Bangkok, 19 August, 2021 – Nakhon Nayok, which is sandwiched between Pathum Thani and Prachin Buri provinces, is the tenth smallest province in the Kingdom. Most commonly attributed to Khao Yai National Park, it is one of the more all-natural provinces near bustling Bangkok.
Since the province is small, it is easy for visitors to Thailand – and people living here long-term – to forget that it is only 100 kilometres from the nation’s capital, and that it is also a province. However, it is safe to say that millions of visitors to Thailand have passed through Nakhon Nayok without even realising that they were travelling between provinces, the most common reason being transit to Khao Yai National Park.
Each year, over 1 million visitors experience Khao Yai National Park, making it one of the most visited in the country. Offering everything from white-water rafting, camping, birdwatching, and trekking, the Park is an endless source of natural beauty that has plenty of options for enjoying the breath-taking and diverse ecosystems in Thailand.
As the popularity of Khao Yai has grown over the years, the options for places to stay, things to eat, and activities available to experience its beauty have expanded as well. Visitors to Thailand now have a host of immersion activities to choose from when planning a visit to the Park, including wellness retreats and homestays offering unparalleled opportunity to feel the wonder of Thailand’s natural beauty.
No visit to Khao Yai National Park should be considered complete without basking in the mist of one of the many spectacular waterfalls bejewelling the Park. Modern developments have made it easier to access more of the destination points in Khao Yai than ever before without substantial cost to the preservation efforts in place to keep the Park safe and healthy.
Nakhon Nayok and its colourful khlongs
Just as it is unlikely that visitors travelling to Khao Yai will notice that they are passing through Nakhon Nayok, it is similarly doubtful that tourists will have an entire trip to Thailand without interacting with a khlong in some way.
A khlong, commonly referred to as a canal, is a waterway often found in the lower-lying areas of the Kingdom; such as, in Bangkok. Some of the more famous khlongs in Bangkok are Saen Saep and Phadung Krung Kasem, which are multipurpose waterways that run through the busy metropolis.
It is estimated that there are approximately 1,700 canals in Bangkok alone, most of which are far more than just a transportation option. Khlongs are often epicentres of communities and hubs that support art projects, community gardens, and floating markets. These rustic canals are regularly the backdrop for many of the mainstream films depicting life in Thailand.
One such khlong that is a bit off the beaten path, but is an essential component to its surroundings, is Khlong 15, located in the Ongkharak District of Nakhon Nayok. In this district, a series of long streets act as borders between farms formerly used for farming food. They are still being used for edible agriculture but have expanded to include the demand for ornamental plants. Offerings at Khlong 15 include everything from edible fruit trees and vegetables to rare flowering plants that are hard to find in any of Bangkok’s lush plant markets.
Once visitors arrive at Khlong 15, they’ll be submerged in long, narrow streets lined with vendors selling everything necessary to grow a garden either indoors or outdoors, including pots, soil, seedlings, and even full-grown trees. Additionally, many vendors in the Khlong 15 community specialise in plant propagation and are selling the necessary components for buyers to create the foundation for their own gardens or agribusinesses.
The thing that rings true of Khlong 15 is that no matter which vendor(s) visitors are buying from, the community is at the heart of everything in this unique area of Nakhon Nayok. Most vendors are family businesses that live, grow, and sell on the land that is essentially their storefront. It is common to have heartfelt chats with these families, and there is a strong feeling of neighbourhood support and gratitude that comes with plant shopping in this community.
For more information about the vendors in Khlong 15, this community Facebook group is a great starting point: https://www.facebook.com/groups/372577213135681, however, the info is mostly in Thai language.
The post Supporting the community by plant shopping at Khlong 15 appeared first on TAT Newsroom.
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