On the road with Mum my Brother

[DavidFL]

Mum's 17th plus trip here, but a first for my brother.....it takes all kinds to make the world go round.

We had a super time, rented a mini bus & driver from North Wheels @ 2,000 baht a day plus fuel which was 800 baht a day.

It's interesting watch a first timer take it all in & observing what they are interested in. Everybody's different.

Anyway a few happy family snaps

Dinner in Me Rim to welcome my brother

he thought it was his best meal after 5 nights in Singapore.

Off up in the mountains to Doi Ang Khang

more to come.

 

[DavidFL]

To get to Doi Ang Khan we took the short cut via Sinchai & Mae Nong Bua.
But the driver overshot the turn off, I queried which way he was going & he replied Mai Bong Nua / Sinchai.
And in reality he had not been that way for a long time, being "clever" we thought we would be able to navigate our way back through the maze of orchard lanes in the foothills, but we never quite got it right & lost almost an hour.
Once you're in there, there no signs & as we found out 2 Mai Bong Nuas!
My brother started to get worried - his first time here & out on the Burma border in a heavy drug trafficking area. He was not amused, but Mum did not seem bothered - been there & done that before.

A break & view on the Mai Bong Nua - Sinchai link up

In Doi Ang Khang hooking up with the Lahu & getting a grass bangle was supposed to a highlight for my brother; but there none around.
Everyone is cued up getting Thai ID cards for the first time.

So onto Nor Lae & the army camp & viewpoint.

my brother found all this a bit hard to believe, two "competing" army camps so close together........well Australia is a big island & we don't touch other countries.

At the gate to the Burma army camp.

Mum manning the trenches

hanging out with the Palong ladies in Nor Lae

A King Naresuan statue protecting the border

"was the King of the Ayutthaya kingdom from 1590 until his death in 1605. Naresuan was one of Siam's most revered monarchs as he was known for his campaigns to free Siam from Burmese rule. During his reign numerous wars were fought against Burma, and Siam reached its greatest territorial extent and influence."

 

[DavidFL]

There aren't many Palong in North Thailand. With a few settlements around Doi Ang Khang - Fang & east of Chiang Dao.

T h e P a l o n g o f B a n N o r L a e

The residents of Bann Nor Lae are of the Palong people. The Palong originate from the Shan State of Myanmar (Howard & Wattanapun, 2001, p.1).
The Palong suffered tremendously in the 1970s and early 1980s when conflict between the Communist Party of Burma and numerous rebel factions resulted in harsh oppression and exploitation of the Palong in the Loi Lae village.
This oppression led to the immigration of nearly 2000 Palong to northern Thailand in 1984 (Howard & Wattanapun, 2001, p.77).
When Thai King Bhumibhol Adulyadej visited the newly established village, Bann Nor Lae, he granted the Palong tribe permission to remain in Thailand (Howard & Wattanapun, 2001, p.81).
Since their initial migration into Thailand the Palong have settled in six villages: Bann Nor Lae, Bann Suan Cha, Bann Mae Ram, Bann Pang Mai Dang, Bann Huay Pong, and Bann Mae Jon.

Source: Educational and Social Development in Doi Ang Khang: A Comparative Study of the Khob Dong and Nor Lae Villages.
QUOTE]

Nor Lae in 94

There's some GTR Golden Oldies of the Doi Ang Khang - Nor Lae - Fang road here after a huge landslide in the west season many years ago.

 

[DavidFL]

From Doi Ang Khang it was onto Tha Ton for the night.

Accommodation was at the delightful Apple Resort

After seemingly getting lost in a supposed drug infested area on the Thai - Burma border, my brother thought it was an acceptable day, chilling out beside the Kok River.

Next day was up the hill to see the views

& check out the temples

and right up the top

Phra Boromthat Rajamonk Klajarn Samanachant Chedi Kaew (Stupa)

& thanks to Gary D for his earlier post,

Tha Ton A Town Full of Surprises

reminding me about this magnificent stunning chedi.

 

[DavidFL]

Doi Mae Salong was on the menu the next day..

Mum had been here before many times, but still loved to go there - one of her favourite places in North Thailand.

we made a stop to enlighten my brother about the KMT & their lost war / battles with the commies in China.

The Chinese Martyrs Museum is the place to go & get the locals version of history..

The good general

& the stupendous panoramic vies of Doi Mae Salong are from the chedi on the hill, dedicated to HM the King's mother.

The chapel for the King's mother.

Mum & my brother enjoying themselves.

No stop in Doi Mae Salong is complete with a coffee 'n kanom stop at Sweet Mae Salong.

Mum was highly impressed with her Cherry Bomb cake, plus
Peter with his latte - "better than anything ever in Singapore."

Time to move on Thoed Thai, & the Burma border.
The majestic Choui Fong tea plantation.

Which leaves to pick for the right cuppa

The Choui Fong tea plantation is right out there, literally on the Thai-Burma border, and as you enter the tea plantation there is an army checkpoint with a track leading off into Burma & a Shan army camp / controlled area.
Brother Peter thought this was the highlight of his trip!??

:thumbup:

 

[DavidFL]

With another border adventure out the way, we retreated back to Thoed Thai for the night.

Why Thoed Thai?

Because it is still extremely traditional, quiet, clean, plus the morning market is a beauty & it is the ex home of Khun SA, the once opium - heroin warlord King of the Golden Triangle.

Khun Sa once had a US$2 million bounty on his head. His old camp & HQs are now a small museum in TT.

Check out the GTR history of Khun Sa

Thoed Thai is somewhat unique with it's mixed community. There are Buddhists, Muslims, Christians, Animists & Confucianists all living peacefully in the one town. The Thai army has brought groups of Muslim women from the south to Thoed Thai to see how different religious groups live peacefully together.

Mum took a break by the stream at Rim Taan, so my brother & I decided to have a happy hour drink roadside at the Ting Ting restaurant next door to watch the TT world go by.
But not for long & Mum was soon out front to keep an eye on her boys. Some things never change eh?
Across the road a dark skinned lady was walking past with a young kid, her grandchild.
A seriously interesting looking character.
I yelled out to her to come over for a chat & drink. She shook her head & continued on. Damn. I tried another line - come & take a photo with my Mum. That stopped her dead in her tracks. I repeated the photo invite & unbelievably over she came for a chat - wanting to know about Mum.

All pretty funny. An Akha I thought she must have been, but a different looking one maybe. But nope she was a Palong, from Doi Ang Khang & had been in Thoed Thai 20 years & according to this lady there are 5 Palong living in Thoed Thai. Very happy there she was & had no plans to go back to DAK. TT was her home, even though she still had no ID.

More happy snaps to come...

 

[DavidFL]

Thoed Thai continued.....

Khun Sa's camp.

With the wax image of the man himself

& as often happens Mum nearly jumped out her skin when she first met Khun Sa's image.

The amazing giant Buddha Phra Song Chai Rattana Palang Paen Din.

Wat Ka Kham

Mum on the prowl in Thoed Thai

she loves flowers, as all good sweet ladies do.

and she loves a foot massage

the massage shop is straight across the road from Rim Taan Gh / Ting Ting restaurant.

At ease in the grounds of Rim Taan

At ease - a family collection pic with John & his wife Nouan.

Plus one of John's Mum & her new great grand daughter.

 

[DavidFL]

There's just a bit more....

We were up early in the morning to check out the morning market in THoed Thai & it was very quiet. The weekly Talad Nat was on in Thoed Thai, but a few kilometers up the road. So, oops sorry but we've missed out. & if you're in Thoed Thai, Friday is talad nat day. The best market is a bit out of town heading North.

And so over to the GT: Mae Sai, Golden Triangle, Chiang Saen

The Golden Triangle

Brother Peter on Done Xao, the Lao island in the Mekong.

Wat Chedi Luang, Chiang Saen

The night life of Chiang Saen

To Be One?

Wat Rong Khun on the way home was the last photo stop

and what a zoo - circus that has become.
Unbelievable the place was over run with hordes of tourists being moved along by pedestrian marshalls with mega phones: "please hurry up, move along, other people want to take photos."

Oh well, that's the price of progress & a successful tourism marketing program.

& that was it. A simple 3 night 4 day jaunt round the North in a mini bus for my brother a first time visitor, & Mum a 17-times visitor (she corrected me).

You all take care out there now.
The heat is now gone & the cool rains are finally coming.

 

[DavidFL]

Davidfl;290876 wrote: From Doi Ang Khang it was onto Tha Ton for the night.

Accommodation was at the delightful Apple Resort

After seemingly getting lost in a supposed drug infested area on the Thai - Burma border, my brother thought it was an acceptable day, chilling out beside the Kok River.

Next day was up the hill to see the views

& check out the temples

and right up the top

Phra Boromthat Rajamonk Klajarn Samanachant Chedi Kaew (Stupa)
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& thanks to Gary D for his earlier post,

Tha Ton A Town Full of Surprises

reminding me about this magnificent stunning chedi.

4th January 2014 & next trip with another brother. A few more pix from the stunning Chedi Kaew at Wat Tha Ton

Sensational panoramic views over the Kok River valley

Make sure you check it out sometime, don't just ride by.
Over night in Tha Ton & stay at Apple River
Or stay in Fang at the Preeya Mansion.
Food & drink in Fang

& don't forget the GT Rider Golden Triangle guide map