Ban Rak Thai

Ban Rak Thai, formerly Mae Aw, sits on a small reservoir right against the Myanmar border in the far north-west of Mae Hong Son. Like Mae Salong and Santichon it was settled by Yunnanese Chinese linked to the Kuomintang forces that left China after 1949 and moved through Burma before being permitted to settle in Thai border areas; the name means village that loves Thailand and was given later. Clay and timber houses face the water, tea is grown on the slopes and sold in the village tea houses, and the food is Yunnanese - braised pork, steamed buns, black chicken soup. Accommodation is guesthouses around the lake and it fills on cool-season weekends. The border here has been contested at times and the road passes military checkpoints; the area saw fighting between Thai forces and drug-trafficking groups in earlier decades. Nights are cold and the road up is long and winding.

What you actually see

• The lake village - clay and timber houses around the reservoir.
• The tea terraces - grown on the surrounding slopes and sold in the tea houses.
• The Yunnanese food - braised pork, buns and black chicken soup.
• The border position - directly against Myanmar in the far north-west.

When to go

November to February for the cool weather and the mist over the lake. Book accommodation for weekends. Nights are cold.

Honest expectations

A long winding drive from Mae Hong Son with military checkpoints - carry identification. Cold at night. Accommodation is simple and fills at cool-season weekends. Tea selling is persistent.

Nearby

Pang Oung is on the way; Mae Hong Son town is south-east.