Random images of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar
--- Hill villages & countryside ---

Sheet 1 | Sheet 2 | Sheet 3 | Sheet 4


Mae Samleab village on Salawin (Thanlwin) river in Mae Sarieng, Mae Hong Son province, northern Thailand. The other side (western side) is Myanmar's Kayin (Karen) state. Like Mae Sot, a border town further in the south, This village is the home of peoples whose ancestors orginally came from Kayin/Karen, Kayah and Shan states of Myanmar (Burma), India, and other parts of Thailand. If you come into this village it is likely you will hear peoples speaking in Thai, Myanmar, Karen and Hindi languages (August 2005 trip).


Ban Tha Ta Fang (A Karen village) on Salawin river bank in Mae Sariang, Mae Hong Son province, Thailand. The village is in the Salawin river national park. The park has bungalow accommodations about a kilometer from the village.


Children walking in the paddy beside Salawin river which serves as border between Thailand's Mae Hong Son province and Myanmar's Kayin state. The forest of this area is a rich source of hard wood including teak, and other useful materials such as bamboo and cane.


Old bamboo cup and old hot water kettle beside a wood fire in an old home in an old Lisu village in the hills, Mae Hong Son. Lisu peoples of this village came from Myanmar's Shan state. Their children, some of them born in Thailand, will become Thai. Their current village is located in the low land not far from the road (January 2010 trip).


The elderly Lisu people entertaining the returning visitor with his old traditional guitar. The old man and his wife, along with a couple other peoples remain in the old hill-top village when their village was moved to lowland.


The interior of a typical Lisu home.


On a village road in Sangklaburi. This photo was from a hike from Sangklaburi to Umphang in April 2007. This probably 40 something-year old jeep was broken down driving in a late evening. All passengers from Ja Kae village had to sleep the night in the jungle and continue on foot the next day (April 2007 trip).


This is from our June 2006 trip in Umphang. On a muddy road we travelled on a tractor from Ban Muang Kua to highway. Rainy season, June to Octover, can give trouble like this.


Another rainy season road trouble in Umphang. This happened on a highway linking Umphang and Pueng Klueng on a July 2006 trip.


Elephants from Ban Platha with their trainers waiting for tourists in Klotho creek near Ban Kotha in Umphang. Karens are one of few tribal peoples who like to keep elephant at home. Elephants are used for transportation of goods and household stuff and sometimes tourists when demands come.

Sheet 1 | Sheet 2 | Sheet 3 | Sheet 4

Photos from Myanmar (Burma) | Old and rare Myanmar photos from 1923 to 1960 | Rural scenes of Myanmar in hand paintings