Thai Raw spa


The Thai Raw Spa Project

Here we discuss a project in Thailand that we are currently working on at the conceptual stages.
We are certainly asking for your feedback plus, if appropriate, support & or collaboration (financial & or otherwise) for this unique project.
We want to set up a small, low key “Nature Retreat” in Southern Thailand.
The retreat is to be called Thai Raw Spa Nature Retreat.
One part of the retreat will be a free divers camp called:
Free Dive Camp – Thailand
In Free Diving you use only a mask and fins, so you hold your breath. No air tank to get in your way!
This project will be located on the Andaman Sea side (west coast) of southern Thailand. A possible location area is in Trang province, in the South.
We have personally surveyed this area well and decided this area has many attributes which make it ideal for the Spa / Retreat.

Here are some good reasons why Trang is such a good spot for our project:
This first one is a big one: Trang does not have an inflated property market or an overly touristy feel.
Most residents are of Chinese descent (so they’re Buddhist too) who are organized and have generally healthy, clean lifestyles and are even into fitness and sports.
Trang has a local modern airport, rail and bus service with reasonable connections to Bangkok daily.
Trang city is modern, clean, and organized with adequate material resources and manpower to support development. Yet the city of Trang is pretty basic without a lot of temptations (expensive shopping, clubs, girly bars, and such).
The area has excellent ocean and marine resources plus a number of beautiful local islands near by.
It is close to other areas of interest in southern Thailand like Krabi and Satun provinces and even quite close to a very beautiful quiet Thai / Malay border for visa runs.

There is even a huge dam & lake area located a few hours drive from the area with a massive deep-water lake that is warm, and, pristine. Its cleanliness is accentuated by amazingly beautiful limestone mountain landscapes great for sightseeing, and lots of water recreation possibilities. If you’d like to see photos, just let us know.
The Trang area has plenty of local, quality food. There are countless areas of interest such as, several amazing & easily accessible public parks with natural waterfalls areas and lots of hiking and recreational opportunities. There is a very nice hot springs with easy access. All this is within easy drive distance of Trang city limits.
Trang is close enough to Phuket and Krabi to access those areas’ more developed resources in 2 to 4 hours driving time.
The main “draw” of the retreat will be based on …
comfort, health, superior quality foods, hand grown and prepared organically with love and an overall hospitable, health-minded, natural atmosphere.

A place to really retreat and get away from it all … without leaving the planet … that sort of thing.
The costs for short stay visitors will be paid on a daily rate. They’ll still have access to it all.
They will know the daily price beforehand and will be charged at the end of their stay. That way there will be a minimum of money changing hands and less focus on and stress over accounting.

All facilities will be available for guests including the daily food preps, fresh made to order organic elixir herbal juice bar, Thai herbal steam room, Thai massages, and the extensive garden and orchard products on hand.
Ocean activity trips and other field trips will also be scheduled regularly based on need, interest, and of course the weather.

Normally the resort will be designed for low key, affluent clientele looking for something “out of the ordinary” with the highest standards in natural foods, and relaxing atmosphere.
Normally there will be not more than 5 to 10 guests (plus partners and staff) staying at a time.

On occasion, a group event or seminar could be accommodated for up to 20 guests. Financially, this won’t be needed often. And, more than the occasional large group won’t be desired.
Some low-budget folks might like to stay in dorms, and, they might like to stay on a work trade basis.

We want to welcome a variety of types of guests to keep the place alive and thriving socially and otherwise.
First and foremost, this will be a natural lifestyle retreat. Secondarily, it will be an educational outreach facility. Thus the project will be developed with these as the main two goals in mind.
It is of utmost importance that there will be an ongoing educational outreach program for neighboring Thai villagers.

Also, we will want a weekly “local kids club” that will be developed with the staff doing the teaching and sharing in order to establish an informational/ resource exchange with the local population.
Many many wonderful things can be shared and exchanged from both sides. Through cooperation, good communication, and good will, quality of life can be greatly enhanced for all involved.

The retreat will offer the highest quality in food and drink, with a heavy emphasis on the “homegrown”, raw, organic side of things…
Yet we will still want to offer a wide range of high quality foods to please most every ones’ taste including many non-raw vegan options.
On site smoking and alcohol will be allowed but limited to the point that all must be made naturally with natural ingredients only.

There will be daily wood-fired Thai herbal steam sauna with a fresh-water cold dipping pool and Thai massage sala available for guest and residents.
Also included in the design is an area with a chemical-free swimming pool for free-dive practice, exercise, yoga, stretching, and a high tech weight training gym.

A meditation and informal Buddhist studies area will also be located on the property for self study and reflection.
Of course there will be organized hiking on local trails (possibly to hot springs), mountain biking, gardening (we call it “land dancing”), permacultural activities, ocean sports to include – but not limited to – snorkeling and free-diving trips.

Also there will very often be experts, people who really know their stuff, and want to share. Among many possibilities are pro free divers / spearos, permaculture designers & builders, musicians, body workers including Thai massage pros, raw chefs and juicing pros, and detox health specialists. So we could have a very interesting and diverse mix of experts share their stuff in a retreat setting.

There will be two clearly separate areas of this retreat center….
One area will be a more public area where most short term guests and support staff will stay and interact.

It will contain at least the following:

–Modest yet private western style rooms, and dorms. Rooms will have everything needed for comfort, including hot showers, private fridge, and internet connection.

–Exercise / gym / yoga room and swimming pool.

–Dining hall, book and video / CD collection room, computer room with internet, and other presentation / learning rooms.

–Spacious commercial grade, food prep area, and separate areas for dining and food storage. All these spaces will be well-designed so that the everyone eats intelligently & healthfully.

–Massage sala / steam bathing area.

–Full shop and maintenance facility for the gardens and infrastructure, as well as spearo and ocean sports equipment.

–Extensive permaculture and garden/ orchard. The work will be shared by everyone on the property.

We hope to have a large land area of at least 50 rai (20 acres / 8 hectares) for permaculture projects to thrive. We also want greenhouses, screen house structures, rare fruit gardens, perennial vegetable gardens, fish ponds, aquaculture ponds, domesticated animals, and many specialty tropical herbal medicinal gardens.

We want as much land as finances will allow and as much as we can reasonably use and maintain.

The other area is the private side of the land to retreat to which will have private bungalows and villas for the main supporters, some residents and limited partners of the project. This area will be open to these people only.
Partners may invite guests and their full privacy will be respected. These private living structures will be independent of the resort, and will stand fully alone physically and legally.

Each owner will be responsible for and will take care of their own part of the project.
Each owner will perpetually lease the land. The area will be approximately 1 rai (0.4 acre / 0.16 hectare). The legal ownership will be designed so that a smooth transition of ownership is possible if there are those who would like to move and sell, or exchange their perpetually leased property.

If an owner wishes, this area can also be offered for rent or sale back through the Thai holding company.
The entire project’s design parameters are based on extensive use of permaculture design and planning principles (natural living design). These provide for the enjoyment of the highest quality of lifestyle. This includes extensive
edible food production (meaning lots of organic gardens and orchards), low energy input for facilities, and resource recycling systems – all geared toward a low impact, yet high on-site production of food and energy.

Natural building designs and materials using passive solar principles will be used in all building designs and construction. The design emphasis is on quality craftsmanship and materials and sustainability.
The permaculture / landscaping design will reflect these principles using natural gravity systems as much as possible to maintain a low impact/ high yield permaculture (i.e. organic food production).
At this point we are open to about 6 to 10 serious limited partners and their contributions towards realizing this project.

We would like to start to be able to begin a limited Thai company, purchase the land, and set up the beginning stages of this timely and valuable development underway as soon as possible.
You’re welcome to contact us with your comments, questions, or interest in this project.

Thanks so much for your time & attention!

Thai Organic Life Team