Ban Na Ton Chan

Ban Na Ton Chan is a farming village in the hills of Si Satchanalai district that has run a community-based tourism scheme since the 2000s, with homestays in family houses and a programme of activities set by the villagers themselves rather than by an operator. The craft it is known for is pha mo hom kho mut: hand-woven cotton that is dyed, then buried in the mud of the local paddy fields for several days, where minerals in the clay react with the dye to produce a distinctive soft grey-brown that cannot be got any other way, then washed and finished. Visitors can take part in the weaving and the mud dyeing, along with rice farming, cooking, bamboo work and local food. The scheme has won national and regional community tourism awards. It is genuinely village-run - accommodation is in people's homes, English is limited, and bookings need arranging ahead rather than turning up.

What you actually see

• The mud dyeing - cotton buried in paddy clay to take its colour.
• The hand weaving - the cotton produced in the village before dyeing.
• The homestays - accommodation in family houses rather than guesthouses.
• The village-run scheme - activities set by residents, not an outside operator.

When to go

November to February. Book ahead through the village scheme - this is not a drop-in destination. Overnight is the format; a day visit misses the point.

Honest expectations

Homestay accommodation is simple - shared facilities, mattresses on floors in some houses. English is limited. Booking in advance is necessary. It is a working farming village and the schedule follows agricultural work, not visitors.

Nearby

Si Satchanalai historical park is north; Sukhothai is south.