avatarDJ Hopkins

Summary

An Englishman shares his emotional and authentic experience of Thai culture by participating in a traditional market and historical show at Bang Rachan Village, where wearing traditional clothing enhances the cultural immersion.

Abstract

The author recounts a deeply moving visit to the Baan Bang Rachan Retro Village Market in Singburi, Thailand, where both locals and visitors don traditional Thai attire. Prior to the market visit, the author and his wife purchased a variety of traditional Thai garments from a wholesale market in Lamphun, highlighting the affordability and quality of local textiles. The Bang Rachan market experience, complete with a historical show, offered a profound connection to Thai history, particularly the story of the village's brave resistance against the Burmese army centuries ago. The authenticity of the performance, which included realistic battle scenes with real swords, left a lasting impression on the author, reinforcing his appreciation for Thailand's culture and the value of embracing local traditions during travel.

Opinions

  • The author values authentic cultural experiences, emphasizing the importance of participating in local customs, such as wearing traditional clothing.
  • He appreciates the quality and affordability of Thai clothing, noting the use of natural materials and local craftsmanship.
  • The author is captivated by Thai dance and music, finding them charming and delicate.
  • He believes that the historical show at Bang Rachan Village is a significant yet underrated representation of Thai history and should be more widely recognized.
  • The emotional impact of the show, combined with the market's atmosphere, led the author to reflect on the personal and spiritual growth that can come from travel experiences.
  • The author suggests that traveling off the beaten track in Thailand provides a more genuine understanding of the country's culture, offering insights that extend beyond typical tourist activities.

An Emotional Experience of Thai Culture at Bang Rachan Village

The historical village market where everyone wears traditional Thai clothing, including the Englishman!

Photo by DJ Hopkins

The local Thai market traders seemed to really appreciate that I had made the effort of wearing some traditional northern Thai clothing. I kept getting smiles and thumbs up everywhere.

As they say ‘when in Rome.’

Or in this case, when in Baan Bang Rachan Retro Village Market in the beautiful rural district of Singburi, Thailand.

At this market, all the traders wear traditional Thai clothing. They also encourage the visitors to do the same.

Photo by DJ Hopkins

We were there to experience the market and to watch a historical show we had heard about, that is held on the river.

Little did I know it would later become quite an emotional experience.

A few days earlier — shopping for traditional Thai clothes

As part of our Northern Thailand road trip, we were at Bann Don Leuang wholesale clothes market in Lamphun. It is located in northern Thailand about an hour’s drive from Chiang Mai.

It was another rural Thailand driving experience with small roads, potholes, and the occasional flood. It was monsoon season after all.

My wife had wanted to replace most of her wardrobe with more traditional Thai clothing that was made by locals, and from natural materials.

The cotton fabric is all spun locally and the dyes are made from local flowers which gives the fabric such wonderful earthy colors.

Photo by DJ Hopkins

We bought about 20 garments which might sound expensive but I don’t think we even spent $100 Australian dollars. We would probably only get 2 garments in Sydney for that money.

Clothes in Thailand are generally very low cost and good quality. These were all handmade and amazingly affordable.

They would also come in handy in a few days.

We traveled back towards Singburi and got a cheap stay for the night as we would be up early the next day.

Bang Rachan Traditional Village Market, Singburi

That morning we donned our Thai clothing…my wife looked amazing of course. I felt like an imposter but was happy to do it anyway.

Open up your heart and be ready to embrace Thai culture, I always say to myself. Which of course I do.

Even though it was quiet, as the covid restrictions had only recently been lifted in Thailand, the market had a wonderful vibe, peaceful and happy complete with real buffalo.

Photo by DJ Hopkins

We had breakfast…Pad Thai right out of a leaf. We then wandered leisurely around the stalls for the next hour.

There was a Thai dancing show that was delightful. I have always been fascinated by Thai dance styles and the music of northern Thailand. It is so charming and delicate.

The main show would start in an hour and would depict the history of the local area. Rumor had it the show was well worth seeing.

Legend of Bang Rachan Village — A very emotional experience

Bang Rachan Village was at the front line that fought the Burmese army to protect Ayutthaya ( The former Thai Capital ) around 250 years ago.

Legend has it that the women also fought alongside the men and that the entire village was killed.

Later the Burmese would go on to completely ransack Ayutthaya in what was a dark period for Thailand.

As I watched the show I was awestruck by how good the players were. They were really into it and the acting and dance movement were brilliant.

It is a very emotional story and even as an outsider I couldn’t help but feel touched by that emotion.

The whole experience was very authentic.

Photo by DJ Hopkins

The actors also used real swords in the fighting scenes, of which there were many. I can honestly say there was no holding back and they must have trained very well to make it look so realistic.

I was actually quite worried someone would get hurt.

Personally, I could see this show being put on in places like Bangkok, Chiang Mai, or even Phuket which has lots of shows.

Perhaps that might take away from the authentic feel of it being held at the actual place but it is a wonderful piece of Thai history that is not that well known.

When the show finished everyone gave them a ‘tearful’ standing ovation.

Photo by DJ Hopkins

We finished off looking around the market, tissues in hand, and headed back to the car to continue our road trip adventure around Thailand.

It had been a beautiful experience.

What you learn from the real Thailand

There was no cost to see the show or even to enter the market at Bang Rachan Village.

This is another wonderful thing about ‘the real’ Thailand. It is a very low-cost lifestyle when you stay away from the big tourist spots.

It is great to visit all the well-known areas of Thailand and I like to do that too. But visiting places that are a bit more off the beaten track provides a real Thai experience that you just don’t get anywhere else.

You learn so much more about the culture and the country and I believe in turn, you learn more about your own culture and even yourself.

When you take time to notice and observe how you feel about the experience of travel, it can be very insightful.

Travel is much more than a few holiday snaps and quick tours. I believe it can be a path to personal and spiritual growth.

Thank you for reading and supporting independent writers on medium and this publication, it is much appreciated.

You can read more of my travel experiences in Thailand and the amazing things I have learned there at my profile here on Medium or over at my blog DJ Hopkins

Travel
Thailand
Culture
Lifestyle
Life
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