The story of Panvaree Raft at Cheow Lan Dam
History of Panwaree Raft
The story of Panvaree Raft at Cheow Lan Dam, located in Khao Sok National Park, Surat Thani, began with Mr. Natthanawat Sakda, affectionately known as Khun Ton.
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree from St. John’s University in 2002, he decided to pursue his dream — pioneering a raft accommodation business on the tranquil waters of Cheow Lan Dam.
More than a decade ago, before Ratchaprapha Dam (Cheow Lan Dam) became one of Thailand’s most beautiful and well-known natural destinations, it was still a hidden gem surrounded by untouched wilderness. A young graduate from bustling Bangkok chose to begin a new life close to nature, applying local wisdom to build a small bamboo raft that served as a simple yet peaceful retreat for visitors.
At that time, Khun Ton operated under the names “Chiang Lan Raft” and “Nam Nam Raft”, located in the Khlong Long area of the Ratchaprapha Reservoir. Living and learning on the water, he grew alongside the natural rhythms of the lake.
By around 2013, as Thailand’s tourism industry began to flourish, Cheow Lan Dam entered a new era of transformation. The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation initiated a formal process to regulate and grant operating rights for private raft accommodations. The goal was to support sustainable tourism development while protecting the area’s ecological balance, known as the Carrying Capacity (CC) system.
Under these new regulations, a limited number of raft operators were approved — 11 in total, later expanded to 12, with strict environmental and structural standards. Among them was Panvaree Raft, which evolved from the earlier Upstream Raft operated by Khun Natthanawat.
The new structure was redesigned to meet the Department of National Parks’ standards, and upon completion, it was officially renamed Panvaree Raft Resort — a name inspired by Khun Ton’s beloved mother, Khun Varee Sakda, who had supported and believed in his vision even when others doubted him.
In 2013, the first zone of Panvaree Raft Resort was completed in the Pak Khlong Long area — a serene, nature-rich location offering both panoramic lake views and majestic mountain scenery.
This harmony of water, mountains, and sky perfectly captures the soul of Panvaree, a place where dreams, nature, and family come together to create something truly timeless.
History of Panwaree Raft,
The Greenery Zone
Later, around the year 2016, the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation There is an announcement to increase the number of raft areas. to every private raft in Ratchaprapa Dam According to the suitability and needs of the increasing number of tourists and to reduce the inequality in the business operations of each establishment to be equal and of the same standard, the National Park Service has considered increasing the usable area of the raft. From the original usable area from 330 square meters (not including walkways and balconies) to 2,000 square meters, including the total area of everything that is on the water in the section.
Panwaree Raft in management to achieve maximum efficiency in business operations Khun Natthanawatthasakda or Khun Ton then went to design a raft for accommodation in the area. that has been allowed to increase to a total of 2,000 square meters using the name of this new zone "The Greenery Zone" also known as "Phanwaree Raft" The Greenery Zone" in order to penetrate the customer market to be more diverse and importantly It is to take experience in many aspects that were viewed as weaknesses or disadvantages in the past, both from the original structure and management of the accommodation raft.. to improve and develop those aspects to be as perfect as possible.
Khun Na Thanawat Sakda is very committed to building accommodation rafts in "Zone The Greenery" with experience of living in building raft accommodations and providing tourist services like this for a long time and is confident that it will develop. To be a place to stay to accommodate and penetrate new groups of customers who want to focus on quality and a Hi-END experience in their stay, including honeymoon couples and tourists from overseas who have quite a lot of purchasing power.
At present, "Raft Panwaree Resort Zone and The Greenery Zone" have been accepted by FEEDBACK of tourists who have visited at a good level. It has been accepted by the media and many famous people from Thailand and abroad. For example, it was chosen as a location for filming the drama "Khon La Khobfa" which is one of the city's famous dramas.
Thai And at the international level, it has been chosen as a location for filming the world-famous reality show Superstar Deutlandsh, making us proud as a person who has helped build a reputation for the country in promoting the country's tourist attractions as Known to Khun Natthanawat Sakda, the executives and team have set a goal to continue to look and develop various aspects as best as possible in order to build a reputation and income for the country and to give back to the community in which they live and operate. .