Home Stay Directions

We are two hours from Chiangrai.

Here are the instructions:

1. Come to Chiangrai.

2. Early morning. Take the Maesai bus to Pasang. Pasang is just north of Mae Chan, it is the junction to Mae Salong. The bus driver can tell you if you are not sure.

3. At Pasang, take a blue truck on the Mae Salong road but stop at the Som Yaek Jct. (There is an army checkpoint there)

4. From Som Yaek Jct go to Haen Taek NOT Doi Mae Salong.

5. At "downtown" Haen Taek/Thoed Thai there are gas pumps next to a two story store. From there you can catch a blue or any color truck to Bpah Mah Hahn. If it is late, no trucks will be running so take a motorbike taxi.

6. Bpah Mah Hahn is on the road to Hua Mae Kom, the end of Thailand. You will know you are at Bpah Mah Hahn when you pass a Thai clinic on the right and a small army mule base on the left. Just past there take the gravel road to the right. This takes you into a small village cluster. Continue on the dirt road, it will turn to concrete. You will come to a SMALL junction where a road goes to the right. This road is dirt, turn right. It then becomes concrete again and goes steeply uphill, you can see the village up above.

Once in this village anyone can direct you, or just continue straight through it into a small Lahu village, and on a few meters to the orchard where I live.

From Som Yaek Jct most people will know who I am and where you are going.

Room and board is 280 baht a day staying with an Akha family. Please start a little book, have them check it off and pay them daily or for all the days at once so they can get the food for everyone. The Akha will do all your cooking for you. We have a shower, a clean place to sleep, toilets, mosquito nets.

When you are ready to leave the area you can hire an Akha truck to take you back to the junction, Mae Chan or to Chiangrai.

Bring long sleaved shirts, pants, socks, and shoes. Mosquito repellant, soap etc. A camera, video, is helpful.

Making a donation to the project will allow us to improve communications and assistance to the Akha.

The villages are extremely poor, though traditional Akha. The poverty is chiefly as a result of Thai government and army policy and actions.

Fruit, pencils, paper books, are all appreciated by village children.

Let me know what day you will be arriving.

Matthew