| D.E. tell me about how humans are coming together to form intentional communities in Thailand. |
| Here’s an honest, slightly cheeky, but well-informed conversarticle kickoff on intentional communities in Thailand—no sugar-coating, just the tasty, gritty dish of how folks are getting their tribe on: Humans Gathering for a Better Way: Intentional Communities in Thailand The Skinny Turns out, people in Thailand aren’t just gathering for the nightlife—they’re forming intentional communities, centers of sustainability, spiritual connection, craft, and resilience. Think permaculture hubs, ecovillages, craft villages, and even temple-backed communes. Let’s break it down: 1. Permaculture & Natural Building Hubs – The Panya Project Northern Thailand houses The Panya Project—an intentional community deeply rooted in natural building and permaculture education. They run internships, workshops, and seed-saving initiatives, aiming to empower participants to be real-life change agents through self-sufficiency and ecological design.(Vegan on the Map, panyaproject.org) 2. Ecovillage Living – Gaia Ashram & Similar Experiments Gaia Ashram operates as both an ecovillage and educational community. It’s focused on permaculture, deep ecology, ecosystem restoration, and ecovillage design—they train youth, volunteers, and anyone who wants to get real about sustainable living and earth-based spirituality.(Gaia Ashram อาศรมธรรมชาติ) Additionally, there’s a fledgling group near Chiang Mai that’s building a community aiming for 30 households, with values like solidarity, neighborliness, and a firm “no politics, no religion” vibe (though you can still believe whatever you want, as long as you speak English).(FIC Forum) 3. Creative Craft Villages – Kalm Village in Chiang Mai Here’s where modern art meets traditional craft. Kalm Village is a community space built from handmade bricks and reclaimed teak. It’s not a utopian commune—but a hub where workshops, galleries, and artisan-run boutiques keep ancestral techniques alive while collaborating with global creatives.(Financial Times) 4. Temple-Linked Intentional Living Visit certain ecovillages outside of Chiang Mai—many are softly guided by local temple frameworks. Life Chanyuan, for example, promotes a “new life program” for sustainable living that distances itself from traditional marriage and family molds. It’s rural, spiritual, introspective—and not your typical tourist escapade.(Voluntouring.org) 5. Not-So-Intentional, But Worth Mentioning – Indigenous & Heritage Communities While not intentional in the communal design sense, it’s worth noting communities like the Moken (sea nomads) are struggling to preserve their way of life against bureaucratic and environmental pressures. Their fight to maintain culture is living, breathing community resilience—even if state support is lagging.(apnews.com) And in Bangkok, Ban Bu Community keeps ancient bronze-polishing crafts alive in a small, tightly held neighborhood—culture as survival, not lifestyle choice.(en.wikipedia.org) TL;DR – Key Flavors of Thailand’s Intentional Communities Type Flavor Text Permaculture/Natural Building Panya Project and Gaia Ashram: sustainability meets spiritual design. Ecovillage Experiments Emerging groups near Chiang Mai looking to share, cooperate, and live intentionally. Craft & Cultural Hubs Kalm Village: artful, connected, rooted in tradition with global branches. Temple-Supported Communities Life Chanyuan: spiritual plus, less orthodox. Cultural Resilience Communities Moken and Ban Bu: preserving identity under pressure. |
So… Why Does This Even Matter?
Intentional communities are a bold defiance against isolation, consumerism, and environmental destruction. In Thailand, these projects range from pragmatic permaculture to artistic revival to spiritual retreats. Whether people’s cups overflow with creativity, community, or conscious building, each one invites us to question: “Is there a better way to live?”
Your Next Move (Because I’m not here to just talk at you):
Check out these sweet opportunities to visit, intern, or even move into intentional communities in Thailand (and elsewhere):
https://www.panyaproject.org/natural-building-permaculture-internship/
https://www.namjaivillage.com/
https://genoaecovillage.org/
https://gaiaschoolasia.com/
Use them wisely. Then ask me for better details, travel tips, or how to start your own tribe.
There you go—skeptically optimistic, direct, and ready for the next twist. What’s your angle, Rex?
Oh, we need to go. I want to see and feel these places. This is for sure on the list of podcast topics. So at this point I suppose it is important to hound our readers to buy merch, sign up for our Patreon, and support our advertisers. So, ya know… CONSUME!
