Visiting the old town of Takua Pa, traveling to Phang Nga, renting a motorbike to see the old town, tasting Tao Sao dessert. More than ten years ago after the tsunami, when I was still writing travel stories for magazines as a passerby, I took a bus from Bangkok and jumped off at Takua Pa District, walked around looking for the old town for a long time but couldnt find it. The people of Takua Pa told me that I didnt know anything. This is a new town that was moved out later. I had to take a bus into the old town first before I could see many old buildings like in the books I had read. Then I realized that I had misunderstood from the beginning. I had to take a bus into the old town first.
This time, I prepared myself well. I booked a room in Phang Nga Province. I rode a motorcycle for more than 60 kilometers and arrived at the ancient site of the governor of Takua Pa in a cool way.
Takua Pa has a long history. The Milindapañha mentions a city named Tokkol (meaning cardamom). It is assumed that this is the city of Takola or Takua Pa. This story is happening to be around 500 BC. It is very believable because around the 7th Buddhist century, the name of the city Takola (Tokkol) also appeared in the Ptolemy Geographic Records, written by Claudius Ptolemy, a resident of Alexandria (the city of King Alexander).
Takua Pa is on the Maritime Silk Road, an ancient state trade route from Takua Pa to Ao Ban Don (Surat Thani). This route starts from Thung Tuek (an ancient international port city that traded with Persia and China), travels along the Takua Pa River, crosses overland to Khao Sok, and sails through Khlong Sok, Phum Duang River, and Tapi River until reaching Ao Ban Don.
There were four routes across the peninsula like this, all of which led to Ao Ban Don. Later, shipping advanced and there was a need to trade with the Srivijaya Kingdom, so it was popular to sail around the Strait of Malacca. These routes across the peninsula therefore lost their importance. In Siamese documents, the name of the town Takua Pa first appears during the reign of King Ekathotsarot of the Ayutthaya period.
Lets talk about the current state of the old Takua Pa town first. There are many ancient buildings called Sino (Portuguese) (some people call it Sino-European, Indo-European). A trading community arose because of the economy from the mining era. The old Takua Pa town was called Talad Yai (divided into Talad Bon, Talad Lang, Talad Nuea, Talad Tai). Later, when the tin ore ran out, the economy deteriorated. With the emergence of Phetkasem Road around 1950, development moved to the main road. This helped to maintain many old houses in Talad Takua Pa to the present.
Takua Pa bus stop
Today, the old Takua Pa market has many tourist activities. There is a cultural street or walking street on Sundays from 1 pm until the early evening. There are restaurants and cafes that are renovated from old buildings. There are many hotels to serve tourists. Throughout the town, there is street art for taking beautiful photos, as well as many historical sites in Takua Pa District.
Now that youve arrived in Takua Pa, where should you go? I d like to invite you to have fun in Takua Pa District. It doesnt take more than 2-3 hours to have fun.
The wall of the governors residence of Takua Pa was built by Phraya Senanuchit (Nuch Na Nakhon), governor of Takua Pa from 1840 to 1881, to protect against gangsters who caused chaos in Takua Pa. The plan of the governors residence is divided into three sections, called the Front Palace, the Hall, and the Back Palace. Each section is connected by a door. The wall uses the "cast wall" technique (clay, gravel, sand mixed with cement) compressed into square blocks, stacked on top of each other, reinforced with some brick sheets, not built with brick and mortar. Found in only a few places in Thailand.
It is assumed that the building of the governors residence was likely made of wood. There was a factory and a warehouse, but it was not in a neat and orderly state. King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) wrote about the Takua Pa governors residence in R.S. 109 (during his royal tour around the Malay Peninsula) that it was a house with high walls, not very big, with a house in poor condition, newly built and not yet finished, which was the residence of Phraya Senanuchit. There was an old house behind the big house, there was no pier, and the factory was rather untidy.
For Takua Pa Market, even if you come to walk on the cultural street on a weekday when there are no activities, you can still walk around and take pictures because there are restaurants, cafes, grocery stores, miscellaneous goods stores, souvenir shops to serve tourists just like on days when there are activities.
The weather is quite hot. Walking around and taking pictures in Takua Pa District, it would be a good idea to carry a bottle of water with you to sip when you feel hot. Dont forget to wear a hat, sunglasses, or bring an umbrella. This would be a good option for traveling in a global warming era.
Stop for some really delicious crab curry with Kanomchine on Takua Pa Cultural Street. The vendor told me that Takua Pa Market used to be called a big market, divided into two zones, called the upper market and the lower market. Notice how many side dishes the southern style Kanomchine have. They are about the same as the Kanomchine in front of the shrine or Pa Sons Kanomchine in Phang Nga. But I can tell you that this shop makes really delicious pickled vegetables to eat with the Kanomchine. There are even two kinds of pickled vegetables. If you want to know which kind they have, you have to find a chance to come and try them.
Khun In Building or the house of Khun Inthrakiri (Choi Na Nakhon), grandchild of Phraya Senanuchit (Nuch Na Nakhon), the governor of Takua Pa and the district chief of Takua Pa, was built by Chinese craftsmen. It is currently under the care of the Na Nakhon family. It is an ancient site of architectural value. It is a Sino-Portuguese building in a modified style. Originally the roof was covered with turtle-back tiles. It was repaired according to the original style with corrugated tiles.
Tao Ming School was founded in 1920 by the support of merchants and wealthy people in Takua Pa, Ranong, and Phuket to be a Chinese language school and provide primary education to the children of Chinese people. It was accepted as a private school after the announcement of the Private School Act of 1918. The original name was Toh Beng School, in Hokkien dialect, and was later changed to Tao Ming, which means leading to knowledge. The school building is in the applied Sino-European architectural style. The building is made of concrete and wood with a zinc roof. Although the school has been closed for a long time, it has been preserved by the Tao Ming School Foundation, Takua Pa, as a cultural and historical heritage of the community.
Turn on the navigation system and continue riding the motorbike, heading east. Within Takua Pa town, there is Wat Khuan Tham or Wat Kuha Phimuk, located on a not-so-high hill (its not tiring to walk up). Here, a 300-year-old Buddhist stone was excavated, according to the temple information. The newly built chapel is painted a beautiful pale pink. Inside, there are murals telling the story of Takua Pa town, starting from the mining era. Some of the paintings include American superheroes, probably hoping to attract children to visit the temple with their parents and grandparents.
Wat Khiri Khet is the first temple in Takua Pa, built in 1893. It started as a residence for monks, then developed into a temple. It has been called many names, such as Wat Khuan Pom, Wat Khuan Chai Khao, Wat Khuan Chedi, Wat Lum, Wat Talat Tai. Currently, Wat Khiri Khet or Wat Phra That Khiri Khet is the place where the Buddhas relics are enshrined in Takua Pa. The chapel is in local art style with a two-layered roof covered with kite tiles. The building is solid with holes for doors and windows. The sema stone is different from other places in the shape of a square lotus. There is a square ancient mound using the same construction technique as the Takua Pa governors residence. The excavation found that it was the base of a pagoda.
I did not miss visiting another important temple in the old Takua Pa market, Wat Senanuchrangsan. From the name of the temple, it is not difficult to guess that it was built by Phraya Senanuchit (Nuch Na Nakhon), the governor of Takua Pa, in 1847. It was influenced by Chinese according to the preference of King Rama III. Originally, the locals called it Wat Mai Kamphaeng and it was used as the place to drink water to show loyalty before the change of government in 1932.
Before leaving Takua Pa District to relax comfortably in my room in Phang Nga town, I just moved my wrist a few minutes and my trusty motorbike took me to Phetkasem Road. I went straight to the old Takua Pa City Hall to take some pictures (last time I didnt take any pictures, boo hoo). This city hall was built in 1929, before Phetkasem Road was cut through.
Dont forget one more thing: Tao Sor, a famous product of Takua Pa Market. There may be many shops selling them, but I bought them at Tao Sor Nanthawan (in the old Takua Pa Market). I picked up both boxes and got many different flavors. There was a mixed salted egg filling in one box, and a sweet filling of only salted egg. It is a famous snack, an OTOP product of the sub-district. When I get back to the hotel, I will lie down and eat until my stomach is full. And I guarantee that it is truly delicious.
