Colorful Thailand: the Chanthaboon Riverside Community
Would you like to discover Thailand from a new perspective? As you certainly know, we regularly show you some of the numerous possibilities for this on our blog. Today, we want to present you the Chanthaboon Riverside Community in Chantaburi: an exciting destination and at the same time a fine example of sustainable tourism.
Royal influence
The fact that the Chantaboon Riverside Community became interesting for tourists actually is due to the late King Adulyadej of Thailand. His “Royal Projects” are intended to preserve Thailand’s culture and nature and improve the living conditions of the locals using income from tourism. The Chanthaboon Riverside Community is one of the communities that have been selected for this over the years: during the annual monsoon, the Chanthaburi River regularly burst its banks in the middle of the city center. Since 2014, a flood relief channel has prevented further flooding – and the community gradually finds economic independence.
Mutual benefit
Tourism, which is making its way into the Chanthaboon Riverside Community, contributes to this. And the community deals with the growing interest in a responsible and confident way, protecting itself against mass tourism by various laws. Thus, it is not allowed to build houses higher than the church and 70 % of the area around the city is reserved for agriculture. So if you are looking for authentic Thai experiences, this is the right place.
Architecture from all over the world
There are many reasons for visiting the Chanthaboon Riverside Community. The townscape is characterized by a combination of colonial style, Thai, Vietnamese and Cambodian architecture, inviting you to strolls and discovery tours. The French influence is also very noticeable and due to it you can visit Thailand’s largest cathedral – built in the Gothic style – in the community.
A colorful mixture
In the old alleys you will find small art galleries and cafés or you can trace the importance of Chanthaburi for the gem trade: even today you can still admire rubies and sapphires in all variations. If you want to learn more about the eventful history of the Chanthaboon Riverside Community and the royal projects, you should pay a visit to “House 69”. And in June, there is a special highlight: during this time, the annual Fruit Festival takes place in Chanthaburi to celebrate the wonderful fruits, the province has always been known for – and at the colorful stalls you can savor the freshly picked fruits and try durian, mangosteen and rambutan.
Cover image: © TAT
