The author Pira Sudham stated that he wished 'to find a place in literature for the poor of Thailand so that they will not live unnoticed and die in vain'.

He was born into poverty in a small rice growing village in Buriram, Isan and later became a temple boy in Bangkok as he excelled in his studies, and went on to attend Chulalongkorn University before travelling abroad to further his education. In 1990 he was nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature.

He chose to write in English to publicize the plight of the Northeast - unusually choosing this second language for his literary outlet. As such his books provide an accessible insight to the Northeast of Thailand for visitors to Gecko Villa. Amongst his books are People of Esarn (published in 1987) and Monsoon Country (1988).

Honed on the great Isan plateau, Pira Sudham's work reflects both the alluring and less savoury aspects of life in the region, where the textile of life is patterned against a warp of tradition and weft of transition. The essential character of Isan is rooted in its dependence on a good rainy season, which in turn imbues it with ambivalence as resignation opposes reaction, scarcity contrasts with abundance, and innocence and happiness with corruption and despair.

In several instances Pira Sudham witnesses the older generation observe the younger abandon Isan and travel to Bangkok in search of employment. This splits families apart and leads to a decimation of indigenous culture and traditions, yet he too drew succour from such a move.  "If I had not left my village then, I would have been subject, like most villagers, to the mercy of nature: floods, drought, disease, ignorance and scarcity. With endurance, I would have accepted them as my own fate, as something I cannot go against in this life."

Gecko Villa, as a sustainable tourism initiative, was launched in part to stem this flow, albeit on a small scale, permitting those involved the option to remain in their local villages together with their families and avoiding migration elsewhere.