Who we are

nous

Alain, 50. Originally from France, he’s been living in Thailand for several years, seeking news adventures and challenges in a different living environment.
Before working in Thailand in a foundation as project coordinator, online education specialist and trainer, he worked in France as a Software Engineer, secondary-school teacher and private tutor.
In 2011, Alain had life-changing experiences at two ‘organic farms’ in Thailand (‘Mindful Farmers’ and ‘Panya Project’) and discovered permaculture, organic gardening, natural building techniques and community living on a farm. This led him to look for a more happy, simple and sustainable life, in a closer relationship with nature. It also led to questions on various topics such as ecology, materialism, consumerism and the increase of chemical products in our food and the environment. He believed he could find solutions in approaches towards simple living, contentment and self-reliance.

Creation of Baan Din Doi… In 2015 Alain finally found his way forward and outlined what would become the ‘Baan Din Doi’ project and together with his wife Fon, they started this adventure by renting a 7,000 sqm orchard. He built two small earth houses on this land using various techniques and materials, and spent over three years reading books and online resources to attain a more thorough understanding of natural building.

Since 2012, Alain has attended several training courses:

  • Straw-bale building (‘La Maison En Paille’, France)
  • Permaculture Design Course (France)
  • Traditional carpentry techniques (‘Ecocentre du Trégor’, France)
  • Earthbags building (‘Phangan Earthworks’, Thailand)
  • Adobe building (‘Earth Home Thailand’)
  • Bamboo Building Course (‘Auroville Bamboo Centre’, India)
  • Water filtration system (Pun Pun organic and permaculture farm, Thailand)
  • Earth Building Academy (‘Solid Earth’, New Zealand).

Fon grew up in rural Thailand in a family following a traditional way of life. A life of community living, ceremonies and simple happy moments together. A rewarding life that included sustained physical work in the fields. Successfully graduating from university, she has been a chemistry lecturer since 2014. While teaching chemistry, she became aware of the dangers of processed food and the risks associated with intensive agriculture using chemical additives. Interested by organic gardening and farming she is always happy to share her knowledge so that more and more people eat safer and healthier food and grow organic fruits and vegetables. At ‘Baan Din Doi’ she looks after the garden and set up a little cactus farm. In addition to her passion for cactus, Fon loves spending hours painting.

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