Agro-tourism day trip to Sibuathong Center in Ang Thong

The Sibuathong Center in Ban Yang Klang District of Ang Thong Province organizes a guided tour of this center every first and third Saturday of the month, demonstrating a variety of arts and crafts and farm life activities, not only showcasing the visitors can also be active.

The centre

The center has long been known for the intricate masks and beautiful costumes designed and made there for the royal Khon performances and which has enjoyed a very large audience of Thailand Cultural Center in the last 10 years.

Less known is that the Sibuathong Center is also a major food producer. The agricultural part of the complex has 720 rai of agricultural land, where rice and vegetables are grown and goats and pigs are also kept.

Photo: Facebook page Sibuathong Center

The entire center was set up on the instructions of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit after the severe floods that ravaged the province in 2006. More than half of the province suffered from flooding, but the area where the Sibuathong Center is now located remained dry.

The farm works organically, so without using agricultural chemicals and also provides a lot of information and advice to the public and other farmers.

Now, after so many years, the mission to sustainably raise the standard of living of the local residents can be considered a success and the whole Sibuathong project is ready to receive visitors.

The tour

In the morning, visitors go to the farm to start with, where they can participate in various activities. They see how organic vegetables and mushrooms are grown and can also harvest them themselves, they will make ice cream from herbal juice and experience the planting of the rice.

The afternoon is spent visiting the arts and crafts center to learn how paper “Khon” masks are made from “khoi” (forest weeds), brocade weaving and embroidery, and making ceramics.

Vegetables and fruit

In addition to jasmine rice and riceberry rice, the model farm produces more than 20 types of fruit and vegetables. I would mention as main mangoes, mulberries, all kinds of salad such as the red and green oak leaf lettuce, Chinese spinach, coriander, pumpkins and mushrooms, including shiitake, judas ear and the purple oyster mushroom and many more. Fruit and vegetables are sold, but also used for lunch for visitors.

Flowers

Many flowers are also grown there, of which the orchid in more than 40 species and all kinds of colors is the most important. The vibrant indigo Vanchi Pachara Delight is also emphatically present with many other flower varieties. The flowers are all for sale to visitors.

Animals have also not been forgotten on this model farm. About 150 goats are kept for their milk, which is easy to drink, nutritious and has a high calcium content. It is claimed to be healthier than other milks. Feeding the goats can also be done by visitors.

There are also about 40 pigs, very popular with younger visitors, and in some ponds fish and frogs are bred and sold for consumption.

Industry Center

Fortified by a good lunch, visitors go to the handicraft center in the afternoon. More than 1.000 costumes for the royal Khon performances were made here in the past decade. It is known to specialize in embroidery and beautiful pha-jok – brocade with gold and silk threads that dress Sida, one of the main characters in the Ramayana epic.

In another part of the center we work with khoi (Siamese rough shrub), which is used for making khon masks, among other things. In addition, a workshop for making ceramic pottery in simple but stylish designs, all made of clay on hand-operated turntables. Visitors can learn how to make a ceramic work or they can paint a made object

Finally

For a long article about this center, some of which I used, go to this link: www.nationmultimedia.com/

If you are interested in visiting, for photos and the mandatory reservation go to www.facebook.com/sibuathongth or call (02) 225 9420.

There is great interest in the tours and there are only a few places left for the coming months, so hurry with any reservations.

Source: The Sunday Nation