Baan Hua Thung

Baan Hua Thung community is located approximately 85 km’s from Chiang Mai, at the foot of Doi Luang Chiang Dao, close to Chiang Dao Wildlife Sanctuary and Baan Tam Chiang Dao. Behind the village, there is a wonderful view of Chiang Dao.

Chiang Dao supports a unique environment, including alpine forest, and habitats for many indigenous species which are not found elsewhere.  The biodiversity of the mountain and surrounding forest have been recognised by the government, and are protected inside Doi Chiang Dao Wildlife Sanctuary.

In Baan Hua Thung village, local people also play their part to support conservation. Community members have worked together to establish a ‘community forest’ which is wellknown nationwide. In this area it is allowed to collect wild fruits and herbs but cutting trees is strictly prohibited. The forest is protected by a combination of community regulations and sacred ‘forest ordination’ by Buddhist monks.

Baan Hua Thung also has a community bamboo forest. Every year, villagers collectively harvest bamboo. The profit is divided over the villagers.

The village is well known in Thailand for the success of their community initiatives, and often welcomes Thai and foreign students who are interested to learn more about how to manage forest resources in a sustainable way.

Villagers are also keen to share their life and culture with guests who would like a real insight into local Thai life. Villagers hope that visiting Baan Hua Thung as part of their trip will be a great experience for guests. Your visit also provides useful additional income for local families, and contributes towards various environmental and community projects.

Visitor numbers to the summit of Chiang Dao are carefully controlled, and it is only possible to climb the mountain between November and May. However, guests can visit local villages and participate in cultural exchange programs all year.

Community Based Tourism (CBT) in Baan Hua Thung contributes towards the local cooperative, which generates income for all community members as well as funding a range of social and environmental activities. These include tree planting, building a buffer line to deter forest fires and buying sports equipment for the secondary school.

The CBT group are aware of the pressures which tourism can put on a small community. Group members meet regularly to discuss tourism management and community preparation in terms of staff, natural resources and fair distribution of profits. Local guides explain Baan Hua Thung’s cultural and environmental guidelines to guests.

Tours:

TCBT09 - Chiang Dao Escape – 2 days

TCBT10 - Elephants, Tribes and Sacred Forests of Chiang Dao – 3 days