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AIM AND LOCATION THE AIM The aim of the Maekok River Village Resort Student Field Studies Centre is to provide accommodation, meals, and full logistical support to student groups undertaking field study projects in northern Thailand. Groups may follow their own agendas, or take advantage of the many programmes produced and supervised by our own in-house specialists. We do not simply provide a ‘school away from school’, as we feel this demonstrates a poor understanding of educational needs and limits students potential to learn. We instead provide an adventure based educational experience where there is a diverse and exciting range of activities to participate in.
THE PRIMARY LOCATION – BAN THATON, AMPHUR MAE AI The Student Field Studies Centre is set in the grounds of the Maekok River Village Resort and extends across the resort's organic farm. The resort itself is located at the north end of the fertile Fang valley in the village of Ban Thaton, which is widely known as the boarding point for boat and bamboo raft trips down the Kok river to Chiang Rai. Ban Thaton is actually two villages, the south bank being occupied by Thais, and the north bank, recently renamed Ban Rom Thai (under the Thai umbrella) inhabited by the Burmese Shan (Tai Yai). The Shan have their own local administration, temple, culture and customs. The surrounding area is densely populated by a wide variety of hill tribe groups who live side by side with Chinese immigrants and the northern Thai, in the harmony of rural life. Much of the appeal of the facility as a field studies venue is that it is located in the same compound, and under the same management as both the Track of the Tiger Corporate Development Facility and the Bamboo Man Adventure Club. The appeal is enhanced by the fact that all three are well away from the distractions of city life, and within the grounds of the delightful Maekok River Village Resort, northern Thailand's first 'Adventure Tour Base' - designed with families in mind.
We have selected the delightful Suan Bua Resort (www.chmai.com/suanbua) as our base for operations and student accommodation in Chiang Mai. The resort has the advantage of being close enough to the centre of Chiang Mai (30 minutes by road), yet is situated up in the hills on the outskirts of the city. The location is well away from the noise, traffic and pollution of the city and the low lying areas, and allows good security. It is also right next to the American Pacific International School, where, by special arrangement, we have access to a wide range of resources, such as an olympic size swimming pool and a gym. Set in beautiful grounds, the resort is spread over a large area and some 144 students can be accommodated in 9 units of 4 bedroom houses, each with its own lounge area. Larger groups can be housed in twin or triple bedded standard hotel rooms. THE ADVANTAGES OF TWO LOCATIONS In field study terms, the use of two separate locations, one urban and one rural, provides student groups the opportunity to conduct effective comparison studies on a wide range of subjects, including but not limited to pollution, cost of living and quality of life.
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