A social enterprise designing low-carbon, community-based tourism experiences has launched Thailand’s first electric longtail boat engine, the EV Boat, reducing carbon emissions by 96% and cutting fuel costs dramatically.
With a USD 20,000 microloan from EXO Foundation’s Reset Tourism Fund, POSITIV Group will scale up EV Boat production, train local operators, expand green job opportunities, and take the product to market, creating a replicable model for sustainable tourism across SoutheastAsia.
Growing green
Founded in 2013, POSITIV Group Social Enterprise operates in Thailand’s growing green tourism sector under the brand GuideGURU Xperience.
Based in Nonthaburi, near Bangkok, the company designs and delivers low-carbon travel routes and community-based experiential tours that celebrate local culture while advancing environmental sustainability.
Their core offerings include immersive tourism experiences led by local guides, nature and adventure tours, heritage preservation programmes, and eco-activities like tree planting and plastic-free campaigns. They are an EXO Travel supplier.
Flagship innovation
In 2025, the company launched its flagship innovation: the EV Boat, Thailand’s first electric boat engine designed specifically for tourismuse.
This product offers a low-emissions alternative to the country’s 3,700+ diesel-powered longtail boats, which collectively emit over 44,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually.
The EV Boat reduces air and noise pollution, eliminates water contamination from fuel discharge, and drastically cuts operating costs for community tour providers.
Developed in partnership with Thai universities and local communities, the EV Boat initiative represents POSITIV GROUP’s shift from traditional tourism toward regenerative tourism systems, combining clean technology, environmental consulting, and sustainability education.
Investment opportunity
POSITIV Group sought USD 20,000 in financing to scale its EV Boat operations and integrate sustainable transport into community tourism offerings.
The microloan (with flexible terms) that POSITIV has secured from EXO Foundation’s Reset Tourism Fund will support these coreareas:
- Product and equipment development: Expand the production and distribution of electric boat engines to community tourism enterprises in five provinces.
- Human resource development: Train local guides and boat operators in electric boat usage, eco-tour operations, safety protocols, and sustainable tourism storytelling.
- Marketing and promotion: Develop promotional content and campaigns to increase awareness and adoption of EV Boat tours. Target audiences include international travellers, corporate partners (for CSR integration), and local tourism boards.
Silaparn, POSITIV Group CEO & Founder, said: “Through this investment, we’ve had the opportunity to develop an EV long-tail boat initiative that promotes eco-friendly and community-based tourism.
“This marks our first step in introducing clean energy into the tourism industry in collaboration with local operators and academic institutions, with the aim to further expand it into sustainable business opportunities.”
Social and environmental impacts
- An EV Boat emits just 1.8 kg CO₂eq on a 20-kilometre trip, resulting in a 25-fold (96%) reduction in emissions compared to a diesel-powered boat which emits 43.8 kgCO₂eq.
- The use of electric propulsion eliminates water pollution from oil spills and chemical runoff, helping preserve aquatic ecosystems and protect local water sources.
- EV Boats are more than 90% quieter than traditional boats, reducing harmful noise pollution that disturbs wildlife and causes long-term hearing damage in operators, 83% of whom have measurable nerve damage.
- Transitioning from diesel to electric boats reduces daily fuel costs from THB 480 to just THB 18 and improving profit margins for community tour operators.
- Local residents are trained and employed in EV Boat operations, eco-tourism guiding, and hospitality services, creating dignified green jobs and reducing rural-to-urban migration pressures.
- Cleaner air, quieter engines, and reduced vibration improve working conditions and passenger experience, supporting overall physical and mental well-being for both communities and visitors.
- The initiative supports Thailand’s national goal to certify 30% of tourism businesses as sustainable by 2027, while also advancing global targets under SDG 3 (health), SDG 11 (sustainable communities), and SDG 13 (climate action).
About EXO Foundation
EXO Foundationis a non-profit organisation based in Southeast Asia supporting local grassroots projects.It strives to be a driving force in fostering sustainable development and improving positive societal and environmental changes through the promotion of responsible tourism.
It also aims to pave the way for mainstreaming good practices within the travel industry in Asia that will maximise the potential for tourism to become a tool for poverty alleviation and sustainable development.
About the Reset Tourism Fund
EXO Foundation’s Reset Tourism Fundinvests catalytic capital into sustainable and community-enhancing tourism businesses that supply EXO Travel.
We believe the future of tourism gives ALL travellers life-enhancing experiences, helps host communities thrive, and ensures that the natural and cultural resources that make travel special will be respected, restored, and regenerated.
We believe that tourism is a powerful and underutilised tool for fighting poverty, empowering underestimated entrepreneurs, and combating climate change.
If you believe this too and are building your tourism business with these beliefs in mind, then we’d love to hear fromyou.
To be eligible for investment, your business must directly connect with the tourism industry and represent the future of tourism by ensuring that it is community-enhancing and environmentally sustainable. Read more.
