A warm welcome to Sanuan Nok in Buriram

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Only 12 kilometers from the center of the city of Buriram, in the district of Huai Rat, lies the quiet village of Sanuan Nok. It has only 150 inhabitants, but is known for the opportunity to spend a weekend there and learn about sericulture (raising silkworms) and silk weaving.

It is a creative-tourism project of the provincial government and the Tourist Authority of Thailand (TAT), where residents provide “eco-cultural” tours and workshops on silk weaving and other crafts. It provides a fascinating insight into how villagers make a simple living while maintaining beloved Isaan traditions.

Rice farmers

Village chief Boonthip Karam explains that most of the inhabitants are originally rice farmers. With the help of the Queen Sirikit Department of Sericulture, people have now learned how to breed silkworms to earn extra income between rice crops. “We set up a silk weaving center in 2004, where we organize various workshops for visitors. In recent years, the District Administration Organization and TAT have helped us improve the landscape and develop ecotourism projects.

silkworm

Guided Tour

Simple life in remote areas usually means getting up at 5.30:XNUMX am for offering gifts to the monks. Once that is done one of the inhabitants, Samrueng Kotiram, is ready to be our guide for a tour of the village and a lesson in sericulture and weaving. From the sacred Luang Pu Udom Joss House at the entrance of the village, where the residents usually pray for protection from accidents, the bus will take us to the wooden Yai Chun Bridge, a fantastic place to take pictures of the green rice fields that are so far away. reach as eye permits. The bus is special in itself, as it looks more like a spaceship than a bus.

New kind of mulberry

“The Sirikit Department of Sericulture developed a new variety of mulberry for us, called Buriram 60, which is easier to plant and more sustainable,” says Samrueng. She shows us the woven pattern for which Buriram is best known, the hang krak (squirrel tail), which has been modified with a Khmer motif. “It depends on the weather, but it usually takes a month for the silkworms to grow and start producing the silk. After the butterflies lay their eggs and the larvae hatch, we feed them with mulberry leaves and then take their saliva-produced threads from the cocoon they form, then cut the threads from the spit they produce when they form their cocoon.

Eating the Isan way

The village chief Boonthip has his house in the middle of the village, which is also visited by us. Boonthip introduces us to a number of culinary Isaan dishes, all of which are served on rattan dishes. We can taste Kaeng Kluay (coconut curry with pork and unripe bananas), but also Kai Tom Bai Mon (chicken soup with mulberry leaves) and spicy Nam Stok Tu (Chili paste with grilled fish). We also host a Bai Sri Su Kwan – a traditional ceremony for welcoming visitors who wish to sharpen their minds and bring them happiness, good health and success. A beautiful dance is performed, the ram trod, which promises to provide the necessary rain and also to drive away ghosts and prevent accidents.

There is also a workshop where wood carvings are made and a visit to the local museum, where you end up in a house with antique household items, so that you imagine yourself in a bygone era.

Accommodation

The village has 10 families, who are willing to take tourists into their homes for two or three nights. Prices start at a very reasonable 420 Baht per person, including breakfast and dinner. From 700 Baht you can also stay in the Sanuan Nok Resort, which has six villas and 24 rooms. All air-conditioned rooms have a private bathroom, cable TV and a coffee maker.

Read the whole story (in English) with beautiful photos on the link: www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/thailand/30326517

Source: The Nation