World’s Most Advanced Eco Village

More than 20 years ago two of Bangkok’s most prominent and affluent citizens, Mr. and Mrs. Chaikiri Srifuengfung, gave up the lifestyle of bustling Bangkok and high society. Mr. Srifuengfung moved households with his wife from Bangkok city out to the wilderness of the 5,000 ray (2,175 acres) of land he’s and brother Chainarin own.

The land now encompasses Horseshoe Point Resort and Riding Stables, the Residence at Horseshoe Point, the Village at Horseshoe Point and soon Eco Village. It is located past Mabprachan Reservoir off of Siam Country Club Road near what is now Thai Polo and Equestrian Club and Siam Country Club Golf Course.

Back then though, there was nothing.  His wife told one of her best friends in Bangkok that it was so desolate out where they were living the Spartan life that she often slept with a gun in case of intruders or wild animals.

Mr. Chaikiri Srifuengfung, the owner of The Horseshoe Point Resort, tells the story of the equestrian resort and the evolution of Eco Village in his words:

 “The Horseshoe Point started out 20 years ago, born out of a pure love and passion for horses and the great outdoors.  In the beginning this was simply a private endeavor for the enjoyment of my self and my family.  It was just 10 years ago that I wanted to share this passion with others through the building of this resort and other country club style projects,” he said.

 “Since that time Horseshoe Point has played key roles in the hosting of such prestigious and important events as two of the Southeast Asian Games for Equestrian Competition and world class concerts ranging from classical music through modern jazz with Kenny G,” Mr. Srifuengfung said.

Having achieved blending the posh lifestyle of the Thailand elite with the magnificent beauty of the horses and countryside at Horseshoe Point Resort, Mr. Srifuengfung decided he enjoyed his foreign and Thai fellow horse lovers company so much he built two picturesque housing estates on the property.

Still, the idea of not making a community which could grow into exactly what he left more than two decades ago was on his mind. Mr. Srifuengfung began studying alternative energy production and storage.

He discovered an incredible power house manufactured in Thailand called a Vanadium fuel cell system which stores power longer than any other conventional system using a cooled liquid instead of sulfuric acid found in conventional batteries. More significantly it creates the power it stores using a low energy power house developed by Selenium (Thailand) Co., Ltd.

Organic waste water treatment methods and water recycling were of major concern, which he solved. The use of algae and hydroponics coupled with the byproducts of his stables and maintenance of the grounds of his massive estate were converted to create energy.  He learned ways to earn Carbon Credits sold on the commodities market and how to sell energy back to the power company.

Then the idea hit him.  Build an ecological village by master plan sustaining twenty or so houses for the mid to upper middle market price points. Create the first electrical power producing housing estate community in Asia right here near Pattaya.

Mr. Srifuengfung had three goals: Reduce global warming, be self-reliant on energy at a cost savings and protect the environment.

The project he named Eco Village and it substitutes petroleum based electricity purchased from the government electrical agency, EGAT, with solar energy from photovoltaic panels and bio fuels from horse manure from his stables and landscape debris from Horseshoe Point Resort’s 5,000 ray of land.

Offering home buyers a way to sell electricity back to the power monopoly and reduce energy consumption by half.

Before long Mr. Srifuengfung was partnered with the Danish government and an ecological, energy saving consortiums of Thai Asahi Glass, Thai Gypsum Products Company, Selenium Thailand and Saint Goblin Group who are providing cooperative support.

The stately Mr. Srifuengfung began talking with the sparkle in his eye of a youth and the sound of ambition of a recent college graduate, “Recently, the resort and country club property have established dynamic and uniquely successful development projects.  I have now seized onto this opportunity to design a new and more proper approach to human habitat development in cooperation and synergy with the natural environment. 

This project [Eco Village] is presented as a model, or a new ad hoc standard, for other developers to replicate throughout our great Kingdom of Thailand, and indeed throughout the world.”
 
“This Eco Village is targeted to propose a truly sustainable way of life, so as to not degenerate our environment, while also not necessarily sacrificing chosen lifestyles.  We will not merely “sustain” our environment ... we will “enhance” that environment,” the expert horseman and environmentalist said.

This true pioneer went on to say, “It has already been shown throughout time that a normal business model, based only on financial profit and loss, is not enough to secure a sustainable way of life.  Man must now assume his own role as local problem solver and steward over his own biosphere.  Such sustainability can only be reached by making the use of renewable energies an everyday reality. The complete recycling of all waste streams, solid, liquid and gas, taken together is capable of achieving this end for ourselves as well as the enhancement and sustainability of other life forms within our biosphere.”

During the recent visit by the Royal Crown Prince of Denmark he was enchanted with the tour of Eco Village Mr. Srifuengfung gave him.

Mr. Srifuengfung said to His Royal Highness of Denmark Prince Frederick Andre Henrico Christian, “Denmark is unique and outstanding within the world by her achievement of over 20% of energy generated through wind power conversion.  I see this achievement as a demonstration of sheer will and determination to succeed.”

 
“I would like to state to you today that we DO have this same will and determination ourselves!  We are indeed thankful for the support and encouragement that we have received through the Danita Partnership Facility Program.  This helps greatly to ensure the best of European practices and standards in our projects.  I sincerely hope that this cooperation will prove to mark the beginning of our combined ongoing efforts to tackle and end the global problems of green house gases and their effects,” he added.

“The graciousness of your Royal Highness’ visit to our eco village today is indeed an encouragement to all of us gathered here today, as well as to the nation at large.  We do believe that this special event will bring positive and permanent change, as well as a new standard for Thailand,” he said to the Danish Prince.

Hundreds of business professionals from Bangkok, Chonburi, the industrial estates and Pattaya attended this very special meeting to showcase new technologies of the future in the present at Eco Village.

Within the next year the Eco Village prototype community will be near completion and visitors from all over the world will come to Pattaya, for yet one more reason.

Through this state of the art, affordable housing community concept and the many inventions and innovations that were pieced together to create this Eco Village project Pattaya will have the attention of developers and environmentalist from around the world. Thanks to a brave and smart pioneer from Bangkok.