Thai Beer Farm Taps Tourism

Boonrawd Brewery and Singha Corporation are looking for ways to jump on the tourism bandwagon with its Rai Boonrawd Farm in Chiang Rai on the road linking Thailand, Laos, and Yunnan, China.

Rai Boonrawd Farm Purchasing Department Manager Nattakorn Thitanukoon told a media group – which were participating in an eco-bike survey that covered Route 3 through Laos’ northwestern mountains in Bokeo and Luang Namtha Provinces – that the completion of the Thai-Lao bridge would boost tourism.

The bridge will span the river between Chiang Khong in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand and Houei Xai in Bokeo Province, Laos.

Boonrawd Brewery and Singha Corporation own the Rai Boonrawd Farm, which has extensive plantations of barley and tea. Recently it started to promote the farm as a tourist attraction for study tours and mountain bike trips.

However, TTR Weekly reported that most of Chiang Rai’s tourism enterprises are back-pedaling on investments until the bridge and highways open.

“Although R3A opened for traffic in 2008, tourist arrivals from China are not good. We hope the fourth Mekong Bridge will help to make it easier for Chinese visitors to drive to Chiang Rai,” said Mr Nattakorn.

Rai Boonrawd Farm has a master plan to open the farm to tourists, but right now the company is evaluating its strategy.

Asked for details, Mr Nattakorn said the farm might develop programs and activities to teach visitors how to care for the environment.

There are suggestions that include mountain bike tours on the vast farm property, a Rai Boonrawd museum, golf course, resort, hot air balloon station, and expand its popular Bhubhirom Restaurant.

“However, all of the projects are under review,” he reiterated.

Opened since early December 2011, the farm attracts around 100 visitors during weekdays and 300 over the weekend.

Source: TTR Weekly (By Wanwisa Ngamsangchaikit)

For more information:

Visit: www.tourismthailand.org