Page 71 - Experience Thailand and More

KALASIN

Black Water Town

120 million years ago, sauropods, enormous, long-necked, long-tailed, small
headed, herbivorous dinosaurs roamed these lands. The earliest known
settlers, the Lawa, came much later, just 1600 years ago. Kalasin was first
recognized as a town in 1793 by the first king of the Chakri dynasty, Rama I,
not long after the Thai capital was established at Krung Thep, or Bangkok,
and a Lao leader who had led his subjects across the Mekong River to find
a safer, more fertile home on the banks of the Pao River sent tributes. The
Thai king also named the new town and later province after the black pond
located at the foot of the Phu Phan mountains.

Kalasin has long remained off the beaten track of travelers, but this could
change as National Highway Route 12 is upgraded and becomes a much
more important thoroughfare for east-west travel and trade between four
of the ASEAN Community Mekong River Basin countries of Myanmar,
Thailand, Lao PDR and Vietnam. The scenery is spectacular with lush
rice paddies stretching to the distant mountain ranges. You can also find
villages that have retained their Phuthai culture and are still hand weaving
beautiful Phraewa silk.

71