SOAK IT IN
(Clockwise, from
right) Monkey
Mountain temple;
horse and rider on
the beach; view of
Chiva-Som
CLOSEUP
thailand’s hua hin beach
50
FAHTHAI
GONE FISHIN'
(below, left)
Fishing boats
off the coast of
Hua Hin
cuisine made from produce that’s home-grown or
obtained from suppliers and markets within 30km.
About 10km north of Hua Hin at Cha’Am, award-
winning Yaiya (a Thai word meaning “grandmother”)
is a similarly low-rise, low-key, waterfront eco-
resort. Krisda Rochanakorn, founding principal of
award-winning architectural firm Habita, and wife
Duangruedee, who handles day-to-day operations,
are the resort’s co-owners. Yaiya is home to well-
ventilated timber villas, backed by a block of studios
with wide verandas to catch the wind, which are sadly
being dwarfed by the energy-sucking high-rise condos
sprouting up next door.
Yaiya offers a more eco-friendly version of the
type of barefoot luxury Rochanakorn pioneered with
Habita, designer of a long list of five-star properties
– among them Six Senses and Anantara resorts – that
are distinguished by natural materials and a gift for
blending in with the environment. Yaiya manages
waste, conserves and recycles water and had an
organic farm until construction on the condo began.
Now the resort buys organic produce from the
operators of nearby farms.
“We try to be at one with nature and want to serve
as an inspiration,” says Duangruedee, who believes
that small things make a difference, such as educating
staff members to be more eco-minded through
gestures such as buying them reusable bento boxes to
use instead of disposable packaging.
“But it’s very difficult to be green now,”
Rochanakorn says, lamenting the passage of an
era when tourists visited Hua Hin for no other
reason than to enjoy those famous sea breezes. “If
we were all totally committed, there’d be no air-
conditioning, no pools. But guests complain when we
ask them to put the A/C on 25. It will take time but
education is essential. Tourism comes with a lot of
responsibilities.”
IMAGE: GETTY IMAGES
Check out our
destination guide
on page 86
and book
your flights at
bangkokair.com
“We’re committed to
off-setting those carbon
emissions and reducing
our footprint”
