Trip 4: Lunch in Clam Gardens (by Paul Martini)

Ban Laem is a coastal town in the province of Petchburi, located about 120 km south of Bangkok.
Even the journey on the extremely well-developed coastal highway H4028 is a nice experience, because the road surface is new and spotless and the soft rounded curves offer pure driving pleasure.

The clear lane markings that are accurately embedded in the asphalt marking reflectors and the clean, red-colored two-wheeled side strip (!) are a rare prime example of successful Thai road art. The road winds elegantly through the broad, flat fields of evaporation, in which salt is obtained, passing old warped wood stacks, which are filled to the brim with sea salt.

Ban Laem is located on one of the three arms of the Petchaburi River with a 150-year old river port.
From here for many decades, sea salt, palm sugar and fish products were shipped to Southeast Asia and China. This brought foreign workers and immigrant merchants in the city. Chinese, Indian, Burmese and Mon settled here which until the present time can be seen on the streets. It is said Laem Ban has become a wealthy spot. Magnificent house buildings and magnificent temples are impressive landmarks in the village

The Bunkers
Around Ban Laem are fort-like building towers several stories high, but no windows or doors or roofs are visible. In the embrasure walls are holes or pipe openings, and closer inspection of one of them reveals circling birds. There are swallow houses where swallows are obtained.

After they had discovered the swallows years ago in a Buddhist temple, since 2002 the swallow breeding has become a rapidly growing business model.
Wealthy investors from Bangkok and other provinces come to Ban Laem to build new apartment blocks for the swallows, each trying to lure the agile flyers with their own special tricks. Some even play music from CDs or smear the walls with swallow manure to produce an intimate cave-like odor environment.

The business is a long term investment, for the building construction is expensive. 150 hardworking swallows are needed to produce one kg mass swallow. But for the current from the saliva of swallows' nests, depending on the purity achieved fantastic prices well over U.S. $ 1,000 per kilogram. Who wants to spend less, can be obtained from street vendors on site extended Schwalbennest mixtures for 150 baht the bag.

The restaurant in the sea
Outside of Ban Laem a narrow road leads through a village road to the coast. At the end of which leads to a parking lot, which is sometimes visited by hordes of wild monkeys. A planked wooden walkway leads out to sea. At first no railing, but with constant monitoring monkeys. The monkeys are hungry and steal like magpies. But they have respect for a stick.

It happened a few houses built over the water of the Thai people and a series of neat, flower-decked wooden bungalows, which are the sloshing sea water. At the end of the bridge, you enter a fully-built wooden open-air restaurant with rustic tables and benches, built far out to sea.

Here you can sit in the silky smooth sea breezes and views of the mussel farms in the sea and can roam from one and moving fish trawlers.

The restaurant is called Thaptimthong Laem Leo , and is only known among Thais.

Except for a living in the nearby German who occasionally with his visitors coming here since you will find hardly any foreigners. At low tide, the muddy sea floor is exposed and can be seen that the airy restaurant design is surrounded by a shell garden.

Those lucky enough to meet very nice co-owner of the feast should be persuaded, perhaps to a small boat trip through the mussel farms in the sea. Tours Glühwürmchengebieten in the mangroves are necessary also organized. The owner's family who is active in the fish business, has far out at sea a homestay, which she has so far not exploited for tourism. Recently, it is also available to day visitors, who can stay for the night. Prices are based on the number of guests. The boat transfer is included. The homestay has two built on stilts over the water villas, each with a large comfortable living room for several people.

Wat Khao Takrao
At the homecoming trip can still see the ancient and very beautiful temple complex of Wat Khao Takrao be visited.

It lies in the sub-district of Bang Khrok and Ban Laem on roads 3176 and 1004 to achieve. The sprawling temple park, take place frequently in the temple festivals, dates from the Ayutthaya period and is home to many fine old worship building, a temple school and an extensive Devotionaliensammlung.

Admire the Khao Luang Por Takrao , a large seated Buddha figure.

Middle of the plant rises a small hill that is populated by irreverent monkeys packs. A rack railway leads up to a platform covered with tall trees, from where you have beautiful panoramic views across the wide flat rice land.

By the waterfront location at the Wat Petchaburi river boat trips in the past could be done, Petchaburi and the nearby coastal ocean. But because of good road links, this service has now become set.