Mr. Prayong Ronnarong, 67, and his wife live in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province in the south of the Kingdom. Mr. Prayong was a rubber farmer who found that growing only one crop made it difficult to weather market fluctuations. He began discussing possible alternatives with other farmers in the district. Together, they set up the Thai Rubber Development Plan to help each other and gain new knowledge, emphasizing a "learning by doing" approach.

Eventually the group grew into the Mai Reing Rubber Network which gave them a united front in negotiating prices. They also diversified their farms. In addition to rubber, they grew rice, vegetables, freshwater fish, and indigenous chickens, mushrooms, herbal plants, raised pigs, and engaged in animal feed production, and rice processing.

The group later linked with several networks in other regions of Thailand that were involved in other agricultural pursuits like fruit and rice. They then set up a learning centre to share knowledge and marketing expertise.

As a result of his leadership, Mr. Prayong was named the 2004 Magsaysay Award winner for Community Development.