Our Khao Lak hotel has implemented eco-friendly approaches from the very beginning. We have our own wastewater treatment system that uses purely organic filtration methods and reuses the treated water to irrigate our garden and fill the resort’s streams. We reduce energy consumption and minimise pollution through reducing, reusing and recycling solid waste. We also work with multiple organisations to preserve the wildlife and trees on our property. Because of our numerous efforts to minimise environmental impact, we received the Travelife Gold certification for accommodation and won the Responsible Thailand Award for Best Hotel (2020 & 2021) and Responsible Conservation category (2024).
Our resort is home to over 200 species of wildlife including colugos, owls, hanging parrots, flying lizards and more. With many local trees native to Phang Nga and Southern Thailand, our sustainable hotel property is a perfect habitat for almost 100 species of birds and the endangered slow loris. We have a partnership with a non-profit conservation foundation called Love Wildlife to help preserve local wildlife, especially the slow lorises. We provide an environment that supports their natural diet and help Love Wildlife collect data about their behaviour, which is used to inform new research on these shy animals.
Love Wildlife also performs annual wildlife surveys in the resort to update on the animal species. Our guests can learn about our vibrant biodiversity through in-room booklets, educational videos and wildlife information signs scattered around the garden. We believe that wildlife education is an important part of conservation. This is why our Khao Lak hotel offers sustainable beachfront accommodation and provides unique ways for visitors to connect with the local environment during their stay.
Our hotel land in Phang Nga had always been full of ancient trees extending from Khao Lak-Lam Ru National Park. So we preserved most of the original trees during Khaolak Merlin Resort’s construction. Half of the hotel’s 30 rai is covered with greenery and ancient trees. We have a total of nearly 300 trees of 40 species native to Southern Thailand. Some of these towering trees are estimated to be over 100 years old.
We are partnered with the Big Trees Project to help take care of the trees in our garden. Their team of professional arborists trained our gardeners to maintain tall, ancient trees with ropes and pulleys, ensuring safety for both our trees and our people. They also helped us compile a database of tree species and calculate their carbon footprint value. The trees helped reduce our carbon footprint by over 76 tons of carbon over the years!
Among our passionate sustainability team, we also have a permanent resident biologist to advise us about best practices to conserve the environment. They are trained by our partner foundations and lead adventurous activities to educate guests about the biodiversity in the resort, including Wildlife Night Walk Tour and Bird Watching Tour. If you’re lucky, you might spot rare or endangered species in the hotel.
When not leading unforgettable experiences, they conduct research to catalogue new species and give advice to improve resort biodiversity with native flowers and fruiting trees. They also manage the treetop camera traps to keep tabs on the slow loris family that lives on the trees above. Visit our biologist in the Biologist Corner of the Nature Lab center and they will be more than happy to share their knowledge with you!
Water is the most important resource in the rainforest. All our wastewater undergoes an extensive treatment process using purely organic filtration and cleansing systems. The treated water is reused to irrigate the plants and fill the streams on the property. Our huge garden helps make our resort sustainable by allowing us to reuse water, saving millions of litres of wastewater and reducing our impact on the Phang Nga environment.
Our purified water is so clean that many species of freshwater fish and amphibians flourish in our charming canals. This water is vital for a complete ecosystem and we are sure that the water that seeps into the soil is free of chemicals and won’t cause any ocean contamination.
We minimise our carbon footprint through reducing, reusing and recycling solid waste. Our landfill waste is separated into types and kept in a trash sorting area, where local waste management companies can collect and recycle it, lowering the environmental impact. For organic waste, we compost them in composting machines and our compost pits. The nutrient-rich soil is then used as fertilisers to grow new plants in our tree nursery and our garden.
Plastic waste is a big problem because it takes a long time to decompose. We take active steps to reduce our plastic waste by choosing alternative materials, such as biodegradable paper straws, and reducing single-use containers. We also give out cloth bags to our staff and encourage them to be mindful of the impact of plastic bags.
Khaolak Merlin Resort’s commitment to being a sustainable hotel means more than just supporting local ecosystems. It also includes a dedication to cooperating with and supporting local communities, especially in the nearby Thai Mueang district. We set employment targets to ensure we provide jobs for the people in the area. We also create volunteering activities, such as trash pick-up rallies and local temple cleaning days, to help care for local resources, and maintain a close relationship with the community. We also purchase goods and services from local suppliers and make regular donations to local environmental and humanitarian charities and encourage our guests to support them too.
Carbon emissions contribute to global warming and climate change. Since 2023, we have recorded our complete carbon footprint from all sources and we are doing everything we can to reduce it year by year, from switching to LED light bulbs, installing sensors to reduce air-conditioning use and sourcing from local suppliers. We work with local consultants on how to further reduce emissions and we aim to reach carbon neutrality by 2030.
