The sound of a cock crowing signals the start of the day as hundreds of sellers raise their colourful umbrellas and stock their booths with a variety of fresh vegetables, fruits and meats from local farms.
As the winter breeze blew in, it was the ideal day for a young man to be ordained. A group of monks were reciting prayers and the temple grounds were busy with local pilgrims when I arrived at Wat Yai Suwannaram in the coastal town of Phetchaburi. Although the place had come back to life, the ordination ceremony was held without a colourful procession or music band, according to disease control measures.