Phu Chaisai Mountain Resort & Spa

Phu Chaisai Mountain Resort & Spa, Chiang Rai, Thailand
Phu Chaisai Mountain Resort & Spa, Chiang Rai, Thailand

“The crisp green leaves soaked with dew glisten as day breaks. Open your eyes from the comfort of your bed to watch the sun rise from the horizon. Breathe the unspoiled mountain air from your cottage’s private terrace overlooking scenic mountain and valley views, making you forget your worries and cares. Television sets and electronic alarm clocks are absent from your room so you can rise to the sound of an awakening forest in our Chiang Rai traditional Thai accommodation.

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Earthbag Dome Project in Thailand

Earthbag dome project and workshops at Rak Tamachat in Thailand
Earthbag dome project and workshops at Rak Tamachat in Thailand

“Rak Tamachat in Thailand is building a four dome cluster around a central pool designed as a natural pool. This is an ambitious project where you will see the complete build cycle from start to finish. To assist with that they are hiring a Thai work crew to help with the labor so that those who’ve come to learn can focus on learning the techniques involved and not just spend their time filling and tamping (although, there will be plenty of that). Everyone should get to experience setting of foundations, windows, doors, plumbing and electrical, exterior and interior plasters.

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Earthbag Dome Workshop in Thailand

Earthbag Dome Guest House in Thailand 10-18 February 2014 A wonderful opportunity to gain complete hands-on experience of all stages of constructing a large 4 metre diameter earthbag dome which will be used as a guest house in a beautiful location in Northern Thailand. A wonderful opportunity to gain hands-on experience of all stages of … Read more

Rice Hull B&B in Thailand

Bags of rice hulls are secured to a bamboo ‘birdcage’ (bamboo lattice frame).
Bags of rice hulls are secured to a bamboo ‘birdcage’ (bamboo lattice frame).

“Slightly before my 60th birthday I realised I had made no plans for my old age, and did not have any money put aside for it either. Thailand was my home, but no government pensions available, so what could I do that I would enjoy, which would also bring in a bit of money to live by. I decided to buy some land with my last few pennies, and go to the UK for a few years and earn some money, and save every penny I could. I bought a fantastic piece of land in Chiang Dao, northern Thailand, and spent several years in the UK saving like mad.

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Steve’s Dome in Thailand — Take Two

Steve’s jungle bath: just one of many outstanding features in this innovative home.
Steve’s jungle bath: just one of many outstanding features in this innovative home.

The blog post the other day about Steve’s Dome in Thailand has caused quite a stir. Read the Comments there to get the background story. Here’s a follow-up report about what’s been happening since. The images of Steve’s home are spreading across the net very fast…borderline viral. This confirms my initial opinion that this home is worth taking a closer look at because it is so exceptional. (See his photo galleries here and here. However, I’m taking some flak for my decision to publish a home built with concrete (reader requested, by the way). This was the first and only time I’ve done this, but in this case I felt the home was exceptional enough and had many interesting features that could be used in houses made of sustainable materials. In other words, we can learn from studying homes built with all types of materials. This was all clearly explained in the original blog post.

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