Group of indigenous elders in a workshop setting with text overlays.

Panya Forest

Global Ecovillage Network logo with a flower and leaf design in purple and blue.
  • Communities

About the Communities

  • Established
  • Ecological
  • Rural

Founding year

  • 2000

What we do

Panya Forest, nestled within the great Northern forests of Thailand is the second iteration of a Permaculture ecovillage once referred to as “Panya Project” that began 20 years ago. The founders, Gregory Pettys and Ramphai Noikaew have lived at Pun Pun Center for Self Reliance farm for 15 years. Pun Pun, a thriving community of nearly 30 people, excels at teaching people from around the world how to save seed, build with natural materials, grow organic food, treat water, etc. Panya Forest, a neighboring ecovillage (only a five minute walk from Pun Pun) seeks now to take off from this crucial foundation and explore too the “inner ecologies” of a community life, primarily via exploration into the contemplative arts. Panya Forest is a thriving food forest filled with cacao trees and myriad other fruit bearing trees. They are building a place that is conducive to culture building. By opening themselves to visitations from ecologically minded artists, musicians, visionaries, dreamers, unschoolers and the like, they aspire to explore what a healthy community requires in these post-modern times after the tangible groundwork has been laid. How do we make beauty together? How do we grieve? How do we create the conditions for children to stay after they grow up? How do we generate an income in a reciprocal way? How do we honor all our relations while remaining open to change? Panya Forest strives to regenerate responsible creativity in an era primarily focused on science and rational thought. They seek to keep alive not only seeds, but so too the ancestral stories that come with each seed. They work closely with indigenous tribes throughout Thailand, attempting to serve as a bridge between “modern” and in-tact ways of being. They regularly host gatherings to explore what it means to be human in these times of radical transition. They offer a safe space for all ages to learn, unlearn, make mistakes, touch the eARTh, ask questions and have fun.
www.panyaforest.com

  • Purpose
  • Ecological
  • Community type
  • Ecovillage
  • Land-Based Communities
  • Activities
  • Permaculture
  • Education

Commemorative dates

  • January 1, 2000
  • Started living together

Video

Gallery

  • Open to new members
  • Open to visitors
Total
-

How to join

Please email us with your interest.

Guest Book

Written reviews are available for plus members. Click here to upgrade.

Location

  • Thailand

Panya Forest

Promoted Needs and Offers

Offer
  • Events
2 months ago

IERI (International Ecovillage Research Institute) Research Lab

Logo of the Global Ecovillage Network with a stylized flower design.
The Research Lab is a new space for connection, exchange, and inspiration, bringing together researchers, practitioners, and students interested in ecovillages and regenerative communities. Our intention is to create a vibrant laboratory where we can learn from one another, strengthen collaborations, and advance collective knowledge. 📅 Date: Wednesday September 23rd🕓 Time: 10:30 Brazil / 13:30 UTC / 15:30 CEST (1.5 hour) Zoom link: https://unibas.zoom.us/j/61404061682   Register Here: https://unibas.zoom.us/meeting/register/io_jg3SJQGqRAaIi0eXazw Transitions towards the pluriverse: Place, difference, alliances and autonomy in two Latin American ecovillages Presented by Dr. Rebeca Roysen Professor at the Graduate Program in Tourism and Hospitality, Co-leader of the Sustainability Transitions and the Pluriverse of Alternatives (TranS-PlurAL) research group, Universidade do Vale do Itajaí (UNIVALI), Brazil This study proposes an alternative analytical framework for sustainability transitions research by drawing on critical scholarship on grassroots innovations and post-development studies. Rather than focusing on scalable innovations and socio-technical regime change, it introduces the concept of Transitions Towards the Pluriverse (TTP)—a bottom-up, decolonial, and context-sensitive approach that recognizes the diversity of transition pathways and places local communities and grassroots innovations at the center of transformations. Through two case studies of Latin American ecovillages, Dr. Roysen explores four key analytical dimensions—place, difference, alliances, and autonomy—to examine how ecovillages promote (or sometimes fail to promote) transitions towards the pluriverse. Whether you are an experienced researcher, a practitioner, or a student beginning your journey, you are warmly welcome to join us. We look forward to learning, exchanging ideas, and building this community together. Recent publications by Dr. Rebeca Roysen Roysen, R., Pereira Prado, M. M., Bruehwiler, N., Kos, L., & Koehrsen, J. (2026). Transitions towards the pluriverse: Place, difference, alliances and autonomy in two Latin American ecovillages. Sustainability Science. Roysen, R., Ayala, D. H. F., Ramos-Mejía, M., Kos, L., Bruehwiler, N., & Koehrsen, J. (2026). Replicating grassroots innovations in the Global South: A case study of ecovillages for marginalized groups in Colombia. Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions. Roysen, R., Fagundes, G. M., Kos, L., Bruehwiler, N., & Koehrsen, J. (2025). Building a World-Ship: A decolonial approach to just energy transitions. Human Geography. More information: Ecovillage Research Global Ecovillage Network 

Update to a Public Profile

  • Log in
  • Go to your profile page
  • Toggle on the "Put me on the People Map"
  • Save your profile

Information

Communities

A residential project: people live here as their primary home.

Organizations

An institution, business, network, or project that isn’t a residence (e.g. a learning center, farm, or network with no one living there full-time).

GeN logo with blue flower motif and plus sign in centre.

Become a + Community Member

  • Find people based on your community tool
  • Post Needs & Offers Listings and Events
  • Access to resources in the Members Library
  • Member badge on your community profile
  • View communities detailed reviews
  • Create Private Groups
I am an official member of this community
Disclaimer
I affirm that my information is accurate and I am authorized to manage this listing

Free Plan

Free plan
Free

Intentional Advertising

  • Subtotal

    {{ currencyFormat( pricing_summary.total_amount ) }}

GeN logo with blue flower motif and plus sign in centre.

Become a + Member

  • Find communities based on your profile tool
  • Post Needs & Offers Listings and Events
  • Access to free resources in the Members Library
  • Member badge on your profile
  • View communities detailed reviews
  • Create Private Groups