A TRADITIONAL WAY OF LIFE

       The joys of a peaceful existence by the waterways continues undisturbed By Suthon Sukphisit
       These days, floating markets seem to be getting a lot of promotion by the tourism people. These markets, with vendors paddling around in boats selling produce and prepared food, are open on weekends and are usually located fairly close to Bangkok. The Taling Chan floating market is not hard to reach after you cross the Pin Klao Bridge, the Bang Phueng floating market is within easy access via the Rama IX Bridge, and there are several others,like the Lamphya floating market in Nakhon Pathom and the Bang Khla market in Chachoengsao, that are only a short drive away.
       But when one considers how and to whom these places are being promoted, a question comes to mind: Does the lifestyle reflected in them, with people paddling around in boats to conduct their buying and selling transactions, still exist in Thailand, or is it only a colourful spectacle staged for tourists?
       The answer is that this way of living,making use of waterways for travel and other aspects of daily life, is still very much with us. Many large rivers, like the Chao Phraya and the Nakhon Chaisi, branch off into large and small canals that connect with each other to form networks, and all the land adjoining them was originally cultivated as orchards and crop fields.
       Farming is the traditional occupation of the Thai people, and one in which they have excelled for centuries. Boats were the only means of transport for conveying produce to markets and for travel. Selling food and other merchandise by boat was the best way to do business with people who lived next to the water, except that instead of paddling boats, over time motors were used for extra speed.
       Today, roads and lanes have been constructed to access the cultivated land, and more newly-built houses are erected next to them. But the people who live in them mostly prefer a modern lifestyle with jobs outside the area, to which they commute by car and other motor vehicles.
       Most of those who reside inside the agricultural zone still live by the water,however, and are accustomed to the way of life that goes with it. In these communities, people who have to commute to the city for work or school make the trip into town in long-tailed boats that leave from piers on rivers and canals and return home the same way.
       Those who stay at home and make their living from their orchards and fields still adhere to the old ways. In the early morning,the monks from the local temple make their rounds in small boats, and the local people go out onto the pier to put food into their alms bowls. Later in the morning,boats selling freshly-brewed coffee and sweet snacks appear. At noon and shortly after, there will be other vendors, selling noodles, fresh food like shrimp, pork, fish,chicken and vegetables, and dried goods for home cooking, along with other products grown or raised in the local farms.In the late afternoon and early evening,sweets and popular dishes like stewed duck
       ped phalo ) and stewed pork (moo phalo )will be offered.
       Visiting relatives and friends and running errands is easier by boat than walking out to the road to wait for public transport.There are many places, in fact, where there is no bus service available.
       In the afternoon, clothes are given a simple washing at home, and later in the evening people bathe at the edge of the canal. If they think the water might not be clean enough, they wash themselves a second time using water from the tap.Then, when the other members of the family return home from work or school,everyone eats supper together. They go to bed early and wake up early.
       As most of the families in these waterside communities have known each other for generations, when an important family event like a wedding or funeral is going to take place, they let each other know. Some of these functions, weddings, for example,are different now from what they were in the past. If the persons getting married are more comfortable with the more modern style of Thai culture, they may not want to have the ceremony and celebration held at home. Instead, the festivities will take place at a hotel or the location of an organisation that can arrange the wedding meal as a buffet or to jeen (Chinese-style banquet, where the guests seat at tables and are served a set menu of, usually, nine or 10 dishes).
       Funerals are still held at the local temple.All the local people consider it important to help with the ceremony or to express their sympathy. The temple pier becomes crowded with boats, and the men help with the ceremony itself while the women prepare food for the guests, usually khao tom (rice soup) with chicken or fish, and noodle dishes.
       The most important of these events is an ordination ceremony. Thais still consider it essential for young men to go into the monkhood, preferably before they commence working in a job or before getting married, since after that it will be difficult for them to find enough time. A young man who ordains for the duration of the Buddhist Lent, from Khao Phansa until Ogg Phansa , will remain in the monkhood for three months.
       An ordination is a major event for the family concerned. They will arrange lunch,to be served at the temple, for the monks and for their guests. All the food will be prepared by the local housewives in a kitchen set up right at the temple. A full array of dishes will be offered:Yam (sour-hot salads),khanom jeen nam phrik (fermented rice noodles in a sauce made from pureed mung beans and seasoning),kaeng kheow wan kai (a spicy, coconut cream-based curry with chicken meat),nam phrik kapi (a chilli dip made with kapi, or fermented shrimp paste) served with vegetables that might include feathery cha-om leaves or aubergine fried in egg batter, and fruit.
       When the invited guests arrive, they are given the food right away, served as a set of dishes called samrap in Thai, accompanied by glasses and pitchers of water and ice. The more the guests relax and enjoy the meal, the more honoured the family feels.
       One other event in which the whole community participates and helps out is the kathin ceremony, at which robes are offered to monks, usually before the start of Buddhist Lent. Here, again, a communal kitchen is set up, but the food is simpler,and may include khanom jeen with nam phrik or another spicy, coconut creambased, pureed fish sauce called nam ya ,kaeng kheow wan, and a spicy stir-fry,
       This life lifestyle is still very prevalent among farmers who live next to Thailand's rivers and canals. It flourishes in the Klong Orm area of Nonthaburi, in Bang Kruai,and along the Bangkok Noi, Mahasawat,Thaweewatana and Yong canals. All of these waterways connect with each other,and they can all be toured by boat.
       Taking the time to go and sample, and thereby get a feeling for, this simple and satisfying way of life is a most-satisfying experience for anyone drawn to Thai tradition. It is a central part of the country's culture that all the modernisation and change that has washed over us has left happily intact.