Tourism
The Winter Colors of Doi Tung Mountain’s Ethnic Bazaar
The hilltribe bazaar featuring foods, agricultural products, textiles and handicrafts will be held for two periods – December 5 to 7 and December 27 to January 4 – at the Doi Tung Development Project
CHIANG RAI – The Mountain of Doi Tung in Chiang Rai highlands will be ablaze with color next weekend and for once it won’t just be the flowers in Mae Fah Luang Garden providing the stunning hues. Visitors will also be able to enjoy a colorful bazaar as the six ethnic groups living in the mountains demonstrate their sustainable lifestyles and explain how they were weaned from their traditional opium poppy cultivation to become the proud farmers of coffee, fruits and vegetables.
Scheduled for two periods – Friday through next Sunday and again over the New Year holiday from December 27 to January 4, the bazaar will involve some 80 ethnic people from 29 villages in the Doi Tung Development Project run by the Mae Fah Luang Foundation under royal patronage.
Hilltribes living in the Doi Tung Development Project will provide the entertainment at the dinner.
The “Colours of Doi Tung” festival offers a rare opportunity to see the Shan, Akha, Lahu, Tai Lue, Lua and Chinese clad in their traditional attire and a chance to buy their authentic foods, agricultural produce, textiles and handicrafts as well as tea and coffee from the plantations.
Traditional performances and games will also presented.
Traditional performances and games will also presented, with Akha men demonstrating how to throw tops, children walking on bamboo stilts and musicians playing bamboo organs.
“These people are proud to present their ways of life, culture and art and demonstrate how poverty, illiteracy and drug trafficking can be alleviated through a sustainable lifestyle,” says the project’s chief operating officer Thanawat Srikhirin.
The 80 Akha people residing in Baan Phahee village today earn a good living from coffee
The 80 Akha people residing in Baan Phahee village today earn a good living from coffee. They currently produce about 200 tons of “parchment coffee” – dried but unhulled coffee beans – a year, which sells for about Bt20 million a year, ensuring a sustainable income. Giant coffee brand Moccona and Doi Tung Coffee are among their patrons.
“Doi Tung is at an altitude of about 1,200 meters and we produce 100-per-cent Arabica coffee under the shade of lychee trees. We converted from the opium poppy to coffee in 1981 under a government-initiated project and have been self-supporting ever since. The project has been a great success,” says villager Sorapong Pornjaratchot.
In 2002, the villagers set up their own community enterprise to ensure better quality control and a stronger brand and also set up the Phahee coffeeshop in Huay Krai sub-district of Chiang Rai’s Mae Sai district. The roasted beans sell for Bt250 for a 500-gram bag.
The area that makes up the Doi Tung Development Project was once all bare hills, infertile soil and parched streams. That changed once His Majesty the King’s late mother, revered across the nation as Somdej Ya, set up the Doi Tung project in an attempt to help the people around Doi Tung find another means of sustenance besides growing and selling the narcotic. She initiated the Doi Tung Development Project in 1988 – she was already 87 at the time – to guide the struggling and vulnerable communities toward self-sufficiency and independence and reforest the denuded hills.
“Doi Tung is at an altitude of about 1,200 meters and we produce 100-per-cent Arabica coffee under the shade of lychee trees
“No one wants to be a bad person,” Somdej Ya once said, “but not everyone has the opportunity to be good.”
The products that are marketed under the Doi Tung brand – coffee, macadamia nuts, fabrics and ceramics – attest to the success of the project in eliminating opium cultivation in the heart of the notorious Golden Triangle. Farmers are instead trained as skilled artisans and experts in alternative agriculture.
Cultivated in a forest spread over 3,000 Rai, the Doi Tung Arabica coffee beans are advertised as “single-origin”, since they come solely from these hills – at elevations of 800 metres or more above sea level. They can produce about four million tonnes of unprocessed coffee a year, which sells for about Bt15 million to Bt20 million. The site has set up its own factory and it is here that the coffee beans are roasted ready for sale at the more than 20 branches of Cafe Doi Tung around the country.
Another 1,000 rai of the forest is home to some 35,000 macadamia trees. Growing at 800 meters above sea level, they yield around 250 tonnes of nuts in the shell per year, or 50 tonnes of nut kernels. A kilogram of nuts sells for Bt1,600. Roasted, they’re a hit with consumers and come in various flavors including wasabi, honey, salted, seaweed and even pizza.
Mae Fah Luang Garden
The biggest attraction of Doi Tung is the 30-rai Mae Fah Luang Garden with its breathtaking landscape of many varieties of flowers. Located on the former Akha village of Pa Kluay, once an important route for opium caravans and those involved drug and weapon trafficking, the garden was built on the instructions of the Princess Mother to provide all Thais with an opportunity to enjoy a temperate flower garden. The flowers are grown and nurtured by local villagers and bring in a substantial income.
The garden is also home to indigenous wild plants and flowers that bloom year round as well as the sculpture titled “Continuity” by the late female artist Misiem Yipintsoi. Visitors can explore the newly built maze or learn how to plant in the nursery while orchid lovers get to admire the Princess Sangwan Lady’s Slipper – a beautiful orchid endemic to Doi Tung.
For the first time in its history, Mae Fah Luang Garden will be open on New Year’s Eve to host a special candlelit dinner for about 150 guests. Diners will be greeted by a hill-tribe welcoming ceremony and entertained by music, dancing and flying lanterns.
The New Year’s Eve dinner at Mae Fah Luang Garden will feature such Northern-style specialities as Nam Prik Ong, Miang Pla and Gaeng Hang Lay.
The set dinner is being designed by Dr Narumol Jotivej, a member of the foundation’s advisory board, with sharing in mind. Among the Northern-style dishes are nam prik ong (spicy minced pork and tomato dip with fresh and blanched vegetables and pork crackling), miang pla (fish salad) and gaeng hang lay (pork curry with garlic).
“Nam prik ong has been chosen as an appetizer rather than nam prik num (a traditional spicy dip based on roasted green chilli, onion and garlic) because it’s not too spicy and the tomato base will be familiar to most diners,” says Narumol.
The spicy paste for the gaeng hang lay is made from red chilli, red onions, lemongrass, shrimp paste and is braised with pork chunks from the rump cut until tender. Pickled garlic and santol are added to help overcome any oiliness.
Miang pla is not the usual herbal tidbits wrapped in leaves, but fried diced snapper with a spicy dressing topped with chopped lemongrass, chopped lemon and chilli.
Kids have their own menu featuring fried chicken with brown sauce, fried minced pork ball, fried snapper and fried rice with ham.
DINING IN THE DARK
“Colors of Doi Tung” will be held for two periods – December 5 to 7 and December 27 to January 4 – from 8am to 6pm.
The dinner at Mae Fah Luang Garden takes place on the night of December 31. It’s priced at Bt1,500 per person. Early reservations are recommended.
Call (053) 767 0157 or visit www.DoiTung.org By Khetsirin Pholdhampalit
By Khetsirin Pholdhampalit
People from more nations will be now able to enter Thailand without a visa beginning Monday. This is part of an effort to increase tourism and encourage visitors to stay longer, Interior Ministry spokeswoman Traisuree Taisaranakul said on Friday.
According to Ms. Traisuree, Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has signed four documents that will make it easier for foreigners to travel. These modifications will all take effect on Monday, provided they are published in the Royal Gazette.
The instructions include 93 more nations on the list of individuals who can visit Thailand without a visa, up from 57 previously. People from these countries can stay for a maximum of 60 days. Additionally, from 19 to 31, nearly twice as many nations will be able to obtain visas on arrival in Thailand.
To attract digital nomads, artists, and tourists interested in learning or practicing skills such as cooking and Muay Thai, the country will also introduce the Destination Thailand Visa service.
The new form of visa, which is valid for five years, allows travelers to stay for up to 180 days.
According to Ms. Traisuree, students holding visas for master’s degrees or higher will not be required to leave Thailand immediately upon graduation. They will be able to stay for an additional year to hunt for work or vacation.
In order to enhance the economy and tourism, the cabinet took a general decision on these additional measures in May. The statement was meant to be released in June, but it was pushed back.
Ms. Traisuree believes that this is the greatest sort of visa for persons who want to work from home in the Land of Smiles and explore the nation without the various restrictions and complications that come with conventional tourist visas.
Getting a DTV will give you a 5-year multiple-entry visa that lets you stay in Thailand for a total of 180 days a year, with the opportunity to stay for another 180 days.
Ms. Traisuree said that the Destination Thailand Visa is great if you want to work from home in the Land of Smiles and see the sights without the many restrictions and problems that come with a regular tourist visa. The Destination Thailand Visa will cost 10,000 THB.
Qualifications for the Thailand Destination Visa (DTV)
According to Thai Embassy, to be eligible for the visa, you must fulfill the following conditions (which could change):
- You have to be 20 years of age or older
- You have to be able to afford the cost of the visa
- To sustain your stay in the nation, you must demonstrate that you have at least 500,000 THB in your bank account
- Proof of your employment with a recognized company is required.
For digital nomads or remote workers who want to make the most of their travels and yet have the opportunity to work while they’re there, the Destination Thailand Visa is designed just for you. Additionally, it is ideal if you are traveling to Thailand in order to partake in any of the following activities:
- Thai food prepared with Muay Thai
- Instruction and conferences
- Sports medicine therapy
- International talent International music and art events
Thailand DTV Visa Benefits
Additionally, there is uncertainty about these details and they could change:
- In comparison to other Southeast Asian nations that provide comparable visas, Thailand has less stringent income requirements and charges for the visa. For another 10,000 THB, you can extend the visa once, for a maximum of 180 days.
- There are ninety-three foreign nations that qualify for the Thailand DTV Visa.
- With this visa, you can lawfully operate remotely for foreign clients and companies while in Thailand.
- Your spouse and any children under the age of twenty may accompany you.
- You are exempt from paying taxes on your foreign income because the visa allows you to stay in Thailand for up to 180 days.
Drawbacks of a Thailand DTV Visa
You are unable to work for a Thai company that needs a Thai work visa, even though you are still able to engage in some activities and make money. Your DTV will end if you decide to change the kind of visa you are currently on.
Additional information on the visa’s release date and application process will be available in late June or early July of 2024. You will most likely be able to apply for it via the Thai immigration office, a Thai embassy, or a Royal Thai Consulate.
Thailand’s Hotels Association (THA) reports that another German tour operator has gone bankrupt, but that this will have a far less effect than the recent bankruptcy of FTI Touristik.
Following notification from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the Thai Hotels Association has now confirmed that the Cologne-based luxury tour operator Itravel Group has formally filed for bankruptcy.
Southern Thailand is home to numerous high-end resorts, which Itravel aims to attract, according to Thai Hotels Association president Thienprasit Chaiyapatranun.
As a result of Itravel’s bankruptcy, he said, the hotels association is currently collecting data from its members.
On Monday, the organization wrote to the TAT and the Foreign Ministry, requesting that they assist hotel operators in keeping up with legal developments surrounding the bankruptcy of the German tour operator FTI, which resulted in a loss of almost 111 million baht for hotels around the country.
Hotels having issues with Itravel
On Monday, during the THA monthly meeting, Mr. Thienprasit noted that they also emphasized the case’s urgency to Minister Sermsak Pongpanit of Tourism and Sports.
In response to allegations that hotel operators with business partnerships with Itravel were experiencing issues with financial transactions, the agency issued an alert to the industry, according to Siripakorn Cheawsamoot, TAT deputy governor for Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas.
He speculated that the losses might be lower with Itravel, an online travel agency that focuses on the niche luxury market, than with FTI, the third operator.
According to the Bangkok Post, at Monday’s THA meeting, Mr. Sermsak stated that the ministry will look into measures to assist hotels, especially since the goal of 3.5 trillion baht in tourism earnings for this year is still very ambitious.
According to Mr. Thienprasit, the organization is opposed to the government’s plans to increase the legal foreign ownership of condominiums from 49% to 75%. This, he added, might lead to an increase in unlawful accommodations and make other condo residents feel uneasy about having more guests around the clock.
Unscrupulous investors
He said that some international investors are already breaking the law by renting out their rooms to day guests, even though the Hotel Act only permits rentals of at least 30 days.
An increase in the foreign ownership quota for condos, according to Mr. Thienprasit, could entice unscrupulous investors and lead to the construction of even more unlawful rooms, which now exceed the number of registered hotel rooms by a factor of two.
The success of Thailand’s hotel industry is highly dependent on the business of tour operators. These collaborations bring in a constant flow of visitors, particularly during busy seasons.
It is more convenient for passengers to book comprehensive packages offered by tour operators, which include hotel accommodations and activities. Because of this arrangement, hotels may anticipate a specific amount of bookings without having to spend a lot on advertising.
Additionally, hotels are able to provide more affordable rates, which appeals to guests who are mindful of their budget. But if tour operators go through slumps or start focusing on other places, this dependence might be disastrous.
Source: Bangkok Post, Thai PBS
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SEE ALSO: Thailand Named Top Spot for Most Popular Tourist Destination
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