Andaman Discoveries (AD) is a tourism

social enterprise A social enterprise is an organization that applies commercial strategies to maximize improvements in financial, social and environmental well-being. This may include maximizing social impact alongside profits for co-owners. Social enterprises ha ...

in Kuraburi, Phang Nga Province,

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

. It is the continuation of North Andaman Tsunami Relief (NATR), a

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

based in

that provides assistance to tsunami-affected villages in the north

Andaman Sea The Andaman Sea (historically also known as the Burma Sea) is a marginal sea of the northeastern Indian Ocean bounded by the coastlines of Myanmar and Thailand along the Gulf of Martaban and the west side of the Malay Peninsula, and separated f ...

region. Andaman Discoveries has assumed the work of NATR, fostering long-term social, economic, and

environmental sustainability Sustainability is a social goal for people to co-exist on Earth over a long period of time. Definitions of this term are disputed and have varied with literature, context, and time. Sustainability usually has three dimensions (or pillars): env ...

and generating viable economic opportunities via training and

marketing Marketing is the act of acquiring, satisfying and retaining customers. It is one of the primary components of Business administration, business management and commerce. Marketing is usually conducted by the seller, typically a retailer or ma ...

History

The Boxing Day Tsunami devastated many coastal villages along the Andaman coast of Thailand on December 26, 2004. The North Andaman Tsunami Relief (NATR), the parent organization of Andaman Discoveries, was formed by Bodhi Garrett in early 2005 to help villagers to rebuild their villages and livelihood. A network of volunteers and donors emerged to support the reconstruction process. NATR implemented about 120 projects in 22 communities, with the emphasis on direct cooperation with the villagers, rather than imposing what outsiders think is good for them. Eighteen months later, Andaman Discoveries came into existence as a continuation of NATR's community development work. It started from the villagers' consideration that community based tourism could be seen as a good opportunity to generate additional income without having to give up their traditional ways of living. Training and supports were provided to the villagers while Andaman Discoveries helps to promote and facilitate cultural exchanges between villagers and tourists / volunteers.

Projects

With the help of volunteers and visitors, Andaman Discoveries has been able to organize and sustain several in-village projects using existing funds and contributions to the Community Fund. These projects include:

Sustainable Livelihoods

* Teaching English to kids, adults, guides, and host families * Creative workshops with local children * Hand-crafted soap and

Batik Batik is a dyeing technique using wax Resist dyeing, resist. The term is also used to describe patterned textiles created with that technique. Batik is made by drawing or stamping wax on a cloth to prevent colour absorption during the dyein ...

cooperatives

Conservation

* Beach clearance and waste management *

Mangrove A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows mainly in coastal saline water, saline or brackish water. Mangroves grow in an equatorial climate, typically along coastlines and tidal rivers. They have particular adaptations to take in extra oxygen a ...

reforestation * Wildlife and environmental conservation projects *

Orchid Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Orchids are cosmopolitan plants that are found in almost every habitat on Eart ...

conservation * Beautification of community or school gardens * Interpretive nature trail data collection with local guides *

GPS The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based hyperbolic navigation system owned by the United States Space Force and operated by Mission Delta 31. It is one of the global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) that provide geol ...

land-use mapping

Community Development

* Construction of a community center * Long-term scholarships * Teacher placement in local and village schools * Teaching community aerobics or

yoga Yoga (UK: , US: ; 'yoga' ; ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines that originated with its own philosophy in ancient India, aimed at controlling body and mind to attain various salvation goals, as pra ...

Partners

AD's partners include research firms, educational institutions, governmental branches, and

NGOs A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an independent, typically nonprofit organization that operates outside government control, though it may get a significant percentage of its funding from government or corporate sources. NGOs often focus ...

, with names such as the

International Union for Conservation of Nature The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the stat ...

Rotary International Rotary International is one of the largest service organizations in the world. The self-declared mission of Rotary, as stated on its website, is to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and p ...

University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school the ...

InterVol InterVol is a community volunteering charity based in the United Kingdom.

(University of Birmingham), and The Mangrove Action Project.

References

{{Reflist Tourism in Thailand Development charities Non-profit organizations based in Thailand 2005 establishments in Thailand