In the Spirit of Isaan
Jim Thompson Farm reopens on Saturday for five weeks of rustic beauty
The Thai winter is now officially here and once again Jim Thompson Farm is celebrating by throwing open its gates to the country’s most popular ecotourism attractions. This year’s Farm Tour, on the theme “Mang Moon Boon Khao”, gets underway on Saturday and honours the Isaan rice culture.
Popular with city dwellers looking to get out of Bangkok for the weekend, the annual visit to Pak Thong Chai district offers a wonderful opportunity to commune with nature. Along with beautiful scenery, it features orchards, mulberry plantations, fields of flowers, nurseries, hydroponic vegetable production and an education in how rice is interwoven with the people of Isaan.
“There are a lot of things to explore this year including the cosmos fields and the pumpkin patch,” says Yuttapong Matwiset, Isaan Culture Adviser at Jim Thompson Farm. “However, the highlight is on rice and its relationship with the people of the Northeast.
“Visitors will enjoy exploring the circle of life and the spirit of the Isaan plain through a series of rice-related traditions,” Yuttapong continues.
“The farm offers a hand-on experience through activities and food, making it ideal for a family trip.”
Over the last 12 years fewer and fewer Thai people have been observing the customs and traditions passed down from previous generations. While change is of course an inevitable part of any culture, this fading out of activities once so dear to the agricultural way of life leaves in its wake a strong sense of nostalgia and a hankering for a calmer, more spiritual, lifestyle.
A day at the farm satisfies that hunger.
The spirit of the Isaan people is interrelated with the circle of rice, which begins in the early part of the rainy season when local folk celebrate the rocket festival. The idea of firing rockets to the sky is to “leave” a message in heaven for the Rain God to pour the rain on the earth so that rice growing can begin.
Isaan farmers always mark the important moments throughout the circle of rice. When the very first ears of rice emerge from the ground in the 10th lunar month, the villagers hold a merit-making rite known as boon khao sak to appease their dead relatives and ask their spirits to bless the rice field and ward off insects and pests.
The series of merit-making rites continues through the summer with the largest boon phawed ceremony taking place when the rice has been harvested and the farm work is complete. People will celebrate the end of the circle by spending a day and night listening to 13 chapters of Lord Buddha reincarnation.
“Jim Thompson Farm presents demonstrations of these rice-related ceremonies in a very authentic atmosphere giving visitors a rare opportunity to experience them,” says Yuttapong.
The celebrations take place around Isaan Village, home to several traditional Thai houses looking out over the rice fields. Visitors are guaranteed breathtaking views as well as an authentic experience of the Isaan way of life.
And there’s plenty to enjoy in addition to the cultural shows including a field of pink cosmos covering more than 50 rai. Here too, visitors can also walk alongside the kitchen garden and admire row after row of organic vegetables or even pick fresh vegetables from the plots if they want to take them home.
At Jim Thompson Village visitors will be introduced to the distinctive silk production processes of the renowned Jim Thompson brand from start to end. They will learn the lifecycle of silkworm and how the little creature makes this natural fibre and also see the processes of silk reeling, yarn dyeing, silk weaving and fabric printing.
And, at Jim Thompson Market, visitors can buy vegetables, fruits, trees, pot flowers, fresh produce and processed products from Jim Thompson Farm, as well as silk fabrics and other products from the Jim Thompson brand.
Last but never least is the opportunity to be photographed with one of the farm’s biggest stars – Boonlai the buffalo.
IF YOU GO
< Jim Thompson Farm Tour 2015: Mang Moon Boon Khao runs from Saturday through January 10. Tickets are Bt50 (Bt100/child) on weekdays, Bt80 (Bt35/child) on weekends and Bt280 (Bt220/child) over the New Year holiday.
< Visit www.JimThompsonFarm.com or the Jim Thompson Farm Tour page on Facebook.
