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Waterworld: Ecotourism in Thailand

A story about how a little village in Thailand is using ecotourism to raise itself from the mud and teach people to save the environment.

Ban Khun Samut Jeen is a village on stilts in Samut Prakan Province, Thailand. It reminds me a bit of the movie Waterworld, a 1995 film starring Kevin Costner about a post-apocalyptic world underwater. Due to global warming and erosion, a large part of the village was completely wiped off the map. To keep their plight on the map, the villagers promote ecotourism through their Homestay. A part of the profit helps support programs that combat erosion and educate people on how to save the environment.

    

Their Homestay was a great deal. For the price of 600 baht ($18) per adult a night, you get lodging, three delicious authentic Thai meals, and a learning experience. Even though it is only 19 kilometers from chaotic Bangkok, it feels as if you are a world away. Located where the Chao Phraya River meets the Gulf of Thailand, it is accessible only by boat. It was not the easiest place to get to. But it was well worth the trip.

To get there, we used the toll road from Bangkok to Samut Prakan. We followed directions to Pa Ree Port, “ท่าเรือป้ารี่”. (GPS coordinate 13.550067, 100.531123). We got there at dusk and parked the car overnight for 100 baht ($3). Across the parking space is the port where we hired a longtail boat to Ban Khun Samut Jeen port, “ท่าเรือบ้านขุนสมุทรจีน(บ้านผู้ใหญ่สมร)”. For our entire group, it cost only 150 baht ($4.50).

We raced along green tea-color waterways for 15 minutes and reached the port by nightfall. Our adventure did not end there. The port is about a 10-minute walk away from our destination. We dragged our suitcases on a raised dirt embankment flanked by water on each side (note: only bring backpacks next time). The darkness around us did not help. Along the way, we heard splashing and gurgling sounds from the water. Thankfully we had strong flashlights to light to way.

We arrived tired and hungry at Ban Khun Samut Jeen Homestay. The owner, Puyai Samorn, was not expecting us. It was completely our fault we did not call from Bangkok to confirm and had arrived so late they had thought we canceled (note: always call to confirm our stay next time). They scrambled to cook us dinner and set up a hut for us. It is a beautiful wood structure with thatch roof built on stilts over the water. Wood plank walkways guarded by friendly dogs connect it to the main building, restrooms, and other huts.

The traditional Thai meal served was amazing: deep-fried shrimps and fish,  steamed crab and clams, sour soup with seafood,  and Thai omelet (sorry, no pictures because we were too hungry). After we filled stomachs to the brim, we retired to sleep under mosquito nets on pads on the hardwood floor. It was not a 5-star place but it was authentic, which, to me, beats luxury on most days. 

In the morning we woke up to the sun rising over the Gulf and a delicious breakfast of shrimp rice soup. Our guide came to pick us up with a full itinerary (also included in the price). He was there to give us an education on the village and what they are doing to promote ecotourism.

He took us to plant mangrove trees along the coastline, a project started by the villagers to help with erosion. They had also built sea walls to keep the entire village from being swallowed by the Gulf. Because they did not receive enough government help, they had to raise money from corporations and fundraisers to build them. The walls and the mangroves have been the most effective ways of slowing down land loss.

We also visited a Buddhist temple in the middle of the ocean and accessible only by a long bridge. It was once partly under water. Now it sits lonely on an island. People had to excavate it out of the muddy water after they built the sea wall. Evidence of water damage is in the peeled walls and raised wood plank floors.

Among the amazing sea life we saw were fiddler crabs and mudskippers, fishes that could glide around on their fins. As we looked out toward the Gulf, our guide pointed at the poles sticking up in places. “These were utility poles. During low tide, sometimes you can see roofs of homes, hospital, and school that are underwater,” he said. 

After, he took us on a walk around the village (what’s left of it). There were a cute elementary school and wood homes nestled among mangrove trees. Along a part of the beautiful paths were plastic bags and bottles – trash from Bangkok washed downstream into this coastal village. I asked about recycling and trash collection. The guide replied sadly that no matter how often they picked up the trash there would be more. Being so close to a major city, it is a receptacle of things carried by the river. It has to start at the source.

After a delicious seafood lunch, we bid farewell to the wonderful people and friendly dogs. Ban Khun Samut Jeen is one of the most special places we have visited. It is a hidden gem that is both a cautionary tale and a hope. It has suffered at the hands of humans – by our reckless behaviors and series of bad decisions. If we can save it, then it would prove that what humans damage we can also fix. It is not too late.

To contact the Homestay, send a message through their Facebook page.

 For more stories on ecotourism, please click here.
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A story about Thai chicken green curry (with recipe)

When I tell strangers I’m Thai, one of the first things they tell me is that they love Thai food. My reply is usually, ‘so do I’. What’s not to like about Thai food?

I grew up in Bangkok, a crossroad of Asian cuisines. For many years I was raised by one of the best cooks in the world – my paternal grandmother, Yupa. She was part Indonesian, part Chinese, and part Thai (although I’m not sure of the percentages). And her cooking was as diverse as her blood.

Grandmother is 2nd from left, back row

She was always in the kitchen preparing meals for her family using fresh ingredients bought at the wet market each morning. She would give me a precise list of what to buy, down to the color and number of chili peppers. And I would know by looking at it what we’d have for dinner.

To a child of eleven, the wet market in the morning was like a perfectly choreographed musical. Sellers sang the names of their goods. Bells tinkled as bicycles weave through the crowd. Steam rose from metal drums filled with soy milk and porridge. Stalls lined up one after another in an explosion of colors and textures.

 

Each stall was specialized. I would have to go to five, sometimes, six stalls to get all the ingredients for one dish. One for chicken and beef. A couple for vegetables and herbs. One for shrimp paste. A store just for coconut. Everything was as fresh as they can be.

Many of my clearest childhood memories are from that wet market. The sound of cleaver severing meat from bones. The bright saffron color of monks’ robes. The scent of coconut meat going through the grinder. I can still smell it. Creamy and earthy, with a tinge of burnt wood.

Curry was one of my grandmother’s staple dishes. To make the curry paste, she would wrap shrimp paste in banana leaf and grill it over an open flame before blending it with a mixture of garlic, shallots, galangal, and chili pepper I had pounded with stone mortar and pestle. For coconut milk, she would massage the ground coconut with water until the liquid turn opaque white. She did not follow instructions from a cookbook. There was none in our house. She cooked with her taste buds and her talented hands.

Despite having spent countless hours in the kitchen as a child, I don’t like to cook. Unlike my grandmother, I don’t have the fortitude nor a lot of time and energy to spend in the kitchen. But I love to eat and I have a good taste palate. So, when duty calls, I go for dishes that are high in flavors and low in fussiness – those that meet the 80/20 Rule. If I can get 80% satisfaction from 20% input, the dish will be a part of my repertoire.

One of my signature dishes is chicken green curry. And it’s pretty awesome. I have shared the recipe with several friends and it has become a staple in their homes as well. It’s not my grandmother’s green curry but you can make it in 20 minutes. I have even made it in 15 minutes under duress.

Without the luxury of a wet market, I use canned coconut milk, curry paste, and bamboo shoots (picture above). They can easily be found at 99 Ranch or Vietnamese market. I highly recommend going during the week. They’re zoos on the weekends.

Ingredients:

  • Cooking oil – 1 Tbs
  • Garlic – minced 3-4 cloves
  • Green curry paste (Mae Ploy brand) – 2 Tbs or more
  • Coconut cream (Mae Ploy brand)
  • Boneless Chicken breast – 1 ½ – 2 lbs chopped into small pieces
  • Fish sauce (Phu Quoc brand if available) – 3 Tbs
  • Chicken broth – ½ can
  • Bamboo shoots (Aroy-D brand in strips) – 1 can drained and rinsed
  • Peas and carrots – ¼ bag frozen
  • Thai eggplants – 10 fresh and quartered (if available)
  • Red bell peppers – 1 sliced into strips
  • Brown sugar – ½ teaspoon
  • 1-2 sprigs Basil leaves and 6 kefir lime leaves – whole leaves (if available)

20 minutes cooking time

In a pot, heat oil and cook garlic until light brown

Add 2 Tbs green curry paste, mix with garlic

Add 1 can of coconut cream, mix thoroughly with curry paste until pale green in color and allow to boil

Add chicken and 2 Tbs fish sauce, reserve the rest to taste

Once boil add ½ can of chicken broth

Add Bamboo shoots, Thai eggplants, peas and carrots

Sprinkle in brown sugar

Taste, then add more curry paste if you want it to be spicier and more fish sauce if you want it to be saltier, or add more chicken broth if you want it to be milder

Add sliced red bell pepper

Let boil once more, then sprinkle with basil leaves and kefir lime leaves

Enjoy!

I’d love to hear your experience in making this dish in the comment section.