Ban Tha Ranae Community Tourism Enterprise

Ban Tha Ranae sits on a tidal creek in Nong Khan Song, a short drive from Trat town, where a fishing community has built its tourism around the taboon (mangrove apple) forest that lines the water. The draw is the mangrove itself: visitors paddle the green channels by longtail boat or stand-up paddleboard while guides explain how the village manages and replants the forest that shelters its fishery.

Activities are hands-on and rooted in the mangrove. You can taste tea brewed from the ant-plant that grows on the trees, try tempura made from young taboon leaves, and join villagers making traditional Thai sweets. The community has even turned the forest into games such as taboon bowling, and runs fabric-dyeing sessions using natural colours drawn from local plants.

Boat trips run roughly ฿300 per longtail for one or two people, or about ฿100 per person for groups of three or more; stand-up paddleboard hire is around ฿700 per person. Entry to the village is free — you pay only for the activities you choose. It is worth contacting the community through its Facebook page ahead of time, as trips depend on the tide and on a guide being available.

Tha Ranae makes an easy half-day paired with Trat town or the Laem Ngop piers, where the Koh Chang ferries leave if you are heading to the island. Wear clothes you do not mind splashing, bring sun protection, and check the tide times when you book so the channels are easy to paddle.