BANGKOK: Travellers find happiness by experiencing new, untouched places of nature. For cat lovers, the joy comes from playing with their feline pets. But could we combine the two, by letting them take a boat ride together?
Pao-Chavalit Sutthamsakul, the owner of Hua Takhe Intersection Café and Guesthouse at Lat Krabang, Bangkok, offers a first-person account of the whole experience and how it has become their unique selling point.
"Ten years ago, if you searched for 'Hua Takhe Market' on the internet, you would find nothing except a brief history of Sian Phae Ko vegetarian canteen. Not a single picture could be found.
The old Hua Takhe market used to be abandoned, filled with numerous wooden shops that have stood for ages. Some shops still sell traditional goods, giving one the feeling of travelling back in time.
When I first moved here over a decade ago, most houses were made of wood and there were a lot of rats. So I decided to get a couple of cats to catch the rats. I had never had a cat before and ended up adopting two stray cats, named Thongdam and Thongdaeng.
Every morning I would row a boat to the market to buy goods. One day, Thongdaeng followed me. As I sat in the boat, a thought crossed my mind: ‘Cats are afraid of water.’ Hence, I never considered bringing a cat onto the boat.
But when he came close, I called out, 'Thongdaeng, come, come.' He jumped right into the boat! That wasn't what everyone said about cats being afraid of water. So, I changed my mind.
In the evening, I thought of taking him for a proper boat ride to see if he liked it. If he didn't, I wouldn't take him again. But if he did, I could take him out more often.
In the evening, I took him on the boat. Cats are curious animals. Once on board, he roamed all over, from the bow to the stern. He was brave and explored every part, so I figured he must have liked it."
Most cats only see the world from the ground or rooftops. A change of scenery can be very exciting for them.
I noticed that every time I took him on the boat, he looked around everywhere. Living by the water gave my cats an advantage over others, as few cats have the chance to see the world from a boat.
Seeing how much he enjoyed it, I took him on the boat every day. During the Covid-19 pandemic, when we had nothing else to do, we went boating every day.
The number of cats gradually increased from two to nine: Tone, Thongyip, Sompaen, Makham, Mali, Suamek, Coco, O-Liang, and Kati.
Thongdaeng, the first cat, passed away from kidney disease. I didn’t know much about cat food and fed him too much mackerel.
When we got new cats, around 2-3 months old, we immediately took them on the boat. They all went on the boat from a young age.
Every day, I took the cats on a boat ride. Tourists and visitors at the market would smile and take pictures, and I felt it brought joy to people.
So, I took the cats on the boat daily, wanting to share the happiness with everyone. The side-effect was that more people became aware of the old Hua Takhe market. Many photos were taken and shared, sparking interest and inquiries about the place. I created a Facebook page called 'Cats by the Canal'.
The Covid-19 pandemic restricted many people from travelling abroad, including Ploy Pigkaploy, a YouTuber and actress. She had to explore within Thailand and was contacted to stay here.
"Before Covid-19, our guesthouse catered 100% to foreigners. We were fully booked daily because of our proximity to the airport.
Some would stay for 1-2 days to plan their next moves or to rest before continuing their travels. Since we were close to the airport, it was convenient for them.
When Ploy came, we had never taken anyone on a boat ride with the cats before. I invited her to join, and after she filmed the experience, people started to take notice and wanted to stay there.
Many contacted us, eager to stay and join the boat rides with the cats. This was the beginning of the cat-boating experience.
When Covid-19 restrictions eased and we could welcome international guests again, I invited them for a special boat ride with the cats.
We started seeing more Chinese tourists. They took photos and shared them on the Red Book app, causing a surge in interest. I asked them how they found us, and they replied, ‘Red Book’. Some said, 'Very Famous!'.
The first Chinese visitor provided detailed information on where our place is, how to get there, the boat ride schedule, and the cost. We didn't need to do anything except respond to inquiries via Google Maps or WhatsApp. Once posted in Chinese, people from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore started coming."
Our guesthouse mainly accommodates room reservations, so there are usually 1-2 boats available daily for other visitors. The problem now is that our rooms are fully booked.
We want everyone who visits to have a chance to go boating with the cats. We have four boats, each accommodating two people plus a rower, for 50-minute sessions at 4.30pm and 5.30pm.
Some suggest reducing the time to allow more sessions, but that's not feasible because once you're on the boat, you won't want to leave. Fifty minutes feels short when you're actually rowing.
Cats on the boat won’t sit still; they’ll jump around, from one shoulder to the next. We instruct our staff to ensure there’s always a cat on board. If there isn’t, they need to find one. We can’t have just one cat on the boat; it’s essential to keep the cats rotating to keep everyone happy.
The current issue is that we prioritise guests staying at the guesthouse, but many non-staying visitors, including locals and Chinese, want to join. When we are fully booked, it's hard to accommodate additional guests without last-minute availability."
Living by the water often means dealing with litter. Initially, we didn’t think about picking up trash, believing our small effort wouldn’t make a difference. But seeing news about whales dying with stomachs full of plastic deeply moved us.
It changed my perspective. For the past 4-5 years, whenever I row and see trash, I pick it up. Our actions may inspire others to not litter and motivate children or passersby.
In our community, nobody picks up the trash; people just throw it away. During the dry season, the water recedes, leaving only plastic bags.
We collaborated with Glintfun Café, which advocates for zero waste. They don’t use disposable containers and rent out kayaks for 350 baht. If you collect trash while paddling, the fee is reduced to 100 baht.
We host monthly trash collection activities. Our boat cats find it fun and often jump to the trash collectors' boats, creating awareness and encouraging responsible behaviour.
The old Hua Takhe market offers various activities for a full day of exploration. Our initial goal was to make people smile, see them take pictures, and spread happiness. We want everyone to have the opportunity to experience boating with the cats. I take photos during the boat rides and share them because it's a rare experience.
For cat lovers, please note that visiting here doesn’t guarantee you’ll play with cats all the time. Cats sleep a lot, and we can't promise a specific time to see them. We bring the cats out only for the evening boat rides, and once the ride is over, they are taken back to their rooms." - The Nation/ANN
