Traidcraft Meet the People Tours, Fair Trade / Responsible Holidays in Thailand

Southern Thailand

Thailand is a country rich in cultural and ethnic diversity. Traidcraft has a long relationship with Thai producers, and regularly sources craft products from ThaiCraft, one of the country’s fair trade producer organisations. After the tsunami hit in December 2004 our tour was redesigned to include an additional visit to local communities to understand the rehabilitation work and to support the local economies as much as possible.

After an overnight stay in Bangkok, the tour moves through Nakorn Sri Thamarrat, the cultural and historical centre of Thailand’s south where we will meet craftsmen and visit the Royal temple of Phra Mahathat. Travelling inland we visit Ban Khiri Wong, an ancient community who live at the foot of Mount Luang. We will have the chance to try natural dyeing or can trek in the lush rainforest of the adjacent national park, or learning about village life at a leisurely pace. From there we'll make our way to the western coast and the province of Trang, a spectacularly beautiful coastal area where we’ll visit a traditional weaving community. We stay in a small fishing village where we'll meet fishermen and eat fresh seafood by the water's edge. From there the tour will proceed on to Phuket island, where we can enjoy a sea canoe tour. The final leg of the tour brings us back to Bangkok where we will finish with some unforgettable cultural visits and a chance to explore the capital city.