Wonderfruit is Thailand’s Sustainable-Focused Music Festival
With all the recent news of Coachella this year being a letdown, we thought it’d be a good time to introduce you all to Thailand’s socially conscious festival. The owner of Coachella is extremely anti-LGBT, which is not something we can get behind. Forget the festival that features a yodeling kid from WalMart and enter Wonderfruit 2018. The Thai festival isn’t until December 13th this year, which is just far enough away for you to make your travel plans ahead of time. Take the peaceful nature of The Land of Smiles, Coachella’s bohemian-chic environment and mash them together for a truly incredible festival experience!
Normally the festival is held earlier in the year, but with the passing of Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej it was delayed until December last year. Now we’re on a December schedule again this year for Wonderfruit 2018. The festival takes place down in Pattaya, not too far from Bangkok. While there are many similarities between Wonderfruit and your typical music festival, there’s a few aspects that make it unique.
Note: All photos from Wonderfruit in this article were taken by Exithamster!
Incredible Thai Food
Even among music festivals in Asia, it’s pretty standard to have a selection of Western food. Bangers and mash, sandwiches, burgers and fries – you know the drill. Wonderfruit sets itself apart with Thai street food vendors in place of the typical food trucks that serve up fried foods. On top of this, the main draw is the “farm to feast” meals available, where every ingredient is fresh and locally sourced from Thai farmers. Cafes in Chiang Mai are well known for taking their coffee seriously and some make their way down to Pattaya with pop-up cafes.
Inspirational Workshops and Talks
Just like last year, Wonderfruit 2018 will be a great place to meet and connect with socially conscious people. When you need a break from the party, there’s a full agenda of motivational and inspirational talks. Some speakers get very interactive and organize workshops on a variety of topics too. If you care about the planet even a little, this is the festival for you!
Sustainability is Wonderfruit’s Primary Focus
In an interview with City Nomads, the founder of Wonderfruit, Pranitan “Pete” Phornpraha spoke on the social impact focus of the festival. Sustainability was the starting point of designing the event and then the art installations and activities were planned second. Most similar events plan things the other way around, with sustainability being merely an after thought.
If this blog didn’t completely sell you on the Thai music festival experience, check out Wonderfruit’s website. You’ll be able to get a better sense of the lineup of musicians, workshops and ticket pricing. Camping can be expensive (for the average backpacker), so it’s best to plan ahead. It’s also worth noting that there are a handful of other cool underrated festivals in Thailand you might want to research before booking your Wonderfruit 2018 tickets. There’s a ton of different types of festivals in Thailand, you just have to choose!
