Guide to Eco and Sustainable Tourism in Thailand

Responsible Tourism as a concept started to seem in Thailand in the late 1990s.

It is based on the belief that the tourist business in Thailand must develop in a manner that minimizes negative impacts on local communities and the atmosphere.

A foundation of Thailand Eco Tourism is to make certain a positive interaction among hosts and guests/tourists. Responsible travel in Thailand also promotes the respect for original inhabitants (ex. Chang Mai region hill tribe villages), the reduction of the environmental impacts of travelling.

A Sustainable tourism encounter in Thailand can also be enhanced by the participation in volunteering to assist nearby villages / families or environmental agencies (ex. Lampang Elephant conservation center on the Chiang Mai Highway).

On the economic side Thailand Responsible Tourism should always benefit the final service provider and nearby communities contrary to an international booking agents or resorts.

How to reduce the impact of your Thailand's holidays?

Nowadays you have lots of solutions to reduce the impact of your holiday and to make sure your funds goes to the locals. Here's a list of ideas:

How to reduce your traveling impact:

• stay clear of internal flights due to the fact they are destructive to the environment and normally benefit only some foreign multinationals providers
  
  
• use train travel when feasible. Trains are extremely secure, clean and reliable in Thailand. They offer a good way to lower your impact on the environment and at the exact same time give a awesome way to engage with the actual Thailand.
  
  
• There are numerous sleeper trains running from Bangkok to Chang Mai in the north as well to Surat Thani in the south (going as south as Malaysia) enabling you to travel overnight with out losing precious time.
  
  
• use minibus that runs on natural gas. In case you need to use a minibus push for 1 that runs on organic gas.
  
  
• Thailand government is advertising alternative fuels like organic gas and ethanol to replace gasoline so just about every push in this direction from the tourist industry will be even more beneficial.

Select the most eco friendly accommodation:

• stay clear of big resorts. This kind of resorts waste tremendous quantity of energy in construction/running, create big amount of waste and exploit nearby workers. At the very same time they decrease your possibility to interact with locals and see the true Thailand.
  
  
• Major resort centers like Phuket, Pattaya and Koh Samui are starting to resemble more and more overcrowded western resort beaches with little left to remind you of Thailand.
  
  
• sleep in a Homestay. Homestay project are gaining recognition in Thailand. Essentially you will sleep in a classic household dwelling sharing meals and activities with your hosting family members. This is a great way to sample the conventional Thai life when at the same time benefit neighborhood communities.
  
  
• Homestay are slowly gaining recognition and it is now probable to locate reputable ones in each and every region and landscape. From historical cities like Ayutthaya to south jewel islands like Koh Yao Noi.
  
  
• sleep in National Parks Accommodation. When visiting marine on land based National Parks sleep in the accommodation provided by the Park authority. You can chose between comfortable bungalows and tents closer to nature. All the profit will be used to sustain and strengthen the National Park conservation.
  
  
• Accommodationin the most renowned parks like Koh Similan National Park and Mu Ko Phetra National Park gets sold out quite promptly and so for last minute booking attempt to go to / sleep in less renowned ones like Koh Tarutato National Park in the deep south or Khao Sok National Park close to Surat Thani and Phuket.

If you wish to comprise of a Tour to Hill Tribe Villages in the north of the country while visiting Chang Mai, Chang Rai or Pai chose only neighborhood tiny scale tour operators and make confident you double check the tour operator commitment to the environment and the well becoming of nearby communities.