The Land of Tea Plantations "Doi Phaya Phrai" Elevates Eco-Tourism

It is believed that more than half of the Thai population who grew up in the 90s must automatically think of the song "Night Full of Stars, I Imagine Your Face" by Pramote Wilepana when looking up at the sky.

But in an era where lights shine everywhere, the once-dark sky is drowned out by the power of artificial light, making the chance to see a sky full of stars like in the song extremely difficult, especially for city dwellers.

Therefore, seeing a sky full of stars has become an exceptionally special night that is incredibly rare to find. This is the origin of a new tourism trend called the Dark Sky Star Party, or stargazing in dark skies, which is gaining increasing popularity globally.

San Pha Phaya Phrai: A 360-Degree Stargazing Spot

Deep into the valleys of Northern Thailand, winding through curvy and steep routes, who would have thought that Doi Phaya Phrai, the land of tea plantations in Chiang Rai province, would have an 'unseen' spot for stargazing like "San Pha Phaya Phrai," considered a beautiful diamond waiting to be polished.

This viewpoint, with an area of only 7 square kilometers, stands out for not being too desolate for small groups of tourists wanting to watch the stars.

Although this area has not yet been registered as a Dark Sky Conservation Area, due to its potential for 360-degree visibility combined with the needs of 3 communities within the forest park area—namely Ban Phaya Phrai Lao Cho, Ban Phaya Phrai Li Thu, and Ban Phaya Phrai Lao Ma, Thoed Thai Subdistrict, Mae Fah Luang District—together with "Phaya Phrai Campsite," a local tourism operator, they submitted a letter to the San Pha Phaya Phrai Forest Park, the management office in Conservation Area 15 (Chiang Rai). They requested permission to organize fun trial activities by taking elementary school children to gaze at the stars, building astronomical knowledge, and promoting tourism in the villages.

This activity occurred under the name "Astronomy and Science Field Trip Project for Youth on Doi Phaya Phrai" and the "Astrophotography and Celestial Phenomena Recording Project."

Phaya Phrai Village: Hearts Fully Ready

On the appointed day, after school in the afternoon, over 10 children began arriving at the front of Phaya Phrai Traimit School to register. Once everyone had reported in, the Chiang Rai rescue team, who joined this activity, took the children by car to the starting point of the trek.

San Pha Phaya Phrai is a viewpoint approximately 1,300 meters above sea level, located within the San Pha Phaya Phrai Forest Park, Thoed Thai Subdistrict, Mae Fah Luang District, Chiang Rai Province. The walking distance to the viewpoint is about 2.5 kilometers. Although locals might be able to ride motorcycles up, it requires extreme skill because the entire route is full of deep ruts making driving difficult, and some sections become muddy if there was rain the previous night.

Despite the difficult path, the children were filled with the joy of their star exploration mission. They helped carry items, one hand each—some holding pillows and blankets, some holding kettles, some shouldering bags stuffed full. Turning to the other side, the Chiang Rai rescue team could be seen shouldering a large telescope without complaint. One couldn't help but be amazed by everyone's spirit, which exceeded 100%, because the path itself was difficult enough even walking empty-handed.

Doi Phaya Phrai: The Land of Tea and a New Stargazing Spot

It is not often that we see the development of various projects from the bottom up. It was the mutual desire of the villagers from all 3 villages, and importantly, the local administration agreed as well.

Cherdchai Lachee, Mayor of Thoed Thai Subdistrict Administrative Organization (SAO), Mae Fah Luang District, Chiang Rai, recounted the background of the Thoed Thai villagers. Originally, no one dared to come to this area because it was the stronghold of Khun Sa, the King of the Golden Triangle. After suppression, this area changed from opium cultivation to tea plantations, done since the grandparents' generation. 99% of the villagers on the mountain grow tea, including Assam, Oolong No. 12 and No. 17, Sam Ruedu (Three Seasons) Tea, and Oil Tea. There are about 50 tea processing factories. The other 1% are in trade. Most supply to the Chui Fong factory, but some families have their own brands, producing quality tea that has even won awards from Japan. Tea farming has supported the lives of Doi Phaya Phrai villagers for 3 generations now.

Mayor Cherdchai admitted that regarding tourism, there weren't many selling points yet. However, after the 3 villages wanted to push San Pha Phaya Phrai as a stargazing spot, he saw the possibility. Thus, the local administration joined with the villagers to organize the project taking children to see the stars.

The villagers from the 3 villages consist of diverse ethnicities, including Akha, Lahu, Hmong, Tai Yai, Yunnanese Chinese (Haw), Lua, and Lisu. All agreed on pushing San Pha Phaya Phrai to become an eco-tourism destination. The goal is for the community to have a landmark to generate a bustling community economy.

"Originally, this place was called Doi Kia, located within the San Pha Phaya Phrai Forest Park area. It is along the Thai-Myanmar border and is currently being developed into a stargazing tourist attraction. On the local administration's part, we want tourism to happen to attract tourists and stimulate the community economy."

Stargazing tourism is still considered very new for the local people. The driving force from now on must focus heavily on public relations and moving forward with registration as a Dark Sky Conservation Area.

"Before coming up, I didn't quite understand what it would be like. But once up here, it's miraculous. Seeing the sky full of stars is truly beautiful. I saw the Milky Way. I've lived here a long time and never noticed. Seeing it tonight, I feel 'wow'. The route might be difficult, but once you arrive, I guarantee the tiredness will disappear. Waking up in the morning, there is also a beautiful sea of mist. However, I must say the area is still raw; there are no toilets. So after this, we must have public relations, push for development, and drive the registration as a Dark Sky Conservation Area together with Phaya Phrai Campsite."

However, for those who really want to visit, Mayor Cherdchai recommends contacting San Pha Phaya Phrai Forest Park or the Thoed Thai SAO before traveling.

On the side of Khun Iew—Supaporn Nakinpureburee, Secretary to the Committee on Industry, who had the opportunity to experience the night full of stars on San Pha Phaya Phrai, gave her perspective to the locality that stargazing tourism is a new matter for the locals. It has an interesting stargazing spot, considered an 'unseen' attraction that should be able to draw tourists into the community.

"Today is considered a survey. I will take the data to present at the meeting, leading to a push for it to be a Dark Sky area and driving budget allocation to develop the area. I view that in the future, this will be a standout tourist attraction in Phaya Phrai that will lead to job creation, income generation, and opportunities for the community. What needs to be pushed from here is the route up and safety standards for tourists."

While immersed in the stars in the sky, looking back at San Pha Phaya Phrai, if compared to a star, this place would be a fixed star that shines with its own light, waiting only for the time for people to come discover and admire its beauty together.

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