Banyan Tree Gallery Krabi Showcases Local Artisans

One of the country’s most illustrious beachfront resorts, Banyan Tree Krabi, has extended a helping hand to local artisans to promote high-quality handicrafts and products from the Krabi region and across Thailand.

Photo credits: Banyan Tree Krabi

On arrival, hotel guests are presented with a handmade pouch made from upcycled waste washed up on local beaches thanks to a partnership with “Souvenirs from the Sea”, a local group founded by Ms Wiyada Kowsanti, who has lived her life beside the Andaman Sea and who presciently saw the value in the fishing nets, floats, sandals and other discarded items that washed ashore.

Colourful tote bags, key chains and other products skillfully assembled by the Souvenirs from the Sea team are available at the resort’s Banyan Tree Gallery Krabi, alongside many other locally-sourced sustainable handcrafts underlining Banyan Tree’s longstanding commitment to supporting the communities in which they operate.

Initiated by the hotel’s Thailand-based owning company, Asset World Corporation (AWC), The Gallery serves a platform to promote local designs and sustainable products at AWC hotels throughout Thailand.

At Banyan Tree Gallery Krabi, various Thai brands are displayed including: candles and incense by Thaniya; scarves and ceramic earrings by Inthai; eco-friendly handbags created by Mamawell; sophisticated contemporary jewellery by Aztique; handwoven Thai silk products by Rak Phraewa; accessories by Torr; and numerous other Thai-style home decorations and souvenirs from Socoon, VT Thai, Banhowsaohai, Siwa and Heartist.

Photo credits: Banyan Tree Krabi

From northern Thailand come bags and accessories by Mr Leaf. These are traditional artefacts of the ethnic Lanna people, and are created from durable Tong Tung leaves. And from the hands of senior local artisans and housewives in southern Thailand arise elegant bags designed under brand Prodpran.

Established as a social enterprise and providing a marketplace for some of Thailand’s most talented designers and artists as well as community projects, The Gallery embraces a code of responsible practice with all profits directed towards scholarships for up-and-coming art and design students in the area.

“At Banyan Tree Gallery Krabi, we try to use a minimum of packaging, and when we do, it’s with environmentally-friendly recycled or biodegradable materials,” said Banyan Tree Krabi’s Sustainability Manager Thepsuda Loyjiw. “We constantly collaborate with local artisans and small-scale producers to help reduce our carbon footprint at the resort.”

The local artists and vendors are also given an opportunity to showcase eco-conscious products directly to guests at the resort’s periodic pop-up souvenir shops.

One such local artisan is Ms. Rustiya Limtrakul, the creator of “Eco Print by Rustiya”, who tends a stall offering her distinctive Eco Print wearable art—a natural dyeing method that uses tropical leaves and flowers to imprint vibrant, organic patterns onto fabric. Her eco-conscious handmade designs authentically capture the natural beauty of Krabi.

The hotel’s two main restaurants, The Naga Kitchen and Saffron, take additional steps to support the local community: purchasing fish from neighbouring fishermen; coffee and tea from Thai plantations; and honey from a Krabi farmer.

Other sustainability initiatives the respective kitchens have employed include a changeover to cage-free eggs, providing diners with not only a healthier and more animal-friendly alternative but also the satisfying sense that they are “buying local” while on vacation in Thailand.

In April 2025, Banyan Group, a leader in sustainable hospitality, unveiled its 2024 Sustainability Report—One Banyan, One Sustainable Future. The 19th edition reports on the Group’s advancements in driving action and impact across key environmental, social, and economic dimensions, reaffirming sustainability as a core foundation of its business guided by its founding mission of ‘Embracing the Environment, Empowering People’.

To learn more about Banyan Tree Krabi’s various sustainability efforts, visit: https://www.banyantree.com/thailand/krabi/sustainability