Discover four special villages in Thailand

Of course, when you first come in Thailand you will visit the famous tourist attractions, the Grand Palace, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Khao San Road, a transvestite show, Pattaya, a full moon party, just to name a few.

But you can also include some of the "unknown" Thailand in your travel program to simply deviate from the appropriate path. There is a lot of unknown Thailand and today I will tell you something about 4 villages, where Thais live with a special characteristic.

The village of the spoiled meat

The inhabitants of the village of Chang Kerng in Chiang Mai province must have an indestructible stomach. They regularly eat spoiled meat in a dish called “jin nao”, without getting stomach complaints. Here's the thing: ancestors of the current residents saw vultures eating carcasses of dead cows and buffaloes. They thought, "If it's good enough for the vultures, it's good enough for us." They skinned naturally dead animals, removed the worms and cooked the meat, which was already rotting. By adding various spices to it, a meat dish was created, and the recipe for it was bequeathed to descendants.

It was and is a favorite recipe in the village, but due to a shortage of naturally dead cows or buffaloes, the villagers got creative and developed “jin nao” from fresh meat, which everyone can make at home.

You buy fresh meat at the market and grill it at a high temperature. You then first pack it in a plastic bag and then in a larger bag (for example, a bag that used to contain fertilizer) and bury it in a place around the house. Remove it from the ground after about ten days (with a clothespin on your nose for the stench). Then the meat is heated again with the addition of spices and served with sticky rice and some other side dishes.

Whether you want to make it at home depends of course on your own taste and that is why it is good to eat in Chang Kerng first. Do bring a mouth freshener and some remedies to prevent an overly protesting stomach.

The village of the king cobra

If you visit the village of Ban Khok Sa-nga in Khon Kaen province, you will often see a wooden box under the houses. Don't get too close to it, because there is a good chance that a king cobra lives in that box.

The king cobra is the mascot of the village and almost every house keeps a king cobra as a pet, many villagers are able to perform all kinds of stunts and tricks with these animals.

It all started with a traveling spice seller named Ken Yongla. He traveled from village to village to sell his medicinal herbs. He then devised a snake show to draw copper so he wouldn't have to peddle door-to-door. His first show was a huge success and became the talk of the village. He made many friends through it and also taught those friends and their children how to handle snakes. There is now a snake farm in the village and the sale of the snakes and the staging of daily shows make a nice contribution to the otherwise meager income from agriculture.

During the annual Songkran Festival, which is celebrated in this village from April 10 to 16, there will also be a Day of the King Cobra. But throughout the year you can visit a snake farm to learn more about the life of these animals. A snake show can also be attended, where stunts can be seen with snakes, such as a man putting the head of a king cobra in his mouth, dancing king cobras and a snake fight.

The Turtle Village

Ban Kok in Khon Kaen province is home to thousands of adorable creatures called tortoises. The inhabitants of this village have been living in harmony with these herbivores for more than 200 years, which certainly outnumber the rats in the village. The village has a history from 1767 and from the beginning the turtle was a welcome resident of the village

According to local folklore, the house spirit of the village kept a turtle as a pet and therefore the turtles are treated and pampered with all due respect. The animals are fed daily with ripe papayas, jackfruit, pineapple and cucumber and in a spirit house with a sculpture of a golden turtle one can pay respect in order to enforce happiness for oneself. There is a turtle garden in the village, where these "speed devils" can be admired. In today's hectic life, a visit to this "slow traffic" park can be a wonderful relief.

The village of the crooners

In the province of Amnat Charoen there is a very musical village. Almost all residents of Ban Khao Pla are part of a “mor lam” band. Mor lam is an ancient form of folk music from the Isaan region of Thailand and Laos. A singer or singer is accompanied by traditional musical instruments such as the "khaen", a bamboo mouth organ, the "phin", a lute with 3 strings and small bells, the "ching".

The lyrics are often about unrequited love and everyday problems in the countryside, but presented with the necessary humor and self-mockery. The music is characterized by a wide tonal range and sudden changes in the faster tempos.

A performance by a mor lam band is recognized as an OTOP product, with which the village gained its fame since 1962. Today there are more than 10 groups of up to 80 to 100 people, from which a mor lam band is regularly formed. They perform not only in Ban Khao Pla, but also in many other towns and cities in Isan, generating a total of 30 million Baht in revenue.

Inquire via 081 – 878 7833 about the performance dates, book an overnight stay in a private home and enjoy a mor lam performance, which consists of a musical performance by a mor lam band, preceded by a drum procession and a welcome ritual.

Do you also know a village in Thailand with a special feature that fits nicely with these examples? Tell us in a comment!

Adapted from an article in the Lifestyle supplement