Ban Phum Riang Ecotourism Community

Ban Phum Riang is a Buddhist-Muslim fishing community in Phum Riang subdistrict, Chaiya district, part of Surat Thani province and known locally for its crab bank and its silver-and-gold Phum Riang silk. Entry is free; boat trips and weaving demonstrations are arranged directly with the community.

Experience

Coastal overfishing by outside boats once depleted the area’s crab and fish stocks, so the community built “fish houses” — artificial habitat structures — to give blue swimming crab, rare marine fish, and other species somewhere to breed undisturbed. The crab bank that grew out of this effort now anchors a wider marine nursery, and catch numbers have recovered enough to lift local incomes. Visitors can join a boat trip to see the fish houses and crab bank up close, alongside a small display of traditional fishing gear, or head about 30 minutes out from the Laem Pho coast to Ko Set island, where low tide exposes sandbanks for clam-collecting.

Phum Riang silk is the community’s best-known product — a tightly woven cloth in floral patterns worked with silver and gold thread, sold as one of Surat Thani’s signature OTOP goods. Weavers work looms in home workshops around the village, and finished pieces are sold at the local Phum Riang market alongside other textiles.

Atmosphere & Timing

The community sits on the mainland, not an island, so there’s no ferry schedule to plan around beyond the Ko Set trip itself — a car or motorbike covers the village comfortably. November to April, the dry season, gives the calmest conditions for the boat trips and the best light for photographing the looms.

Insider Tip: Combine Phum Riang with Wat Phra Borommathat Chaiya and the Chaiya National Museum, both a short drive away in Chaiya town — the three sites together make a full half-day out from Surat Thani.

Watch out: The Ko Set clam-collecting trip only works around low tide — check tide times with the community before booking a boat, or you’ll arrive to find the sandbank underwater.

Practical

Ban Phum Riang Ecotourism Community is located in Chaiya district, Surat Thani. View on Google Maps.