Thai Villagers Open Their Doors to Foreign and Other Tourists.

Jul. 28--Only two villages are offering services, rather than products, under the "One Tambon, One Product" campaign.

One of them, Ban Mae Kampong in Chiang Mai province, will offer home-stays for tourists who want to spend time in the community.

Situated on a hill about 50 kilometres from the city, the 128 families in Ban Mae Kampong launched the home-stay service last December, managing it as a co-operative.

Twenty households have opened their doors to tourists wanting accommodation.

A night-stay with three meals will cost at least 250 baht a person. Camping tents are available at 150-200 baht each for a night. The village can accommodate about 50 tourists a day in the homes but there is no limit on camping. Ten guides are available to lead tours of the area.

Prommin Puangmala, the village headman, said that apart from enjoying the natural surroundings, tourists would have a chance to learn the culture. For those with more specialised interests, there were plenty of herbs to study.

Each participating household will not only provide meals for tourists, but also take them to see how local people pick tea and ferment the leaves, a major source of income. The fermented leaves are chewed, usually by the elderly, in the North.