The founder of Discovery Edition, Olivier Tangkun who was born in Thailand, reunited with his biological family in Nakhon Sawan after more than 30 years.
Nakhon Sawan: the city of reunions
Olivier Tangkun, an independent filmmaker with a 17-year career in the film industry—and a former fashion producer and event organizer—had the immense joy of reuniting with his biological family living in Nakhon Sawan.
Eager to return to his country of birth and recalling a trip he had taken there at the age of six with his adoptive family, Olivier Tangkun had one goal in mind: to rediscover Thailand with his family acting as guides. They enabled him to visit off-the-beaten-path locations, as he wanted to get away from tourist hubs like Bangkok and Phuket to reconnect with the land and its authentic natural scenery. He was looking for the “real Thailand,” not “over-tourism.”
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Olivier Tangkun
His journey and his vision of tourism
It is in Nakhon Sawan that Olivier Tangkun reveals the authentic, 100% Thai landscape to you. He created an artistic, travel-focused documentary to share his journey—from his departure and arrival in Bangkok to his trip toward Nakhon Sawan—featuring temple visits, Thai markets, and street food stalls. He noticed a stark contrast between his visit at age six with his adoptive family and this more recent trip; he observed a shift toward modernity, with the country adopting Chinese technologies and more comfortable furnishings. Olivier Tangkun regrets that his country of origin has become overly modernized; he would have preferred to see the more traditional, culturally rich nation of the 1990s—though without wishing for the poverty that existed then. Nevertheless, far from the capital of Bangkok, Nakhon Sawan has retained about 40% of the atmosphere of the Thailand of the 90s. While the rest has been fully modernized, tourists are a rare sight there. Olivier Tangkun dislikes traveling to over-touristed destinations, preferring instead to appreciate the genuine scenic beauty and cultural aesthetics of a place. While he is eager to share the culture internationally, he sees no point in showcasing modernization that makes every country look the same—from urban planning and land use to the structure of their economies. Everyone wants to display their development and cultural wealth, yet few preserve the value of their history. Olivier Tangkun invites you to watch his documentary and hopes you will share his perspective on what a traveler truly seeks.
Why choose Nakhon Sawan as a destination ?
When you are in Nakhon Sawan, no locals will pester you to buy products or stare at you as if you were an outsider. On the contrary, it is the perfect place to meet people, as they are surprised to see a foreigner—or farang—vacationing in their city. It is a welcoming place where locals are happy to give directions, offer advice, and point out the best spots to eat or visit. Nakhon Sawan offers attractions ranging from a monkey park to the chance to see wild crocodiles. The city also boasts a large night market. As with any Thai city, there is no shortage of street food, so the culinary offerings will feel familiar. Unlike in France, where every region and city has its own distinct history and gastronomic specialty, Nakhon Sawan does not market itself as a typical tourist destination; instead, it is a place to discover and understand a way of life far removed from the capital and the usual tourist hubs.
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Useful links
- Thai Airways — thaiairways.com/fr-fr
- Princess Cruises — princess.com/cruise-destinations/thailand-cruises
- State Railway of Thailand (SRT) — railway.co.th
- SRT train bookings — dticket.railway.co.th/DTicketPublicWeb/home/Home
- Pai Village Boutique Resort — paivillage.com
- Nan Boutique Hotel & Resort — nanboutique.com/en
1 Comment
C’est un élu municipal de Fécamp sous l’étiquette de Mouvement Européen Tourisme. Bravo pour l’article.