Indeed, the captain’s post has several nice photos of Joy’s Pizza, but he also took some shots from the school year’s end festival

School year's end festival. Click on image to see more

All in all, this makes us feel a bit shameful, since we have some photos and even video from that festival.

We promise to do a post about it soon, and are thankful that there are also others who tell the world about our city

OTOP logo

The One Tambon One Product (OTOP) initiative lets each of the 36,000 Tambons (subdistricts) in Thailand select one product that will represent them, and be sold in the various OTOP outlets around the country.

Another way to promote these products is by organizing fairs that go around Thailand introducing to people what other villages are best known for. All in all, these fairs are a lot of fun -- and there are lots of very good things at cheap prices. Usually, if you buy something to eat, the sellers also make you taste something else for free -- just because they’re so proud of it.

About a week ago, there was an OTOP fair in Trat, with good fun, good music, and amazingly good food.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SrAd0aADkQ

Thanks to Dorami Chan, we have video footage of this feast. Enjoy, and next time you hear about an OTOP fair or pass by an OTOP store, it’s worth taking a look at what each of Thailand’s 36,000 sub-districts does best.

Price is 120 Baht. They leave every hour, and the trip takes about 1.5 hours.

Another option is to take a songtaew (2 rows taxi) from the taxi station behind the day market. Those taxis are cheaper and make irregular stops along the way. Both minivans and taxis stop for a while at Klong Yai, but while the minivans would only stop for a few minutes, the songtaew may take a longer break.

Visa:

You can purchase your visa for Cambodia at the border for 1200 Baht and one passport photograph (note: US$ not accepted). You can purchase an e-visa over the internet prior to your trip (price is in US$) From the Thai/Cambodian border you can take a motorcycle taxi or a taxi to Koh Kong.

There is a bus leaving every 1-2 hours from 7am until 11.30pm to Trat Bus Station.
Cost: around 250 Baht for a 5-6 hour trip.
A private taxi should cost 3000-4000 Baht.

By plane:

There are two flights a day from Suvaranabhumi airport (BKK) to Trat airport (TDX). The flight takes 1 hour and costs 2500- 3000 Baht.

Contact Bangkok Airways, www.bangkokair.com for further information.

Transportation from Trat airport into town (around 35 km) used to be a bit complicated, as the minivans waiting there would mostly go to Koh Chang (around 400 Baht per passenger), and if you wanted to charter them to go to Trat, it would cost around 1200 Baht. But lately there’s a new taxi service that will get you to town for approximately 400 Baht.

A five day holiday was declared, and a holiday always requires some special activities. The town of Trat decided to bring over a traveling amusement park, and decorate the area with food stalls and lots of other stuff you can buy from local folks.

Here’s a video from the event:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=qY2-Ps_BbhY

[View with PicLens]

The most important part of this meal is a clay bucket, filled with burning charcoal.In dedicated restaurants, they’ll have tables with a hole in the middle, to put the bucket in. On the top of the bucket there’s a special aluminum dish that has a round dome with holes in it, to roast the meat and seafood on. Around the perimeter of the dish there’s a “canal” filled with hot broth, where you can cook the veggies and the noodles. The Thai twist is the sauce served with the food, sprinkled with sesame seeds. Usually you’ll get 2 kinds: a spicy one and a not-so-spicy one.

After you’re seated, you’ll have the bucket brought to your table and will be asked what you’d like to roast on it. You can have chicken, shrimps, pork, pork liver (real good!), squid, and sometimes beef or fish. The meats are pre-marinated in a delicate sauce. You’ll also get a platter with fresh veggies – mostly Chinese cabbage and a green plant called Pak boong (or Morning glory in English) – and fresh rice noodles. Sometimes you’ll get a raw egg too. You’ll have the broth put into the “canal”, and will be sereved with an extra kettle filled with broth, so you can add more to the “canal” as you go along.

Look inside the plate with the meat and you’ll find a small lump of lard. This is to be put on the top of the dome, so that the meat doesn’t stick to it. After you’ve spread some lard over the dome, you can start putting the meat on – turning it over after a few minutes. When the soup is boiling you can add vegies and noodles to it. Don’t add too much in one go, though – you want to keep the soup boiling.

Each diner gets a plate (for the meat, vegies and noodles) and a small bowl (for the soup). When stuff is ready, you put it in your plate, put some sauce on it and eat. This is a very slow procces, so don’t order Korean BBQ if you’re in a hurry.

There’s nothing like an ice-cold beer to go with this meal.

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The main places to celebrate Loi Krathong in Trat are the riverside walkway and Wat Phai Lom.

Related photos from other posts: