Having been further out and about today we have to state with all honesty that the haze situation is worse than we thought and worse than we may have made it appear in our recent post -- and we're certainly not going to be going out and about anymore in the near future unless we can avoid it. Visibility in downtown Chiang Mai today was down to a kilometre and we hear it is worse in Chiang Rai. And Thai meteorological services now admit that dust particles in the air in some areas of the north (such as Mae Sai, Chiang Rai and Lampang) are over twice the Pollution Control Department's acceptable levels.

Downtown Chiang Mai at midday today.

After yesterday trying to blame slash and burn farmers in Burma and Laos, the Natural Resources and Environment Department admitted it was 99% due to farmers burning stubble and forest clearance by agro-business and have promised radical steps to solve the problem. (Note that this is from the government whose health minister recently blamed the rise in dengue fever cases to the increase in Thai women wearing hotpants and thus making easier targets for mosquitoes. It's also the government that just received stinging criticism for failing to act after last year's floods devastated much of the nation.)

Anyway said radical steps involve the really radical action of actually enforcing the existing non-burning and non-forest encroachment laws! How did they think of that? Anyway upon stating their intent to apply existing environmental protection laws, ones that they presumably thought up in the first place, the Ministry for the Environment have confidently claimed all haze problems should be over within a week. (We're not making this up!)

Unless you are particular fans of sore throats, stinging eyes and respiratory illnesses we do advise against any unnecessary travel to the following provinces for at least the immediate future: Mae Hong Son, Tak, Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Phayao, Phrae, Nan, Lampang, Lamphun and Uttaradit. Watch this space and we'll watch the wastes of space down in government house.

Tags: Chiang Rai, haze, Mae Hong Son, Mae Sai, nan, Phayao, Phrae, Tak, Uttaradit

The Thai name for the Shan people is Thai Yai, meaning great or big Thai. Indeed though possessing distinct cultural traits, a very separate history and inhabiting adjacent rather than overlapping regions, the Shan people are a part of the greater Tai* ethnic family -- which also includes Lao, Tai Lu, Black Tai, White Tai and numerous other subgroups, including Chiang Mai's Northern Thai.

Shan girl, near Pindaya, Burma.

Dialects are remarkably homogenous throughout these groups and there's a chance a Shan would be able to make themselves understood (at least for the basics) to another speaker in the Tai grouping whether in Kota Bharu, Dien Bien Phu, Jinghong or Khon Kaen. Burmese Shan are of course heavily influenced by the Burmese language while Thai Shan have adopted many Thai words.

Shan, as with all Tai groups, originated in what is now Southeast China. They were undoubtedly formerly little distinguishable from Tai Dam, Lao and so on, though a millennium of relative isolation on Burma's Shan Plateau has led to their cultural distinctiveness. Two differing views by ethnologists have the Shan either migrating westwards over the last thousand or so years from a common Tai staging post in Vietnam's Dien Bien Phu region, or migrating directly southwards along the Salween Valley from today's Yunnan province.

A village inhabited by ethnic Tai, or Dai as they are locally known, near Jinghong, Yunnan.

In Thailand it's likely that Shan groups have inhabited the mountains of Mae Hong Son province for a long period of time and the "Siamese" or lowland Thai are relatively recent migrants to northern outposts such as Pai, Mae Hong Son town and Mae Sariang.

The sparse population in these rugged mountains has been considerably supplemented in recent times by Shan refugees escaping both the Burmese army and forcible conscription into the Shan State Army. Note also that infamous Shan warlord Khun Sa had his headquarters in Hin Tek village near Chiang Rai's Mae Salong.

A former battleground: the hills of Mae Salong, looking towards Ban Hin Tek.

Indeed Khun Sa almost single-handedly built up the Golden Triangle's reputation during the 1960s and 70s with his involvement in the opium trade and drugs wars with the rival Kuomintang (KMT). Mae Salong was one of the outposts where the Chinese nationalist Kuomintang Army was permitted to seek refuge after their defeat to the Chinese communists, Pai and Fang being others. (The CIA notoriously regarded the drug-funded private armies of both the KMT and Khun Sa as anti-communist bulwarks so turned a blind eye to their dealings -- see the fascinating The Politics of Heroin by Alfred McCoy.)

Golden Triangle poppy field in northwestern Laos.

Today Shan can be found across Mae Hong Son, in certain northern parts of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai provinces and in both lowland towns and upland villages.

Shan-style temple, Mae Sariang.

Thai Shan are mostly Buddhists, with elaborately rooved Shan temples a feature of many northern villages, and they are now very integrated into Thai society and culture.

Another Shan-style roof near Mae Hong Son.

You may see more recent arrivals with the Burmese ground bark face powder (thanaka) but they are otherwise clad the same and indistinguishable from their Thai neighbours.

Shan woman near Taunggyi.

Shan villages are sometimes included in trekking itineraries -- it puts another ethnic group on the tick list -- but visits are only really recommended if you have a good guide who can talk you through their fascinating history. Be warned that you won't get pretty pictures of exotic costumes.

However if you wish to visit a Shan village by your own means, an easily accessible, very traditional and picturesque Shan village in northern Thailand is Mae Lana near Soppong in Mae Hong Son province.

*Tai refers to the wider ethnic group while Thai describes the inhabitants of Thailand.

Tags: Black tai, Chiang Rai, Dien Bien Phu, Fang, Khun Sa, Kuomintang, Mae Hong Son, Mae Lana, Mae Salong, Mae sariang, Pai, Pindaya, Shan Plateau, Shan State Army

We recommended Mae Hong Son province's picturesque Mae Sariang town in an earlier post as a favourite northern Thai getaway but another great spot, in the same province, we reckon is also well worth a few days if you want somewhere quiet over the peak Christmas period is the small settlement of Soppong.

Worth going -- just for the ride.

Lying roughly half way between Pai and Mae Hong Son town, Soppong also goes by the name of Pang Mapha (spellings vary). Soppong is the name of the old Shan village lying just off the main highway which used to house the bus stop, market and basic guesthouses while the newer section of town, Pang Mapha,  sprung up a couple of kilometres east along the highway after the relocation of the market and bus stop -- it's now become the official district name.

Red Lahu all dressed up and off to market.

We like a bit of peace and quiet during the December peak season and if partying and festivities are what you're after then you're better of staying in Chiang Mai city, heading down to one of the Thai islands or attempting to find a room in Pai.

The latter is not an easy task these days, since Pai has become hugely popular with Thai tourists heading north for the novel experience of being cold -- during December and January it is simply heaving with visitors from Bangkok, Chiang Mai and other major Thai towns. Not only can it be difficult to get a room in any category but accommodation prices often double or triple during the winter months; the local constabulary actually had to intervene a few years back to put a stop on restaurants tripling prices during the same season.

Pai night market.

We'll happily spend a low season weekend away in Pai but for high season keep going for another 50 kilometres or so until you reach Soppong. Thai tourists are yet to penetrate as far as this area in large numbers and it's not so well known among foreign visitors either -- even in peak season it's still a peaceful destination and, with a reasonable number of accommodation possibilities on offer, one where you'll have a good chance of finding a decent room at a decent price. We particularly liked Soppong River Inn at the Pang Mapha end of town and the excellent Little Eden at the eastern end of Soppong.

Just a few of Pai's accommodation options.

Soppong's right in the mountains, with easy access to some of north Thailand's most spectacular scenery. There's also loads to do: short or longer hikes, kayaking, caving, mountain-biking, off-roading, hilltribe village visits and so on. Combine this with kicking back in some great guesthouses and enjoying the food, and you have a recipe for a rejuvenating break rather than a frustrating one.

Sea of fog just outside Soppong village.

See here for details on getting to this spot -- it's slightly out of the way, but not as inaccessible as you may think.

Tags: Christmas breaks, Pai, Soppong

I won't add this post to the "see and do" category, but being a generally positive sort of person I won't add a new "don't see and do" post category either for what is one of North Thailand's more contentious "tourist attractions". We'll try and highlight a few of the pros and cons of visiting the Kayan or "long neck Karen" in their "villages" and leave it up to you and your own consciences to decide. This is a complex issue and we don't want to skimp on the background, so we'll have two posts: this one is an overview of the people, and in the next part we'll look at the pros and cons of visiting.

Long legged Karen girl, Doi Inthanon.

Now firstly, the name. "Long Neck" is kind of inevitable since the main distinguishing feature of this ethnic group is undeniably the ring-extended necks of some of the group's women and girls, but Karen is not strictly accurate. They are in fact a subgroup of a subgroup of a subgroup of an ethnic group -- if that's clear? They belong to the Kayan Lahwi of the Kayan minority, who are a part of the Karenni (or Red Karen), who are obviously an element of the larger Karen family. (Okay, so they are Karen then!)

They are also known as the Padaung, which is the name the Shan people have given them, but which apparently they're not very keen on. (We assume it's derogatory in some way -- as for instance, the Thai name Meo for the Hmong people is considered by them to be pejorative.)

Secondly, we have stretched a point by placing them in the North Thailand's ethnic minorities category as well, since they are not a people who are at all indigenous to Thailand. They originate, in recent times at least, from Burma's Kayah State, located southwest of Shan State between Lake Inle and Mae Hong Song province of northwest Thailand. (Indeed some Kayan Lahwi have now resettled of their own accord around Lake Inle in order to take advantage of the tourism boom at that popular destination.) Although strictly speaking all "hill-tribe" groups in Thailand, with the exception of the Karen, have migrated into the kingdom over the last century or so due to problems in Yunnan, Burma and Laos, so they are just older refugees themselves, even if many now have Thai citizenship.

Thai/Burmese border at Tha Ton.

Those Kayans moving to Thailand over the last couple of decades have done so of their own accord only in the sense that they are fleeing fighting  between the Karenni National People's Liberation Front (KNPLF) and the Burmese military -- Thai Kayans have refugee status only and all Kayan villages in Thailand are de facto refugee camps.

Currently there are thought to be some 1,000 or so Kayan refugees living in several villages in Mae Hong Song province. One is near Tha Ton in the Chiang Mai/Chiang Rai border area and another located more recently to Chiang Mai's Chiang Dao district. Cynics point out that the latter's relocation is very convenient for nearby Chiang Mai's tourist industry.

Entrance fees are charged to tourists wishing to visit these villages. We haven't been recently but last time we looked it was around 250 baht per person (see our earlier brief Mae Hong Son post), though often this would be incorporated into a price for a day tour package.

There are varying accounts as to where the money ends up, and maybe it depends on which village, but generally speaking the fees are split between the local authorities, the villagers themselves and usually an intermediary local businessperson; some reports claim a cut also goes to the KNPLF.

Next post: So should you visit?

Tags: Chiang Dao, hill-tribes, karen, Karenni, Mae Hong Son, responsible tourism, Shan State, Tha Ton

In our opinion Mae Sariang, a small town and capital of the district of the same name in southern Mae Hong Son province, doesn't get the number of visitors it deserves. Here's why you should go.

First up, it just looks lovely. It's a very picturesque little town on the banks of the Yuam River, with some old wooden buildings, a couple of pretty temples and a scenic mountainous backdrop.

Bucolic, in every cliched, lovely sense.

Secondly, the area is dotted with plenty of places to visit. A couple of nice old Shan-style temples are in town, while a stroll around the market and riverfront area is fun. The surrounding countryside too holds plenty of visit-worthy sites. Hire a bike and cruise down to the fascinating riverside border market at Mae Saem Laep or check out the trekking and hill-tribe village options that the town's tour operators have on offer.

Shan-style temple.

You may not expect good accommodation and eating options, but a surprisingly wide choice of accommodation for such a small town awaits -- and since it's not crowded, some good deals are to be had. (None of this tripling of prices for high season like you see in Pai.) Many of the accommodation and eating places are on the riverbank, which is a plus. For budget accommodation, we recommend  North West Guesthouse, or if you want to splash out try River House Hotel. You can also find some of our restaurant and bar suggestions here.

If you're coming from the Chiang Mai direction, ride, or drive, or cycle along the Hot road. You'll pass through lots of mountain vistas and pine forests, and it's really almost worth going to Mae Sariang just for the scenery en route. From Mae Sariang plenty of buses head up via another scenic route to Mae Hong Song, or if you have time you could return to Chiang Mai via Khun Yuam and Mae Chaem, via an equally picturesque road leading round the back of Doi Inthanon. (Transport details for Mae Sariang can be found on this page.)

The road to Mae Sariang.

But best of all: not many other people go there. Even in the high season you'll certainly avoid the crowds and get to see an attractive and off-the-beaten-track part of northern Thailand -- a good reason in its own right.

Tags: Burmese border, Chiang Mai, Hot, Khun Yuam, Mae Chaem, Mae Hong Son, Northern Thailand