Category: Eco Tourism

The last decade has been one of huge change for Phuket, with both government and private enterprise coming together to redefine and protect the destination for years to come. Travel writer Chris Ashton shares insights on how to be a responsible traveller in Phuket.

A little slice of tropical perfection in the Andaman Sea, Phuket welcomes almost 10 million visitors each year. With such high visitation, the small island has grappled with the effects of over tourism for years, yet that could be a thing of the past as the island looks to reinvent itself as one of the most sustainable destinations in Thailand.

There’s the No Foam No Plastic campaign which has been encouraging hotels and retail outlets to swap single use plastics for more sustainable options since early 2019. A ban on smoking on beaches has also helped to reduce the number of butts making their way into the environment, as well as make beaches a more enjoyable place for all visitors.

In the hotel space, a collaboration between JW Marriott Phuket Resort and Minor Hotels (Anantara, Avani) is working to fund environmental programs that support fragile marine life, such as leatherback turtles which return to nest on the beaches of Mai Khao.

How can you make a difference as a visitor to Phuket? By being conscious of your impact on the community and environment, by choosing to stay at hotels and resorts that take green initiatives seriously, and by seeking out ethical, sustainable activities wherever possible. 

Keen to know more? Here’s a conscious travellers’ guide to Phuket.

Where to stay

If there’s one industry with the power to create a more sustainable Phuket, it’s hospitality.

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Resorts such as five-star Keemala in the island’s west understand this responsibility, with a strong commitment to environmental and ethical practices. From the villa design to the landscaping, everything has been carefully considered to help ensure a greener future.

Banyan Tree Wellbeing Sanctuary Phuket has won numerous awards for its environmental practices too, working with eco-advisory EarthCheck to minimise its impact on the planet.

Where to dine

Farm to plate dining is so hot right now, and Phuket is not immune to its charm. Knowing and understanding where our food comes from, where it’s grown and sourced, and the passion that goes into every dish adds to the experience. It can also be a lot of fun.

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The Michelin-star rated PRU Restaurant, which stands for “plant, raise, understand”, at Trisara Resort is a big advocate of the farm to plate ethos. Around 60-70% of the fruit and vegetables used within the 18-seater restaurant comes from their own 100-hectare farm.

They’re not alone either. Local Phuket restaurant and caterer Jampa has a zero waste, locally sourced approach to cooking, and they’re never far away from a wood fire. Sustainability is at the forefront of their minds and their menus – and it shows.

What to do

When not lounging on a deserted beach or visiting the Big Buddha at Nakkerd Hill, cycling and walking tours are a fun way to get a more local perspective of the island, visiting smaller villages and contributing to communities.

Phuket Elephant Sanctuary, a home for retired elephants, and the Gibbon Rehabilitation Project do incredible work protecting the endangered animals of the island. If you want to learn about wildlife conservation from ethical operators, these are essential.

Wherever you stay or whatever you do, being conscious of your impact on the environment can help ensure Phuket remains an island paradise worth falling in love with. 

A renewed focus on sustainable tourism in Thailand has seen a rise of tourism-focussed social enterprises and community tourism experiences. Here’s our pick of 7 stand-out sustainable tour experiences in Thailand.

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1. Hivesters

HiveSters, a tour company founded by two sisters with a family background in travel, has a mission to preserve authentic Thai culture by empowering local masters to share their skills. Their extensive range of tours includes a foodie experience in Phuket’s Old Town and a natural detox on an organic farm near Chiang Mai. Hivesters.com

2. Nutty’s Adventures.

Award-winning responsible tourism company Nutty’s Adventures specialises in community-based tours, from going off-the-beaten-track in Phayao Province in Northern Thailand, to working alongside farmers in rice paddies in Nakhon Pathom. Nutty-adventures.com

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3. Courageous Kitchen

Offering several food-related experiences, including market tours, street food tours, family cooking classes and noodle-making demonstrations Courageous Kitchen provides a fun and informative tourism experience while helping marginalised youth and children in Bangkok. Courageouskitchen.org

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4. Hands Across the Water

Hands Across the Water’s annual Ride to Provide is an epic long-distance bike ride, covering 800 scenic kilometres along the Gulf of Thailand in eight days. Money raised provides critical funding for this remarkable charity, providing a future for impoverished orphans. Handsacrossthewater.org.au

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5. Socialgiver

Launched in 2015, Socialgiver aims to bridge the gap between local business owners, consumer ans social projects, providing a shopping platform, selling everything from homeware and baked goods to resort stays and day tours, with profits donated to social projects throughout Thailand. Socialgiver.com

6. Local Alike

Local Alike is a travel company that offers a wide range of immersive community-based responsible tourism experiences, taking travellers off the beaten path with an opportunity to contribute to the preservation of environment, culture, and local ways of life. localalike.com

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7. SiamRise Travel

SiamRise Travel specialises in cultural tours and homestay experiences. All activities and experiences have been co-created with locals to consider the social impact and create a positive impact in the local environment, education, economy, and society.  siamrisetravel.com

With Phuket and Ko Samui now open to fully vaccinated international visitors, local tourism operators are hoping to welcome guests back to a rejuvenated and more sustainable Thailand.

While the world stood still, across Thailand, operators have been working to improve infrastructure, care for the local environment and learn how to operate more sustainably. Operators in Phuket and Ko Samui have paid particular attention to their precious coastal and marine environment.

Some improvements have been intentional, most notably the closure of tourist hot spots, Maya Bay, Ko Tachai and Ko Yoong areas within the marine parks. Some changes have taken place naturally due to the absence of mass tourism, such as endangered leatherback turtles returning to Phuket’s sandy shores to lay their eggs.

Sharks return to Maya Bay

Danny Boyle’s film ‘The Beach’ made Maya Bay as famous as it is. The depiction of a hedonistic secret paradise in Thailand’s hidden crystal-clear bay encouraged a huge surge in tourism to the area. Despite the fact that ‘The Beach’ was supposed to be located in the Gulf of Thailand, closer to Samui, Ko Phang Ngan and Ko Tao, Maya Bay was the location chosen for the film, for its magnificent limestone cliffs and enticing turquoise waters. This fame came at a price, influencing thousands of tourists to visit the small bay.

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With hundreds of speedboats and hordes of people littering the bay each day, a visit to the iconic Thai attraction was no longer a thing of beauty, it was downright unpleasant. The authorities closed Maya Bay completely back in 2018, to help regenerate and preserve the bay, and the results have been outstanding.

The closure of Maya Bay is a testament to Thailand’s efforts to address the negative impacts of tourism on marine life. According to Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Maya Bay is now home to well over 100 black-tip reef sharks, the highest shark population in Thai waters.

Leatherback turtles nest in Phuket

With the closure of beaches during Phuket’s first lockdown and the drastic reduction in tourist numbers and light pollution, rare Leatherback turtles have returned to the beaches to lay their eggs. Leatherbacks are the world’s largest species of sea turtles and are listed as endangered in Thailand. Dr Kongkiat Kittiwatanawong, the director of the Phuket Marine Biological Center, said this is the greatest number of leatherback sea turtle nests that Thailand’s beaches have seen in 20 years.

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Boat Operators cleanup Ko Tao

Over in the gulf of Thailand, the small island if Ko Tao has been particularly affected by border closures, with some 90 per cent of the island’s boat operators now out of work.

The UNDP Biodiversity Finance (BIOFIN) initiative has launched a new crowdfunding campaign that will place 200 of the island’s laid-off boat operators into an alternate stream of work: cleaning up the island.

Ko Tao has struggled to manage the estimated 30 tons of waste a day left by tourists in recent years, and this year’s lull has provided its marine ecosystems with much-needed respite.

“Without tourists, the coral reef ecosystem is recovering quite well,” says Niran Nirannoot, project manager for BIOFIN in Thailand. “But there are some areas where we need to provide support for conservation. The local government is aware that if they do not preserve the ecosystem, they may not be able to attract tourists to come back.”

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Starting in December, the 200 boat operators are being paid a monthly sum of THB 3,000 (USD 100) – raised entirely through the crowdfunding campaign – to clear waste and marine debris from the island’s beaches and waters. They will also be provided with training in financial literacy, courtesy of Krung Thai Bank (KTB), one of the project’s main sponsors.

So far, the campaign has raised THB 1.81 million (USD 60,000), with KTB chipping in THB 583,000 (USD 19,000). Donations from within Thailand make up over 90 percent of contributions.

Sustainable Diving: Andaman Sea

Phuket-based Holger Schwab, Managing Director of Sea Bees Diving, says, “Pandemics may be awful, but they are teaching us valuable lessons. Most of those lessons relate to humans’ treatment of the Earth. It’s possible that these lessons will spark a long-term change in conservation. Perhaps this means a different type of tourism model in the future, slower and more considerate of the ecosystem we are working within”.

Scuba diving in the Andaman Sea can often offer some of the best experiences in the world, thanks to its dazzling and colourful marine life, with world-class dive sites including Richelieu Rock, Ko Ha, Hin Deang and Hin Muang.

During the first stages of reopening the region to tourism, Phuket can now offer much richer underwater experiences to visitors, with the most sought-after diving spots now much quieter and a joy to dive.

“We are seeing an increase in certain species, there’s more anemonefish and barracuda in the Andaman Sea than ever before.

“A more sustainable approach to enjoying our underwater world has been needed for a long time, and we hope that the effects of the pandemic prove to be positive in this regard for the marine parks in the Andaman region”.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Sydney Office, in collaboration with the Royal Thai Consulate in Sydney, took part in a beach and underwater clean-up event at Chowder Bay.

The event was held at Clifton Gardens Reserve, on the foreshore of Chowder Bay, with Thai massages and a delicious Thai lunch provided by Spice I Am for volunteers, followed by a Thai Cooking Demonstration by Chef Sujet Saenkham Founder and Owner of Spice I am Restaurant and Thai Performance by Siam Classic Dance Group at Taronga Zoo.

According to TAT Director, Suladda Sarutilavan; “in efforts to show our appreciation for those local heroes volunteering their time to protect our oceans we are proud to support the effort of local conservation group Friends of Chowder Bay.

“The travel restrictions imposed on us all by the COVID-19 pandemic has inspired, in many of us, a heightened awareness and appreciation for our precious natural environment. Many tourism operators in Thailand have spent time in lock-down looking at ways to operate more sustainably.”

40 volunteers took part, including seven scuba divers, who spent a combined 456 minutes underwater collecting over 2kg of debris, much of this fishing debris with an estimated 200m of discarded fishing line, 63 metal hooks and sinkers and 25 plastic fishing lures.

Above water, volunteers collected 191 cigarette butts, 54 straws and other plastic cutlery items, an estimated 250 plastic fragments, 120 plastic bag remnants, 155 polystyrene fragments and 27 balloon fragments.

Data from the underwater clean-up was uploaded to the Project Aware global debris database, while topside clean-up data was uploaded to Tangaroa Blue’s Marine Debris Initiative, helping campaigners and scientists find solutions for marine pollution.

Organiser and co-founder of the Friends of Chowder Bay, Diveplanit Travel’s Deborah Dickson-Smith explains the significance of Chowder Bay:

“Thailand’s underwater world shares many wonders (and indeed critters!) with Australia and suffers similar threats – from plastic pollution and fishing debris. Mosman’s Chowder Bay is a unique biodiverse marine environment, home to many colourful critters including frogfish, decorator crabs, moray eels and the endangered Whites (Sydney) Seahorse.”

Scientists have recently installed ‘Seahorse Hotels’ at Chowder Bay in attempts to regenerate their dwindling population. Volunteers were treated to a presentation from marine scientist and SEALIFE Sydney Aquarium aquarist Mitchell Brennan, who is monitoring the seahorses’ progress.

The Friends of Chowder Bay are doing their best to keep the ‘hotels’ clean from plastic waste and fishing debris as part of their regular underwater and beach clean-ups. 

The show of support from TAT and the Royal Thai Consulate Sydney highlights efforts to promote Thailand as a sustainable tourism destination, with tourism operators in Thailand encouraged to conserve their local environment, use local produce, support local communities, and minimise their carbon footprint.

One such example is a new offering from Sunsail yacht charters. The company has partnered with Ocean Crusaders for a Phuket Clean-up Flotilla in March 2022, a week of sailing the Andaman Sea and undertaking beach clean-ups to help preserve this beautiful part of South East Asia.

More information:

• Tourism Authority of Thailand: amazingthailand.com.au
• Friends of Chowder Bay: facebook.com/groups/friendsofchowderbay
• Project Aware: projectaware.org/diveagainstdebris
• Tangaroa Blue: tangaroablue.org
• Seahorse Hotels: diveplanit.com/marine-environment/100-whites-seahorses-born
• Sunsail Yacht Charters: sunsail.com.au/yacht-charter/thailand/phuket

Tucked into the mountainous jungles of northern Thailand near the border of Laos and Myanmar, the city of Chiang Rai has always been the smaller, less glamorous cousin of the more popular Chiang Mai, largely ignored by international tourists and developing at a slower pace. Julie Miller shares five of Chiang Rai’s hidden sustainable treasures.

With its diversity of ethnicities, natural wonders, beautiful temples and rich culture untainted by over-tourism, Chiang Rai has really come into its own and is leading a new wave of sustainable and eco-tourism practices that are a beacon for the future of world travel.

Here are five hidden treasures and exciting initiatives that highlight the best of the northern Lanna culture and its connection to the land:

1. Elephant Live Stream

The Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation at the Anantara Golden Triangle has for over a decade pioneered the ethical treatment of elephants, with its camp where mahouts and pachyderms co-exist in a safe, peaceful and natural setting a benchmark of sustainability. With the COVID-19 crisis preventing tourists from visiting the elephants, GTAEF pivoted to bring the elephants to their many fans via a live stream. The footage following the elephants as they play, feed and bathe in the river is utterly charming and addictive, with input from local vets and experts adding an educational dimension. The live stream not only brings joy to elephant-lovers, it also prompts viewers to donate towards helping struggling elephants.

2. Phu Chaisai Mountain Resort

Owned by a Thai designer of royal heritage, this lovely boutique resort set on 323 hectares in the misty Mae Salong mountains encourages immersion in the natural environment, incorporating wellness and lifestyle into the luxury holiday experience. Organic and sustainable are a way of life here; the resort has its own reservoir, a spring-fed waterfall, a tea plantation, fruit orchards and farmland, with the restaurant plucking fresh vegetables and herbs straight from its own kitchen garden. Activities include trekking, riding Mongolian horses on a neighbouring farm, private yoga sessions and a spa.

3. Monks on horseback:

Horses came to the Golden Triangle from China during the infamous drug-trafficking years, and their sturdy descendants are now not only used for tourist rides (see above), but are also the mount-of-choice for local monks, who ride into villages each morning to collect alms. The temple where these monks live, Wat Tam Pa Ar-cha Thong (Golden Horse Monastery), is located high in steep, remote hills, with the orange-robed monks and novices also riding down to Phu Chaisai Resort every morning to offer blessings to guests.

4. Doi Tung

The most famous of the Royal Projects of the Princess Mother, Doi Tung was established in 1988 to provide alternative forms of employment for ethnic minorities who were forced into the illicit drug trade, empowering local villagers to create change and restoring the ravaged environment. The result is a vision of beauty, 15,000 hectares of cultivated gardens, coffee plantations, re-established forest and artisan workshops centrepieced by the Princess Mother’s teak Royal Villa, which now tells the story of the project. Thirty years after the inception of the program, Doi Tung is now a model of sustainability with a zero waste to landfill mantra, managed by a new generation of local leaders.

Posted by Jinnaluck Miracle of Saa on Friday, 20 December 2019

5. Jinnaluck

Jinnaluck is a burgeoning family-run cottage industry that produces and exports sublime paper products for the local and international market. Starting as a backyard venture over 25 years ago, it now employs more than160 local people, incorporating all aspects of paper production from growing raw materials, to making the paper, design and sales. The company is one of the largest mulberry, or saa paper producers in Thailand, with more than 3000 handmade products, including business cards, carry bags, wrapping paper, wallpaper and even gold-infused face-masks – available at their sales room near Mae Sai. Visitors can also undertake a paper-making workshop, a memorable and meaningful travel experience.