Timog Silangan: The Folktales of Southeast Asia

The Krai Thong Garden

Krai Thong is a folk tale of Phichit Province relating a story of the king of the crocodiles, Chalawan and his complicated love affairs that finally led him to a tragic end. Deep down under the river, there was a cave where all crocodiles lived. The cave never grew dark because of a magic crystal that always gave light to the cave day and night. When living in the cave, the crocodiles would change into human form and would never feel hunger. The king of all crocodiles, Chalawan, lived with his two beloved wives: his major wife Wimala and his minor wife Lueam Lai Wan. One day, when Chalawan was swimming close to the trading center of Phichit, he ac ci den tal ly saw the two daughters of a millionaire, namely Taphao Thong and Taphao Kaew, swimming with their maids in the river. Becoming attracted to the beauty of the two girls, he then captured the elder daughter, Taphao Thong, and whisked her off to his underwater grotto and made her his third wife.

The millionaire, learning that his daughter had been kidnapped by Chalawan, became enraged and offered his re main ing daughter and half of his treasure to anyone who could find or kill Chalawan for him. Krai Thong, a strong and willing man from Nonthaburi, was trading in Phichit when he first heard of the incident. Having been educated and trained to use oracle at the town, Krai Thong volunteered to kill the crocodile. He tracked Chalawan to the cave, killed him and brought back the millionaires daughter, Taphao Thong. Krai Thong was handsomely rewarded by the mil lion aire for his brave deeds.

Krai Thong garden constructed at Muang Boran displays a group of sculp tures depicting important scenes of the story. For example, the statues of Chalawan bringing Taphao Thong to his un der wa ter cave and Krai Thong fighting with Chalawan.