Foreign Ambassadors Visit
Doi Angkhang

Some 30 years ago H. M. Bhumibol, accompanied by H.S.H Prince Bhisatej were helicoptered over the Doi Angkhang range of mountains northwest of Chiangmai city adjacent to the Burmese border. Doi Angkhang was, and is, Hilltribe country and His Majesty was on a personal fact finding mission to ascertain what could be done to improve conditions for people who lived there. What he saw appalled him the terrible beauty of millions of blossoming opium poppies swaying gently in the breeze. This was the "cash crop" for the Hilltribe peoples and very meagre cash, at that, as the people were being exploited by drug warlords and foreign governments to finance their "secret" wars in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. The Thai Monarch knew that something had to be done to stop this destructive industry and also to halt the "slash-and-burn" agricultural style used by the Hilltribes. To let either continue would ultimately bring disaster to Thailand. The King's personal solution to the problem was the birth of the Royal Projects Program and the establishment of an agricultural research station at Doi Angkhang.

The Royal Agricultural Station at Doi Angkhang stretches over an area of 37.5 sq. kilometers. At a cool height of 1,400 meters above sea level, it is home to almost 3,000 Hilltribe people, living in six separate village communities. Temperatures span from 32C in Summer to a chilly -3C in Winter. At the beginning, after H.M. King Bhumibol had "kick started" the concept, several overseas countries offered technical assistance and agricultural products. Among the first contributors were Israel, Japan, the KMT of Taiwan and Germany.

Nowadays, Doi Angkhang Royal Agricultural Station is the main research station for the growing of temperate climate fruits, flowers, vegetables and medicinal plants. Persimmons, Kiwifruit, raspberries, strawberries, peaches and pears plus begonias, roses, azalea, and a wide variety of herbs, are all under cultivation. Iceberg lettuce has proven extremely popular with consumers and is one of 50 established cash crops with another 72 products being grown for market diversity.

When H.M. King Bhumibol first flew over Doi Angkhang, he possibly never realized how beautiful and productive his Royal Project would become. Aside from Research & Development, and ongoing productivity from the many huge plots and orchards, Doi Angkhang has been so carefully developed and landscaped, it now hosts its own Nature Resort. Set amidst magnificent surrounding splendor, Doi Angkhang Nature Resort offers over 70 rooms and conference facilities in impeccable taste. Of course, agricultural researchers and botanists are not abundant in "Resort" expertise, so that area is capably managed by the Amari Hotels & Resorts Group. The Amari Group observed the desperate need for a school in that area and came up with the idea of "Baht for a Better Life" which encourages visitors to leave their loose change in donation boxes placed in every hotel of the group. Those coins mounted up and, so far, have accounted for the building of an elementary school for Hilltribe children and the training of two local, Hilltribe women as teachers. Which, perhaps, brings us back to what the Diplomatic Corps was doing at Doi Angkhang Nature Resort...

The development of Doi Angkhang Royal Agricultural Station was gradual and steady. As so many overseas countries granted assistance to the Project, H.M. The King wanted to keep those countries abreast of what was happening at Doi Angkhang and so began a series of invitations to foreign diplomats to come and see for themselves. Ably assisted by H.M. Queen Sirikit who now attends to the invitations, all Bangkok based Ambassadors to Thailand are invited, annually, to visit Doi Angkhang as guests of the Royal Thai Government. Their Excellencies are able to inspect development, relate with the Hilltribes and Royal Project staff, plus relax in wonderful nature away from the stifling Capital.

During their recent visit, the Saturday morning temperature was an invigorating 4 which was nothing to the Hilltribe children excitedly lined up to with the hope to sell their handmade crafts.. As soon as lunch was finished, H.S.H Prince Bhisatej led the group to see the original helicopter landing site. It has been transformed into a picturesque landscape. .

Standing in the midst of the children singing at the school, His Excellency the Ambassador of Hungary was obviously proud of the technical assistance his country had provided and the way The Royal Project success was helping raise the living standards of the Hilltribes. To which a Royal Project research professor replied, "It's sad to see Hilltribe women and children walking the Night Bazaar in Chiangmai for so few baht earnings. They have to rent cheap, dirty rooms in the city. They should be able to live happily in their mountain villages"

During a visit to such a village of the Black Lahu tribe, the villagers entertained with a New Year dance. They were thrilled when His Excellency, Darrell Johnson, Ambassador of the United Stated, joined the circle of dancing villagers. He was quickly followed by H.S.H. Prince Bhisatej (who Chairs the Royal Project) and soon most of the visiting Ambassadors, and their respective wives, were dancing in symmetry alongside their village hosts. It was a wonderful sight of friendship and relaxation of the "haves" mingling with those who "have not so much".

And that's how the Bangkok Diplomatic Corps came to be dancing a la Corps de Ballet! It was very much another successful observation linking H.M. King Bhumibol's Royal Projects with Ambassador friends from many countries all working for peace and prosperity and assisting the Hilltribe peoples to further help themselves. Long may it continue!