Exploring Rich History Of Thailand's Pattani

By Kurniawati Kamarudin PATTANI, Nov 9 (Bernama) -- A villager of Kampung Bana in Pattani told me that one cannot visit Pattani in south Thailand without trying their garam manis that translates to 'sweet salt' in English. She handed over a small container of the salt, a specialty product of the region. My friends from the Malaysian media and I eagerly tasted a pinch of the salt. The name itself had piqued our interest. However, it also threw us off. “It’s salty!” we exclaimed in surprise, before breaking into laughter. We had expected a salt that had perhaps a hint of sweetness, but what we tasted was simply one that was less salty than what we were used to. Garam manis is the term used for the salt produced by the villagers around Pattani, especially those who lived near the sea. KNOWN THROUGHOUT THAILAND The salt-making industry there dates back hundreds of years when the South Thailand province was still known as Langkasuka. Farmers in villages located near the sea utilise a traditional method to turn sea water into salt granules during the dry spell. The salt produced in Pattani is popular nationwide as many believe that it has beauty and health-enhancing properties. Apart from providing income to the farmers, the industry has also turned into a tourism product for the province. According to villager Mat Yi, the salt produced there was unique as it simply was not as salty like the salt produced in other parts of Thailand. “This is because the sea water has mixed with freshwater in the area, giving it a less savoury but richer taste,” he said. The salts are harvested from salt fields resembling paddy fields. Before the sea water is channeled to the fields where the salt is too be produced, the water has to be cleaned first for about one month in another field located near the area of salt production. After a month, the sea water turns clear and then it is diverted to another field where it is left under the sun to produce salt granules, thus making the drought season the best time for salt-processing. Salt-making activities are suspended during the rainy season and villagers would instead go down to the sea or river to catch fish or prawns. The increased number of tourists coming in to witness the salt-making process has opened up more income-generating avenues for the villages, further boosting the sale of cottage industry products. ROYAL MAUSOLEUM Tourist arrivals have also prompted villagers to build a small jetty in Kampung Bana, making a cruise down the Tanjung Luk Luk river another tourist attraction. “Since the building of the jetty five years ago, more tourists have come for a cruise down the river and to visit the royal mausoleum of the Pattani sultanate,” said Ah Yi. Pattani was once ruled by a monarchy government that excelled in politics, economy and military. Tanjung Luk Luk was once an international trade centre and convergence point for merchants from the east and west. The Pattani sultanate reached its peak while under the rule of four queens namely Raja Hijau, Raja Biru, Raja Unggu and Ratu Kuning from 1584 to 1651, with the mausoleum of the first three located in Kampung Barahom, a 15 minutes boat ride from Kampung Bana. Historical facts revealed that the four queens’ different rule had brought great peace and prosperity to Pattani that they were able to forge ties with the Dutch and Portugal governments. As a result, Pattani back then reigned of 43 regions including Yala, Narathiwat and part of Songkla to Kelantan, Terengganu and northern Kedah. The stability enjoyed for 67 years under the reign of the four queens, all descendants of Sultan Muzaffar Shah (1530- 1564), deteriorated after the death of Ratu Kuning, whose was buried in what is now known Kota Bharu, Kelantan, in Malaysia. MAIN ATTRACTION The trip saw 25 members of the Malaysian media travelling to Southern Thailand under a programme organised by the Southern Peace Media Club (SPMC). We were brought to see the lives of the villagers in Pattani as well as popular tourist attractions around town via tram. Our first stop was at Masjid Jamek Pattani, the largest mosque in town. It is located in town centre on Yarang Road. The mosque’s architecture reminded me of the Taj Mahal as there were similar features such as the large rectangular reflecting pool at the main entrance. It turns out that the mosque built in 1954 was indeed nicknamed the Thailand Taj Mahal due to the strong influence of Mughal and Islamic architecture. The mosque that took nine years to be completed at a cost of 46 million Baht and can accommodate a congregation of around 3,000 at a time. KRUE SE MOSQUE A trip to Pattani would not be complete without a visit to the Krue Se Mosque. It is the first mosque in the Southeast Asian region to be built using bricks and its rustic façade gives off the illusion that its construction has yet to be completed. This is because the bricks used in the construction are not held together by cement but egg whites that have been mixed with black glutinous rice, clam shells and sticky syrup. It was built during the reign of Sultan Muzaffar Shah (1530- 1564) and the influence of the Middle Easters architectural style can be seen in the doors and windows. The praying areas are an enclosed hall and an open space towards the back of the mosque. A part of its dome still carries the marks of damage from a battle in 1786 between the Pattani and Siam sultanates. Although five centuries have since passed, the mosque still stands proudly and is seen as a treasure trove of history, art and architecture. The 400-year-old mosque has stood witness to countless government transformations as well as tragedies afflicting the province. This includes the tragic incident 13 years ago when 34 youths died in a mass killing at the mosque. There are still bullet holes on the walls of the mosque from the tragedy that took place in April 2004. Although the conflict in Southern Thailand has yet to see a resolution, efforts towards peace are underway through the economic development in Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat that started early this year. In Pattani the focus is on turning Nong Chik, a region eight kilometres off Pattani town, into an agricultural township. Among the projects being carried out there are rice and coconut growing, oil palm processing, large scale goat rearing and the halal food industry. It is not impossible that such efforts would help Pattani return to its glory days of peace and prosperity. -- BERNAMA