Wang Nam Khieo : A 100% Thai Isaan Success

[BobGecko]

We discovered Wang Nam Khieo 10 years ago. An uncle of my wife had a house there. He was an antique dealer, a bit of an artist, someone with good taste and we were very anxious to discover the place he told us so much about.

From Bangkok, we went through Don Muang, Rangsit, NakhonNayok, Kabin Buri, then the 304. It was a very nice trip. Nowadays we take the airport highway, turn left to Chachoengsao, then the 304. Much faster,especially since they improved the road for the SEA games in Korat, but the journey has lost a lot of its charm.

When we arrived there, it was love at first sight. Wang NamKhieo is one of the places in Thailand that truly deserves to be called theSwitzerland of Thailand. We were in summer but the weather was cool. Everything was so green, it had the feeling of the Cameron Highlands. Or, closer to home,Pak Chong, which is just on the other side of the Khao Yai national park. But Pak Chong was already well developed, Wang Nam Khieo was for people who wanted to be closer to nature.

We came back, years after years and we saw Wang Nam Khieo evolving from a small sleepy village to a major centre of "green" tourism. Faced with this evolution, we had mix feeling. Gone was the quiet Wang Nam Khieo that we loved so much at the beginning but the locals seemed to be happy. There was now new opportunities that would never have existed without the influx of tourists. The kids who had no choice but leave to Bangkok to work in factories could now find a job next to their family. Actually it was the synergy created by the association of local villagers joined by city people who were looking for a more natural life style that made the success of Wang Nam Khieo.

Of course to accommodate all these tourists,resorts had to be built. But here I want to make a point clear. Nobody entered the national park with a chain saw and cut a couple of few hundreds years old tree to clear the land for their guesthouse. Nobody did that. They bought lands that had been cleared long ago but with temporary land titles documents and they were told, given the evolution of the area, it was only a matter of a few years before the land titles would be upgraded to full chanote. Unfortunately, due to the political trouble for the past few years, nothing was done. (I can't post links but look for Thailand, Land Title documents issued by other government departments)

Nevertheless, Wang Nam Khieo is a national success and its regular attractions have been promoted and endorsed at the highest level. On December 20th, 2010, Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn officially opened the Wang Nam Khieo Flora Fantasia.

It's a success that should serve as a model for other tourist places in Isaan :

- A source of local employment, with a basic salary that comes close to the one promised during the election. No need of subvention but actually a source of revenue (tax) for the government.

- A model of self sufficiency: no foreign investments,independent of foreign tourists.

- A very healthy and moral environment for a very successful tourist place, almost unique in Thailand: no prostitution, no drugs, no crimes.

Nobody understand why someone wants to destroy such a successful place. Wang Nam Khieo should be the first Isaan place the new government should visit. They said they will defend the interested of Isaan people against the administration and promote their interests. Here is the best place to start and to show they really mean business.

The second thing to do will be to reform the feudal laws that deprive Isaan people to their basic right to own land and leave them at the mercy of powerful administrative people.

Sorry if I'm venting my frustration here. I don't think this post will have any influence on what will happen. But at least people should know what is really going on in Wang Nam Khieo

Thank you.

Bob