The Bo Kluea saltwater springs in Nan province
Large pans for salt production in the Mang River in Bo Kluea, Nan Province,
On the Thailand Community Facebook page, Peter van Zanten regularly shows pictures of lesser-known tourist places in Thailand that he has visited. Quite nice to see, but this time it caught my attention that it was about salt production in a mountain village in the province of Nan. I wanted to know more about that.
Search the internet for the village of Bo Kluea (salt springs) and you will find several websites that provide detailed information about the mountain village, about 100 kilometers northeast of the capital Nan of the province of the same name, about the salt production there and what the village has to offer. for visitors. With a few passages from several sites I will give you an idea of the village.
Trip to Bo Kluea
From the capital Nan you drive the first 70 kilometers by car, motorcycle or scooter on a two-lane highway. That main road then splits and the scenic drive continues on a winding road and turned through the beautiful mountains of Doi Phu Kha National Park. This part of Thailand is still relatively unknown, making the visit quite a unique glimpse into a truly genuine “traditional Thai lifestyle”.
(moeschanth / Shutterstock.com)
Bo kluea
Bo Kluea has had salt water springs for over 800 years, which provide the local population with an income by extracting salt from that water. It was once an important local product, which was even used as a means of payment in trade with nearby village communities. In the past there were as many as 9 working salt springs, but today only 2 remain. At those saltwater springs you can follow the process of salt extraction. In the village, the salt and other related products are sold to visitors in small market stalls.
The salt production
The first step in the process is to collect the water from the well. In the past this was done manually by lowering a bucket into the well and collecting it, now a modern method with pumps is used.
The next step in the extraction process is to boil the salt water until most of the water has evaporated. The resulting salt is then placed in baskets and hung over ovens to dry further. Then it is packaged and ready for sale.
Finally
Google the name of the village of Bo Kluea and several sites not only give you nice information about the salt production itself, but also about the traditional customs around the cooking pots and what else you can see in the village. Some videos with nice pictures of the village are also available.
All in all, quite a nice tourist destination for 1 or 2 days.
About this blogger
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Bert Gringhuis (1945), born and raised in Almelo in the beautiful Twente. Later lived for many years in Amsterdam and Alkmaar, working in export for various companies. I first came to Thailand in 1980 and immediately fell in love with the country. Been back many times since then and moved to Thailand after my (early) retirement as a widower. I have been living there for 22 years now with my somewhat younger Thai lady Poopae.
My first experiences in Thailand as a kind of newsletter sent to family, friends and acquaintances, which later appeared under the name Gringo on Thailandblog. Many, many articles followed those first stories and that has grown into an almost daily hobby.
In the Netherlands still an avid footballer and football referee, but the years are starting to tell and in Thailand still avid, but the pool billiards is really of inferior quality, ha ha!
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Salt used to be a luxury product, also called 'the white gold', often reserved for the elite. It was mainly used as a preservative and of course also for the taste.
The word 'salary' is derived from the Latin word for salt: salarium. Soldiers in particular were paid with salt.
I visited Bo Kluea. I don't think you should call it a mountain village. In my memory it is just countryside.
Bo is indeed 'well, well', medium tone with a long -ooh- sound, and kluea is pronounced as kluua, also with a medium tone and a long -uu- sound as in 'wall'.
Thank you Gringo for posting.
Just for the record. I post photos on my own Facebook page (Thailand lesser known destinations) and then share them in a number of Dutch and English speaking groups, including the group “Thailand Community”.
Nan province is a newly discovered tourist destination by the Thai tourist. The province is beautiful with a lot of untouched nature. Fortunately, there are no large hotels or resorts yet, so the number of tourists remains fairly limited.
And for the best coffee you have to be in Nan.
You have a beautiful Facebook page dear Peter, full of beautiful photos and information about beautiful places where not a busload of people come yet.
I was there last year and was pleasantly surprised by the mountainous environment and the relative tranquility that still prevails here. It really feels like a corner of Thailand, which is enhanced by the somewhat isolated location. We have been there for 4 days and have made several trips through the area. There are surprisingly beautiful valleys that you can visit, and the route through the national park is also fantastic. The mountains are less spectacular than in Chiang Mai but still worth it. Striking in this region is the tranquility and the few foreign tourists. Bo Klua itself was a nice little place in the river valley with a funny, somewhat touristy 'village' where you can see the extraction and processing of salt. In addition, all kinds of souvenirs are sold here. Apart from nature, there is little to do here. There are (still) relatively few luxury accommodation options. Many hostels and basic bungalows. For those who want something new and don't want to stay between the crowds, this is certainly a nice trip.