CHRONOLOGY:

1989 Sangiam Sawaenglap founds group of farmers’ wives with 21 members to sell farm produce and hand-woven fabrics. 1994 Sangiam elected as a member of Tambon Administrative Organisation of Ban Tuek where Ban Na Ton Chan is located. 1998 The group is upgraded to Ban Na Ton Chan Weaving Group with 56 members and receives financial support from the Community Development Department. 1999- Ban Na Ton Chan is chosen by the 2003 Department of Industrial Promotion, in co-operation with the Tourism Authority of Thailand, as part of the industrial village project, which launched in 1994 to help increase the value of communities through their local products and to promote the communities as tourist destinations. 2004 DIP and TAT review the project and select Ban Na Ton Chan among five premium communities to travel to Japan on an 18-day educational trip to experience how Japanese villages operated and managed their One Tambon One Products and homestay services. After returning to her village, Sangiam opens her house as the first homestay facility in the village. 2007 The mud fabrics and clothes are exported to Italy and the United States. 2008 Homestay service grows from one to 16 houses. They were also certified to homestay service standard by the Tourism Department. Ban Na Ton Chan selected as one of the shooting locations for candidates of Miss Thailand 2008 to try making mudfermented cloth and khao poeb. 2012 Ban Na Ton Chan wins the Pacific Asia Travel Association Gold Award in the Heritage and Culture category. The village also wins the Thailand Tourism Award of the Tourism Authority of Thailand. 2014 Sangiam receives the Outstanding Woman Award from the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security. Present In addition to the weaving group which has 308 members and the homestay group, Sangiam initiated other groups including student guides, traditional performances, traditional music performed by students and traditional Thai massage therapists. Ban Na Ton Chan also has its community shop selling mudfermented clothes at Chatuchak Weekend Market.