That old rocky road
Half-a-century ago, a young Australian woman came to Thailand with her Thai fiancé. They got married in Bangkok, where she worked as a teacher, while he started a bustling tin mine deep in the forest on the border of what is now Myanmar. In those days it took five hours just to travel from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi, then 12 hours from there to a town in Thong Pha Phum called Tha Khanun, and another 12 to reach Pilok, where the mine was located.
Over three decades ago, due to plunging tin prices, the mine, where over 600 men and women worked around the clock in three shifts, had to cease operation. A few years later the husband fell victim to cancer. Before he passed away, his wife promised him she would take good care of his former mine and the remaining workers, whom he regarded as family. She kept her word and moved from Bangkok to Pilok. These days, at the age of 79, she still lives there, in the forest home full of fond memories of her beloved husband. Some of you may know that this is the story of Glennis and Somsak Setabandhu. Over the past many years, Auntie Glennis — or Pa Glen, as she is widely known by Thai travellers — has turned the former site of Somsak Mining into a famous homestay service that still sustains the families of the few remaining former miners.
Apart from the true love that Pa Glen has for her late husband, there’s at least one other thing that has not changed with time: the off-road track that links the old mine site in the forest to the main road. It’s the combination of the couple’s fascinating story, the old mine’s remote location and difficult access that gives Glennis’ Homestay — still called Somsak Mining by many — its legendary status.
Despite having been to Pilok a couple of times before, it was only recently that I got to visit Somsak Mining. That’s because this time I went in the dry season. Without deep mud, my mountain bike could easily go wherever a 4x4 pickup could.
With signs being put up along the way banning non-off-road vehicles, the dusty track lives up to its reputation. The surface is full of loose rocks, making steep sections even more challenging.
My ride buddy and I were lucky enough to meet Pa Glen in person. The auntie is a very kind and friendly lady. She speaks Thai fluently and is in apparent good health. She no longer bakes her famous home-made cakes, but has left the task to the wife of one of her former workers who lives in Pilok.
Pa Glen’s only guest that day was a young Western tourist who ignored the warning signs and drove a normal pickup to the old mine. The guy was waiting for somebody from Pilok to come and help get him and his rental vehicle out of the forest.
After a brief chat with Pa Glen, we continued deeper into the wild to Chet Mit waterfall. This part of the trail is not much used, so it is narrower and even more fun to ride. Along the way, there was a deserted camp for mine workers. I couldn’t help but imagine how busy it must have been in its heyday.
We managed to ride back out of the forest well before darkness fell, in time to drop by at the house in Pilok where the cakes are now made. With my leftover latte from that morning, the carrot and banana cakes I tried made a sweet ending to our awesome day of biking.
Well, see you here again next Thursday. Until then, if you have questions, news or biking insights you wish to share, please feel free to send an email to pongpetm@bangkokpost.co.th or go to the Freewheel
Bangkok community page on Facebook.