Fresh from Youth – The Dolphin Boat and a Vanishing Way of Life

The Sunlit Fields series takes viewers back to the model fishing boat home in Bang Yai Phraek, a living learning center about ancient fishing vessels that functions as a museum of waterfront village heritage. At the center is Uncle Noi Chatchawal, a master boat craftsman who has devoted his life to preserving community identity amid waves of inevitable change.

The location is filled with model boats of various kinds, from ordinary canal boats to offshore trawlers. One of them is the "dolphin boat," a large fishing vessel that lent its name to Tha Chalom. Once the primary vessel of local fishermen, it now exists only through Uncle Noi's craftsmanship.

"In the beginning, it was simply the way villagers lived," Uncle Noi explains. "Simple boats were used for regular transport, fishing in canals and along shores. Later, as communities grew and prospered, people needed to venture into the sea, so we had larger boats like the po and dolphin boats. Today, these boats no longer exist. If we don't make efforts to preserve them, they'll disappear completely. It would be truly tragic."

Beyond the boats, the riverside community of Tha Chin is deeply connected to the "jak" plant, a local vegetation that once thrived along riverbanks. Ancestors made use of every part—leaves for roofing and walls, tender shoots for sweets, young fruits for curries and dips. When the fruit matured to around eight or nine months, it became a dessert. Essentially, nothing went to waste.

The team brought children Thannawa, Mee Pooh, and Rung to the home of Aunt Tum Pratum, Uncle Noi's wife, to learn how to prepare "kaeng moeng jak," an ancient home-cooked curry now rarely found. The process begins with slicing young jak, soaking it in salt water to remove astringency, then simmering it with coconut cream, curry paste, and chicken, filling the house with wonderful aromas.

"Finding jak isn't difficult," Aunt Tum notes. "Whenever I want some, I simply cut it from near the house. It's convenient. But sadly, many people no longer know about it."

When the curry was ready, the hungry children eagerly tasted it. Thannawa expressed amazement: "It's delicious! So tender and flavorful"—before going back for seconds. This taste test serves as the best proof that despite being ancient cuisine, the flavors remain vibrantly contemporary.

Uncle Noi believes that for younger generations to truly appreciate local wisdom, they must experience it firsthand—observing, seeing the benefits directly. Whether it's jak groves that provide useful and edible things, or fishing boats that tell entire stories of community life. Because once this generation passes, the dolphin boats, jak curries, and riverside jak groves may exist only in legend.