Nestled on the border that divides Prachuap Khiri Khan and Chumphon, Bang Boed is a beautiful hidden sight.
After navigating through winding roads and coconut plantations, I find myself on a neglected beach. Small fishing boats in vivid colours lie on shore of the crescent bay.
Before the Sun comes out, a housewife and her kid are placing freshly caught squid on the wire mesh. Tired fishermen are busy sorting out what they caught last night. Warm sea breeze, swaying palm leaves, and empty beach; everything here moves in a slow pace. I guess this must be a hidden paradise for beach lovers.
A short walk away, I find a small bridge crossing over a small stream. A mark indicates that it is the border of Prachuap Khiri Khan and Chumphon provinces. I hop between two provinces for a while until coming across Chaiwat Chuchai-niran.
"People here are registered in both provinces, Chumphon and Prachuap Khiri Khan. The officials from both provinces claim Bang Boed belong to their provinces. It is quite confusing," he laughs.
Chaiwat has been around here for decades and enjoys its peaceful moments. He runs a modest beach resort where guests can roll directly from their beds to the vast beach steps away. Though it is pretty quiet during weekdays, an influx of holiday makers during weekends and long holidays always fills up the 20 or so rooms in his resort.
"It is peaceful during weekdays, I love this atmosphere." His soft smile mirrors good memories from this tranquil destination.
I agree with him. Bang Boed during weekdays is peaceful and quiet like a forgotten land. There is nobody on the very long beach that stretches for kilometres. Empty coastal roads lead to waterfalls, temples, local markets and laid-back beach restaurants. If you are sick of bustling cities, this is an interesting choice for a weekend escape.
I enjoy an easy drive on the beach road lined with interesting places. The sand dunes of Bang Boed are a place you would not miss. Strong wind from the sea carries fine grains of sand to form a small hill that now stretches hundreds of metres long. The best time to visit the coastal dunes is the morning or late evening as it is pretty hot during the day.
The sand dunes may make you think Bang Boed is a drought-stricken place. However, it has very good soil and is very good place for farming. The Bang Boed Farm shows how fertile this land is.
The modest farm's full name is Sithiporn Kridakara Research Station. It was established by Prince Sithiporn Kridakara (1883-1971) who is known as Thailand's Farmer Prince. In 1920, he retired from government service and began what is called "modern farming" here. It is here where Prince Sithiporn tried growing Tom Watson watermelon plants from the US. Its sweet taste made a debut, and was renamed Bang Boed watermelon since then.
Now, the farm is run by Kasetsart University. You will find various agricultural research conducted here from fish, fruits and rubber to fast-growing trees.
Azure sea and white sandy beach reflect their bright colours through the silhouette of pine trees densely lining the local road. Such an impressive view keeps distracting me while driving on the lonely lane heading south to Koh Tiap of Chumphon.
With a backdrop of a fedora-hat-shaped mountain, Ban Koh Tiap houses several neglected beaches and islands. Moreover, the fishing village of Ban Koh Tiap runs a "crab bank" scheme. When fishermen catch crabs, instead of selling their lot, they sort out the female crabs with eggs and keep them in the nets situated off the coast until the creatures release the crab babies into the sea. This scheme has been running for decades and has dramatically increased the number of crabs in this bay.
On a long-tailed boat, I hop from an island to others, exploring local villages, untouched beaches, and end up with having lunch at the cafeteria of a fish farm.
Of course, my lunch is the local crabs and other seafood among the great sea view of Bang Boed. And it is a pretty quiet day out.
