Thailand Village Academy | Tambon Nong Rong Community

Surrounded by mountains, streams and waterfalls, Kanchanaburi’s Nong Rong Community is quite literally hidden away in the heart of the jungle. As a result, the bond between community members’ lifestyle and the forest has become almost inseparable. In fact, villages bravely stood up against powerful encroachers and reclaimed over 1,000 rais of land back in 1973 – testament to how much they value this land.

Their community forest provides a source of food, housing materials, income and acts as a playground for the kids here.

To truly appreciate the cultural bond between the people and the forest, you a visit into Nong Rong community is a must. While here, you can participate in a range of activities that’ll help you feel better connected to nature, such as walking nature trails with knowledgeable villagers who will show you the most unexpected ingredients for home-cooked local dishes at the homestay. You can also collect some wild vines to make woven bracelets, again under the guidance of local masters. Visit at the right time of year and you’ll also be able to witness some of their rare traditional ceremonies and performances.

See how locals use fresh herbs and plants to make herbal compress balls, as well as things to eat (both sweet and savory). Also, enjoy making handicrafts such as a bamboo cradle and products from hemp – which are some of the many sources of income for the community.

Food and beverage: Ancient rice noodles, using local plants found in the community forest and the community itself to cook seasonal dishes.
Local culture and traditions: Roy pansa, Yoei dancing and singing, farming spirit ceremony, barn spirit ceremony, field spirit ceremony
Local wisdom: Bamboo cradle weaving, handloom weaving, sapphire cutting, toddy palm seed cultivation, food processing using local herbs such as rainbow rice crackers, herbal rolled wafer/folded wafer, traditional massage
Herb-related local knowledge, such as ripening mangos with various herbs and making herbal press balls for post-treatment recovery.
Natural resources: Ban Huay Sapan Samakkee forest covers 2094 rai, 2 ngan and 29 square wah (3,351 square kilometers)

Strolling through the community’s forest.
Explore the church built in the Late Ayutthaya period at Wat Khao Cham Sin.
Learn how to weave bamboo cradles and other utilities.
Making products from Enkleia siamensis (scientific name of plant).
Learn how to make products from toddy palms.
Craft bracelets and rings from Cocculus Indicus.
Rainbow herbal rice crackers, low-fat crispy pork rinds and cooking dinner.

Program 3 Days 2 Nights
Program 7 Days 6 Nights

Program 3 Days 2 Nights

Day 1
10.00 am	Meet at the designated meeting point and travel to Kanchanaburi.
12.00 pm	Lunch break
1.00 pm	Continue the journey towards Kanchanaburi.
1.30 pm	Stop at Kanchanaburi City Pillar Shrine to pray for good luck. Visit the Old City Wall behind the shrine and stroll through Pak Praek community, the oldest community in Kanchanaburi where the charms of old houses are still preserved.
2.30 pm	Visit Don Rak War Cemetery, also known as the United Nations War Cemetery or “The British Cemetery” to the locals. The area is home to 6,982 graves of prisoners of war (POW) who passed away during the construction of the Death Railway that stretched through Thailand to Burma.
3.00 pm	Admire the famous Bridge Over the River Kwai. The bridge, which you can now walk across, which goes over the River ‘Kwai Yai’ and boasts a semi-circular iron structure and truss, supported by reinforced concrete pillars. It is currently part of the Thonburi-Namtok railway and used to be part of the Death Railway itself.
4.00 pm	Travel to Nong Rong sub-district community, located in Panomtuan district.
4.30 pm	Arrive at the community where you’ll get to know the community representatives. You can also store your luggage at the accommodation.
6.00 pm	Dinner is served at the homestay accommodation with free time before bed after.
Day 2
7.00 am	Breakfast at the homestay
9.00 am	Learn about the community forest from the community master, who will guide you through the forest area that is taken care by the locals; now, it’s a great source of food and revenue for the community. Collect cocculus and enkleia siamensis for creating products that bring revenue to the community. Learn how to knit cocculus rings and bracelets from an expert master. Visit a late-Ayudhaya church and have a look round Khao Jam Seen Temple.
12.30 pm	Taste some spicy Masang chili paste, the restaurant’s famous dish as part of lunch (with other dishes)
2.00 pm	Learn to transform the enkleia siamensis collected from the community forest into products like key chains and decorative flowers using various colors to brighten them up.
3.00 pm	Learn how to make garlands out of kaffir lime and pandan leaves. This is one example of how local produce (that’s found in abundance) can be transformed into a value-added products which can be sold as gifts or souvenirs. Try to do it yourself and take one back home.
4.30 pm	Visit the community’s agricultural garden. One of the products is a plant called melientha suavis. Get to know the plant, as well as how to grow and harvest it for distribution. Pick it directly from the source and use it to cook dinner.
6.00 pm	Cook up a melientha suavis dish with your host and enjoy a local-style dinner together at the homestay.
Day 3
8.00 am	Breakfast at the homestay
9.30 am	Dong Tan, (toddy palm plantation), is a forestry learning center of the community. Here, you’ll see the toddy palm tree climbers in action – one daring occupation for some members of Nong Rong community that requires passion and expertise (as the climbers have to climb up extremely tall trees). Learn about the process of climbing the trees, cutting the toddy palm and preparing them for distribution. Learn about the properties of each palm fruit. Taste the flesh which is freshly taken from the plantation. Process fresh palm flesh. Notes: This activity can only be arranged during the toddy palm season (late January to mid-May). During other periods, this will be replaced with a learning activity on how the toddy flesh and seeds are used to make products.
11.30 am	Lunch
12.30 pm	Say goodbye to the community and return to Bangkok via the highway.
1.00 pm	Stop off at Meena Café to refresh with some coffee and take in the fresh air in the middle of a green field before heading back.
3.00 pm	Travel back to Bangkok.
6.00 pm	Arrive in Bangkok to mark the end of the trip.

Program 3 Days 2 Nights

No. of visitors	4-6 persons	7-9 persons
Rate/Person (THB)	9,800	7,500

Instructions

Prepare sun protection, such as sunglasses, sun cream, hat and umbrella.
Wear comfortable clothes and practical footwear like sneakers.
Refrain from carrying valuable items.
Kindly respect and follow the staff’s instructions.

Included in the program:

Meals as stated in the program (2 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 2 dinners)
Transportation as stated in the program
Accommodation as stated in the program
Activities as stated in the program
Guide or Local Alike staff member
Community communicator
Travel insurance
7% VAT and 3% WHT

Not included in the program:

Personal expenses
Food and drinks not mentioned in the program

Notes:

The program may be adjusted to suit the weather and situation. If any outdoor activity cannot be conducted as per the program, Local Alike will arrange a back-up activity indoor to ensure an authentic community tourism experience for our visitors. The satisfaction of our guests and community members is our priority.

Program 7 Days 6 Nights

Day 1
11.00 am	Meet at the designated meeting point and travel to Kanchanaburi.
12.00 pm	Lunch break
1.00 pm	Continue the journey towards Kanchanaburi.
2.30 pm	Stop at Kanchanaburi City Pillar Shrine to pray for good luck. Visit the Old City Wall behind the shrine and stroll through Pak Praek community, the oldest community in Kanchanaburi where the charms of old houses are still preserved.
3.00 pm	Travel to Nong Rong sub-district community, Panomtuan district.
3.30 pm	Arrive at the community. Get to know the community representatives and store your luggage at the accommodation.
6.00 pm	Enjoy dinner at the homestay accommodation and some leisure time for the rest of the evening.
Day 2
7.00 am	Wake up early to make merit and experience the Buddhist lifestyle with your host at Huay Sapan Temple, an old temple built in the early-Rattanakosin period. The temple’s old church has a beautiful architectural style with plaster sculptures on both pediments and the main Buddha image called Buddha Kodom.
9.00 am	Learn about the community forest from the community master, who will guide you through the forest area taken care by the locals and is now a source of food and revenue for the community members. Collect cocculus and enkleia siamensis as you go, which are creating products that bring revenue to the community. Learn how to knit cocculus rings and bracelets from an expert master. Visit a late-Ayudhaya church and explore the impressive Khao Jam Seen Temple.
12.30 pm	Lunch
2.00 pm	Learn to transform enkleia siamensis collected from the community forest earlier into products like key chains and decorative flowers using various colors to make them livelier.
4.00 pm	Enjoy leisure time.
6.00 pm	Cook up some local dishes with your host and have dinner together at the homestay.
Day 3
8.00 am	Breakfast at the homestay
9.00 am	Visit the toddy palm processing center. This is a common plant found in the Nong Rong community that has many benefits. Every part of the plant, from the leaves to the dry seeds, can be used. Learn about the properties of the palm fruit and the benefits of the plant itself. Learn how different parts are transformed into products.
12.00 pm	Lunch
1.00 pm	Learn to make sugarpalm cake, one of many the food products that can be made from the plant. The entire process is taught by expert, from the first mixing step until it transforms into the final yellow cake sold in markets. Make your own cake and taste it fresh off the stove.
3.00 pm	Make home decoration products from toddy palm using the leftover or unused parts like the fiber and the fruit. Add value to the material and bring revenue to the community by creating products like pencil cases and toddy palm charcoal.
6.00 pm	Dinner at the homestay accommodation
Day 4
8.00 am	Breakfast at the homestay
9.30 am	Pick up more valuable local knowledge and skills as you try weaving bamboo cradles, adapted from mats. The cradles are sized according to the market demand, ranging from person-sized ones to key chains to fruit baskets. Learn from the master who will be happy to share his expert knowledge.
12.00 pm	Lunch
1.00 pm	Make fat-free pork crackling, one of the main products that brings revenue to the community members outside of farming. Learn from the master who will teach you how to choose the right type of skin, clean it, marinade and fry to perfection.
3.00 pm	Get to know more about rice crackers, another popular local product, especially the rainbow rice variety that’s colored with natural materials and sold all over the local the area. As the production cost has been reduced, revenue is up for the community. Learn how to make them, as well as the coloring technique.
6.00 pm	Dinner at the accommodation
Day 5
8.00 am	Breakfast at the homestay
9.00 am	Visit Masuk Garden and learn about integrated farming with different plantation, including papaya, long peppers and carissa carandas. Experiment with making carissa carandas juice. Learn the entire process from selecting the fruit to making the juice – and of course taste your self-made product at the end.
12.00 pm	Lunch
1.00 pm	Learn how to weave a ‘snake’ for treating trigger finger, a common syndrome among office workers under the guidance of a local expert.
3.00 pm	Learn to weave hats from coconut leaves, transforming local materials into a value-added product.
6.00 pm	Dinner at the accommodation
Day 6
8.00 am	Breakfast at the homestay
9.00 am	Say goodbye to the community and travel to Erawan waterfall. The very well-known Erawan waterfall is located in Erawan National Park. Being a limestone waterfall, the water appears turquoise when the sunlight shines onto the surface. There are 7 tiers in total, and the distance between the lowest and the highest is 1,500 meters. It flows all year round, although you can expect much less water during the dry season from December to April. The water flows downstream to River Kwai Yai near the national park office.
1.00 pm	Lunch
2.00 pm	Travel to Kanchanaburi.
3.30 pm	Check-in at the accommodation.
6.00 pm	Dinner and leisurely time
Day 7
8.00 am	Breakfast at the hotel
9.30 am	Visit Don Rak War Cemetery, also known as the United Nations War Cemetery or “The British Cemetery” to the locals – home to over 6,000 Prisoner of War (POW) graves.
10.00 am	Admire the famous Bridge Over the River Kwai. The bridge, which you can now walk across, which goes over the River ‘Kwai Yai’ and boasts a semi-circular iron structure and truss, supported by reinforced concrete pillars. It is currently part of the Thonburi-Namtok railway and used to be part of the Death Railway itself.
12.00 pm	Lunch
1.00 pm	Stop at Meena Café, a coffee shop with a casual vibe, to taste some coffee and take in the fresh air in the middle of the green field to refresh before heading back.
2.30 pm	Travel back to Bangkok via highway.
5.30 pm	Safely arrive back in Bangkok to end the trip.

Program 7 Days 6 Nights

No. of visitors	2-3 persons	4-6 persons	7-9 persons
Rate/Person (THB)	40,000	27,000	20,000

Instructions

Prepare sun protection, such as sunglasses, sun cream, hat and umbrella.
Wear comfortable clothes and practical footwear like sneakers.
Refrain from carrying valuable items.
Kindly respect and follow the staff’s instructions.

Included in the program:

Meals as stated in the program (6 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 6 dinners)
Transportation as stated in the program
Accommodation as stated in the program
Activities as stated in the program
Guide or Local Alike staff
Community communicator
Travel insurance
7% VAT and 3% WHT

Not included in the program:

Personal expenses
Food and drinks not mentioned in the program

Notes:

Seasons/ Periods of Visit: All-year-round

Transform toddy palm flesh or mature palm into different products.
Weave bamboo cradles.
Weave cocculus bracelets and rings.
Make enkleia siamensis decorative flowers.
Visit Kao Jam Seen Temple and Huay Sapan Temple.

Transform toddy palm flesh and seeds into different products.

Climb toddy palm trees, cut the palm and prepare palm wedges.

Masang chili paste
Coconut soup with bamboo shoots and chicken
Clear soup with gourd and lime-fermented chicken
Tamarind paste soup with melientha suavis and grilled fish

Decorative flowers made from enkleia siamensis
Silk
Loincloth
Cocculus bracelets and rings
Bamboo cradles, baskets and key rings
Woven snakes
Kaffir lime garlands
Processed toddy palm
Rainbow rice crackers
Preserved fruits
Sapphire
Fat-free pork crackling
Woven baskets

Mrs. Arom Sareewong

Masters of “Roy Pansa” singing tradition

Mrs. Maloei Kunpan

Masters of “Roy Pansa” singing tradition

Mrs. Samran Buatong

Masters of the farming season offering ceremony (Rab Tong Kao)

Ms. Somkid Kam-in

Masters of the farming season offering ceremony (Rab Tong Kao)

Mr. Bamrung Prempree

Masters of “Yoei” singing tradition

Mrs. Pratueang Ruensamran

Masters of “Yoei” singing tradition

Mr. Ruam Wisetsing

Master of the spirit ceremonies

Mrs. Lek Paisee

Master of traditional massage

Mrs. Aporn Sukeetam

Master of bamboo cradle weaving

Mrs. Sunan Boonyapreedee

Master of toddy palm cultivation

Mrs. Sommai Kaewpradit

Master of rainbow herbal rice crackers

Mr. Chalard Prempree

Master of cocculus woven accessories

Mr. Nirad Sooksai

Master of coconut leaf woven hats

Mr. Sawat Sareewong

Master of woven snake making (a tool used to prevent and treat trigger fingers)

Mrs. Somporn Panto

View All

The City Pillar Shrine and the old town
The Bridge Over the River Kwai
Don Rak War Cemetery, also known as the United Nations War Cemetery
Erawan Waterfall and National Park

Public transportation (minivan and large buses) from Bangkok
Take a Bangkok-Kanchanaburi van from the North Terminal (Mochit 2) or the New South Terminal.
Take a Bangkok-Kanchanaburi bus from the North Terminal (Mochit 2) or the New South Terminal.
From Kanchanaburi bus terminal (get off at the main intersection are with traffic lights in Ban Huay Sapan, Panomtuan district)
Take a Kanchanaburi-Supanburi bus.
Hire a mini-bus.
Private car
There is also a daily train from Thonburi train station in Bangkok to Kanchanaburi taking 2.5 hours

Community’s Contact Information

Community tourism coordinator: Mrs. Somporn Panto
Phone: 08-1943-2618
Social media: The Huay Sapan Community Tourism Website
Address: 200/3 Huay Sapan Village, Nong Rong sub-district, Panomtuan district, Kanchanaburi 71140

Tour Agent Contact Information

Tour operator’s name: Local Alike Co., Ltd.
E-Mail: [email protected]
Phone: 08-1139-5593
Social media: www.facebook.com/LocalAlike, localalike.com www.instagram.com/localalike, twitter.com/localalike

Tambon Nong Rong Community

Kanchanaburi

About the Community

What will you learn?

Cultural and Local Wisdom Heritage

Activities

Programs

Program 3 Days 2 Nights

Program 3 Days 2 Nights

Program 3 Days 2 Nights

Instructions

Included in the program:

Not included in the program:

Notes:

Program 7 Days 6 Nights

Program 7 Days 6 Nights

Program 7 Days 6 Nights

Instructions

Included in the program:

Not included in the program:

Notes:

Seasons/ Periods of Visit: All-year-round

All-year-round activities

Rainy season activities

Winter activities

Local Foods

Local Products

Home stay

Community homestay

Hosts/Local Masters

Local Master

Local Interpretors

Photo/VDO Gallery

Nearby attractions

How to get there

Community’s Contact Information

Tour Agent Contact Information

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