Northeast Thai farmer is ‘selling’ fresh air

One northeast Thai farmer is ‘selling’ fresh air. The farmer, 52 year old Dusit Kachai, charges visitors 1,000 baht per person for the first hour they stay at his farm.

The farm is located on the edge of Chaiyaphum province’s Phu Laen Kha National Park, which has clean air, forests, and mountain streams. Dusit said…

“The first hour costs 1,000 baht but then visitors can stay for free, including food and camping.”

Three meals are provided for free, along with a tent for camping. Children and elderly people can enter the farm entirely for free, Dusit said.

Dusit said that more and more people are looking for an escape from pollution.

Dusit is the secretary of an environmental group called Asian Life. He is determined to fight environmental destruction and help boost air quality. Dusit said…

“Don’t visit here if you cannot stop destroying nature.”

Thailand’s air quality is a serious problem. Earlier this week, the air in Bangkok was filled with dust due to the lack of breeze and airflow. The Environment Department said Saturday that the lack of breeze in Bangkok eventually traps the pollution in the city.

At one point last year, Thailand’s Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency said there were 1,060 air pollution ‘hot spots’ across Thailand, due to farmers burning waste. The hot spots were leading to increasing levels of PM2.5 dust.

In addition to farmers burning waste, villagers often light fires in forests while they hunt for animals, pick produce, or clear plants ahead of the rainy season. Some 301 of the 1,060 hot spots were in forest reserves, and 254 were in conserved forests. Some 248 were in farming areas, and 146 were in land reform areas. Some 104 were in local communities, and seven were along highways.

Dusit’s farm filled with fresh air is providing visitors with some relief amidst a country filled with air pollution.