Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has expressed his admiration for those involved in the Chantaboon riverside community in Chantaburi province, and hailed it as a model for local development based on cooperation among locals.
During a weekend television broadcast General Prayut singled out the riverside community’s unique identity, which he noted had obviously contributed to the developing of its own economy.
The Prime Minister picked Chantaboon riverside community in the eastern province as an example for community development, with the use of a social enterprise schemes pushed ahead by people within the community.
He said different communities may have different identities which are yet to be discovered and promoted as attractions, and where the values of the local economy should be admired and enhanced.
Chantaboon riverside community is a 150-year-old developed community with the preserved atmosphere of an old town, and which is open to tourists.
It is also a place where cultures of three nations co-exist in harmony, and is considered a major marketplace for ruby trading during weekends.