Agrotourism and Green Tourism in Thailand
Thailand boasts a highly diverse climate, fauna, and flora
It has often been said that anyone willing to work will never go hungry in Thailand. This praise from a 13th-century king is engraved on a stele and remains in the memory of schoolchildren: "There is rice in the fields and fish in the rivers." Even in difficult times like today, the country's natural wealth sustains hope and provides livelihoods for its people.
Due to its geographical location in Southeast Asia, Thailand stretches over 1600 kilometers—its climate, fauna, and flora are characterized by great diversity. Tropical and subtropical plants thrive alongside those from temperate regions, meeting both domestic needs and export demands. While rice has always been the staple crop, since the 1950s, Thai farmers have also cultivated commercial crops such as rubber, cassava, corn, soybeans, tobacco, sugarcane, and pineapples. The country is a major global producer of food products and is also renowned for its flower production. If orchids may symbolize Thailand, cut flowers from anthuriums to roses and lilies are also studied and cultivated for commercial purposes.
It is impossible to discuss agriculture in Thailand without mentioning royal initiatives. The first was undertaken in the early 1970s with the aim of improving the living standards of Northern Hill tribes. Temperate fruits and vegetables were introduced as substitutes for opium cultivation. This project, along with subsequent ones, successfully eradicated opium cultivation and promoted new farming methods in northern provinces like Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lampang, and Mae Hong Son. The Royal Projects Foundation operates 4 research centers and 34 development centers that support farmers by selecting crops, improving farm management, and aiding in environmental preservation.
Additionally, the Foundation assists in marketing, packaging, and processing products under its brand name, Doi Kham, available in supermarkets and at the Farmers' Market near Chatuchak Park in Bangkok. Traditional farm life varies across regions. The central plains are known as the country's rice bowl, but rice cultivation is widespread throughout Thailand. While some tasks have been mechanized, manual labor remains integral, from planting to harvesting. Fascinating rituals accompany each stage, and harvest time is the best period to observe farmers at work, particularly in villages using traditional methods. Visiting rice fields during harvest time is possible, and places like Maejo University in Chiang Mai offer opportunities to try planting or harvesting in demonstration fields.
Orchards and salt marshes extend into provinces along both coasts of the Gulf of Thailand. Eastern provinces like Chonburi, Rayong, Chanthaburi, and Trat receive the southwest monsoon, making them greener and more humid than other parts of the country. They produce rambutans, mangosteens, and some of the best durians for local markets and export. Provinces southwest of Bangkok also yield fruits; Ratchaburi is famous for its grapes, Phetchaburi for its rose apples, and Prachuap for its pineapples, while Samut Songkhram is renowned for its lychees. These provinces also host artisanal industries created to absorb overproduction. Visiting these unique small factories offers opportunities to taste their products and bring home some of the finest productions.
In Thailand, agrotourism and green tourism are inseparable from living in the countryside according to ancient traditions and customs.
Agrotourism in Thailand intersects extensively with ecology and cultural tourism. The Department of Agricultural Expansion offers farm visits and stays in villages. Some of these destinations make pleasant stops after a long journey, offering opportunities for education, shopping, and cultural immersion all at once.