Agritourism in Thailand

I hadn't really experienced agrotourism until after I began exploring Thailand in more detail. There are a number of farms that Thailand opens for tourists, making it possible for visitors to explore and learn about the agricultural industry firsthand. The Leaman family and I took advantage of touring the Jim Thompson Farm in the Khao Yai area of Thailand (NE of Bangkok) during the only month it is open. As the brochure states,

"December is the best time of the year to enjoy the picturesque rural landscape. Set against a scenic backdrop of gently rolling hills covered with impenetrable thickets of bamboo, the farm features large tracts of mulberry plantations, orchards, nurseries and gardens full of colorful flowering and ornamental plants, as well as hydroponic vegetable production."

The Thompson Farm must be a popular destination for school field trips because we saw a LOT of students lined up with same-colored shirts and hats the day we visited. These kids were so cute as they were ready to follow instructions from their leaders. It was only when I was later reviewing my pictures that I realized the teacher must have been checking to see if they were listening by telling them to hold their breath and cross their arms =)

I must admit I became more engaged as the rural tour progressed, for we had a chance to experience everything from demonstrations of the Thai use of natural resources to ancient rituals, such as the Rain Dance, where participants dressed and traversed through the crops and fields.

A person had to get up close to some of the buildings around the farm to notice they were actually made of corn stalks, straw and bamboo!

One of the more unique structures I encountered was one made of fabric. Actually, it didn't surprise me to see fabric somewhere on this farm because Jim Thompson started a textile industry in Thailand in the early 1900s. An earlier post (July 2013) describes Jim's business and residence in Bangkok which has also become a museum showcasing Thai culture! This cloth structure sure added lots of color and an interesting location for selfies!

There were also some incredibly beautiful examples of historic Thai structures set in rural settings.

I've already decided that my next agrotourist experience will be at the Chokchai Farm in the same vicinity as the Jim Thompson Farm, only there you can actually milk cows and get an up-close hands-on experience of life on the farm. One of the reasons I'm looking forward to it is because I hear they have western country music playing throughout and offer pulled-pork BBQs on a bun, real western-like!