Huai Som Poi Royal Project Development Center

Rating: 3.8/5 (4 votes)

Open Days: Daily (recommended to call/check the latest notice before traveling, especially in the rainy season)

Opening Hours: Generally 08.00–17.00 (may change depending on on-site operations)

 

Huai Som Poi Royal Project Development Center is a solid pick for travelers who want Chiang Mai in a quieter, more meaningful way—where nature, community, and the practical spirit of royal-initiative development meet in one place. Established in 2000, the center sits within a national reserved forest area, with boundaries that connect to (and in places overlap with) both Doi Inthanon National Park and Op Luang National Park. That setting explains the core mission here: development is not separated from conservation. The work focuses on protecting natural resources while improving livelihoods and living conditions for Karen hill-tribe communities in the area—communities that historically relied on rotational farming, lacked permanent agriculture, and faced significant gaps in basic infrastructure.

 

The center’s responsibility area is extensive, covering 15 villages and 545 households. The landscape is a complex mix of rolling hills and narrow valleys, with pockets of lowland suitable for rice fields and scattered cultivation along the folds of the terrain. This geography forces farming to be practical—grounded in slope, soil, water access, and what can realistically thrive in the valleys and uplands. Visiting therefore feels different from a typical tourist stop: you are walking through a living working landscape, where the goal is to help communities stand on stable, long-term livelihoods without pushing the burden back onto the forest and upstream ecosystems.

 

If you come in “agricultural learning” mode, you can explore demonstration plots featuring seasonal vegetables, Arabica coffee, and Hass avocado, alongside integrated farming examples and medicinal plants. Coffee often becomes the highlight for visitors because it shows a clear path to higher-value crops that fit upland conditions and support forest-friendly livelihoods—one of the practical alternatives to land-use patterns that can degrade watershed forests.

 

Huai Som Poi also connects naturally to nearby learning areas such as the Ban Khun Tae Royal-initiative model farm, where integrated demonstration plots make it easier to understand the “food system” and “income system” logic in a hands-on way. In the right season, you may also encounter persimmon orchards operated by local farmers, with harvest activities typically around July–August (timing varies by year depending on weather and yields).

 

For travelers drawn to culture, Karen community life in this zone offers a deep, respectful kind of learning: the traditional “Teh-Na” musical instrument, rice pounding using a foot-operated mortar (krok kradueang), rituals and beliefs tied to forest protection, and Karen New Year celebrations. This is often what gives visitors a “different Inthanon perspective”—not just chasing cool temperatures, but understanding how people and forest ecology are woven together.

 

On the nature side, the wider area includes notable routes and sites such as Mae Tia Waterfall (within Op Luang National Park), Mae Sakhue Waterfall, and the Doi Song Mia nature trail (around 1,500 meters above sea level), which is part of a Karen community conservation forest. The trade-off is travel time and road conditions: the landscape is genuinely green and rural, but the rainy season can make access slower and more demanding.

 

Local souvenirs tend to be seasonal cool-climate produce and community handicrafts such as backstrap-loom weaving, embroidered textiles, and basketry. Buying locally is one of the most direct ways to send support back into the community economy.

 

Food and accommodation are the “know-before-you-go” items here. Based on the available information, the center itself does not operate a tourist restaurant, so bringing your own food and drinking water is recommended. For staying overnight, there is one on-site guesthouse (about 10-person capacity) plus a camping area and 2-person tent rental service. If you want a homestay-style experience, community options such as Ban Khun Tae are often used (contact ahead to confirm availability and conditions).

 

Getting There From Chiang Mai city, take Highway 108 (Chiang Mai–Hot) toward Chom Thong District (around Km 58). Then turn right onto the Chom Thong–Mae Tia Waterfall road (near the Chom Thong District Office) for about 7 km. You will reach a junction to the national park/Mae Tia Waterfall; from there, the route continues on laterite/dirt road toward the entrance of Ban Huai Som Poi. In general, many vehicle types can pass in normal conditions, but during the rainy season a 4WD is recommended. Plan extra time for slippery sections, and note that the available information indicates there is no local hired-car service on this route.

 

 

A: Travelers who want learning-based trips in Chiang Mai, are interested in royal-initiative development, highland agriculture, Karen community life, and conservation that truly connects to everyday livelihoods.

 

A: Demonstration agriculture (vegetables, Arabica coffee, Hass avocado, integrated plots, medicinal plants), plus the wider community-and-forest relationship that underpins conservation and stable livelihoods.

 

A: The available information indicates there is no tourist restaurant on-site, so bringing your own food and water is recommended, or plan meals in Chom Thong town.

 

A: There is limited accommodation (one guesthouse) and a camping area with tent rental options. Contact the center in advance to confirm availability, rules, and pricing for your dates.

 

A: The last stretch can be laterite/dirt road and may become slippery. In the rainy season, a 4WD is recommended, and you should allow extra travel time.

 

A: Leave Chiang Mai early, stop in Chom Thong to eat and stock supplies, visit the center for learning and community context, then connect to Mae Tia Waterfall or Op Luang if weather and roads allow—returning before dark.