James Vernon

Numerous hotels in the kingdom have recently rolled out 'green' initiatives in response to customers inquiring about their eco-friendly policies, and to subsequently increase their revenues. It should be no surprise then that terms like sustainable business, green business, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) appear to be 'flavors of the year' within Thailand's hotel industry.

Other hotels have already been applying sustainable practices for quite some time now, which incorporate local indigenous knowledge in order to preserve energy and cut back on waste for the sustainability of both their business and the environment.

And regarding the current wave of CSR, Thailand's deep-seated religious tradition is based upon realizations of probably the wisest 'management guru' of all time - the Buddha, whose religion is the cornerstone of Thai culture.

So while not all organizations have made use of the country's indigenous know-how and long-held philosophies in more of an engaging manner, some smaller-and-medium-sized organizations – such as Comsaed Resort in Kanchanaburi province - have been showing others the way to perhaps a more authentic form of sustainability.

A showcase for local sustainability

Established in 1993, Comsaed Resort is a medium-sized organization that has paved a distinctly Thai path towards sustainability. Located on a lush 120-rai (19.2-hectare) plot of land along the River Kwai some 19 kilometers from the center of Kanchanaburi, the resort has welcomed several groups over the years eager to learn about its efforts towards greater sustainability and self-sufficiency. These have included Thai governmental agencies, large groups of students from all school grades, plus academics from Thailand and abroad.

The resort is dedicated to operating under His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej's Self-sufficieny Economy theory, while its organizational and environmental management philosophies are based upon Buddhist concepts.

CSR from the 'get-go'

Comsaed Resort came into bloom through the visions of Surapong Paowiboon, a landscape architect, and his wife Laddawan Paowiboon, a nature enthusiast and graduate of the National Institute for Development Administration (NIDA).

When constructing the resort, the couple took into consideration villagers living in surrounding areas whose land lacked basic infrastructure due to neglect by the government.

“In addition to its natural beauty, this place seemed ideal since it's located along two roads that tourists often use when visiting Kanchanaburi. At the same time we noticed that people living around the area had very poor infrastructure and could benefit greatly from what we were doing with the resort,” says Laddawan.

The resort thus expanded its water pipes, electricity wires, and phone services to cover land in nearby areas, an investment made at the outset and aimed at improving the livelihood of locals, as well as the resort's 200 employees.

Laddawan says she wanted her resort to help locals, through improving infrastructure and providing a means of employment, while at the same time embodying her love and reverence for nature.

“Kanchanaburi province is a beautiful place, full of natural resources. It's also not too far from Bangkok, so I wanted to make a place with comfortable accommodation, good food, and worthwhile activities which urbanites can enjoy – while at the same time helping the locals here,” she says.

Bio gas and beyond

Laddawan's love of nature isn't a passing sentimental thought, or something to be made 'second fiddle' in tough times. As with the resort's CSR initiative, she has made being 'green', in perhaps its most technical and truest sense, a core aspect of the resort.

The vision became a reality through the help of Yuthakarn Sriworakul, the resort's deputy manager, who looks over the resort's Rao Rak Lok ('We Love Our World') philosophy; and Renu Sankla, the resort's Green Earth development manager.

A native of Surin in Thailand's northeast, Sankla is steeped in that region's traditional farming techniques, and has over 30 years' experience in the development of organic farming and gardening processes. Some of these include the production of herbs and flowers to be used for making chemical-free pesticides; organic bath and toiletry products; and chemical-free laundry detergent. She also produces organic tree vinegar for use at the resort.

The resort uses a variety of sustainable farming techniques as part of its Rao Rak Lok philosophy, such as a terraced rice-farming technique that naturally purifies gray water to be reused. The resort also produces its own mulch, to be used as fertilizer, and has its own bio gas and bio diesel production facilities.

All food products at Comsaed are organically grown by Sankla and the resort's staff – which means fresh, delicious dishes prepared at one of the resort's two restaurants.

Yuthakarn, an employee at the resort for over 13 years, stresses that almost everything grown at the resort is used in some shape or form; adding that, for example, orchids and other flowers grown on site are used for decoration, or are used in the resort's own line of bath and beauty products. This decreases the operational cost while reducing its effect on global warming, he says.

Words of the King and the Buddha

A devout Buddhist, Laddawan says that Comsaed provides a way of life for its guests and employees, that is 'complete'.

“Following the King's self-sufficiency economy guidance [which encourages self-reliance through cultivating and relying upon one's own crops and livestock], in times of crisis we can easily operate 'on our own two feet', without having to lay off employees. We provide quality products and experiences for our customers while at the same time providing a good way of life for our employees,” she says.

The economic crisis of 1997 sparked an interest among the resort's management in the King's Self-sufficiency Economy theory. They set out first to find suitable ways to implement the theory which would, in the end, act as a 'vaccine' (in the theory's terminology) for their organization in times of crisis.

According to Yuthakarn, the implementation began with the planting of a vegetable garden behind the staff canteen. Things slowly started to move forward from there. Within 10 years of launching the program, the resort has constructed facilities to produce its own energy, which accounts for 30% of the resort's total requirements. This 'home-made' energy includes solar power, wind power, hydro power, bio gas, and bio diesel.

“Our efforts really came through during the period following 9/11 when the tourism industry hit a slump, and many tourism-related businesses shut down. We were able to keep ourselves afloat during that difficult time thanks to our efforts in following the self-sufficiency economy theory,” says Yuthakarn.

Following the words of the Buddha in regard to dealing with people, Laddawan says she refrains from reacting negatively if an employee makes a mistake. Instead, she suggests ways for them to view certain situations, and urges them to look at problems from different angles. 

The resort also follows a participative management philosophy, which gives employees a sense of ownership within a project, while the resort's Dhamma Park, which is open for use by employees as well as guests, provides a natural space conducive to relaxation and meditation.

Regarding finding the right employees, Yuthakarn says the resort follows the philosophy that “good people bring good people”.

“Our Dhamma Park and Dhamma services encourage a Buddhist Sangha [community] atmosphere at the resort. We have scheduled chanting that interested staff can join, and we also have people who can provide Dhamma guidance. The words of the Buddha help employees realize that they really do have 'enough' to live a good life, and this fits in well with the self-sufficiency economy philosophy – the Buddha's words curb people's selfish desires, lead people to walk on the 'right path'. Employees who don't seem to fit in with our atmosphere here at Comsaed will get bored and leave of their own accord,” says Yuthakarn.

Individual guests or groups interested in visiting the resort are encouraged to drop by for a free tour of its projects. For a day tour, or overnight reservations, contact the resort's Bangkok office at +66 (0)2 934 8111, or the resort directly at +66 (0)34 631 4439. Comsaed Resort can be visited on the web at http://www.comsaedriverkwai.com/.

View below a video describing Comsaed Resort's energy conservation efforts in depth (Thai language): 

Special thanks to May Bhisidnorasih for her kind assistance with this article.

-James Vernon can be contacted at jamesjvernon[at]yahoo[dot]com.