November 3, 2018
After we’ve decided we’d go to Thailand, Oyen presented to me several options, to fly to Pattaya, or to drive some 4 hours away, things like that. I told her I just wanted to have a relaxing trip so she dropped the idea of hopping from one province to another and just concentrated on Bangkok. My requests were simple, I wanted to go to a floating market, eat sticky rice with mango, laksa, and water chestnuts with coconut milk. Oh, I’d like to buy a gold bracelet, that would be the subject of another post.
My daughter booked a whole day food tour two hours away from Bangkok which would include the floating market. She cleared this with me beforehand for fear that I might get tired. I said it’s okay with me.
We were picked up at 7:00 am at the entrance of Okura Hotel by our travel companion for the day, Olive. We joined a young couple from Vienna, Austria Joshua and Rosanna.
We rode in a comfortable van. Driver, Olive, Joshua and Rosanna, Oyen and I.
After a one and a half drive through some heavy highway traffic, our first stop was at the famous Maeklong Railway Market also called Train Market. I thought Olive would bring us to a quaint place to have breakfast.
Look how cheap their lanzones is Baht 40 x 1.61 = P64.40 a kilo.
We entered the market which at first glance looked the same as any other market in the Philippines.
My mom was fond of dried shrimps she called hebe. I hated it so much when mixed with lugaw. Walang lasa.
We walked thru the wet section where I immediately spotted my favorite baby crabs or talangka! I didn’t expect they have fresh talangka. I wanted to buy pero saan ko naman ipapaluto?
Buy only those that are alive and kicking. Don’t buy the dead ones.
One thing I notice is the abundance of seafood. Every stall has overflowing stocks on their table. A steady and abundant supply guarantees a lower or more reasonable price for the consumers. This is the law of supply and demand. Even if there is a big demand, if there is a ready supply of goods or commodities, prices will balance out. There wouldn’t be any overpricing or hoarding. Goods become affordable to many.
Look how cheap their lanzones is Baht 40 x 1.61 = P64.40 a kilo.
And look how pretty and huge their macopa is. How come they are able to grow them bigger? Some 30, 40, 50 years ago, their top guys were sent to UP Los Banos to study agriculture. How come we Filipinos don’t apply what we teach?
These are fresh fish.
Alimasag
Healthy-looking fresh mussels or tahong
Clams
I don’t know how anyone can eat this. They make you feel guilty by staring at you with their big eyes.
I know you’ve seen a squid before but I am showing all this variety to emphasize the abundance that I’ve seen. No Thai must be getting hungry.
Buti pa sila, the crab meat is fresh na fresh na fresh. Dito sa atin, ma-anggo, makasim na. Even if you buy from the grocery, hindi na gaanong sariwa.
They sell pig’s oil kasi daw food is tastier when fried in pig oil.
When we reached the vegetable or produce section I couldn’t help but feel envious. Ang daming sili at ang mura pa. Hindi P1,000 / kilo.
Squid flakes are more expensive in the Philippines and not many stores sell them. We have squids too in our seas just like Thailand. They export, we buy.
One proof that they have a good supply of fruits is this pickled mangoes. I have never seen whole mango preserved. I nmight be mistaken but you only do this if you have abundance in supply.
Thais like spices like curry and chili.
This dried tiny shrimps are pricier in the Philippines. For those with lower food budget, this could be mixed with rice, pwede ng ulam ito. Actually one of Oyen’s favorite food is crispy dilis mixed with garlic rice.
Heart of coconut / palm (ubod)
Cooked and ready to eat sticky rice
Garlic is very expensive in our country but look how abundant they are in Thailand.
Thais know how to plant and they certainly value agriculture.
More crops more food less hunger no poverty. Our country has never learned. We always have problems with food supply including our staple food rice. And yet our government past and present don’t recognize what we lack. Our people no longer want to be farmers. Focus is to be a consumer instead of a producer. We like to shop for made in China shoes and buy imported garlic and onions from China.
There was a time when the favorite pasalubong from Thailand was fresh orchids in numerous colors but the most popular was the violet one. They were available anywhere at the airport in nice and easy-to-carry boxes. They’ve vanished and have so far been replaced by sticky rice with mango as pasalubong.
Thailand exports orchids. I heard there’s a bigger market in Bangkok where you can find exotic flowers and plants. I’ll go there next time.
I don’t know how this works, offer money to ask for more money in return?
The government of Thailand had a bright idea of promoting the Maeklong Railway Market as a tourist attraction. For the past 30 years, the train market has become one of the must-see places in Thailand.
Meaklong is not your ordinary market selling food. It’s unique because it has a train running through right in the middle of the market several times a day. The train tracks you find surrounded by vegetables, ice candy, chicken, meat, fruits, is still being used regularly by passing trains.
Notice the veggies are right on the tracks.
One would think that this is an abandoned train tracks looking at how vendors put their merchandise right on it.
The train wheels could crush this fruits.
I bought two kilos of lanzones for Baht 80 total. Ang mura.
Our lanzones is called langsat or longkong in Thailand.
Durian
I thought this is apulid or water chestnuts. Gusto ko aratiles. If you know where I can buy aratiles or alatires, let me know. I will buy one big basketful. Favorite ko to nung maliit pa ako.
Their mango is more affordable. Dito sa atin sobrang mahal ng mangga parang pang special occasion na lang, birthday!
The train is coming in 10 minutes yet the vendors don’t look at all fazed. Parang wala lang.
The tourists are looking for a spot to stand to take a good picture of the coming train.
The train is coming any minute and the vendors have folded their makeshift awnings and moved their merchandise out of harm’s way.
Excitedly waiting for the train. There were 39 Filipinos wearing Dr. Alvin t-shirts traveling with Dr. Alvin himself. This girl took my spot. Kunwari hindi nya alam. I asked her to move. She did. She knew.
Vendors and tourists started crowding the tracks again.
Ang putting back the makeshift awnings or roofs.
ice candy from fresh fruits not from flavored powder.
I bought a stick of watermelon ice candy.
Here’s the train schedule just in case you want to travel to Maeklong to see this for yourself.
Here comes the train
The train is so close to where vendors and tourists are standing. You can touch it if you wish but don’t, never, unless you want to say goodbye to your arm.
Amazing Thailand!
