Helping A National Park

[Galong]

OK, I just got my original plans shot down over the phone....

I want to build some truly eco-friendly floating bungalows in Khao Sok. I spend around a million baht per year there and I want to offer my guests better/safer rooms. Adding to this, I want to make them self-sustainable, you know, solar panels and other greenie cool stuff.

How does one get permission to build on national park grounds? $, drugs, sex Just kidding.

Could there be some sort of a partnership set up whereby I build the goods and we share the profit?

Any advice is very welcomed.

[astral]

IMHO You should not be building anything in a National Park.

[Galong]

IMHO You should not be building anything in a National Park.

Well, normally I would be 100% behind you except for the fact that I basically keep one of the national parks' bungalow operations in business. They would close down if it wasn't for me.

The walkways are made of bamboo and are in constant need of repair. People have been hurt several times due to this. I want to rebuilt them in wood (farmed trees) and jazz up the shoddy bungalows. I am willing to pay the national park to use my own bungalows or pay them to fix up their bungalows.

I want to incorporate solar power and more eco-friendly means of dealing with trash. I will market the hel_l out of this. My clients are backpackers. They pay an average of US$120 per night. I want them to have a safe place to eat and sleep when they're not out in the jungle with me.

Now, with this info in mind, what are your thoughts? Be aware that others have built in the park and they built the same cheap crap that the park system did.

[gstreamer]

IMHO You should not be building anything in a National Park.

--agree with astral about building but about maintaining/repairing we should be practical - if it's broke, fix it.

Well, normally I would be 100% behind you except for the fact that I basically keep one of the national parks' bungalow operations in business. They would close down if it wasn't for me.

--The govt probably would not be pleased to be "saved" by yet another farang, so you'll need to disguise any assistance/advice and be very diplomatic.

The walkways are made of bamboo and are in constant need of repair. People have been hurt several times due to this. I want to rebuilt them in wood (farmed trees) and jazz up the shoddy bungalows. I am willing to pay the national park to use my own bungalows or pay them to fix up their bungalows.

--Farmed timber sounds good ostensibly, but monoculutures are vulneable to parasites and disease so the require a lot of pesticides/herbicides - non eco-friendly...There's no free lunch.

I want to incorporate solar power and more eco-friendly means of dealing with trash. I will market the hel_l out of this. My clients are backpackers. They pay an average of US$120 per night. I want them to have a safe place to eat and sleep when they're not out in the jungle with me.

--they'll be paying way more than $120/night for a profitable eco-resort (see below)..

Now, with this info in mind, what are your thoughts? Be aware that others have built in the park and they built the same cheap crap that the park system did.

--well, having been involved in solar/wind/mini-hydro projects both here and in Australia, I can say that technology is the least, though the most expensive, of your worries. Working with govt agencies is "difficult", due to general inertia and "turf wars", and specific resentment of foreign intrusion.

--Aside from the initial capital outlays, the cost of "greenie, cool stuff" is quite high - electricity about 6 times conventional "grid" supplies - plus maintenance and monitoring requires skilled technicians, which in the jungle would be tricky. Further, regardless of the installation of a solar array, windturbine(s), mini-hydro (if applicable), deep cycle battery bank, invertor, regualtor,etc, you still need a dirty diesel/petrol backup generator. To light five bungalows, mess, admin, area lighting, you could easily spend $50,000.

Next time we can discuss waste disposal. My thoughts on the disastrous Phi-Phi Is project got me in hot water with the Krabi provincial govt a few years back

HTH

[steveromagnino]

The walkways are made of bamboo and are in constant need of repair. People have been hurt several times due to this. I want to rebuilt them in wood (farmed trees) and jazz up the shoddy bungalows. I am willing to pay the national park to use my own bungalows or pay them to fix up their bungalows.

--Farmed timber sounds good ostensibly, but monoculutures are vulneable to parasites and disease so the require a lot of pesticides/herbicides - non eco-friendly...There's no free lunch.

I want to incorporate solar power and more eco-friendly means of dealing with trash. I will market the hel_l out of this. My clients are backpackers. They pay an average of US$120 per night. I want them to have a safe place to eat and sleep when they're not out in the jungle with me.

--they'll be paying way more than $120/night for a profitable eco-resort (see below)..

I am also an ex-energy guy, and we did some cogen, tip gas that sort of thing.

I suggest for power you contact solartron.co.th; the main issues are probably that the backpackers would actually (if they really cared about the energy) washing in cold water, in which case you only need power for a few items. But the reality is tat they are probably wanting hot water (not hard to do) food fancy lights stereo and so on. Solar tron have a system for stored power, you could also consider some sort of turbine system but I think the wind speed is too low; so that leaves solar. Check out the site I gave you.

For bamboo...it is the right wood for this application. It is a steadily renewable resource, it is readily available in most areas and it is light weight and does not require significant treatment. If you want to use treated farmed wood, what sort of wood do you have in mind? If this is a floating structure I think you'll find you need sealed sections in the risk that the thing takes on water; there is a reason why bamboo has been used for this sort of application for many years. Rather...I think it may be an issue of floor covering. For that you might consider lightweight mats or similar.

Approach this as a profit centre, and we'll get further I think. It looks like your idea is to make what appears like an eco tourist destination. This being the case, just do what all the other ones do, and run it the same as any other place, except have a few bells and whistles that make it appear eco friendly. Think like NZ; great in appearance while all the smoke and dirt is hidden in the back.

However, if you are genuinely committed to eco friendly, then I think you'll find that no electricity; severe controls on food and beverages and use of things like bamboo will be the go. candles at night; food cooked with gas that sort of thing.

How much the market is prepared to pay for that (and specifically the backpacker market) is not something I can answer. but that would be the genuine solution for this.

BTW I like the guy from Trailer park boys; took me a while to figure out why I knew your logo thing!

Edited March 21, 2006 by steveromagnino