PREFACE
In December 2004, we drove from Bangkok to northern Thailand....
I am finally posting this in October 2019 for the first time, almost 15 years after the trip.
What I have now are just these photos that I am posting, and my fading memory!
However, I still remember that while we were on the road there was the shocking news of huge tsunami down south. That monstrous tsunami took away tens of thousands of lives all of a sudden.
Prior to this trip we had abruptly changed our plan from going down south to coming up north, simply because I missed the dry and cool winter of the north, and the delicious coffee up there.
Some of our close relatives only knew we were to go down south for the vacation. They did not know we had changed our plan.
As soon as the tsunami news reached them they frantically called us and asked if we were OK. I remember I had to answer a few calls while on the road, and repeated a few times that we were fine, we were in the north.
Anyways,...
We began our journey from Bang Na, Bangkok
and went many hundreds kilometers up north to Chiang Mai.
From there we went further up to Doi Pui, Bhu-Ping,
then turned northwest up and up the mountainous road
that was well-known for its thousands curves.
Here are the maps:
Zoomed:
2004 Dec 28 : Doi Pui and Bhu-ping, Chiangmai
Our photos started with Hmong tribal village on Doi Pui, without mentioning what we had seen or done on the road from Bangkok to Chiangmai excepting listening to the frightening tsunami news.
The references below are mostly from Google search results in Oct 2019.
If you are more interested in our photos and videos of this trip please scroll to the BOTTOM of this page for the links to our online albums at Google Photos.
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First two photos:
These huge bamboos were in the middle of the Hmong tribal village.
In the village there was a small museum displaying village life of different tribes in the region.
According to chiangmai.bangkok.com,
"Doi Pui, at 1,685metres above sea level, is the highest peak in the Doi Suthep-Pui National Park. It is famous for its beautiful waterfalls which are easily reached from the main road. But one of the hottest attractions for Doi Pui must be Hmong Tribal Village situated less than five kilometres from the famous Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. A visit to this village is an eye-opener into the tribal villagers’ private life. "
According to mychiangmaitravel.com,
"There are two subgroups of Hmong in Thailand: the Blue Hmong and White Hmong.
The Hmong or Meo Hill-tribes in Thailand crossed over the Mekong River from Laos.
Originally, opium was cultivated on this land by a Hmong community
which settled in Baan Pang Pa Ka village, Tambon Pong Yang, Amphur Mae Rim, Chiang Mai province.
In 1953-1954, the Thai government sent soldiers to eradicate drugs in Pang Pa Ka village,
and the community disintegrated. The villagers migrated to Baan Doi Pui."
Maichiangmaitour.com says:
"At the top of the hill is a garden area, visitors need to pay a ten baht entrance fee
to help maintain the beautiful exhibits of vegetables and flowers,
including the opium poppy which used to be a mainstay of the economy of the hilltribe dwellers.
In winter the area is filled with the pink blooms of the Wild Himalayan Cherry or the Sakura of Thailand.
There is also a restaurant and coffee shop where visitors can enjoy the view of Doi Pui
while sipping locally grown Arabica coffee."
Museumthailand.com says:
The Hilltribe Museum "is founded by Ban Doi Pui headman, Yingyot, Wangwanawat, who is a Hmong person.
By using private funds to buy antiques for display, some parts collect himself, some parts from donation from villagers.
Doi Pui Mong Hill Tribe Village (Chiang Mai) Museum is built in his own land. Incomes from the tickets selling,
they use for museum expenses and remaining money will be spent to help school lunch and village development.
The museum displays daily life appliances in many hill tribes such as Hmong, Yao, Lahu, Akha, Mlabri and others. "
2004 Dec 29 : To Mae Hong Son
From Chiang Mai to Mae Hong Son we must pass through the notorius 1,864 curves on the narrow and often very steep mountainous road.
The view, however, was absolutely breathtaking. There are tons of reviews on the internet about this.
When arrived at Mae Hong Son we could go to the city office and apply for a certificate of having "conquered" the oh-so-many curves.
Fish Cave
In Mae Hong Son we stopped by Fish Cave. Another beautiful place.
According to Thailandforvisitors.com,
"About 17 kilometers (10 miles) from Mae Hong Son town is the small Fish Cave (tam plaa in Thai) national park.
The name is a bit misleading. There's no cave that you can really go into.
The park surrounds a place where a small stream emerges from the rock face of a hill.
However, there are definitely fish. Big brook carp of a kind found only in a very few places in Thailand.
The fish grow up to a meter (three feet) long and appear deep blue in color.
The fish seem to like to cool water of the cave, and you can see them 'queuing up' to get in.
There's another small opening a few steps up that allows you to look down into the cavern,
which appears to be filled with the fish.
The park is a cool shady place with forests of trees lining the cool stream flowing out of the hill.
Beyond the stream, near the park entrance, is a large open space suitable for pitching a tent.
There are also a number of food stalls and restaurants around the entrance.
While the Fish Cave itself is not a really spectacular sight,
the cool environment and ample amenities make it a very pleasant spot to plan a lazy afternoon.
Mud Spa
There was a well-known mud spa place called Phu-Klon. It was near Fish Cave. "Klon" means mud.
(To be honest, we had not known anything about it before the visit.)
We stopped by the mud spa place and had a look but did not try any service that they offered.
Nevertheless, 15 years later I still remember the heat
and the sulfur smell that belongs only to hot springs and volcanos.
Too bad I could not find our photos from our visit.
Here is Phu-Klon's website: http://www.phuklon.co.th/
2004 Dec 30 : Elephant Riding Along Pai River
It was an hour ride into the jungle and along Pai River.
I could not remember if I joined all the way or gave up in the middle.
Pang Oung: "Switzerland in Thailand"
It was very cool. Chilly for us who were so used to the hot and humid weather in Bangkok. The scenic view was not what we could see back home in Bang Na!
A good intro at
Thailand Expert dot com:
"Pang Oung 'Switzerland of Thailand' is a spectacular, beautiful area, some 40 km away from the city of Mae Hong Son,
very close to the authentic Chinese village Ban Rak Thai.
Pang Oung is one of the hidden treasures of Mae Hong Son province,
and those who visit here find it hard to believe they are in Thailand.
There’s a large lake with black and white swans, surrounded by pine trees and mountain chains
– such sights bring Switzerland to mind, rather than Thailand, and so it is known as “Switzerland of Thailand”.
In the past, the area was known for illegal opium crops,
but the king and queen of Thailand decided to intervene and advance the area.
They’ve established a royal project that included building a large water reserve and an agricultural center,
where villagers were taught to practice modern agriculture with various crops such as avocado, pears etc. – instead of opium.
The area appeals to local nature enthusiasts who enjoy the beauty and serenity of the place.
It features guesthouses and camping sites,
and the visitors are welcome to enjoy walking tracks in the cool, fresh air,
in the beautiful natural lake setting with the mountains that surround it;
they can sail smoothly on the pastoral lake and watch one of the main attractions on site
– 2 pairs of swans, one black and the other white – that were donated to the place by queen Sirkit.
The following sites are a short drive away from Pang Oung:
Pang Tong Palace
Su Tong Pae bamboo bridge
Phu Klon Mud Spa
Pha Suea Waterfall
The Chinese village Ban Rak Thai"
Ban Rak Thai
Of the places listed above, I was most impressed with Ban Rak Thai.
The name literally means "Thai Loving Village".
There were a few tribal "villages" at the outskirt of Ban Rak Thai: the Shan village, Long Neck Karen village, Big Ear Karen Village, and the Chinese village. But it was mainly a Chinese village.
Freshly brewed coffee at Shan Village was impressive. I cannot remember whether we did try but the rich aroma was unforgettable. What a huge contrast to the surrounding simplicity.
Bottom left photo was taken at Ban Rak Thai. Standing with me was a multi-lingual hill-tribe lady. She was an assistant to this shop that was also a Chinese restaurant. We ate here and the food was quite good.
Our conversation started in Thai and ended in Chinese. Her Chinese was fluent!
She told me she was not Chinese but she had learned the language at school as a child.
"Most kids in the village went to Thai school during the daytime and Chinese school in the evening," said she, pointing to the directions where the schools were located. "They are not too far apart."
That was why she and so many locals in the village could speak a few languages fluently : Chinese, Thai, tribal languages, and some English.
This story sounded familiar. In the past, many Chinese families in Bangkok, especially in Chinatown, also sent their kids to evening schools to study Chinese. I heard that there were the years that the Thai government banned Chinese classes for fear of the spread of Communism that might come with the language, and the teaching had to be done silently and quietly to avoid the patrolling police and big mouth neighbors. This happened many decades ago in Bangkok and in the cities and towns where there were schools that taught Chinese.
I do not know whether the same Sinophobia phenomema happened in this village on the border of Thailand.
OK, anyways.....
4 years later in 2008 when we met again, she became the owner of this shop!
What Travel Fish says about Ban Rak Thai:
"Formerly a notorious KMT (Kuomintang) army post named Mae Aw,
the border village of Ban Rak Thai has reinvented itself as a kind of mini Mae Salong.
Residents are predominantly descendants of the Republican Chinese soldiers
that sought refuge here after defeat by Mao’s forces,
though very few veterans remain these days.
Ban Rak Thai is also home to various other groups who fled Burma in former times
including Lahu, Pa-O and even Wa as well as Shan families.
The casual visitor would be hard pushed to tell the difference though,
and most families in the village are involved in producing and selling tea,
dried fruit and refreshments for visitors.
The village is cute with plenty of old south Chinese style cottages
along a windy road around a small artificial lake in the centre.
Many buildings are constructed using traditional methods of mud and straw.
Low hills covered in tea plantations surround the village
and the border is a mere kilometre or so further north."
Jodi Ettenberg's A TASTE OF CHINA ON THE THAI-BURMA BORDER summarized the complicated history of this region so well :
"To trace back to original inhabitants of Mae Aw (or as the Thais call it Ban Rak Tai, “the Thai-Loving Village”), one needs to go back to the Chinese Civil War and the Kuomintang (KMT) party."
Heavy history here!
2004 Dec 31 : Khun Yuam WWII Jp Museum
On the way we saw a sign pointing to a WWII Jp Museum. It was our first time to heard about this.
With curiosity we decided to have a look.
Turned out it was such a stunning, eye-opening, heart-rending place that was so full of sad, sad memories for so many people, and at the same time, there are many heartwarming happenings, too.
Lee Alvin wrote it so well in "The other face of the Imperial Japanese Army" :
"The Japanese occupation of Singapore and its neighbouring regions during WW2
is perhaps the darkest period of the last century in South East Asia.
Hearing first hand accounts from my grandparents of innocent people getting machined-gun,
tortured, bayoneted and other unimaginable form of brutality still opens up wounds that are slow to heal.
Therefore it was truly mind blowing to hear about
how well the Thai people particularly in Khun Yuam were treated by the Japanese soldiers some 60 years ago.
The WW2 museum in Khun Yuam showed me a different perspective about the Japanese.
This fascinating place is 63km south from Mae Hong Son along Highway 108.
Opened in 1995, it was the brain child of a certain Pol. Lt. Col. Chertchai Chomthawat,
who was head of Khun Yuam Police Station.
He managed to organise and collect about 1300 Japanese army artifacts
consisting of dishes, spoons, vehicles, weapons, samurai blades, and uniforms from the locals.
The museum is run by an elderly Thai man
who once worked for the Japanese Military when he was a 12 year old - fetching water for one baht.
Through our Thai friend Angkana, we learned from him how the villagers offered whatever help needed
to wounded and sick Japanese soldiers who were retreating in masses from their failed campaign
in Burma against the British (they were initially successful).
Over 100,000 Japanese soldiers died in the Burma War. About 7000 soldiers were in this area at its peak.
As a result, there were many inter-marriages as well between the soldiers and the local girls
and most famous of all is the late Fukuda san whose surviving Thai wife still lives in Khun Yuam.
Stories and pictures of how the Japanese helped local farmers all sounded too good to be true, at least from my perspective,
but this was clearly displayed in the museum with eye-witness accounts.
Thailand was considered an ally of Japan then so that may explain the cordiality experienced.
Nevertheless, it was most intriguing to hear from the other side of the fence.
We learn that at least in this region, the Japanese soldiers were not as monstrous as we know them to be.
War brings the worst out of people and in rare occassions, the best as seen in Khun Yuam."
According to this site in Japanese, 第二次世界大戦でのクンユアムの人々の日本の兵隊さんの思い出, Mr. Chertchai says:
"私は、この世のすべてのものには魂が宿っていると信じている。
・・・物をつくった人は、その物がこの世の中に存在する価値を吹き込む。
・・・その物の持ち主の心
・・・持ち主の子孫やその物に興味を持った人の心は、その持ち主に思いを馳せる。
戦争時の日本兵の持ち物は生きるための必需品である以外に、持ち主とともに苦楽をともにした友達である。
何年もの間共に任務を遂行した物に、持ち主の愛情と友情は伝わったはずだ。
その愛情は、持ち主が去ってしまってもその物に宿っている。
物は持ち主の代わりに子孫や後世の人たちにかつての時代のことを語り、尊敬の念を起こさせる。
その時、その物は子孫たちにとってお金で買うことの出来ないかけがえのない物になる。
この考えが、私たちが物を集め、出来事を語り伝え、
そしてクンユアム第二次世界大戦博物館を設立した理由のひとつだ。
博物館は後世の人たちが歴史の一場面を学ぶ場である。
先祖の使ったものに触れる喜びは、去ってしまった人の心に触れる喜びとなる。
この喜びはあなたの中にも起こるかもしれない。"
Mr. Chertchai passed away in Jan 2016. May he rest in peace.
To be honest, I still cannot stop my tears when I see these pictures we took so long time ago. Some of the water bottles, the clothes, the suitcases, the utensils, and etc., looked too familiar. Just like what we had at home in Bangkok long ago. The words "Dear Comrades, please rest in peace" sounded so sad....
Many of these soldiers were still very young. They were sent by their government to the land far away from their beloved families, the land full of jungles, the land very different from theirs. Many later lost their lives in the jungle. They did not have to die that way. Wars are always devastating.
The soldiers were here at the time when my dad arrived in Thailand as a civilian working for a Japanese company....
Different fates, different Karma!
2005 Jan 1:
I am not sure 15 years ago which route we took after leaving Khun Yuam.
Did we go further south to Mae Sariang?
Or did we turn left somewhere near Khun Yuam and go east,
passing Doi Inthanon, Jomthong, and back to Chiangmai?
Maybe we did pass by Doi Inthanon.
Maybe we came to Jomthong and stayed overnight at a really nice resort at the foot of Doi Inthanon.
Without photos or videos or any written records my memory was fading and I am not sure which year we stopped by that very nice resort and experienced the below 15C weather.
For our boys, who had not known real winter, 15C was freezing for them.
On New Years Day we stopped at an Umbrella Factory in Chiang Mai and took these pictures.
Chiangmai.bangkok.com has a good introduction to this place in Bor Sang, Chiangmai:
After entering the San Kampaeng district (where Bor Sang is located),
you will see vibrantly coloured paper umbrellas in various street-side shops. Some also sell the umbrellas, but that’s not where all the action is.
Bor Sang Village is where you want to go. Besides crafts shops,
selling the umbrellas and sa paper products,
the main highlight is the umbrella factory,
where you can watch the craftsmen and women putting together the umbrellas from scratch.
In an assembly-line setup, you will be able to tour all the stations, from the making of the smallest parts to fully assembled parts,
the drawing station, sundry station (a green lawn laden with vibrantly coloured umbrellas of all sizes) and the finished product ready to be displayed in craft shops.
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After that, we were on the way home, listening to lots of traumatic post-tsunami reports on our car radio....
It was very different from the previous years: no joyous happy-new-year songs were broadcast.
Albums
Dec 29, 2004 : Doi Pui and Bhu-Ping Chiangmai, On the way to Mae Hong Son, Fish Cave
Dec 30, 2004 : Elephant Riding, Switzerland in Thailand (Pang Oung), Tribal villages (Ban Rak Thai) in Mae Hong Son
Dec 31, - Jan 1, 2005 : Khun Yuam WWII Japanese Museum in Mae Hong Son, Umbrella Factory in Chiangmai
Sorry, no videos....