Thai Sling

Thai Sling

Discovering Krabi

With KhunAnat, who later became Thai Minsiter of Agriculture, our heads rotated in circles as we stared at the swirls of rust and yellow pigment on a 600 foot vertical cliff in front of us.  In 1985 there was nothing at all on RaileiBeach, Krabi.  A few weeks later I went with some friends and slept on the deserted beach, catching crabs and fish to cook over a fire.(Pramoen cooking pic)  Even back then, we didn't think it would last, but reveled in having a natural wonder all to yourselves.  Today hotel rooms go for up to US$2,000 a night.
Land was for sale for next to nothing, and we decided yes it was worth owning some.  Twenty years later our 17 acres were worth about US$20 million, but alas we didn't own it anymore.  We did a small sub-division and sold off 30 ?-acre lots to our friends and their friends.  We built a nice wooden clubhouse with a clay-colored tile roof in what is now ASEAN style.  And we set up Railei Beach Club.  Not only the value of the land grew and grew.  So did the trees, not just coconuts but real forest trees and  pine-likecasuarinas.  I have a bias against casuarina because they are a fast-growing invasive species that can easily take over a beach. I much prefer the sea umbrella tree and the one with fragrant powder puff blossoms.
Chang Tai and his band of carpenters built the clubhouse and the first houses there and, being from Thailand's dry Isan region, they ate any monitor lizards they could find.  But after they left, the wildlife came back and flourished.  Gibbons, macaque, and languor (or leaf) monkeys, sun bear, and over 100 species of birds thrived in a low density tourist development without little village kids shooting them with sling shots.  They're all still there and prove to me that eco-tourism can indeed help protect a natural environment. 
Many things were learned from this epic project.

When clearing the land of scrub, watch the workers every minute.  If you want to save the beautiful trees and plants, do it yourself. myself.  If I left the workers, they would burn everything and the fires would scorch or even kill the big trees.  Best to have a crew of 5-10, set down rules like carting all the scrub far away to be burned.  And watch them every minute.
Low density doesn't pay.Low density doesn't pay but do it.  If you want to maximize revenue from a beautiful piece of land, build as much as you can on it.  BUT If you want the maximize all the good things in life – like trees, wildlife, and the luxury of open space, keep the density low. ?-acre lot gives privacy and preserves the surrounding nature.  And don't allow the houses to take up anymore than 18% or less of that 1/2-acre or some people will replace nature with bricks and mortar, a poor trade.

If you find something beautiful, hold on.It's not just the $20 million we lost by developing this gem of a property, it's also the chance to do your own creative thing to carefully preserve, enhance, and share it with others.

About the Author

I have spent 40 years in Southeast Asia, mostly in the jungle. I developed eco-resorts in Thailand, starting with the River Kwai, then Khao Sok National Park, Krabi, and Phra Thong island, a beautiful and still pristine island north of over-developed Phuket (http://www.goldenbuddharesort.com ). In all of these, we raised the environmental awareness of both local people and tourists. I still run a few Khao Sok tours that will get you closer to nature and give an experience you will never forget. It works. At Phra Thong, we sponsored a 10-year turtle conservation project. Villagers told us they didn't eat turtle meat anymore because their kids told them it was a bad thing! At Krabi, villagers stopped shooting the gibbons because they saw how much the tourists loved them. I also had some great jobs as an eco-tourism consultant in other Asian countries. The best one found me going up the Sepik River in Papua New Guinea with four native bearers in a dugout canoe. The purpose was to advise them how to get some eco-tourism going in their incredible rainforest.

Laptop as carry-on luggage?

I’m taking an international flight from Australia to Thailand, Via Thai airways. I’ll be in Thailand for about half a year so I’m bringing my laptop.
I know with carry-on luggage you have an allowance of 7kg, but that’s per x1 item.
I want to carry my laptop and my handbag/sling over shoulder bag...both will not exceed 7kg combined.
My problem is...that’s two items...But what else can I do? Place my passport and wallet and personal items in the laptop bag????
Also have a Ds I’d like to take, but I don’t know where the purchase receipts are, I’m worried about proving the purchase to customs

When I travel international, I have a backpack and my laptop in my carry on. I never have any problems, just place the laptop separately on the tray when you go through security. My passport, tickets, ID and credit cards and cash in my wallet inside my cargo pants. I travel like that all the time. You mean your DVD's player? I put in my check luggage, either put in the box or inside my clothes. I don't think you need a receipt if you put in your check luggage, since you own it. Hope it helps.

Tony Jaa - NO SLING! NO COMPUTER!