Farming opportunity in Thailand!

If anyone is interested in exploring the reaches of experimental alternative rural community activism into the lush lands of Thailand, read the letter below from my friend Watjai, whom I was fortunate enough to spend time with as a WWOOF volunteer last February. Him and his wife, Chabaa, are two amazingly generous and openhearted individuals who live on a gorgeous and tranquil piece of land near the Burmese border in southern Thailand. 

Seeking partnership for alternative living project.

Dear Friends,

My name is Wat and I live in Thailand with my wife, Chabaa. WE are a young couple who have a dream of seeking an alternative way of life. We do not believe in the modern mainstream life style under consumerism, because it forces us to work too hard to become wealthy and indulge in natural resources extravagantly for greater happiness. For these reasons, we decided to leave the urban life for the rural area. Two years ago we bought 17 rais (7 acres) of land at Pa-La-U (about 50 km west from Hua Hin) for experimental simple living. Our land is surrounded by beautiful mountains protected by the National Forest and close to Pa-La-U waterfall and Kang Khra Chan National Park. We believe that living simply and close to nature allows us to gain peace within. 

In our two years here we have begun to learn about organic farming and making as much as we can by hand. We grow fruit trees, vegetables, herbs, and forest trees. We make compost and create our own fertilizer with waste and microorganisms we collect from our land. We cook healthy food and eat mainly brown rice, vegetables, legumes, and fruit. Sometimes we also have fish or seafood but no chicken or meat. We love cooking with different styles from around the world using local ingredients. We enjoy making what we use and need by hand. We produce our own natural soap and shampoo. We stuff pillows with Kapok fruit and make things from coconut shell, bamboo, etc. Other interests of ours include permaculture, sustainable technology, holistic healthcare, local wisdom, including religious and spiritual aspects.

For a future dream we would like to build up an alternative community and open this land to become a place of retreat for people to understand themselves and other by learning about living simply with nature. We will share some of our skills such as mud house and bamboo hut construction, Thai vegetarian cooking, hill-tribe weaving style, organic farming, and Thai massage. In doing this we will cultivate the seed of peace within to share with other people. Together we can change the world.

All of this we can not do alone. We are looking for partnerships with people who are interested in contributing to the project. We are looking for people who have ideas to help this project grow and who have English skills that would help us publicize the project in order to connect and bring people here. We need someone to share the long-term responsibility of the project, but we are flexible about the specifics of the partnership. This means a partner wouldn't have to live here year round.

We are currently trying to expand the project to be able to house more people so we can plant more seeds of peace. This means we need to build some more houses and a larger communal area. For this reason, any donation you can give would be very appreciated. 

If you are interested, please contact us and we can work together to outline the details according to your needs. 

For more information, visit our website at: http://mantarniwas.exteen.com/

Our e-mail is: watjai@gmail.com

Sincerely, 

Wat & Chabaa