PURPOSE This paper addresses how community sufficiency provides solutions to national problems, using lessons learned from the Royal Initiative Discovery (Pid Tong Lang Pra) Projects in Nan province Thailand as a case study. The paper describes how area-based community development projects, based on the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy could create community sufficiency and sustainability. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH Qualitative research method is applied in this study. Primary data were gathered through 1) in-depth face-to-face interviews with fourteen staffs both management and operational level are conducted, 2) two focus groups with a total of 20 farmers and 3) four in-depth interviews with involved stakeholders; a sheriff, village headman and government officers and 4) observation are included. In addition, secondary data were analysed using content analysis. FINDINGS The Foundation’s approach is people-centric, with a focus on irrigation, multi-crop farming, community collaboration, self-help, and sustainable reforestation. After five years of operation, the projects have resulted in improved food security and household income, thereby reducing household indebtedness. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS Scaling up these area-based community development projects nation-wide remains a challenge but would certainly help improve Thailand’s sustainability. PRACTICAL & SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS Lessons learned from the foundation’s community development projects could provide an important alternative for Thailand’s development, which has been mostly dictated top-down. ORIGINALITY/VALUE The practice of the community sufficiency provides good lesson learned for those who interested in solving socio-economic problems.