Golden moment in the rainy season, catching horseshoe crabs, good price, 15 baht per crab, some nights can catch up to 500 crabs, the market needs them, especially the males, pungent smell, popular for making horseshoe crab chili paste.
At night, the villagers of Nong Hin Dat, Tambon Sara Wan Phraya, Amphoe Khong Buri, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, brought purple light bulbs and insect recording equipment to install in a hut in the middle of a cassava field at the end of the village to lure and catch horseshoe crabs and other insects, following the local wisdom that has been passed down for decades. Because during September-November, there is a lot of rain, causing horseshoe crabs and other insects to come out to find food, mate, and lay eggs naturally.
One of the villagers of Nong Hin Dat who went out to find the horseshoe crabs said that horseshoe crabs are expensive. When they go out to find them, they use both purple lights and sound equipment to lure the insects. When the horseshoe crabs hear the sound
and see the light, they will fly to find them and fall in that area. They use flashlights to shine at the point where the sound is heard. The villagers will hurry to collect them. This happens from early evening until midnight, which is the time when the horseshoe crabs come out to find food. During the days when there is light rain, the horseshoe crabs come out to find food in particular. The villagers can catch dozens of horseshoe crabs a day and once caught as many as 500 per night.
As for the price, male horseshoe crabs have a strong smell and are in high demand in the market. Each crab costs 15 baht or more. In some years, villagers earn 30,000-40,000 baht from catching and selling horseshoe crabs.
Horseshoe crabs can be cooked in a variety of ways, but the most popular is horseshoe crab chili paste, eaten with vegetables, or fried or pickled in fish sauce. If sold wholesale to middlemen or online, the villagers will steam them before selling them.
Source: Thai News Agency