Travel/POI: Thailand 2023.05 -3 Chanthaburi 泰國莊他武里府

莊他武里府 (尖竹汶府, Chanthaburi, จันทบุรี) 在印度梵文當中「Chantha」的意思是「月亮」，而「Buri」的意思是「城市」，所以合起來就是「月亮的城市」或「月都」。它與相鄰的達叻府是泰國的主要寶石產地，紅寶石與藍寶石都聞名遐邇。

農業則以出產各類熱帶水果和胡椒等經濟作物為主。府徽上展示一個月亮，因為它的名稱是「月城」的意思，月亮中有一個兔子的形狀，按照泰國傳說，玉兔子居住在月亮上，象徵著本地的安寧與平靜。

府樹是黄柿 (Diospyros decandra)，府花為蘭花。

Chanthaburi comes from Indian Sanskrit, where "Chantha" means "moon" and "Buri" means "city" — hence, it is known as the "City of the Moon" or "Moon City." Chanthaburi, along with the adjacent Trat Province, is one of Thailand’s main gem-producing areas, particularly known for rubies and sapphires.

Agriculture in the province is centered on the production of various tropical fruits, pepper, and other crops. The provincial seal features a moon, reflecting the meaning of its name. Within the moon, there is the shape of a rabbit — based on a Thai legend that tells of a jade rabbit living on the moon, symbolizing local peace and tranquility.

The provincial tree is Diospyros decandra, and the provincial flower is the orchid.

朋友的榴槤廠在莊他武里府，我們每次來，主人手不軟的一個個榴槤殺給我們吃，直到我們吃得飽飽的，並且讓我們嚐各種不同的品種，有些可能是天價，他也不手軟。

而我們呢？像蝗蟲過境，也不客氣的拼了老命似的吃。

其實最初我們也像大多數人一樣，一聽到「榴槤」便花容失色，想到「臭」，但是鼓起勇氣嚐試後，或許因為在產地，新鮮的榴槤有一種特殊的香氣而不是臭味，大家都吃得津津有味。

據說榴槤屬熱性水果，吃多了會使人火氣大，主人還凖備了性偏寒涼的山竹，來清熱、平衡一下。

來這裏總是能嚐到當季各色各樣的水果，讓我們覺得幸福滿滿。

My friend's durian factory is located in Chanthaburi Province. Every time we visit, he prepares durians for us one by one until we’re completely full. He never hesitates to let us try different varieties — some of which might be incredibly expensive.

And us? Like a swarm of locusts, we devour the durians as if there’s no tomorrow.

Honestly, like most people, we initially recoiled at the word “durian,” thinking only of the infamous smell. But after mustering the courage to try it — perhaps because we were eating it fresh at the source — we found that it had a unique aroma and wasn’t smelly at all. Everyone ended up eating with real enthusiasm.

It’s said that durian is a warm-natured fruit, and eating too much can cause your body to become “heaty.” So, my friend also prepared mangosteens — a cold-natured fruit — to help cool the body and maintain balance.

Every time we come here, we get to enjoy a variety of seasonal fruits, which always fills us with joy.

我們今晚住在 Loft Hill Resort Chanthaburi。花園般的住處，後面有一條可玩水的小溪。晚上又是豐豐盛盛的一頓。吃完飯還唱卡拉OK自娛。

隔天早晨的早餐也很不錯。借用朋友的影片看看吃早餐的環境。

We stayed at Loft Hill Resort Chanthaburi tonight — a garden-like accommodation with a stream running behind it. In the evening, we enjoyed another sumptuous meal. After dinner, we entertained ourselves with some karaoke.

The breakfast the next morning was also excellent. We even borrowed a friend’s video to get a better look at the breakfast setting.

吃完早餐後，我們去朋友女兒開的咖啡館喝飲料、吃甜點。誰能想像公路旁、加油站旁的咖啡館竟然有室外花園，如世外桃源一般。

After breakfast, we visited a café owned by my friend’s daughter for coffee, drinks, and desserts. Who would have imagined that a café next to a highway and a gas station could have an outdoor garden that felt like a little paradise?

泰國的按摩又便宜又好，莊他武里府離曼谷稍遠，2 小時才 500 泰銖。去讓人按摩一下，非常舒服，經濟實惠。

不喜歡按摩的，就去參觀另一個榴槤廠，見識一下榴槤處理的流程，增長見聞。

Massages in Thailand are both affordable and high quality. Since Chanthaburi is a bit farther from Bangkok, a two-hour massage costs only 500 baht (about $25 USD). Getting a massage here is both enjoyable and budget-friendly.

For those who weren’t interested in massages, there was the option to visit another durian factory to observe the processing and learn more about durian production.