn. Next time I might even skip the national park.
The ancient monument of Prasat Sa Kamphaeng Yai, located within the ground of a Buddhist monastery that shares the same name, was a Hindu temple when it was built in the 11th century. The well-preserved Khmer ruins still boast magnificent bas reliefs. The stone sculpture on the tympana above this false door portrays the god Shiva seated on the back of his bull Nandhi. Also in the compound of the wat is a tasteless mix of faiths and art styles, from Japanese tori gates to Myanmar Buddha images and Chinese-influenced animal statues. What I found unacceptable in this temple of Uthumphon Phisai district was the use of the picture of Thai-style deities to decorate the ceiling of the toilet. At the Si Sa Ket Aquarium, you’ll see over 60 species of freshwater fish. Swimming in the big glass tank with a transparent tunnel where people can walk through are finned creatures of various sizes, including the Mekong giant catfish (pla buek in Thai), which many people have eaten but have never seen live. Other than the large tank, there are numerous smaller ones, each with interesting fish and other aquatic animals. The aquarium welcomes visitors every day, except for Monday. Opening hours are 10am-4pm. Food is usually a great part of one’s travel experience. In Si Sa Ket province, there are quite a few goodies that you must try. This time of year is the beginning of the durian season and Si Sa Ket is known as the home of some of the country’s best mon thong durian. In June, a farm in Kantharalak district called Pan Khun will offer an all-youcan-eat fruit buffet where visitors can pick and relish on the King of Fruits, rambutan, mango and banana grown in the 50 rai farm, which also has homestay accommodations. Apart from fruits, Si Sa Ket also boasts typical northeastern food as well as some dishes that are not common in other parts of the Isan region such as kaeng kluay, a spicy soup made of green banana and chicken. TRAVEL INFO
- Si Sa Ket can be reached by road and railway. However, the fastest way to get to the northeastern province is to fly to the adjacent Ubon Ratchani and rent a car or take a taxi from the airport, which is about an hour's drive to downtown Si Sa Ket.
- Hiring a van is a good option as attractions can be far apart and it's practical to have private transportation which allows you to move from one site to another at any time you wish. Call 085-105-6172, if you need one.
- To contact Khao Phra Wihan National Park, call 045-826-045.
- To make the most of your visit to any community, inform the villagers of your plan well in advance so they can prepare the demonstrations and food for you if needed. To get in touch with the Ban Trakuan community, call 091-834-1195 or visit its Facebook page which can be reached via this link: bit.ly/2U5SDr1. For Ban Muang Luang, phone 084-700-1671 or visit http://bit.ly/2D9uBFU.
- If you have inquiries about Pan Khun Farm and Homestay, check out http://facebook/PanKhunHomeStay or call 084-830-4080.
- For more information on Si Sa Ket Aquarium, visit www.facebook/sisaketaquarium or call 045-612-686.