For Chartchai Luangcharoen, failure was never the end but the beginning. Once a struggling farmer in Ban Jamrung of Rayong province, he faced poor harvests, market rejections and scepticism from neighbours.
Yet 25 years later, he has transformed his small village into a model of sufficiency economy, proving that persistence, learning and community spirit can turn hardship into collective achievement.
Ban Jamrung, in Klaeng district, has a history spanning nearly 150 years. Early settlers migrated inland from the coast in search of fertile land, eventually settling near the Jamru Canal. The name “Jamru”, derived from the Chong ethnic language, means a small waterway. Over time, the pronunciation gradually shifted, giving the village its current name.
From struggle to stability
Before Mr Chartchai, a retired village headman and a leader of the community’s sufficiency learning centre, started developing his community in 2000, Ban Jamrung was like many rural communities: farmers trapped by debt, chemical farming and dependence on outside markets.
“I was a farmer myself, with rice fields, durian orchards and rubber plantations,” he recalls. “We worked hard, but it never brought us real security.”
Change began with just 10 neighbours willing to experiment with the sufficiency economy philosophy of HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great. Their aim was not wealth but stability, he told participants of the 4th Executive Programme in Strategic Mass Communication organised by Isra Institute during a recent visit.
Samrueng Deenan, 68, chairman of the Natural Agriculture Learning Centre of the village, recalled that about 30 years ago, he was taught natural farming without using any chemicals by his grandmother. He learnt to make compost rather than buying fertiliser to avoid harm to the soil or contamination of water sources.
He brought the idea into discussions over drinks with friends, including Mr Chartchai. The idea was gradually expanded into what would become the learning centre they have today.
“Most importantly, we adopted the principle of self-reliance, following the sufficiency economy philosophy of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great,” Mr Samrueng said. “We grow to eat first, and sell the surplus, prioritising happiness over monetary gain.”
Change did not happen overnight. It took 10 years for the principles of sufficiency economy and self-reliance to take root in the minds and daily practices of the villagers. They gradually returned to organic farming, abandoning herbicides and chemicals.
“We feel safe and healthy to eat our own produce,” he said.
Learning through failure
Failure became part of the learning process. “Problem owners must solve problems themselves — that’s a key principle,” Mr Chartchai explains.
The villagers turned to group discussions, brainstorming ways forward. They came up with resolutions. For example, when they found that their durians were too small for the market or oversupply, they sliced and crisped them.
They also processed other food, such as coastal fish, into fish sauce. They upgrade their local herbs to daily used products, such as producing inhalers from cardamom, now sought after even by Swedish residents nearby, he said.
Rice with low market value was distilled into 40-degree spirits and infused with herbs for added health benefits, he said. These innovations reduced waste, enhanced value and lessened debt.
Marketing proved another hurdle. The first “Green Market”, opened two decades ago, collapsed within months. Yet this failure prompted the community to embrace tourism.
Orchards opened their gates to attract seaside holidaymakers, inviting visitors to sample fresh fruits from their farms.
Today, 200 orchards welcome tourists daily, turning a survival tactic into a thriving agro-tourism destination, he said.
A model for others
Ban Jamrung’s success also rests on the principle of networking. The community’s grassroots economy covers five connecting modules: organic production, processing, marketing, tourism and communication, said Mr Chartchai.
Over decades, this integrated system has been nurtured through collaboration with postgraduate students, visiting researchers and state agencies.
The village has developed more than 40 groups reflecting diverse skills and interests: a waste bank, a crab bank, a youth music club and homestay operations.
“We have a monthly meeting to foster problem-solving within each group. We encourage the young generation to participate because we want to ensure that our kids have work they like in the village after graduation, without leaving their families to find jobs in the city,” he said.
After more than two decades of revolution, Mr Chartchai said his community is now stable.
“Stability is measured in four dimensions: strong individuals, effective thinking, functional groups and quality of life. These values form the heart of Ban Jamrung’s success,” he reflects.
“If individuals are strong, the system is strong. If groups are strong, the community is strong.”
Mr Chartchai’s guiding philosophy is simple yet profound: “Sufficiency economy is about generosity and sharing. Once our community is strong, it serves as a model for others to learn from and implement for sustainable development.”
Looking back, Mr Chartchai smiles at the journey from 10 sceptical neighbours to a thousand determined villagers. “We did not aim to be rich. We only want to be stable. And stability, once achieved, is wealth enough,” he said.