There are so many things that make Thailand such an attractive destination to visit: beautiful beaches, fabulous food, cultural delights … but above all else, it is the Thai people that make it Amazing Thailand. People like Wipaporn ‘Wi’ Ord, a guide for the responsible tour company, All Points East.
Khun Wi leads tours all over Thailand, introducing travellers to the culture and beauty of Thailand. Her dedication, professionalism and friendliness have endeared her to guests from all over the world. Her work was recognised in the 2024 Responsible Thailand Awards, with Wi winning the coveted Responsible Local Guide award.
With a 25-year history of commitment to promoting off-the-beaten-track Thailand, Wi has consistently shown a truly responsible approach to guiding. In addition, Wi has been a wonderful example to all with her volunteer work in tourism and sport, and her support for a kindergarten in a village in Chiang Rai province, where most of the inhabitants are impoverished hill-tribe families (Akha and Lisu) and Shan refugees from across the border in Burma. The judging panel for the Responsible Thailand judges were heartened by the testimonials from clients Wi has guided. This was one of numerous examples:
“Day by day Wi became less of a tour guide and more of a host showing us around her wonderful country. Her company was as enjoyable as the experiences themselves, but we could see that she was one step ahead, making sure our trip went as smoothly as possible. From taking photos of us as a family … to bringing back treats from the local market for us to try … Wi wanted us to experience as much of Thailand as we could, and we did. We are so grateful to you Wi. Thank you to the All Points East Team for giving our family such wonderful memories.”
– Warren, Claudia, Amelie and Sofia
All Points East
Family-run All Points East specialises in small group tours showing travellers off-the-beaten-path destinations and the more famous sights. Group sizes are deliberately kept small to lessen the impact on destinations and the environment and make the travel experience more intimate and more enjoyable for travellers. This also enables All Points East to use small, family-run hotels and resorts, and support local cafes, restaurants and community-run tourism projects.
We asked Khun Wi about her work and her thoughts on responsible tourism.
Please tell us about yourself and how you became a tour guide
After finishing university in Bangkok, I worked in a hotel reception to improve my language skills and gain experience in interacting with foreign tourists. Although I love my fantastic hometown, Bangkok, after a while, I realised I preferred to be in a smaller city, closer to nature, so I moved to Chiang Mai to study for my tour guide qualification at Chiang Mai University.
What’s the most rewarding part of being a guide?
It’s the perfect job for me with the opportunity to continually meet interesting new people, show them the sights, culture and nature of my home. And I get to travel the length and breadth of Thailand, always with one eye out for new experiences.
What does responsible travel mean to you?
Showing visitors the natural, cultural and historic sites of my home while also benefiting the local residents and without incurring any negative (and indeed, hopefully with a beneficial) impact on the environment and cultures visited.
How do you ensure guests interact respectfully with local people and traditions?
By carefully and clearly briefing my guests beforehand with advice on how to — and how not to — behave. It’s also important to restrict group sizes to manageable numbers. Although it is important information, I make sure I explain things in a friendly and respectful way. At All Points East, we specialise in small groups, which is important to me as they are easier to manage. This also allows instructions and advice to be given on an individual basis and creates far less impact on, say, a village or national park than large groups do.
What do you tell tourists about visiting natural sites or seeing wildlife responsibly?
Firstly and essentially, I make sure I am accompanied by an experienced, local, specialist national park guide. I am a ‘national’ guide and we need detailed local knowledge of specific destinations and their specific flora, fauna and ecosystems that only experienced specialist guides can provide because locations like Khao Sok, Khao Yai, Doi Inthanon, etc., are all very different. We therefore work as a team so I can provide general information — what to wear, what to do and not to do — while the local guide can offer detailed information on the local wildlife and culture.
What’s the biggest challenge you face in encouraging responsible travel?
Happily, not very many. As I work for a company that offers sustainable and eco-friendly tours, most of our guests need little or no encouragement in this respect.
What advice would you give travellers coming to Thailand who want to be more responsible?
Read as much relevant information as possible beforehand. If travellers do decide to travel independently, they should always give consideration and thought to what they are doing, where they are going and how they behave when they are there. Many aspects of responsible travel are not rocket science — they merely involve basic common sense and respect.
Thank you to Khun Wi for her time and congratulations on her Responsible Thailand Award. If you’d like to book a tour with Wi and travel responsibly in Thailand, check out the All Points East website and social media channels:
Website | Facebook | Instagram
Testimonials for Wi from All Points East customers
“Wi is one of the best guides we have had the privilege to know. Her love of, and advocacy for Thailand, its history, communities, landscapes, and nature is second to none. She is extremely keen to use Thai-owned hotels and other accommodation, take her guests to eat in local restaurants and cafes and use local sustainable transport, from bicycles to sleeper trains. Her trips are always interesting, particularly temple visits, where her knowledge of Buddhism adds interest and context. Her Northern Thailand trip was amazing, covering both well-known tourist destinations and others that we’d never heard of, such as the Kuomintang Museum, a fascinating slice of history. Wi is also a great character, friendly, cheerful, funny, knowledgeable and extremely efficient. We couldn’t have asked for a better guide.”
– Stuart
“Wi introduced me to so many different aspects of Thai life. It is thanks to her enthusiasm and knowledge that I have developed a love of Thailand – its culture, history, religion, food and most of all its people. Wi is a great advocate for Thailand and so obviously enjoys taking visitors on cultural and culinary adventures. She is keen to make sure that visitors see the authentic Thailand. We used local transport, stayed in local hotels and ate in local restaurants and cafes. Her insight and local knowledge meant that I had the most amazing experiences.”
– Gwenda
Photos: All Points East
