Farm Day

It was a beautiful sunny day outside of Khao Yai National Park, and it was time to connect with my Texas roots by spending a morning at Farm Chokchai, something that my friend Greg from the Bangkok Podcast recommended me to do years ago to feel a little closer to home.

Farm Chokchai is the largest dairy farm in all of Asia, and the theme park-like farm and ranch is the brainchild of Dr. Chokchai Bulakul, who founded the operation in 1957 and transformed it into one of Thailand's most famous agritourism destinations.

Dr. Chokchai was born in Thailand in 1937 and spent his early years studying abroad, first in Hong Kong and later in the United States. Inspired by the American cowboy lifestyle he had seen in Western films, he studied animal husbandry at Cornell University in New York before returning to Thailand in 1957 to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a rancher.

Over the following decades, Dr. Chokchai became something of a celebrity in Thailand, known for his larger-than-life personality, cowboy-inspired lifestyle, and massive success in the dairy industry. His love of ranching, expensive cars, and the trappings of the American West helped turn him into a recognizable public figure, as well as a pioneer of Thailand's modern dairy farming industry.

After visiting the on-site ranching museum (which contained tons of life-sized longhorn cows, ranchers, and huge framed portraits of actors like Clint Eastwood and John Wayne), Pinky and I stopped by the farm store to buy a couple bottles of the freshest milk in the country.

As we drove into the farm itself, an impressive property spanning some 8,000-plus acres, we made our way between a series of stops, each offering a different glimpse into farm life, from dairy production to animal encounters and other hands-on agricultural experiences.

I even got to try my hand at milking a cow, something that I'm not sure I had ever done before. I may be from Texas, but I've never been much of a rancher... It was weirdly fun, even though squeezing milk from the udder felt pretty odd.

We had lunch at Chokchai Steakhouse, a restaurant as American as any I've ever seen in Thailand, with wood-paneled walls and diningrooms named things like "The Texas Room" and "The Ronald Reagan Room." It was like stepping into the 80s and onto the set of Dallas.

I had a dry-aged cheeseburger, which ended up being one of the best burgers I've ever had (I don't eat a ton of red meat, but I couldn't pass up the chance to try it from what some say is the best steakhouse in all of Thailand!).

It was still early afternoon, so we decided to take a detour to visit a nearby temple on the way back to our hotel.

We parked our car and, after getting directions from a monk and his dog, began climbing up a set of steps that let up the side of a limestone hill.

The views were spectacular, and there was a wonderful, cool breeze despite the warmth of the afternoon.

Wat Tham Khao Wong is a cave temple. Though there are a number of traditional temple buildings such as the ordination hall and monks' quarters, the "main attraction" located inside a natural cafe on the temple grounds.

The temperature fell noticeably as we entered the cavern, and our footsteps were immediately muffled by the silence of the cave.

Though the cave was natural, it was well-lit, beautifully adorned, and very clean. A number of nooks and niches had been carved into the stone set with pillows and wooden seats for monks and laymen alike to sit and meditate in the silent cavern.

As we entered the main cavern, we discovered a shrine hall where a senior monk was giving a dharma talk to a small group of visitors. Signs posted regularly throughout the temple informed visitors that monks were happy to schedule both Thai and English monk chats and talks.

The temple was completely off the beaten path. It is not one of the most famous or popular attractions in the area, but I was really impressed with how nice it was. It was a very tranquil and serene place to visit after a fun day at the farm.

The final stop before we drove back to our hotel was at a local mango farm. This part of Thailand is known for its agriculture, particularly fruit.

We ordered a grilled mango with a sort of caramelized creme brulee exterior served with vanilla ice cream and fresh cream.  

I found a nice restaurant for us to go to for dinner, and after freshening up at the hotel, we set off on the 15 or so minute drive out to Kuni Kuni, a very nice upscale restaurant located at the dusitD2 Khao Yai Hotel which was located at the very top of a massive three-story treehouse.

We didn't have reservations (I didn't know we were expected to have them and only found the restaurant at the last minute!), but it was ok because we had arrived early enough that there was still a table or two available for us.

We were seated at a small table for two looking out from the top of the open-air restaurant across the sprawling green hills of Khao Yai. Talk about dinner with a view!

After a phenomenal (and surprisingly, but perhaps most importantly reasonably-priced) dinner of salmon salad, grilled wild boar neck, and slow-braised beef risotto, we finally retired to our bungalow.

The next morning, it was unfortunately time for us to end our holiday and head back to the city.

Khao Yai is one of my new favorite places in Thailand, and I cannot believe that it took me this long to make my way there.

I'm already planning my next trip!