Ramphai Noikaew

Ramphay facilitates workshops teaching permaculture principles, natural product making, natural healing modalities, etc. at the farm and elsewhere in Thailand and abroad. As a long term community member, Ramphai takes a leadership role in managing community development, including emotional well being and child care. Being a new mother of (Surya Hanna was born during Covid-19 lockdown in April of 2020) Ramphai approaches motherhood in the traditional “village-style” way. Ramphai has a passion for learning and working to heal our Soul as well as her children. She has worked with many youth groups both within Thailand and internationally to raise their awareness of the well-being of both minds(Soul)and body, community and nature.

“Pi” Ramphai was born and raised in Thailand, “The Land of Smiles”. At birth she was given a name meaning in Thai, “The sunshine after the rain is gone” which, to all who know her, is rather appropriate. She grew up in a small village near the Thai-Laos border that had no paved road, flushable toilets, electricity or even a modern “school” until she was a teenager, which having now experienced the true cost of all these modern conveniences, she feels the older way was superior overall. Being that her grandparents migrated from Laos, she grew up with a unique cultural blend that has greatly influenced her language, way of living, farming, preparing food and interacting with the world. Ramphai expresses the traditional Thai/Laos spirit through her life and can be seen in her willingness to bring back the honor of her ancestors’ tradition of living closely with nature.Ramphai original tribe is Khamu from Northern Lao(s)

Ramphai graduated with a B.A. in Business English from Uttaradit Rajabhat University and continued her education focusing on international air travel and tourism at London Technology College in London.  She has led a group of young people to participate in such efforts as the Asia Pacific Environmental International Youth Forum in South Korea. She enjoys working with the new generation and empowering them to become aware of our interconnectedness with all living things. Ramphai has worked with NGO’s in Sri Lanka assisting small-scale farmers to adapt to climate change under the FK Norway project. She received a scholarship to join the South East Asia Permaculture Convergence in The Philippines and she was a presenter at The 4th Thailand Permaculture 2016 Conference.

Ramphai is a long time practitioner of traditional Thai holistic healing modalities and herbal medicines. She has worked with Integral Travel Institute as their logistics coordinator and local teacher of Thai Yoga massage for 4 years. Before COVID-19 she was studying annually with native american healer, artist and historian Martin Prechtel annually at his New Mexico school, “Bolad’s Kitchen” where the majesty of in-tact peoples, forgotten knowledge and indigenous thinking is taught reverently which inspired her to learn more about the indigenous tribes in Northern Thailand. Ramphai built connections between local tribe communities and international communities around the world for 6-7 years now in order to connect culturally, mentally and spiritually.

Ramphai has instructed many experiential education organizations such as Where There Be Dragons, Carpe Diem Education, Youth International, Groundwork, etc.

In her free time she can be found gardening, cooking from wild crafted foods, doing yoga, biking, hiking, or simply being out in the wilderness. She loves sharing her love of cooking organic food because she strongly believes that food is medicine. A long time student of Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, Ramphai believes that we can enjoy life in the present moment, everywhere we go, that we grow wiser by developing our inner selves as well as our outer, and that we find peace by learning how to let go. Education, she believes, is not only to be found in classes and universities. Real wisdom is found outdoors, within the natural world.