Drunk on the Tuscan Scenery of Thailand – La Toscana Resort::Thailand

Text & Photography / Li Xinyi

Tuscany is an administrative region in Italy. When people mention this place, many think of the serene mountain town scenery in the movie "Under the Tuscan Sun," where the female protagonist healed from the pain of her divorce amidst such landscapes and rediscovered her life. My first encounter with Tuscany was in the small city of Pisa. The orange-red glow of the setting sun spread across the land, making the entire city seem immersed in this wine-like, intoxicating view. This serenity is my impression of Tuscany. Visiting this Thai resort designed with Tuscan scenery, La Toscana Resort, offers a completely different experience. Beyond the stunning scenery, it also incorporates the simple yet artistic mountain town culture of Thailand, creating a unique atmosphere.

La Toscana Resort is located in Pha Pok Village, Nong Bua Lamphu Province. This village is filled with various foreign-style resorts, big and small. The largest resort has over seventy rooms. Originally, Pha Pok Village was a place where wealthy Bangkok residents bought land in the suburbs to build holiday cottages. Gradually, these private cottages evolved into accommodations and hotels. Hence, the scale of the hotels here is not large, with about 20 to 30 rooms each, attracting locals with their unique features.

The owner of La Toscana Resort originally planned to build a foreign-style resort in this mountain town with scenery reminiscent of Tuscany. What’s special is that these foreign scenes all come from Pha Pok Village — the old wood is sourced from old houses, and the bricks are locally fired. In this village of just over seven hundred people, there are builders, carpenters, weavers, and even chefs and waiters needed to construct a resort. Everyone is amateur but also an artist with their own ideas.