Petchaburi in Thailand is my adopted home. We live just out of the town and often visit the day market but rarely have reason to go to the town centre after dark. It has always seemed to shut down very quickly in the evening and lacks the bustling nightlife of a more modern urban centre. I really appreciate it holding on to this older style and recently decided to have a wander around to see just what a Petchaburi town evening has to offer.
I left our house before sunset to walk the 2km to the town centre but was almost immediately stopped in my tracks by a neighbour's litter of puppies who have the freedom to roam. Four of them plus their mother gave me a good checking over before deciding that I wasn't actually that interesting and let me carry on.
I was then stopped by the tracks at a level crossing as a train passed. Experience told me to wait for the rush of motorbikes to subside before crossing once the barriers lifted.
The lives of street dogs always interest me. I regularly see this one somewhere around this junction. It is slightly wary, never aggressive and looks healthy. This evening I could see that although it is unowned and free-ranging it has a close relationship to the local streetfood sellers who let it finish off any leftovers. This is close to the tradition of unowned village dogs that has pervaded Thailand for many centuries. I don't see these dogs as a problem and love seeing that this lifestyle has room to continue.
And this was one of the stall owners who passed on her scraps to the dog.
The next streetside restaurant was serving "khao dtom" - rice soup with a selection of savoury dishes to eat with it.
As I got into the town centre I passed under a very noisy roost of myna birds on the wires who come into town to spend their nights. There are thousands of them and for an hour or so until they settle down they are very loud. The locals don't particularly like them for the mess they create but just shrug their shoulders and get on with life.
The next food-stall had noodle soup with bean-sprouts and meatballs.
There were one or two shops still open (it was still only about 7pm) like this milkbar but the outdoor style seemed much more popular. Possibly because it is cheaper.
Another old tradition that is hanging on in Petchaburi town. I see these samlors ("three-wheels") occasionally being peddled around town as taxis but now I know where they sleep.
This padthai seller was doing good business, which always seems to be the case for this ever-popular fried noodle dish.
And there is plenty on offer for those looking for something sweet. This is very subjective, but these little "kanom krok" discs made with sweetened coconut milk and rice flour are delicious whereas the variety of traditional Thai sweets in the next two photos are less so, unless you reeeeeally like sugar.
I then had a brief stop at the town's main temple, Wat Mahathat Worawihan, which was looking stunning with its selective lighting. The man sitting in front of the Buddha statue was doing some serious praying as he still hadn't moved when I left twenty minutes later.
In the area where the day market is held the main life was cats. The first one below avoided getting hit by the passing car while as far as I know the second one might still be staring upwards - I couldn't tell what it was looking at. Possibly a gecko or perhaps a moth.
I walked out of the town centre towards home soon after 8pm with the impression of what a pleasant, low-key place I live in. There was still life in the town, which absolutely centred around eating, but the food stalls were well spread out along several roads with plenty of space between. Four people together was about as crowded as it got. And the only real noise came from the myna birds.
