After experiencing the city life of Bangkok for three days, our group was ready to leave the metropolitan environment and get out in the field. Our first stop was a beach-side lodge in Chumphon, located in southern Thailand. Although the bus ride was long, it gave us time to view the landscape of Thailand and all its beauty.
Once in Chumphon the program really got going. Lectures in the morning on coastal ecosystems provided a framework for fieldwork in the afternoon. We surveyed plants and animals in the intertidal ecosystem, an activity which besides from being informative was incredibly fun. In less than an hour we had already collectively identified over a 100 different species, each one unique in its own way. One day we split into groups and each developed an easily testable experiment about one of the organisms, such as how hermit crab distribution varies with depth, and then did research to find the answer. This proved to be a fun way to learn about how even using the most rudimentary of materials can reveal valuable information about coastal ecosystems.
Later we learned about broad concepts in sustainability, such as various ways humans relate to their environment and different views of what it means to be sustainable. We saw how these concepts are put to use by visiting Chumphon Cabana nearby, which through innovative methods had managed to produce almost no waste!
[See blog on self sufficiency economy]
Of course the beach provided more than just a classroom. The eighty-five degree water was incredible, and we found plenty of time for swimming or just hanging out.
To conclude our stay in Chumphon, our Thai staff (Awe, Joom, Kunh, and Pang) organized a traditional welcome ceremony on our last night. We stood in a circle, each digging a small hole in the sand to hold a candle. As our professors and staff went around the circle to tie pieces of white string around our wrists, they wished us luck and happiness for the upcoming trip.
Chumphon and sufficiency economy
ReplyDeleteThe book focuses on three young executives who have been applying this so-called “sufficiency economy” to their respective companies. Choak Bulakul is the group managing director and CEO of Farm Chokchai. Varisorn Rakphan is the hotelier and owner of Chumphon Cabana Resort and Diving Centre. Last but not least, Jongsarid Cunvong is the general manager of the Chul Cunvong Farm Co.
Like all businessmen, the trio, all in their late thirties, want to make a profit. What sets them apart from most others, however, is their sense of moderation, rationality and concern for society.
Despite the fact that all three are engaged in family-owned and -run businesses, they have demonstrated remarkable professionalism during critical times. In the aftermath of the tom yum goong crisis, Choak had to scuttle for a means to relieve his family’s massive accumulated debt, worth 400 million baht. In turn, Varisorn found himself strapped with an estimated 300 million bath debt.
Nongnart Srisakul Harnvilai.
The creativity and business acumen of these men are second to none. Through the introduction of a sufficiency economy and other organisational reforms, they have managed to turn their businesses around. Choak’s Chokchai Farm at Pak Chong has become a delightful all-in-one eco-farm tour featuring its Umm milk and other dairy products. Varisorn’s Chumphon Cabana Resort is the country’s showcase of how to run an “organic hotel”. Jongsarid’s Kamnan Chul Farm is now a must-stop farm and shopping centre for visitors to the beautiful Khao Khor area.
Besides the typical issue of expansion, all three also put an emphasis on when to “stop”, to stay away from the insatiable “illusion of growth” and win the hearts of their own employees.
The book also provides substantial historical background on each of the three companies and, in particular, how the sufficiency economy model has enabled the Chokchai Farm and the Chumphon Cabana resort to escape the financial woes of 1997. There is also a nice story of how Jongsarid of the Kamnan Chul Farm has set up a special “PO Box” as a way to communicate between him and thousands of his staff. Such tales show there is a human side to business as well.
And if anyone still feels puzzled about this sufficiency economy idea, just read Choak’s words: “I think the philosophy of Sufficient Economy is liveability … not excessive wealth or how to outperform the gains of last year. Sufficiency Economy is a concept that will enable you to live in all situations, particularly during economic crisis. If any company can survive it, I think they are already practitioners of sufficiency economy – in one form or another.”
Leaving Bangkok and traveling south to Chumphon left me in awe over the beauty and richness of Thailand's environment and landscape. I had never imagined the land to be so lush and green and the ocean to be that spectacular (although I probably should have considering it is a tropical rain forest). On the bus ride, Rebecca was telling me about the coconut palm trees and the rubber trees that lay in abundant plots on the side of the highways. The land had been cleared and the trees planted in grids, which is unsustainable for the natural environment, but greatly contributes to Thailand's economy. Coconut is used in many Thai dishes and desserts and coconut oil is used more and more frequently in organic foods. Also, rubber trees, which are found all over the country and thrive in the tropical climate, have allowed for Thailand to become the leading manufacturer and exporter of rubber products, which is a socially sustainable practice.
ReplyDeleteAfter arriving in Chumphon and appreciating its beautiful beach, we took a short walk to Chumphon Cabana, an eco-resort that is intended to teach other locals and resorts about sustainable practices. Many of the techniques utilized at the Cabana not only work to respect and improve the environment, but they also save on cost. For instance, the design of the resort allows for maximum airflow, thus the hallways and the rooms feel much cooler and air conditioning is practically unnecessary . Also, they grow their own chickens on the property and in this way they know for certain that the eggs that they are feeding to their visitors are organic and they save on the cost of purchasing eggs, which are used non-sparingly in Thai food. These are only a couple of examples of the sustainable practices that are utilized at Chumphon Cabana to save energy and take the least amount of resources out of the natural environment.
Also, not addressed in the blog but noticed by many of us in the group were the sustainable practices, or lack there of, in the shops and markets. When going to the morning and night markets, we were so surprised at the packaging techniques when purchasing food. All of the food came in a bag, inside a bag, inside a bag, and we often had to ask them not to put it in the plastic bag in order to think more green. Michael was saying how many of the street vendors used to use banana leaves or sustainable products of the sort to wrap up food, however convenience has taken the front seat and led to the abundance of plastic bags in Thailand. Some provinces are actually starting to implement policies that reduce the use of plastic bags or charge people extra, thus they are thinking more sustainably in order to look out for the beautiful environment that Thailand provides.
-- Shannon Skelton