A white doctor’s gown may be his weekday uniform, but riding pants and boots are what Assoc Prof Nopadol Saropala prefers when he retreats to his horse farm in Khao Yai for the weekend.
Dr Nopadol Saropala and his Andalusian horse on a riding trail close to his farm.
As he strode casually wandered on his 16-rai domain called Farm Mor Por (meaning Dr Por’s farm), he shared that he has just rushed from Bangkok to be here at his vacation home amid hills and horses.
“Most people would be happy just to sit on a porch, sip wine and smoke cigars. But, for me? My happiness is to sit on a horse and look at the beautiful scenery with soft wind blowing during a sunset,” wrote the obstetrician and gynaecologist of Bumrungrad International Hospital on his Facebook page.
The scenery is raw and natural on the private horse farm and local tourist attraction, compared to other photo-ready but impractical places in the same neighbourhood. There are horses waiting to nibble on grass and people’s shirt sleeves as they walk by. There are angry-looking geese strutting about, as well as pigs, Great Danes, goats and more than 300 free-range chickens. It is a mini empire of farm animals.
“Within four years, I have had 80 horses. They’re quite a handful, and they’re all imported. It’s like a drug. I buy one and I want to keep buying again and again,” said Dr Nopadol of his obsession. He is also involved with Mirasierra, a Spanish-style housing estate project not far from his farm. The project includes a clubhouse, a boutique hotel, and a must-have for the doctor: a horse stable.
Currently, the doctor owns horses of 11 breeds — a mixture of the most beautiful, biggest and smallest horses from all over the world, which include Andalusian, Arabian, Friesian, Clydesdale, and many others. He has always welcomed his family and friends onto his farm and they can take the horses out for a ride. It was only a few months ago that his friends suggested that he convert the farm into a business and open it to the public in order to offset the cost of keeping the horses.
“It took me a long time to consider,” said Dr Nopadol. “This place is still my vacation home. Do I really want to turn it into a business? In the end, I realised that it makes me happy to see the children happy [as well as everyone who visits]. When you like something, you want to share that with others as well. I want people to come and see my horses.”
Since the farm opened to the public, it has attracted tourists as well as students and groups on excursions. Dr Nopadol hopes his farm will be a place where people can have a good time, while also getting an informative experience. “If children come here for their field trips, I want to teach them how to think, and that everything has a reason behind it,” said Dr Nopadol who finds the Thai education system a disappointment.
“Children are only taught to memorise. Everything can be made into a poem to make it easier to remember. They just memorise without learning the meaning. They lack understanding. I want them to think for themselves, and not to worry if the answer is right or wrong.” Dr Nopadol plans to organise a leadership programme for children at his farm. This is where they will learn basic psychology such as conditioning and positive reinforcement, as well as teamwork. But most importantly, it will serve to build confidence in children.
However, it is not all about enriching the minds of young people from elsewhere. Dr Nopadol has a priority to improve the lives of those living in a village near the farm, a place where literacy is not common.
“I tried paying the kids around here to go to school before,” said the doctor. “I paid their tuition fees and tried to make them attend classes, but it was all in vain. A boy working on my farm even said that if I don’t give him a job, then he’d run away. He wouldn’t go to school no matter what. It is quite surprising that half of the people around here can’t write, and this is Khao Yai we’re talking about. Some leave school at the age of 11 or 12 to work for their parents. So, I continue to build this farm with the intention to keep the people employed. I’m happy it could keep them away from drugs. This way, they also have jobs. I hope it will be better for them in the future. Even if they leave this farm, they will always have their skills.”
The doctor admits that, in a business sense, he is making a loss each month. However, his desire to improve the living standards of those in surrounding areas are greater. If it can ensure employment for others, then it is his intention to continue his quest.
