For travelers, there are tales of unfamiliar and different locales to tell. Some may be non-existent at your arrival. Instead, they could have been hidden in every overlooked nook and cranny along the way. Baan Tha Rae in Sakon Nakon Province, a tiny Catholic village that is characterized by its steep devotion to Christ, is one such place.
The old residents of Tha Rae were said to be liberated from forced labor in Vietnam and those accused of being possessed by evil spirits. Moving to Sakon Nakhon, they came under the pastoral care of a French missionary called Father Xavier Guégo. But an increased population and progressive repression from the local authorities made it necessary to find a new settlement. Soon, in a bamboo raft large enough to take both passengers and their personal effects, they set sailed with the aid of blankets and fabrics as the sail in the mast, their future left to divine intervention to take them to the 'promised' land. Finally, they landed at the other side of Nong Harn where they found a settlement known as Baan Tha Rae Christian Community.
A stroll around the village suggests that the community was build around a plan of square shape typical of those in the occidental world. Houses lining both sides of the road reflect the French influence in their architectural appearances. Unfortunately, some are bare since their dwellers have moved to Bangkok and left behind the fine building deserted and dusty.
My nosy study of the community seemed to have aroused local suspicion to such an extent that I might have to face the music. To my surprise, however, the local people proved to be so pleasant that they could have gone beyond the point of civility.
Since they were so welcoming, I took the opportunity to enquire about the star decoration in front of their houses. In reply, I was told that the community keeps the tradition of December 24 Christmas Star Festival when members of the community decorate their houses with multicolored lights of star to symbolize the birth of Christ. And some houses seem to love some decoration so much that they do not remove it.
