Northern Thailand homestay vacation in Phayao

Planet

Our environment needs all the help that it can get and local initiatives are often the best way to go because they are inspired by the people to have the most to lose from doing nothing and the most to gain from trying to make a difference. The village of Ban Dok Bua in Phayao Province in northern Thailand has been known for many years as a pioneer community in following the late King Rama XI’s philosophy of the “sufficiency economy.” Villagers should grow food to eat, not cash crops to sell, and they should do it organically and sustainably, thus gaining economic independence, achieve a healthy lifestyle and protect their environment for future generations. The village won an award for its dedication to such a sustainable lifestyle and in 2019 was recognised again in an award-winning programme at the Thailand Tourism Awards and once more in 2020 at the Responsible Thailand Awards. A visit to Ban Dok Bua will, therefore, be an enlightening experience. Learn about their organic farming methods, see how their local handicrafts are produced from renewable resources such as bamboo and the ingenious and locally developed cooking stove fueled entirely by rice husks. The Thai Lue ethnic minority village of Baan That Sob Van in Chiang Kham District also follows a sustainable lifestyle. Like most of the ethnic-minority tribespeople who originated in Southern China the Thai Lue live close to nature and here too they practice organic farming and promote sustainably produced handicrafts such as their hand-woven fabrics, made from locally grown cotton and dyed with homemade vegetable dyes.

People

By working in genuine partnership with communities that are striving hard and successfully preserve their natural environment and their traditional culture, we can all give them valuable support in their endeavours. Tourism income, a fair price paid for services provided, boosts the local economy and the additional local employment tourism creates can perhaps help keep families together; if there is more employment at home then there less need to migrate to the cities to find menial work in factories or as domestic servants. Overseas visitors can also provide an important impetus to preserve traditional cultural practices which under increasing pressure from outside influences. The young, in particular, are drawn to the heavily western-influenced mainstream Thai culture; music, fashions, films, etc. If remote communities see that many people are prepared to travel halfway round the world to visit them and learn about their way of life, then perhaps some of the old ways are worth keeping after all. We don’t ask communities to put on special dancing shows for our guests, or to wear traditional costumes to welcome them, we encourage them only to preserve their traditions for their own sake and for the sake of their children and grandchildren. Of course, our clients will be happy to join in any traditional celebrations that happen to be taking place at the time they visit.