PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present an account of a PAR project in a Thai community and to discuss the methodological implications of implementing a culturally responsive approach.Design/methodology/approachThe paper draws on the frameworks for PAR conducted as a community development project with rural Thai communities.FindingsThe paper reviews the use of a PAR approach as a culturally responsive approach and presents an experience of culturally situated research practice.Originality/valueThis paper encourages researchers conducting participatory inquiry to engage in deeper critical reflection on the implications of these methods in keeping with PAR's critical ontological, epistemological and axiological orientation.