Ban Khwai (Buffalo House)

Water buffalo have worked alongside Thai farmers for centuries, and Ban Khwai (Buffalo House) in Mae Rim offers a hands-on look at that relationship. Opened in 1999, the farm welcomes both tourists and school groups, making it one of the few attractions in the Chiang Mai area dedicated specifically to Thai agricultural heritage.

The centrepiece activity is direct contact with the farm’s working buffalo: visitors can feed them, help wash them down, and watch — or join in — traditional tasks such as ploughing and rice threshing. A separate Farmer’s Museum on site displays the tools and everyday objects that shaped generations of rural Thai life, giving context to what you see out in the fields.

The farm sits on the Chiang Mai–Fang Road (Route 107) in the San Pong subdistrict of Mae Rim, roughly half an hour north of central Chiang Mai. It is open daily from 09:00 to 17:00, with admission at 200 THB for adults and 100 THB for children (same rate for Thai and foreign visitors). Contact the farm on 0 5384 4914 or by email at srirai@hotmail.com. A private car or taxi is the most practical way to reach it; the road runs north from the city ring road toward Fang.