Take care of my tiny house and garden in Sisaket, Thailand

Details

• 

  Description

  🌿 A Simple, Self-Sustaining Life in Sisaket
  
  A living farm built with heart.
  
  Hi, I’m Nok — a Thai pharmacist and drug discovery scientist living in the Netherlands, originally from Sisaket.
  
  I’ve traveled to more than 70 countries and worked in global pharma, but eventually realized something simple and profound:
  
  I needed a place to root,
  to heal,
  and to live slowly.
  
  So I came home —
  and started building this place from zero.
  
  ⸻
  
  🌱 About the Land
  
  This land was not inherited.
  I bought it piece by piece over many years, using money I earned abroad.
  
  When I first came here, there was nothing:
  no water, no trees, no soil life, no shade.
  
  Everything you see now was built slowly:
  • from my own income
  • with my mother’s quiet help
  • and with volunteers who came with real intention
  
  It took years of work, savings, mistakes, sweat — and a lot of love.
  
  If you stay here, please stay with respect.
  This is someone’s dream, slowly built over time.
  
  ⸻
  
  🕊 What This Place Is
  
  We are not traditional farmers.
  My mother is a retired teacher.
  I am a scientist.
  
  We learn by:
  trial & error • observation • biology • research • patience
  
  Our philosophy is simple:
  
  🌿 Let nature lead — let humans support.
  
  We aim for balance, not control.
  
  Soil • Water • Plants • Animals • People
  …all supporting each other in a closed-loop system.
  
  The long-term goal is a self-sustaining ecosystem that relies less and less on money, markets, or external inputs.
  
  ⸻
  
  🌞 Water
  
  • Solar-powered groundwater pump
  • Automatic irrigation
  → always running, low effort
  
  ⸻
  
  🌱 Soil
  
  We never leave soil bare.
  We protect it with mulch, biomass, and groundcover — always alive, always feeding life.
  
  ⸻
  
  🌿 Wild Plants
  
  We don’t clear everything.
  We remove weeds only when they compete with young trees.
  
  Others stay because they:
  • retain moisture
  • attract pollinators
  • repel pests
  • loosen soil
  • become mulch
  
  In agroforestry, even weeds are helpers.
  
  ⸻
  
  🐑 Animals
  
  Animals are part of the system — not decoration.
  
  Sheep = turning grass into fertilizer
  Ducks & geese = natural pest control
  All biomass returns to the soil
  
  We grow our own forage:
  pangola • ruzi • stylo • pintoi bean (Brazilian lucerne)
  
  Plants feed animals → animals feed soil → soil feeds trees.
  
  A closed loop — not dependency.
  
  ⸻
  
  🔄 Always Evolving
  
  Nothing here is “finished.”
  We learn and adjust every year.
  
  I return annually to observe, improve, and rebalance.
  
  One day, when the system sustains itself,
  I hope to live here full-time.
  
  ⸻
  
  🌿 A Future Community — but Not Yet
  
  One day, I hope this land can grow into a small self-sustaining community —
  a place where people contribute, learn, and live in balance with nature.
  
  That is the long-term vision.
  
  But right now, this project is still young.
  And at this stage, I am the only person who pays for everything:
  • electricity
  • water
  • repairs
  • animal care
  • tools & materials
  • house maintenance
  • improvements
  • and all running costs throughout the year
  
  My mother supports with time and presence,
  but the financial responsibility is fully mine.
  
  Because of this, I cannot support people staying for many months,
  or using the houses as long-term living spaces, seasonal bases, or retirement homes.
  
  For now, to keep everything fair and sustainable,
  stays must remain short-term
  — usually around 2 weeks, sometimes extended only if it truly fits the needs of the land.
  
  When this place becomes a real community one day,
  it will have a different structure:
  shared contribution, shared responsibility,
  and clear agreements —
  not free or open-ended long-term accommodation.
  
  But we are not at that stage yet.
  Thank you for understanding.
  
  Allowing someone to stay for months means using my personal savings to cover their living expenses without equal exchange. That is not a community; that is subsidizing another person with my hard work.
  
  Because of this, I cannot support people staying for many months...
  
  No other guests, friends, or visitors are allowed unless approved by the host in advance.
  
  🛠 How Your Stay Works
  
  General stay: around 2 weeks
  
  There is no strict minimum stay,
  but most volunteers stay about 2 weeks because it makes project planning easier. Longer stay is possible but will be evaluated after the first 2 weeks.
  
  If you stay fewer days,
  the project will be scaled down to match your time.
  
  ⸻
  
  Week 1 — Priority Project
  
  You will receive ONE task that truly matters, based on what the farm needs at that moment.
  
  This is not a place where volunteers pick random projects or only do what they feel like doing.
  Please complete the assigned task during Week 1.
  
  Examples:
  • Clean & reorganize animal shelters
  • Weed + mulch specific tree rows
  • Improve soil in defined areas
  • Build or repair simple structures
  • Plant or fertilize new trees
  • Cut biomass and return it to the soil
  
  Work at your own pace —
  but the project must be completed.
  
  After that, you’re welcome to:
  • explore other tasks
  • suggest improvements
  • do creative work
  • help where you feel inspired
  
  Send photos when done — I manage the farm from abroad.
  If you need more time, just communicate.
  Respect = communication.
  
  ⸻
  
  Week 2 — Rest & Live
  
  No assigned tasks.
  Just:
  • keep things clean
  • take care of yourself
  • respect the land, house & animals
  • enjoy rural quiet
  • learn from nature
  
  ⸻
  
  ⛔ Important: Duration & Boundaries
  
  To keep this project healthy, fair, and manageable:
  
  We do NOT offer:
  
  • long-term living (more than 2 months)
  • seasonal living (6 months / 6 months)
  • retirement stays
  • partnership or co-living arrangements
  • ongoing residency
  • “staying for months to see what happens”
  
  Every stay is limited by:
  • the needs of the land
  • the flow of volunteers
  • my mother’s capacity
  • and the projects I coordinate from abroad
  
  Thank you for respecting this boundary.
  It protects the land — and everyone who comes after you.
  
  ⸻
  
  🚮 Waste & Toilets — Please Read
  
  We are outside city waste systems.
  
  • Keep trash sealed
  • Never leave garbage for my mother
  
  We use a septic tank.
  Do not flush toilet paper.
  Use the Thai bidet spray — cleaner and clog-free.
  
  If you expect Western plumbing or cleaning staff,
  this is not your place.
  
  ⸻
  
  💡 What We Expect
  
  ✔ Independent
  ✔ Responsible
  ✔ Finish Week 1 task
  ✔ Clean up after yourself
  ✔ Respect the land & animals
  ✔ Respect my mother
  ✔ Communicate clearly
  ✔ Give as much as you receive
  
  This project survives through fairness.
  
  ⸻
  
  🌏 Who This Place Is For
  
  You want:
  • real Thai rural life
  • meaning, not luxury
  • learning, not consuming
  • nature, not convenience
  • contribution, not entitlement
  • a slower, deeper way of being
  
  You ask:
  “How can I help?”
  —not—
  “What do I get?”
  
  Then this is your place.
  
  ⸻
  
  💛 My Mother
  
  She is a retired teacher — kind, gentle, independent.
  She may water plants or check the garden sometimes.
  
  But she is not staff, not a maid,
  and not here to clean up after anyone.
  
  Please respect her time, age, and peace.
  
  ⸻
  
  ✨ Built with Resilience
  
  This place exists because of:
  • years of working abroad
  • savings turned into soil
  • volunteers who cared
  • my mother’s steady presence
  • and surviving cancer — twice
  
  This land holds my healing, my peace, and my future.
  
  If you come here,
  you become part of that story.
  
  ⸻
  
  📩 Before You Message
  
  Please:
  • be sincere
  • do not copy-paste requests
  • reply within 24 hours if I write back
  
  If I don’t hear back,
  I will pass the spot to someone else —
  just to keep things fair for everyone.
  
  ⸻
  
  Let’s grow something real.
  Alive. Balanced. Self-sustaining.
  
  Slowly. Gently. Together.
  
  — Nok 🤍

• 

  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Farmstay help

  Help around the house
• 

  Interests

  

  Sustainability

  

  Farming

  

  Gardening
• 

  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  They will learn authentic life of Thai people and have their own place to stay.

• 

  Help

  🌱 **Your Role:**
  Your stay involves more than relaxation; it's about actively participating in sustainable practices, from tending to the land to embracing cultural exchange. Your contributions are essential in shaping the future of this rural sanctuary.
  
  - Main tasks include watering, lawn care, and tree maintenance. While we have a sprinkler system, some areas may require additional attention to ensure proper hydration and cleanliness.
  
  Taking care of a carven in my holiday house

• 

  Languages spoken

  Thai: Fluent

• 

  Accommodation

  A whole holiday house property
  
  🏡 **Your Stay:**
  Enjoy the entire property, including my snug tiny house and the outdoor jacuzzi. My wonderful mum and nephew, living just 200m away, will be around to support you, ensuring a personalized and memorable experience.
  
  You're welcome to prepare your meals using the kitchen facilities, and please cover the cost of your ingredients.

• 

  What else ...

  Close to Cambodia border.

• 

  A little more information

  • 

    Internet access

  • 

    Limited internet access

  • 

    We have pets

  • 

    We are smokers

  • 

    Can host families

• 

  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

• 

  My animals / pets

Website Safety

Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host

+10

Feedback (16)