CPA Media

While Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales is generally recognized as one of the cornerstones of English literature, its oriental equivalent, The Chanthaburi Tales, is less widely known. Yet with such diverse characters as a crazy king, multi-ethnic gemstone traders, migrant Catholics from Vietnam and a tenacious group of locals clinging on to their heritage, it makes for equally gripping reading.

At first glance, the small town of Chanthaburi (formerly Chanthaboun) in Eastern Thailand looks like any other Thai town, with its glittering temples, shop houses and street stalls. Yet on closer inspection, it reveals a complex web of influences from contrasting cultures that blend into a unique community with a distinctive character.

Two of the most popular locations in town for locals to visit are the shrine and park dedicated to King Taksin the Great, without whom Thailand might now be part of Burma (Myanmar). When the Burmese overran Ayutthaya in 1767, Taksin rallied Siamese troops at Chanthaburi before retaliating and driving the Burmese out of the country. He established the new capital of Siam at Thonburi, on the opposite bank of the river to modern-day Bangkok, and ruled the country for 15 years before he was overthrown by his general, Chao Phraya Chakri, who established the dynasty that still rules today.

King Taksin's fall from grace was caused by a problem common to monarchs – delusions of grandeur. He insisted on everyone worshipping him as a god, and tortured or imprisoned all those close to him, including his wife and children, for fear of being ousted. Finally his fears were realized, and he was dispatched by being stuffed into a velvet sack and clubbed to death. These days, however, Taksin's sins seem to have been forgiven if the steady stream of locals making offerings at his shrine is anything to go by.

Long before Chanthaburi gained a name as the base from which Taksin reunited Siam, it had acquired fame as a centre for trading gemstones, due to a proliferation of ruby and sapphire mines near the town. Chinese traders of the 15^th century mentioned it, as well as Portuguese and French travellers of the 17^th century, and by the 19^th century fortune hunters from far and wide arrived to either mine for or deal in gems. Chief among these were the Shan from Burma, who sparked a gem rush with their tales of streambeds lined with precious stones.

As happens in such situations, supplies of rubies and sapphires from nearby mines were gradually exhausted during the 20^th century. Yet the tenacious gem dealers who had planted firm roots in Chanthaburi began to find other sources of gems, such as Sri Lanka and Madagascar, and these days the town has become arguably the gem capital of the world.

For evidence of this, visitors need only take a walk down Thanon Sri Chan, or even better the narrow alley of Trok Kachang, on a Saturday, when the area buzzes with excitement as traders from all over the world rush in and out of open-fronted shops to examine precious stones and make savvy purchases or sales.

For a glimpse of the beauty of Chanthaburi's gems, go over the footbridge that spans the Chanthaburi River near the eastern end of Trok Kachang. Pass the statue of the Virgin Mary in front of the towering Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and go inside to take a look at a smaller statue of Mary near the altar, which is inlaid with over 20,000 carats of sapphires and other gems.

This gem-studded statue of Mary provides a convenient link to the third of our Chanthaburi tales – that of Vietnamese migrants who fled religious persecution in their own country during the 19^th and 20^th centuries. During conflicts between the Vietnamese and the French and later with the Americans, anyone who professed a belief in the Catholic faith was deemed an enemy. Fortunately, Thailand's tolerant laws allowed them to settle here, and the enormous cathedral is now the biggest Christian edifice in the country.

Originally built in 1707, the ‘Chapel of the Mission', as the cathedral was once known, was the subject of a sketch in the journal of Henri Mouhot (Travels in Siam, Cambodia and Laos, 1858-1860), who visited Chanthaboun in January 1859. Mouhot estimated that nearly a third of the town's inhabitants were ‘Christian Annamites', so the Vietnamese contingent in Chanthaburi have clearly been around for a long time. Incidentally, just a year after this visit, Mouhot stumbled upon the ruins of Angkor Wat, and his rapt descriptions of the overgrown temples were largely responsible for the great reputation that Angkor enjoys today.

Opposite the cathedral, on the west bank of the river, the narrow Sukhaphiban Road has now morphed into the ‘Chantaboun Waterfront Community', an impressive project initiated by the people who live here to preserve and promote their architectural and cultural heritage. While such projects in many parts of Thailand are undertaken by developers or tourist authorities, the fact that the Chantaboun Waterfront Community is conceived and operated by locals gives it an air of intimacy and accessibility.

One of the main objectives of the project has been the faithful restoration of shuttered and colonnaded buildings, which were mostly built by the French from 1893 to 1905, when they briefly controlled the town. As well as a Community Learning House, dedicated to informing outsiders about the history and culture of this riverside community, the locals communally own and run the Baan Luang Rajamaitri Historic Inn, a small hotel that is full of character and occupies a beautifully restored wooden house by the river.

The rest of this quaint, kilometre-long street is bordered by an intriguing mix of traditional shophouses and striking murals as well as super-trendy cafes and boutique hotels. Many of the traditional shophouses sell local delicacies such as crab noodle soup to passing tourists, most of whom are escapees from Bangkok looking for a breath of fresh air in the countryside.

If you ask any Thai what Chanthaburi (or ‘Chan' as it is more familiarly known) is famous for, they will tell you it's durian, and they'd be spot-on. The area around town is renowned for producing the country's tastiest durians, especially varieties like monthong or ‘golden pilllow', and Chan hosts a much-anticipated Durian Festival each May or June.

And if you're tempted to check out Chan's eclectic culture, there's no need to spend hours online looking for somewhere to stay and eat, because the best hotel in town, the Kasemsarn (hotelkasemsarn.com) is right opposite the best restaurant in town, the Chanthorn Pochana. And so end the Chanthaburi Tales.

Story by Ron Emmons; Photo by Ron Emmons - CPA Media