Fish-themed festivity

The cool season has arrived in Thailand and this is the best time to enjoy pla thu. Pla thu ( Rastrelliger brachysoma) or short-bodied mackerel is widely available in the Gulf of Thailand. The fish is very popular among Thais. It can be simply served as fried pla thu, or developed into various dishes. In the past, its low price made it a cheap food for the poor, even for cats. However, pla thu is now rather expensive. A 15cm pla thu can be priced around 25-30 baht each. Pla thu from Mae Klong or Samut Songkhram is honoured as the best quality fish. However, the adjacent Samut Sakhon is another major fishing port that catches a number of quality pla thu as well. Short-bodied mackerel caught during this cooler time of year is in high demand as it offers the best taste. To honour this tradition, Samut Sakhon is holding an annual fair to promote this famous fish. The Nov 17-22 fair will be held at Wat Suthiwat Wararam in Tambon Tha Chalom. Visitors should expect to find fresh mackerel at tempting prices. Moreover, visitors will be amazed at the great variety of pla thu dishes available at the fair. There will be more than 30 dishes including pla thu dumpling, pla thu liver fried with ginger, tom yum pla thu and deep fried pla thu topped with garlic. The fair will turn livelier with various fun races such as pla thu boiled rice-eating race. Chefs will show off their best dishes in the cooking contest, using pla thu as the main ingredient. Other fish dishes, such as snakeskin gourami or pla salit will also be available. Samut Songkhram has a number of snakeskin gourami farms. An oversupply situation has brought prices down, enabling people to enjoy the fish at a low cost. There are plenty of other activities to entertain fairgoers including cruising the Tha Chin River and the river mouth, witnessing thousands of fishing boats that line the river and canals, visiting the Mahachai Bay Mangrove Forest Study Centre or paying homage to the Guanyin goddess. Visitors also can tour Tha Chalom, Thailand’s first municipality, which was once a very vibrant area of the province. Its narrow lanes are lined with beautiful old houses and shops from a bygone era, interrupted by a busy fishing pier. Roaming the area will bring you back to the nostalgic atmosphere of yesteryear.