If your plan for the day is a visit to Doi Inthanon, don’t forget to stop to the Royal Agricultural Station Inthanon. At the station, you’ll be able to see how various plants and vegetables are grown. The station allows researchers and farmers to learn more about plant-life in high altitudes. Inthanon station is just one of many Royal Projects initiated by the Royal Family.

The Royal Agricultural Station Inthanon was built in 1979, over 30 years ago, under the order of H.M. the King. His intention was to better the lives of mountain-dwellers by providing a center that is used to plant and study crops. As a result, poppy grown for opium decreased, and more cold-climate flowers and vegetables are planted and sold instead. The crops planted are not grown abundantly, but just enough to satisfy market demand. This ensures that nothing goes to waste. At the same time, the station allows farmers to earn a steady and stable income.

Once inside the Royal Project compound, ask for an official to show you around. The first stop should be the Center for Development of the Royal Project. In here you’ll get to see an array of plants up close. Can you spot the vanilla plant? According to the official, it takes 8 months to grow the plant before it can be harvested. It then takes an additional 4 months to be processed into the vanilla we see on shelves at supermarkets. Aside from the vanilla plant, you’ll also get to see grape vines, tea plants, peach trees, brocolli, various mushrooms, and much more. Don’t forget to try their homemade vanilla ice cream on your way out. The next stop is the Agricultural Station Inthanon.

The station is open for visitors to spend a night or two on the mountain. There is a total of three types of rooms at the station. The ‘Siribhumi B’ room is a 2-person room, the ‘Room 1-2’ is a 4-person room, and the ‘Siribhumi A’ is a house. The house consists of 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a kitchen, and a living room. Up to 5 people can stay in the house. Rooms are not fancy, but come equipped with basic amenities. Rooms also have a terrace with a great view. If you continue past the house, you will reach the ‘80-year Garden’.

The bright yellow building on the compound is the project’s restaurant, ‘Samosorn Inthanon’. The fruits, herbs, and vegetables used in preparing food come straight from the gardens. It doesn’t get any fresher than that. If you’re hungry, you can stop to eat here at any time. The restaurant is known for their ability to cook Rainbow Trout, Sturgeon, and Redclaw Crayfish. Any dish with either of those ingredients is recommended. The menu is pretty diverse so you’ll have a lot to choose from.

When nightfall arrives, lamps and lights are turned on throughout the compound and in greenhouses for plants to receive enough light to grow. In the greenhouses you find strawberry plants, kiwi plants, Hydrangeas, Orchids, and many other plants. Around this area is a path to get to Siribhumi Waterfall.

The next place to visit on the compound is ‘Ban Mae Klang Luang’. The building is a research facility that tests the possibility of having highland fisheries. The Sturgeon is bred for caviar while the Redclaw Crayfish are bred in the rice paddy nearby. Introducing the crayfish into the paddy has not only increased the number of crayfish but also help the rice grow better. When it is time to harvest the rice, you’ll see the rows of gold on the side of the mountain. All in all, if you are interested in Thailand’s agriculture, or you just want to sleep on the mountain for a change, contact the Agricultural Station Inthanon.

Address : 202 Moo 7, Mooban Khun Klang, Ban Luang Sub-district, Chom Thong District, Chiang Mai 50160

GPS : 18.542517, 98.519467

Contact no. : 053 286 771-2

Fax : 053 286 770

E-mail : royalinthanon@hotmail.com

Website : www.royal-inthanon.com , www.thairoyalprojecttour.com

Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/royalprojecttour?ref=ts

Entrance fee : Entrance fee for non-guests: 20 Bht

Number of room : Siribhumi A x 6 houses, Siribhumi B x 28 rooms, 4-person room x 2 rooms Type of room : Siribhumi A,Siribhumi B, Room 1 - 2

Room rate : 
     May - September**(Breakfast not included)

• Siribhumi A:4,500 Bht
• Siribhumi B: 1,000 Bht
• Room 1-2: 2,500 Bht
  
  October - April**(Breakfast not included except for Siribhumi B)
• Siribhumi A:6,500 Bht
• Siribhumi B: 1,740 Bht
• Room 1-2: 2,500 Bht

Check in – out time : Check in 13.00; Check out 12.00

Restaurant : Samosorn Inthanon

From town, take Route 108 until Chom Thong District. Once at the 57th road marker, turn right and take Route 1009. You’ll come across a security checkpoint where you’ll have to pay a fee to get into the mountain. Keep driving until you reach a junction. Take a right and continue for another kilometer or so.