It is our responsibility as
humans to care for nature and the countryside. DO NOT write slash and burn farming off as not your business even if Thailand is not your birth country.
Whether a Thai national or not, this horrific technique should not be
taken lightly or written off as tradition. Do not underestimate or take
lightly the damage this technique causes. It not only destroys nature, it
creates toxic fumes. Plastic and rubbish also gets burned at this time.
Make no excuses, this practice MUST end!
When hot season kicks in, residents in the north of Thailand prepare for the dreaded "slash and burn";a farming technique which is carried out throughout northern regions, including Burma/Myanmar and Laos. The season can begin as early as November and end as late as May, with the worst periods usually being late February and March.
The farming technique involves huge sections of forestry being set on fire, and is mainly about harvesting some particularly prized (and costly) mushrooms. These mushrooms, called hed thob, grow only during this season, and are sought after for their earthy flavour. The mushrooms are harvested and sold at extremely high prices, making them a lucrative crop for farmers. ..and thus, for this reason it is very hard to change a practice which brings in so much cash. Ultimately money is king. Plus, burning also makes it easier to hunt wildlife for food, when their natural habitat is destroyed.
It's hard to believe given that every year the same thing happens, that there are laws in place which make the practice of burning illegal. However, it is either non enforceable or no one wishes to enforce. The rural farmers that carry out the practice stand to make most of their annual living from this crop, so it is far too important a technique for them to give up readily. What is the solution? I have no idea sadly, but given that the northern regions all suffer from terrible clawing smog and dangerous PM and AQI levels, something needs to change. (You can view levels via this official site:http://aqicn.org/city/chiang-mai/).
Thankfully there has has been rising recognition about the damage the burning is doing, not only to the flora and fauna, but to people's health. Campaign's have been taking place to promote awareness and show upset over the lack of enforcement, such as the "Bye Bye Smog" rally. Hopefully there is a sea of change taking place over this, even if the tide is still far out..
For ten years now I have been witnessing the devastation that burning season causes. Each
year I tell myself that the next year I will not remain in Chiang Mai
or the north, but for some reason I end up staying and waiting it out. Many residents who can escape the region at this time, do. The weather at this time is often around 40c / 104f region, so teamed with the poor AQI the quality of life in the northern regions become poor.
This year (2016) has been a particularly lengthy burning season.
It is already May and yet a devastating vision met us all in Chiang Mai when we saw our beautiful mountain ablaze.
This short video was from today and this evening:
It is truly frightening and depressing to see.
*UPDATE* See end of post for an update on the devastation this fire caused..
Over the years I have seen a lot of burning. Here are some images I have captured from previous years:
Another burning video I recorded in 2013, shot in Pai, Thailand.
*UPDATE*
These are some of the images we are faced with in the aftermath of the fire last night...
Take a moment to look at the images and really digest what these poor creatures, and many more like them, suffered last night. This is the same suffering that animals all over the northern region endure each year from these fires. Frightened out of their minds and burnt alive. Their charred remains a sad image of the damage these selfish practices cause.
I confess I had to reign in some deep feelings of anger and upset upon seeing these images. Something about seeing the charred remains of innocent creatures brings home the horrific devastation these farming practices cause. On my personal Facebook account I expressed some strong words regarding the inhumane selfish individuals who carry out these fires, but for the sake of diplomacy i will refrain from repeating them on here. My only hope is that the death of these poor victims will cause enough outrage to finally make some difference in enforcing the laws regarding preventing the burning practices. In truth I do not hold my breath on anything changing though. This compounds the sorrow I have in my heart because not only do we have the death of nature on our hands, we have the knowledge that their death is likely all in vain, for the practice will continue.
..at this current time I am not aware of any groups aiming to combat the burning, except for the Bye Bye Smog group (click here for Facebook page for Bye Bye Smog group). If I hear of any campaigns or other groups involved I will post an update. For now, you can show your support by clicking LIKE on the Bye Bye Smog Facebook group.
(I have since found out the photos of the carcases are from a previous fire, however the impact will have been the same)
Conclusion (yes, im starting with a conclusion): Sore bum.
lol.
As a foreigner in Thailand, if you wish to stay for any length of time, you will usually get acquainted with visa trips. These can be frequent, depending on your visa type. For this particular trip i headed to the Thailand/Burma border (more info on how to do a border visa trip here). I decided, unwisely maybe, to set off early. Like 6:30am early. Now i know that i am of Scottish blood, but i have lived in Thailand long enough to have acclimatized. I have also always hated the cold and been able to cope with the heat. So, at 6:30am riding in cool season temperatures, i did not find it fun. In fact, i had to slow my pace right down because the wind and cold was going straight through me. Wearing three layers, a jumper, a jacket
with a windproof jacket on top, just didn't cut it and body was shivering so violently that i thought my bike was having issues! Really!
Thankfully there is a great little spot for warming up just before you hit the city of Chiang Rai. The Hot Springs at Mae Khachan. I parked up and nipped into the coffee shop where they pump in hot spring water into troughs. Here you can soak your feet, whilst drinking your coffee. My hands in particular reveled in the heat, as they had gone quite numb.
After warming up (wasting a good hour or so doing so), i carried on up to Mae Sai, the border town into Burma. Report on that here.Visa sorted i grabbed a bite to eat and started off back to Chiang Mai.
Except i didn't.
Now i didn't actually intend to head to Phayao, my plan was a quick trip up to the border and back again. However, me being me (aka - stupid), i missed the Chiang Mai road turn off and found myself heading towards Phayao. I decided i may as well just go into Phayao and make it a day trip.
Phayao itself is a pretty town. Some find it a little boring, but i find
it peaceful. I love the Naga serphants on the water.
Ive done a couple of day trips to Phayao here and here (to be fixed) and also a bit of a dancing video at the Naga, which caused a few smiles. (I intend to do something with this video down the line. One day...one day..)
After a quick view i headed back to Chiang Mai, arriving a couple of hours later. Turned out to be a happy accident and enjoyed the trip :)
Road sections polished like pebble stones + oil residue + short but hard tropical rainstorm + mountain curves = lots of this.
I saw three accidents today at Doi Suthep; 2 motorcycles and this car. I didn't even go up the whole mountain. This was just a small section. Thankfully on all three, nobody was hurt.
Samoeng loop the last few days was like riding on an ice rink in
sections. My bike sliding, yet my tires are good. Lots of oil residue on
polished roads. Bad enough as is, but add a spot of heavy rain and it
can feel like an oil slick.
Mini Adventure Drama...with a magical twist. (...involving "homing pigeon" shoes, a beloved moto jacket, an orange shopping bag, and a dizzy female > me)
Day 1 (2 days ago):
Took a quick motorcycle trip around the Samoeng
loop, only to stupidly lose a bag i had (obviously) tied badly onto my
bike. In that bag was an awesome pair of beat up flip-flops and my
prized motorcycle jacket that fits me like a dream (we women of various
shapes and sizes don't find this easy to come by!). So..tracing back my route 3 times and finding nothing, i eventually gave up. Handed in
my number to a local policebox and returned home despondent.
Day 2 (yesterday): With a renewed resolve of at least ATTEMPTING to
find my jacket, i made up some posters and flyers in English and Thai
(thanks to help from my friend Tik). I went back over the area and
painstakingly got on and off my bike on a hot day to hand people the
posters and flyers and explain the situation. I figured that if i didn't
at least try, i would end up kicking myself. Nothing ventured, nothing
gained. If i didn't get the bag back, it wasn't meant to be. The nice part
of the whole thing was that it forced me to interact with people (which
I'm normally quite reserved about), who all turned out to be lovely and
helpful. A bonus being some mahouts with baby elephants that i stopped
to chat with.
Day 3 (today): Well officially last night really. I
received a phone call around 7pm last night. My bag was found! I was to
meet at the local police box at 9am. I arrived at the box before 9am,
(and as is the way of Thailand in general haha), when I arrived, I was told that the lady who found it had gone to work and forgotten to bring the bag in. So, I had to ride back 80km or so home and wait to return later.
Around 2pm i received a call to say the bag was handed in and to make my
way back to the policebox.
I arrived to find all the contents intact! The
policeman (although not smiling in the photo) was lovely. I left
an envelope with a finders fee for the lady who found my bag, and a bag
of home made treats for the policeman. Really amazed and happy about
the outcome.
----- The magical twist...
..ok. The
flip-flops that were in the bag are really old beat up things that i
have had for approx 8 years. In that time they have been washed down a
fast flowing river and retrieved (which i actually have a comical video
of) ..fallen off on a road... fallen down a mountainside... and well, a
number of things. Yet, they somehow let themselves be found. Because of
these magical homing-pigeon flip-flops, my bag and jacket came back to
me. HAHAHA.
--- To end..
Most people do like to return
things. I could have made it easier for them to do so if i had put a
number in the pocket of the jacket or used a marker on it etc. Its a
good heads-up to me to do this to my motorcycle gear and anything
important to me. So...might be a good tip for you to do so too. ^.^
Had an opportunity to test ride the CB300 and the MT03 for a couple of hours
around the Mae Wang loop.This is a really nice loop btw! Many would say there isn't much difference between these two bikes, but for me the difference was huge. The MT03 was an absolute dream, and i didn't like the feel of the CB300. Here's why:
The CB300 was not as balanced weight-wise for me as the MT03 was.
Preferred the smooth throttle of the MT03 (although that could be altered on the CB300). The MT03 was smoother all round, from
acceleration to gear changes. It handled the curves perfectly and on the
straights it went to 145 in a flash..and for sure it has more power in
it, but i was just too wary on a new rental bike (and my own experience
of it) to take up the power more. On straight highway roads I'm sure this
bike would get up some good speed, and wouldn't even feel like it.
My dtracker 250cc shakes at 130, but the MT03 was steady and smooth at 145. Makes me wonder how much power is in it.
The only thing about it that i may not like about it, if i was riding
on it for any length of time, is the fairly fixed positioning.
On
my dtracker i have a lot of maneuverability. I can shift my leg position
a lot, taking them right off the the peddles and onto the frame if
cruising, or placing them right behind me on the passenger pedals. I would be concerned about possible cramp or stiffness and soreness for long touring rides. Would be good to find out when more people ride it long distance.
But for a daytrip like i did, it was an absolutely fabulous bike..and i just didn't want to get off it!
Great day, great bikes, great people...and really amazing organizing..from the ride itself to the camera work and editing from Bas Man , the
wonderful lunch and fun games and auction at Good View Restaurant, to
the evening event. Really so happy to have been a part of it. Thank you
so much to the organisers...and looking forward to next year's ride !
Opposite is the teaser video, and below is the longer one and another one. Enjoy!
I recently wrote on my Facebook timeline "Today the weather God decided that ordinary rain made of water droplets
was too boring. He decided that rain made of millions and millions of
tiny little razor blade needles that have the ability to penetrate the
skin like lasers when riding a moto, would be far far more fun..", however, not to worry, it isn't always this way. In fact Rainy Season is a very beautiful time in Thailand in my opinion.
If, like me, you come from a standard four-season country (in my case, the UK), you will likely associate rainy days with gloomy days. In Thailand however, it is often warm rain and not uncomfortable. It usually comes in big heavy bucket-loads, rather than drips and drabs, and it usually comes in short sharp spells. Almost like someone turned a big giant tap on, or dropped a huge bucket of water down. It suddenly on, and then its suddenly off again.
The beauty of rainy season for me is how lush everything becomes. During the hot season months prior to rainy season, where temperatures can reach up to the 40+ (centigrade), the land becomes parched and dry. In truth much of Thailand's beauty comes from its stunning nature, and when dry season has sucked all the moisture out of the ground and all the leaves off the trees, it isn't as pretty a sight. There is a sorrowful amount of litter in Thailand also, and the lush green vegetation hides this sorry shame. In dry season plastic bottles and waste is revealed, exposing a nation that generally needs to be more educated in keeping its country beautiful.
But well..back to rainy season. Rainy season starts from around May and goes on for as long as five months, ending around October. Its usually a four month season. Lately the rainy seasons have seen less rain than usual, which is not good for Thailand's water resources and the vegetation. But, by the end of rainy season the beauty of Thailand is restored as it enters into the cool season and peak tourism period.
So, don't be put off from visiting Thailand during the rainy season, as you will get to experience the full glory of tropical rainstorms.
Watching a rainstorm from a balcony is one of the most joyful experiences i have here. Everything feels so alive at this time, especially the frogs, who are out in full chorus. You will see some stunning mist and cloud formations and, if you are lucky, you may even get a double rainbow! Its also low season, so everywhere is cheaper. So, that's a bonus for the budget minded!
This was a really fun trip, but the boys (who normally ride bikes with much more power ) found the trip a bit of a slog on 250cc bikes. It was great that they did this trip on bikes that matched mine, though. Very grateful for that! As an aside, the guys on the trip became affectionately known as "The Grinder Boyz", mainly because one of them decided to play a trick on another of the guys by uploading his pic on the Grinder app. (Grinder is the equivalent of Tinder, but for those interested in the same sex). Yes, childish I know, but pretty funny all the same.
The guys on this trip are experienced riders, really experienced. So for them the pace was a doddle, and thus the antics that came about were pretty fun. Had a giggle the whole trip. The 1148 is known as one of the best roads for riding in the province, and although I enjoyed it, I found it not quite as twistie as I normally like. Or maybe my bike just doesn't have enough power for these kinds of sweeping curves. Would be a good one to try on a bike with more power.
We started from our usual meeting point before heading off. I had a small bag, the guys seemed to take kitchen sinks... ^^ The pace was around 120/130km and so we did ok. But of course, that's because we cant go any faster! We kept going till we hit Sabaai Dee Coffee shop for a break and a cool down. A couple of other riders had joined up with us at this point, and would head to Nan with us also. Fab ride, fab weather (Jan is cool season and is really great for riding at this time), fab company. We hung up our helmets at S.P. Guesthouse in Nan. A nice friendly inexpensive guesthouse. Seems to be a favorite with riders due to the secure parking. Headed out for a bit to eat and went along to the HUGE night market. Was a bit too overwhelming for a few of us, including me, so half went around the market and the rest of us headed off for a quiet drink at a local biker bar. I pretty much called it a night fairly early and headed off back to the guesthouse with the only other girl on the trip, my good friend Tik. Boys will be boys, as they say, and the guys stayed up late drinking. As I was in bed at a more reasonable hour I was up very early (as planned), and had already packed up. The boys were no where in sight. Haha. I posted this on my facebook that morning "Good
morning from S.P.Guesthouse, Nan. I've been up since 7:30 am,
bright-eyed and (not so) bushy-tailed (only because it's first thing in
morning.). The guys were up late drinking. I suspect when they emerge
from the rooms they will be red-eyed and groggy-tailed ^^^ Som nam na ^^"
But actually, although they were up a little later than planned, they didn't seem worse for wear. I guess they are just used to it! Haha. So, after a little later start than planned we headed off for breakfast, packed and ready. P.S, I find the photo that was taken at the breakfast place pretty funny.. because the tallest man in the group on the right, was standing next to the shortest lady in our group. Haha. So this time we headed back via a different route (at a later date I will update what this route was), which I was enjoying much more than the more famous 1148 route. It was much more twisty. We hit an area of roadworks with lots of gravel and sticky tarmac, but apart from that section the rest of the route was absolutely stunning with roads in great condition. At one point we were all low on fuel (spitting feathers!) and had a bit of a panic to find a fuel pump. I spied one on a roadside thankfully, and were saved. We made a pit stop in Phayao and ended up meeting a group of friends who were just back from a lengthy tour. Had no idea they would be there, so was a nice coincidence. We had lunch together and shared some stories, and then headed off back to Chiang Mai. We arrived as dusk was setting and was really quite beautiful.
This trip will stick in my mind as one of the most fun I have ever had. Thanks Grinder Boyz!
Another fab Real Custom Biker Show event. Lots of bikes, lots of people, lots of "pretties" ( shame we girls don't get anything for us!), and lots of smiling faces. I had a great one this year and enjoyed seeing many kinds of bikes.
Bumped into various friends at the event also.
The host venue was the the 700 Year Stadium, and this year they had a great layout, with a large stage and seating area surrounded by food and drink vendors, for those looking to spend time at the event.
The easiest thing to do is just let you watch the video and see for yourself.
Hosted at the 700 Year Stadium the event, the Real Custom Biker Show was a really enjoyable event. Don't have much to say about this really, so I will leave you with photos instead! (Sorry,
there are quite a few photos of me with the bikes, rather than the bikes. At the time I didn't even consider
blogging, so they were just meant for personal use. In future I will
attend events with writing about them in mind!)
which make the practice of burning illegal. However, it is either non enforceable or no one wishes to enforce. The rural farmers that carry out the practice stand to make most of their annual living from this crop, so it is far too important a technique for them to give up readily. What is the solution? I have no idea sadly, but given that the northern regions all suffer from terrible clawing smog and dangerous PM and AQI levels, something needs to change. (You can view levels via this official site:http://aqicn.org/city/chiang-mai/). 
Over the years I have seen a lot of burning. Here are some images I have captured from previous years:
*UPDATE*
