POSITIV GROUP Social Enterprise is advancing a new model of low-carbon tourism in Thailand by integrating community-led experiences with clean technology. Operating as GuideGURU Xperience, the company designs immersive, locally rooted travel experiences that distribute income directly to communities while preserving cultural heritage and natural ecosystems. Founded in 2013 and based in Nonthaburi, POSITIV works across a national network of local partners, connecting guides, small businesses, and conservation efforts through tourism.
Through the support of EXO Foundation, in partnership with the UnTours Foundation’s Reset Tourism Fund, POSITIV is scaling its flagship innovation: Thailand’s first electric longtail boat engine designed for tourism. Introduced in 2025, the EV Boat replaces diesel engines with a low-emissions alternative, enabling quieter, cleaner, and more cost-effective transport across waterways, while strengthening the sustainability of tourism at the destination level.
The POSITIV GROUP Origin Story
The story of POSITIV GROUP begins with a focus on connection. When Silaparn Manthanakit founded the company, the goal was to create tourism experiences that reflected the depth of Thailand’s local cultures and landscapes while ensuring that communities directly benefited from visitor spending.
Over time, that vision expanded. As the team worked closely with communities across the country, it became clear that tourism’s long-term value depended not only on who benefits economically, but also on how it impacts the environment. Local transport, particularly longtail boats, emerged as a key challenge, widely used but heavily reliant on diesel engines.
In response, POSITIV developed the EV Boat, working with Thai universities and local operators to introduce electric propulsion into traditional tourism systems. First piloted along community and wildlife routes, including in Uthai Thani, the initiative marked a shift from tour operations toward building low-carbon infrastructure that communities can adopt and scale.
How POSITIV GROUP Is Making A Positive Impact
POSITIV’s model delivers impact across environmental, economic, and community dimensions, with the EV Boat at the center of its approach. By replacing diesel engines with electric propulsion, the company reduces emissions by up to 96%, while eliminating fuel leakage into waterways and significantly lowering noise pollution that affects both wildlife and operators.
The business is structured to keep value local, with an estimated 41–60% of operating expenses directed toward local suppliers and community partners. This reflects a model where tourism revenue remains embedded within the destination rather than leaking out.
The shift to electric transport also improves the economics of community tourism. Lower fuel costs increase margins for local boat operators, supporting more stable and dignified livelihoods. POSITIV pairs this with training and collaboration with local suppliers and government partners to build capacity around clean energy adoption, recognizing that long-term impact depends on aligning technology with local readiness.
Beyond transport, the company’s tourism model prioritizes local ownership. Experiences are led by community members and supported by local supply chains, from food to crafts, ensuring that tourism revenue remains embedded within the destination. Environmental activities, including conservation efforts and low-waste practices, further reinforce the connection between tourism and ecosystem stewardship.
Why the UnTours Foundation Invested in POSITIV GROUP
In partnership with EXO Foundation, which is directly funding this investment as part of its effort to green its tourism supply chain, we invested in POSITIV GROUP to support a practical, on-the-ground solution for reducing the environmental footprint of tourism while strengthening local economies.
As part of EXO Travel’s supplier network, POSITIV represents how targeted capital can help operators transition toward lower-carbon models. The EV Boat addresses one of the sector’s most overlooked challenges, local transport, by transforming it into a cleaner, more efficient system that directly benefits community operators.
Through the Reset Tourism Fund, this investment supports the scale and deployment of EV Boat technology across community tourism routes in Thailand. The funding is enabling POSITIV to expand sales channels, educate local suppliers, and strengthen coordination with public and private sector partners, all critical to making clean transport viable in real operating conditions.
More broadly, this partnership demonstrates how supply chain investment can drive system-wide change. By aligning clean technology with community livelihoods, POSITIV shows how tourism can move beyond extraction and toward models that are more resilient, more equitable, and built to last.
How You Can Support POSITIV GROUP
Travelers can experience POSITIV’s work by booking tours through GuideGURU Xperience, where local guides lead community-based, low-impact experiences across Thailand. Choosing EV Boat routes, where available, directly supports the transition to cleaner transport while improving livelihoods for local operators.
