Bangsaphan News and Events
Bangsaphan - Small Town, Big Personality
Bangsaphan? I'd never heard of it, but I still found myself on a northbound bus heading for this unknown town. I was leaving the beautiful island of Koh Lanta behind me and not expecting much from Bangsaphan. It didn't take very long to realize that I had accidentally found a very special place. I came to Thailand to live and work in a town that was small enough to get to know the people and the culture. I was also hoping to find such a place near the sea. Bangsaphan was exactly what I was looking for, and more.
The first thing that you notice is all the coconut farms. This area of the country is where Thailand gets most of it's coconuts. I was also surprised to realize that Bangsaphan was basically a beach town. The town itself is a little inland and a typical example of a small Thai town. There's a main road that goes through the town lined with banks, cell phone shops, clothing stores, gold traders, pharmacies, a fresh food market and a seven eleven. Bangsaphan's true charm lies just outside this quaint center of commerce. The town is surrounded by beauty. There are mountains, ponds and creeks inland, and beautiful bays lining the coast.
One of my favorite pastimes is to ride my motorcycle up to Ban Krut, 20 km to the north. I still remember following my friend for the first time up that coastal road. As you're heading toward the beach road you notice the Thai/English signs for the entrance to the SSI steel company. It's because of this steel company that Bangsaphan has so many new and modern homes. They employ 5,000 people and offer great benefits. This allows local families to buy land and build modern houses.
Shortly past the steel company, right on the bay, is a small fishing village called Ban Thong Lang. This village is where most of the seafood comes from for the local fresh food markets. The sailors from ships docked at a nearby shipping pier come to play at this village when they're in port. Continuing past this village, into the next wide open bay to the north, is a beach road like none I'd ever seen before. There is nothing but sand and water to the right of the road, and jungle and coconut farms to the left.
There are no resorts, mini-marts, or houses for several kilometers except for an occasional veranda, on the beach side, with benches lining their hexagonal shape. We stopped at one of these verandas to take in the view. I still remember how impressed and confused I was at the time. I couldn't understand why I'd never heard of this place. I shared my thoughts with my buddy, who had been here for a year already, and he simply replied, "I know." We continued down that long ocean view stretch of road until it turned inland a bit and narrowed to the width of a single lane. Though the ocean view was gone, we were now surrounded by lush green vegetation on either side. The combination of the bright sunshine, cool December air and a smooth, clean road winding through this thick jungle was exhilarating. It made me feel very lucky to call Thailand home, even if just for a while.
It didn't take long before we were once again accompanied by the blue waters of the Gulf of Thailand. As the view on our right opened up to the beach, the sea found its way through a small valley in the sand and flowed on toward the north, parallel with, and between the road and the beach. It created a natural marina for local fishing boats. The view this created is jaw dropping. The road is slightly more elevated allowing you to take in the colorful fishing boats floating in a natural marina, protected from the sea by a long bar of sand stretched with pine trees. Eventually we reached the usually quiet town of Ban Krut, mostly known for it's ocean front resorts and restaurants. It's also known for the large wat and giant, golden, sitting Buddha that's rests on the mountain peninsula on the northern end of the bay. When the King is in town, this is the "wat" he comes to. When you see it, you understand why. Ban Krut is a nice little town to grab a bite to eat, enjoy a holiday festival, or just enjoy the beach. It's also home to one of the most beautiful Buddhist temples in Thailand, but the breathtaking journey is even more amazing than the destination.
This is just an example of what lies immediately to the north of Bangsaphan. I would later continue exploring the areas around and within Bangsaphan finding treasure after treasure of beautiful creeks, caves, lush landscape and incredible beaches. Just off the coast of the bay lay the islands of Koh Talu, Koh Sing and Koh Song, offering some of the best snorkeling I've ever seen. The population is as diverse as the environment. Bangsaphan is fishermen, businessmen, engineers, teachers, students, farmers, Buddhists, Christians, Muslims, families, Thais and farangs. I'm looking forward to the many years that it will ironically take to get to know this small town, its friendly people and its hidden treasures in the surrounding environment. I was already so impressed with my short trip to the north, it was hard to believe that the trip to the south was even more spectacular. That, however, is a whole different story.
Copyright: Rob Strasser, Bangsaphan, Thailand |
