I wasn't expecting anything more than a place to eat and sleep but the small town of Prasae on the Prasae river's estuary in south-east Thailand provided so much more.
The first view of its corrugated roofs from the Prasae Sin bridge had a sprawling charm but looked more practical than enticing and a little dilapidated. However, over to the right was a striking battleship sitting on dry land that cried out to be investigated.
It was the retired HTMS Prasae patrol frigate that had been converted into a memorial and museum. Visitors can climb aboard and explore all the decks, which have retained some (non-working) guns to play with and lots of other interesting details, but below decks is out of bounds. It is well done although some might find climbing the steep steps and short ladders a bit tricky.
The view out to sea from the bridge doesn't quite give you the feeling of life at sea on a battleship but it's probably as close as you can get without signing up with the navy.
The ship's history is a surprising tale of being built in California in 1944, then after briefly serving with the US navy getting a transfer to the Soviet Union before the end of WWII. It was then moved back to US control to play a part in the Korean war, and eventually ended up in Thailand in 1951 where it served for 49 years before finally being decommissioned and settling in its current position. An interesting life worth knowing about before wandering its decks!
Very close to the ship is a different kind of attraction - a wooden boardwalk through a mangrove forest. The odd thing about this 2km-long trail is that the beginning is 2km's away from the end! Not really surpising but most similar walks manage a circular route so it doesn't all have to be walked twice. However, it is an excellent way to have a good look at this extremely important coastal habitat.
The trees with their arcing aerial roots are wonderfully aesthetic plus there are plenty of the typical mangrove inhabitants such as fiddler crabs and mudskipper fish. There is also a very solid and quite tall viewing tower which gives a great canopy-level view plus an overhead look at one of the water channels.
From the far end of the trail, boats can be rented for a less energetic look at the mangroves. It might even be possible to get a boat back to the other end or at least somewhere close. Not sure about that.
Back up the approach road to the ship we stopped for lunch at Baanpla restaurant which did a great padthai and also had some durian "ice cream" (we would call it a lollipop where I come from). This was a first for me and was pleasantly distinctive without being over-powering! The strong-smelling durian fruit is a speciality of the area.
In the town itself there are several basic but good quality guesthouses to choose from, most of which have a riverside area at the back. But the best thing for me about Prasae is the main street. More of an alley, it is narrow and a little too cramped for the cars that use it but it is fascinating. I only realised afterwards that the lovely stone paving is a fairly recent addition, which happens to work perfectly.
Many of the buildings are still mainly wooden with old-style shutters, and what makes it forever appealing is that these shops and homes are often similar but with enough variation to make them individual. Add to this the superb modern street art that has been thoughtful painted all along this 1km-long street plus the everyday life of the local people in the bustling morning fresh market and you have a low-key but compelling experience.
One of the old wooden buildings has been converted into a small museum with a good range of old photos and memorabilia of the town on show.
For refreshments along this street I can recommend the traditional Thai sea-food restaurant (very fresh!) of Jay Nong Saap Ver and the more modern cafe of Kanom Baan Baan. On my trip both provided just the right food at just the right times!
A lot of effort has been put into this tiny town and its surrounding area, which will definitely pay off in attracting more people to visit. As ever, the challenge will be for it to retain its character. It must be tempting to modernise the buildings but if you lose those wooden shutters then the old-time personalities living behind them and their lifestyles will also disappear and the place will become another generic tourist stop. I hope they judge it right.
