Leap INTO THE LIGHT
Despite the recent incident in nearby Pattani and after years of violence, the southern province of Narathiwat is slowly gaining ground as a tourist spot
Aforgotten place in the Deep South of Thailand, Narathiwat is not top of the list for those who’re planning a vacation. The Tuesday bombings in nearby Pattani — and a spate of violent incidents in Yala and Narathiwat — have cast a deep shadow on the province.
Narathiwat, like its neighbours, has been under stress for years. But if you look at statistics, fights between insurgents and the government have declined and the situation has improved. This may not be entirely convincing to those who watch the news from their homes in Bangkok, but people here live their normal lives, going to work, shopping or dining out.
And visitors come to Narathiwat, too.
I was dining with the Narathiwat governor Sitthichai Sakda during Songkran when his mobile phone flashed with news that soldiers at check points were enjoying the water festival.
“That is common here. The weather is terribly hot and we are in a festive atmosphere right?” the governor said. “Narathiwat is fine now. However, most people still cling to old news that it is a dangerous place.
“Those from the other corners of the country may think Narathiwat remains unsafe. But we are quite good now. Malaysian friends understand us very well. We recently organised a bicycle tournament attended by more than 1,500 cyclists from Thailand and Malaysia.”
Though a number of checkpoints still remain in the downtown areas and on main roads for safety reasons, it is safe to go around town. Warm greetings and an abundance of smiles make the province feel like a friendly place.
And despite the latest explosions in Pattani, the repercussions are not heavy.
“All remains quiet. There is no cancellation for in-bound tours yet,” said Manthana Phoothararak, director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Narathiwat Office.
Provincial events in the pipeline will go on as scheduled, she said. Next month, Sukhirin district will celebrate its 50th anniversary. Narathiwat is a multicultural place and there are a number of Buddhist temples close to mosques and other shrines. An interesting attraction is a huge statue of the Hindu god Ganesha, which sits next to a Chinese shrine.
“My father and grandfather lived in Pakistan, where my grandfather built a shrine for Ganesha. My father wanted to build one, too, and so I built this huge statue to fulfil my father’s desire,” said Sumeth Busari. Busari and his father Inder Sain run a textiles business in Narathiwat.
Busari spent millions of baht and nine years to complete the shrine because of the violence. Though it is not the tallest Ganesha statue in Thailand, he is proud of it as it is a very beautiful one.
“Narathiwat should have something like this. I spent €10 [379 baht] to visit good museums or art galleries in Europe and another €10 on a good book. Why not do the same here in Narathiwat?” he said.
The Taloh-manoh Mosque or 300-year-old Mosque mirrors Malay cultural heritage in the province. Built nearly 400 years ago in Talohmanoh village in Bacho district, the wooden mosque is a perfect blend of Thai, Malay and Chinese architecture. With regular maintenance, the modest mosque is the spiritual centre of Muslims and welcomes a number of daily visitors.
I visited the mosque one afternoon when a group of locals were busy working on the old wooden building. Workers were polishing the exterior wood walls, preparing it for a new coat of paint.
From the fresh markets to picturesque beaches, locals always greet visitors with sincere smiles. I bought fish crackers, a well known local product, and headed to Ao Manao, where families spend evenings watching the sun go down. Under the shade of a tree, I sat back, enjoyed the breeze and peaceful moments of friendly Narathiwat.
In the bustling bordertown of Sungai Kolok, Oun Bak Kut Teh serves a soup, which is priced at 100 baht per person. Bakkutteh is a pork rib soup popular in Malaysia and Singapore. But this famous
bakkutteh restaurant serves the soup with chicken essence, abalone and mushrooms.