SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL PRESERVATION
The Doi Tung Development Project

Doi Tung today is green and full of life, cradled in beautiful natural surroundings –a striking contrast to the landscape that prevailed in 1966. An image of drought, bald red hills without colour and its people devoid of smiles of hope. Even though the authorities were trying to solve the problems and reforest the area, the situation had improved little.

Doi Tung is one of the peaks of the Nang Non range, which stretches along the Thai-Myanmar border, part of the area called the Golden Triangle, once famous for growing, manufacturing, using, and trafficking opium and heroin.

Doi Tung was once beset with numerous problems arising from the wretchedly deprived lives of the hill tribe people: the unsettled conditions among minority groups along the border, the drug trade, drug addiction, and forest encroachment by the tribe people for slash-and burn agriculture and opium poppy fields.

These activities damaged the ecosystem, and led the hill tribe people to seek other sources of income, forcing some into sexual exploitation of young girls prostitution, child labour and illegal employment. These led to the spread of disease, especially AIDS.

In January 1987, Her Royal Highness the Princess Mother came to visit the area around Watershed Development Unit No. 31 on Doi Tung, where the remaining forest was falling victim to encroachment. She confirmed that after she reached her 90th year she would be pleased to stay here, where the climate and scenery were similar to Switzerland, and where she could continue her work on reforestation and development assistance for the underprivileged.

In the middle of 1987 the Princess Mother graciously inaugurated the Doi Tung Development Project, covering about 150 square kilometres (some 37,000 acres) along the border in Mae Fah Luang and Mae Sai District. In support of this royal initiative the government approved this development project. Military and civilian agencies of the state, state enterprises, and numerous private sector organizations cooperated in carrying out various development programmes, with the Mae Fah Luang Foundation serving as coordinator.

The Doi Tung Development Project was scheduled to last 30 years, divided into three phases: 1988 -1993, 1994 - 2002, 2003 - 2017. Action began with the development of basic economic and social infrastructure such as roads, electricity, public telephones, water supply, reservoirs, health service stations and schools. In addition the project planted watershed preservation forests, economic forests, and flowering plants grown in the shade of the larger trees, with the populace participating as paid labourers in planting and nurturing the forests.

Thereafter the project established occupational development centres for agriculture, handicrafts, and small-scale cottage industry to increase the skills of the populace, so they could enjoy regular livelihoods and income, in accordance with the royal strategy of 'helping them to help themselves'.

On the agricultural side, the Doi Tung Development Project introduced economically valuable fruits and flowers, together with new methods of cultivation. At the same time Doi Tung is being developed as a nature and culture tourism destination.

BAN PHA MI REHABILITATION CENTRE
Another major activity of the Doi Tung Development Project, arising from the Princess Mother's humanistic and democratic ideals, has been therapy for the drug addicts among the villages in the project area.

An addict therapy and rehabilitation centre was established in Ban Pha Mi in 1992, emphasizing treatment combined with development of occupational skills, and including a three-year follow-up programme. There were those who warned it was an arduous task, but Her Royal Highness devoted much attention to this programme, and closely followed the operations of the centre.

On December 10, 1992, Her Royal Highness paid a visit to the therapy centre, warmly greeting the patients, and observing the occupational training. One of the patients said, "We want to make something of ourselves, so our teacher (meaning the manager of the centre) will be happy, and our Royal Grandmother will be happy. She has taken the trouble to help us and without her, we would not have new lives-we would all be among the living dead."

Today the villagers of the Doi Tung Development Project, whether they are hill tribe people, Shan, or lowland Thais, all live better lives than before. They have good incomes from the agricultural products of cut flowers and foliage, decorative plants, fresh vegetables, Japanese rice, bananas, coffee, chestnuts, Macadamia nuts, hand-woven carpets, Saa mulberry paper, embroidery, ready-to-wear garments, picture frames, attractive greeting cards, Saa mulberry paper notebooks and other souvenir items. They pursue appropriate livelihoods, and have stopped planting opium and transporting drugs or engaging in prostitution. They no longer do slash-and-burn agriculture; the young people are studying, and their lives are filled with hope in the cool and beautiful natural surroundings.

But in another aspect, development may bring culture shock, so Her Royal Highness graciously advised that the importance of culture must be harnessed together with modernisation, and the villagers themselves must participate in deciding how to harmonise the two so as the meet the needs of their own lifestyle.

It has been more than ten years since the beginning of the Doi Tung Development Project, and gratifying results have been achieved. Royally-inspired activities for the development of the individual, society and the environment have brought great benefits and happiness, as well as offering an outstanding model for the development of other rural areas with similar problems.

Written by Suparat Lertpanichkul, Vigal Pongpanitanon, Buranee Buranasira
Translated from the Thai by Niramon Kuyaknon and David Knapp

Related tourism highlights
Doi Tung Cottage Industries/Handicrafts
Doi Tung Travel and Leisure
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