In Collaboration with LOKAL Re:Generative
On 4th October 2025, Koh Jum Beach Villas collaborated with LOKAL Re:Generative as part of the first-ever Bangkok Climate Action Week (BKKCAW), held from 28 September to 5 October 2025. This landmark event brought together people and organizations across Thailand and Southeast Asia to catalyze whole-of-society climate action. Within this framework, LOKAL Re:Generative convened change makers and curious citizens to explore how regeneration can guide us beyond sustainability, towards restoring vitality for people, communities, and ecosystems.
A Living Journey Through People, Place, and Purpose
Curated by LOKAL Re:Generative, an eight-day experiential program designed to bridge research, dialogue, and practice, the event unfolded across multiple venues, from Museum Siam and Baan Tepa Culinary Space in Bangkok to Choktawee Agroforestry in Nakhon Ratchasima.
LOKAL’s approach weaves Thai culture and Southeast Asian wisdom into learning experiences that connect heart, place, and purpose. The initiative convened a curated group of changemakers, from hospitality and food systems to academia, design, and bioregional conservation, to explore how regeneration can be lived, not just discussed.
Our Role: Regenerative Hospitality in Action
On Day 4: Exploring Regenerative Hospitality and Design, Koh Jum Beach Villas joined Ipse Ipsa Ipsum in presenting living examples of how luxury, culture, and ecology can coexist harmoniously.
Learn more about Ipse Ipsa Ipsum here: @IpseIpsaIpsum
We shared our journey:
- Community roots: Founded after the 2004 tsunami, the resort began by helping local families rebuild their long-tail boats, vital for fishing and island transport, before evolving into an eco-luxury retreat supporting livelihoods and resilience.
- Living within natural limits: With Travelife Gold Certification, our resort integrates biodiversity protection, solar power, organic gardens, and a ban on single-use plastics into daily operations.
- Education and cultural connection: Through local school programs and guest experiences, we nurture environmental awareness and cultural exchange, from rubber tapping and traditional boat making to visits to the Following Giants elephant sanctuary.
- Partnerships with purpose: We proudly work with Thai farmers, fishermen, and artisans while sourcing coffee, tea, spirits, and produce from ethical national suppliers.
Lessons and Insights
Our central message was simple: true luxury regenerates. Comfort and beauty can exist in harmony with ecological and cultural wellbeing.
Regeneration, however, isn’t always neat or linear. Some of our experiments, like an ancient Egyptian-inspired sand hydroponic system, taught us valuable lessons in adaptation. Others, like our education initiatives and coral protection efforts, have thrived. Even our humor helps us stay resilient as we navigate the challenges of operating within ecological boundaries, from managing supply chain habits around single-use plastics to continuously rethinking our footprint.
Why It Matters
As highlighted by LOKAL Re:Generative, sustainability alone can no longer meet the complexity of today’s “polycrisis”, overlapping challenges of climate change, inequality, and biodiversity loss. Regeneration asks us to go beyond harm reduction, to actively participate in restoring life and vitality.
At Koh Jum Beach Villas, that participation begins with heart, place, and people, embedding care for the environment, respect for culture, and empowerment of the local community into every guest experience.
Looking Forward
Participating in Bangkok Climate Action Week and collaborating with LOKAL Re:Generative reaffirmed our belief that regeneration must be lived through real, grounded examples. Together, we’re showing that tourism can become a force for renewal, strengthening communities, ecosystems, and shared futures.
About LOKAL Re:Generative
LOKAL Re:Generative is a Thailand-based initiative that explores how regeneration can transform systems across sectors, from food and hospitality to academia, design, and finance. Through research, experiential learning, and community dialogue, the program fosters collaboration between people and place, aiming to shift the conversation from sustaining to regenerating
You can follow more of their journey on their Instagram page here: @lokal.regenerative
