Gulf Energy Installs Solar System in Ranong Coastal Community
Gulf Energy is installing a solar power system in Ban Lam Nao village, a remote Muslim fishing community in Ranong that has relied on a shared petrol generator for just four hours of daily electricity. The project will restore power to the
Gulf Development Public Company Limited is reinforcing its commitment to building a sustainable future by leveraging renewable energy expertise to help remote communities access reliable electricity. The company is installing a solar power system in Ban Lam Nao village, Naka Subdistrict, Suksamran District, Ranong Province, under the Green Energy Green Network for Thais programme as the third project site of 2025. The initiative addresses critical infrastructure shortages, expands electricity access, promotes education, and supports the revival and sustainable growth of community tourism and homestay businesses.
Village elder Pichet Phakdi explained that Ban Lam Nao is a Thai Muslim community with over 300 years of history, located within Lamson National Park on a peninsula stretching some 10 kilometres along the Andaman coastline. The village is home to 236 people in 57 households, with the Nur al-Islam Mosque serving as the spiritual centre and a primary school with 38 students. Most residents practise traditional fishing using small long-tail boats and farming rubber and cashew orchards.
Historically, the village has suffered chronic electricity shortages due to its remote location. A shared 5-kilowatt petrol generator has supplied power to about 42 houses for just 4 hours daily from 18:00 to 22:00. Each household pays 10 baht per night for fuel costs, but rising oil prices have strained family budgets. Some households rely on degraded small solar systems provided by state agencies, and Ranong's persistent rainfall has reduced their efficiency. The Nur al-Islam Mosque's solar battery and inverter system has been broken for over 2 years, leaving no electricity for the five-times-daily prayer call broadcasts or adequate lighting for religious classes attended by over 30 children and adults from 19:00 to 20:00. The village's central water filter has also sat idle without electricity for the pump system, forcing all households to purchase bottled water at additional expense.
Pichet noted that Gulf's new solar system is designed to serve the community centre, restoring power to the mosque for daily religious functions and prayer broadcasts while reactivating the central water filter to produce clean drinking water.
