Introducing Thailand

Thailand which is also known as “Land of the freedom” is located in the heart of mainland Southeast Asia, bordered by south of China, west of Laos and Cambodia, east of Myanmar, and north of Malaysia. It is known to be the only country in Southeast Asia to be free from the western colonization. Hence, the given title, “Land of the freedom” as the word Thai in the Thai language represents freedom.

Extending nearly 1,000 miles from north to south and 500 miles from east to west, its 200,000 square miles make Thailand nearly the size of France. In 2008, there is approximately 63 million population in Thailand. They are a diverse entity comprising of people from different races and ethnicities coming from the various regions of Thailand. They are altogether 75 provinces and they are situated in the different regions namely North, Northeast, Central, East as well as South of Thailand.

Bangkok, situated in the Central region, is the capital of Thailand. It is the largest city with the highest population. Each year, millions of tourists travel to this paradise to experience its rich and authentic culture and also to enjoy its diverse scenic natural landscapes and beauty, making it the world’s top tourist destination. Here are some breathtaking photos of the sceneries in Thailand.

It is no doubt why Thailand is ranked one of the world’s top tourist destinations as these captivating sceneries will definitely lure the tourist over. Apart from Bangkok, some of the other popular destinations amongst tourists in Thailand include Chiang Mai, Mae Hong Son, Pattaya, Krabi and Phuket to name a few. Of all the favorite hotspots, I have decided to zoom into a particular city located in the North West of Thailand, the Mae Hong son.

Introducing Mae Hong Son

Nestled in a deep valley hemmed in by high mountain ranges is Mae Hong Son, a small province located in the North West of Thailand close to the borders of Myanmar. It is the remotest part of Thailand with one of the lowest population density of all the provinces of Thailand.

Just over two decades ago, Mae Hong Son has been exiled from the outside world. Today, known to many by the nickname ‘City of the Three Mists’ due to its dewy mist in the winter, forest fire mist in the summer and rainy mist in the rainy season, this province has recently become one of the ‘dream destination’, especially so for tourists seeking a rich and authentic cultural experience as it is home to many indigenous wildlife as well as unique hill-tribes.
A part from the rich culture, this province is also well known for its captivating sceneries of mountain ranges, pristine virgin forests and lush valleys which also attract many nature lovers from all over the world as well.

One can easily travel by bus from Bangkok direct to Mae Hong Son. Travelers will get to enjoy the scenic landscapes of Thailand during the 13 hours bus ride. However, for those wants to save travelling time, the best way to get to Mae Hong Son is via plane. There are only three flights coming in mainly from Chiang Mai via PB Air and Thai Airways per day. The small airport is located in the heart of town within walking distance of hotels, shops, restaurants and the market, making arriving by air convenient.

The people of Mae Hong Son consists of the Shans who live in the city and the hill tribe people who live in remote villages on mountain tops where elements of lifestyle have changed little in hundreds of years. The Shans’ ancestors came from Shans region in Burma whereas the hill tribe people consist of the Long Neck Karen, Lisu, Lahu, Lawa as well as the Hmong tribe. Both the Shans and the hill tribe men have their own distinctive cultures.

Culture in Mae Hong So

Mae Hong Son is well known for its rich diversity of culture due to the various ethnicities living together in the city. Back in the past when Mae Hong Son engaged in regular trade and commerce activities with Burma, their local art and culture were very much influenced by Burmese styles. Hence, in present day we can still see a mixture of Shan and Burmese styles through the religious art and architecture. This is most clearly demonstrated in Buddha statues and temple roofs, which are designed in layers and decorated with engraved galvanized iron.

The Shan people, who represent the largest ethnic group in Mae Hong Son, wear distinctive traditional clothing. The men usually wear wide legged trousers, similar in style to the Northern Thai, and long sleeved shirts with round collars, fastened with fabric buttons down the middle. The women, on the other hand wear traditional sarongs with beautifully embroidered blouses, either short or long sleeved that are fastened across the chest from left to right. Both Shan men and women use woven shoulder bags and hats that are called gub tai.

Another interesting culture of the Shan people is tattooing. It is common among Shan men to have tattoos as these Buddhist connotations or signs are often placed there in an effort to ward off evil spirits and protect them from danger. A part from that the Shan people considered tattoo as a sign of manhood in Shan society.

Instead of shaking hands, the Shan usually greet with a "wai", or placing the palms together in front of the face. The one lowest in status should initiate the greeting. How high the palms are placed reflects the status of the person being greeted in relation to the person greeting. In addressing each other, the Shan use titles (such as "grandmother", "uncle", "little sister", etc.) to express the person’s status or relationship to others.

Traditions in Mae Hong So

There are many rich traditions in Mae Hong Son. Below are some of the traditions:

• Poi Sang Long

Deemed by the local authority and the Tourism Authority of Thailand as a unique festival, Poi Sang Long, is one of the most significant and important traditions practiced in Mae Hong Son. This particular festival celebrated during the month of March marks the Buddhist novice ordination ceremony which the Thai Yai people hold to be a highly meritorious occasion. Young boys aged 7-14 year old are ordained as novices to learn the Buddhist doctrines.

The origin of this festival lies in Buddhist legend. It is believed that this tradition is probably following in the footsteps of Prince Rahula. Prince Rahula is the son of the Buddha, who gave up his worldly life in order to follow his father's spiritual teachings. He then became the youngest ordained monk and the first novice in Buddhism. Subsequently it became a tradition that young boys should be ordain to learn Buddhist teachings as well.

The festival spans a period of three days. On the first day, the young novice will have his head cleanly shaved and wrapped with a head-cloth in a Burmese-style. After which, they will don on a prince-like garment with some valuable jewels and gems ride a horse or be carried over the shoulders of a male relative to the city shrine. By this time, the boys are known locally as 'Sang Long' or 'Look Kaew' (jewel sons). On the second day, the eve of the ordination, a colorful procession of offerings will be paraded through the town streets and then placed at the monastery where the ordination will take place the next day. On the third day, the procession once again proceeds through the town and the boys are taken to the temples for the formal ordination ceremony.

As most of the populations in Mae Hong Son are Buddhist and having such high reverence to the Buddhist religion, the people considered this festival to be one of the most important and it should be as majestic as possible.

• Chong Phara Procession

The Chong Phara Procession, locally referred to as "Poi Lern Sip Ed", is also another important traditional festival held by the Shan people annually during the month of October, at the end of the rainy season. The Chong Phara basically means castle in the Thai Yai dialect. This castle is made of wood or bamboo, beautifully adorned with colorful perforated papers, assortment of fruits, flags and lamps. According to the traditional belief, the castle is usually placed in the courtyard of a house or monastery as a gesture to welcome the Lord Buddha on his return from giving sermons to his mother in heaven. There are also various activities to celebrate this festive occasion and they include various dances where performers are dressed in fanciful animal costumes.

• Loi Krathong Festival

Loi Krathong Festival also known as the Festival of Light is an ancient ceremony of Shan. It is one of the oldest and best preserved traditions. This festive occasion is held on the full moon night in the month of November every year. "Loi" means "to float" and a "krathong" is traditionally made from a section of a banana tree trunk. Locals will make and decorate their “krathong” with banana leaves, flowers, candles and incense stick. They will then float their krathong on a river, canal or a pond lake, during the night of the full moon. The festival is believed to originate in an ancient practice of paying respect to the spirit of the waters. Apart from that, there are various entertainments and contests line up for the locals near the central pond such as Miss Nopamat and krathrong as well as some cultural shows. Moreover, at Wat Pra That Doi Kong Mu, there is a ceremony of releasing candle-lit krathong bound with balloons to the sky (known as “Loi Krathong Sawan”).