*THAI TALE* - (non-moto story) - Northern Territory Haze. "Burning Season". SLASH & BURN farming.

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)

*MOTO TRIP* *DAY RIDE* **LAYMAN'S GUIDE!** The 1095 Pai Road - A succinct slice of Pai ~!

LAYMAN'S GUIDE series.  No waffle. Non wax-lyrical. Straightforward. 

 THE 1095 ROUTE TO 

PAI 

Whether on a scooter or a bigger bike, here is the Zed CM layman's guide to the 1095 route to Pai

ROUTE: From Chiang Mai city, head for route 107 (see map above - also note my tip about taking route 121 initially). This road is a busy dusty road, get through it best you can, nothing really to enjoy here. When you hit the junction with the 1095 left turn towards Pai, i recommend that you DO NOT turn left. Instead, head straight on for approximately 700 meters to the Shell Garage and fill up.

(There are small village petrol pumps dotted along the way but if you fill up at this garage, you shouldn't need to fill up along the way. Scooters included). If you have a bigger bike with a higher tank capacity, you won't need to worry about filling up here..but its a good fuel stop in any case). Once filled, make a U-Turn and head on to the 1095 and into the hills towards Pai.


The 1095 is a twisty fun road, but ride within your capabilities. For fast riders this road will only take a couple of hours..but can take as much as five for inexperienced riders. Add to that possible stops too. So keep in mind it could be a potentially long ride if you are on a small bike and are inexperienced. 

My personal top stop-off points: 

32 Coffee Hill: This is my staple stop off point, which is around half way to Pai. A good place for a drink, plus they have nice toilet facilities if you need to freshen up. 32 Coffee Hill is also within a restaurant and resort complex, so if you find yourself hungry or very tired, it is worth knowing these facilities are available too. When on route to Pai or just enjoying the road, this is usually my only stop off point. But if you have time, the next two destinations are worth visiting...

Mork Fa Waterfall. (The waterfall is BEFORE 32 Coffee Hill, so keep that in mind). I love this waterfall, but tends to get busy. It also has an interesting twisty road area to explore, if that's your thing. The waterfall itself is 60 meters high, very pretty and a great place to cool down. National park fees apply.  
8am - 6pm. Entry fee: 100 baht adult (20 baht for Thai), Parking 20 baht (motorbike).

Huai Nam Dang

Huai Nam Dang is a huge expanse of national park with spectacular views, hot springs and waterfalls. You can also rent a cabin in the National Park, and camping is permissible, but only if you bring your own equipment. 8am - 5pm. 200 baht for adults (40 baht for Thai), 100 baht for children (20 baht for Thai) *I need to check update on prices, as National Park fees have increased.


*NOTE*
Checkpoints: On route you will come across a few checkpoints, usually with only one main one being manned. Slow down when approaching and make sure you remove sunglasses and have as much as your face shown as possible. Normally you will not need to stop and be waved through. 

Pai

When you arrive in Pai I suggest you head straight for the PTT garage and refuel. (Tourist Police on left hand side, PTT straight on for 300m until you see the PTT garage on the right hand side)

 ENJOY PAI! 

For Pai and beyond I recommend the GT.Rider Mae Hong Son Loop Map

..and there you go. Have fun.

*IMPORTANT RECOMMENDATION* Take water, wear a helmet, wear protective clothing, take a mobile phone, have a license, have insurance!

*MOTO TRIP* *DAY RIDE* - Pai Sandwich : Chiang Mai > Pai < Chiang Mai

 Pai sandwich.
Riding 150km for a sandwich, eating it, then riding 150km back again. ^^^

*MOTO TRIP* (Scooter): Mae Hong Son Loop

 Chiang Mai> Pai> Mae Hong Son > Khun Yuam > Ob Luang > Chiang Mai

Another trip on my Yamaha Fino 115cc, which sadly had a bad ending (serious motorcycle accident).

You can read about that here, but for the purpose of this trip report i will leave the details of the accident out.

You will notice the map is not a neat loop. That's because it was on the 1263 that the accident happened, and there was a turn back to Khun Yuam Hospital.

Anyway.... this trip had planned to be a 3 day, 2 night trip, but i think was 3 or 4 (or 5!) nights due to the accident.

Day 1:
Chiang Mai to Pai (stopping off for coffee at our usual stop-off point, 32 Coffee Hill) . Checked into a resort called PaiLanna Which was ok, if i recall, but a little chilly and the beds were hard. This was the scene outside in the morning.
Brr!

Day 2:
After a bit of a look around Pai (which at that time was nowhere close to as popular as it is now. It still had a hippy vibe, but it felt much less touristy), checked out of the accommodation and headed off towards Mae Hong Son, planning to stop at Fish Cave on the way.


I really loved Fish Cave. It felt like something out of avatar:

At Mae Hong Son, I was lucky with the accommodation. I went looking around and found a big hotel. When I inquired about the price and said it was too pricey (in a nice way, in Thai), the lady at the desk told me to wait a moment. She got on a walkie-talkie and then when she came off it  she said she had something to show me for (i think) 400 baht (im sorry, i don't quite recall). Anyway, someone came and led around to the back of the hotel..which was under development, but STUNNING! The accommodation was a beautiful bungalow that was next to a man-made lake area. Accepted the room and was happy as could be.

Thankfully the room also had a bath, for to be honest i was aching. I suffered terrible pain in my kidneys from all the bouncing around on a bike that is like a brick to ride. Since then i always wear a kidney belt and that has really helped the issue ten-fold.

Had a quick look around MHS and then headed to bed early. To be honest my concussion from the accident has kind of wiped out most of my memories of this day..so i don't have a lot to share.

Day 3:
Found out that a friend from Chiang Mai was planning on staying a night at Khun Yuam (taking his family to see the famous Sunflower Festival), so ended up heading that way and staying an unplanned extra night in Khun Yuam. I really dont remember much sadly. I remember having dinner with them, but that's about it.

Day 4:
My friend had told of the lovely sunflowers via route 1263, although warned the road was very pot-holey. So, changing plans (unfortunately), i headed down route 1263 instead of the established MHS loop route. It was indeed extremely pot-holey and lots of gravel (this has now been resurfaced, as i retraced my trip 4 years later, which you can read here). Unfortunately around an hour or so into the route, i crashed. I was wearing an open faced helmet and no gloves. My face and hands took damage. You can read about this accident here. I was concussed. Luckily a kind Thai couple picked me up and drove me back to Khun Yuam hospital...and a pickup truck took my bike back along to the hospital too. I had good Karma that day, even though unlucky to have the accident in the first place. I was lucky too in that on the whole 1263 route there were rarely any vehicles at all. So to have two vehicles pass within moments (im guessing moments) of my accident, was nothing short of miraculous. So i spent another night (or two) in Khun Yuam.

Day 4:
I was not riding solo on this trip and so i decided to load myself up on strong painkillers and wrap up my face (which was already bandaged), and brave a pillion trip back to Chiang Mai via Ob Luang. This was a lesson in mind-over-matter, for I said nothing on this trip, but i was in horrific pain. Each bump sent waves of searing pain through my body and face. It felt like days passed, rather than hours. I also had a lot of thinking time and kept replaying the hospital and the small flashbacks i had. Trying to recall the actual accident, which i couldn't. I was also extremely sorrowful and didn't know how bad a mess my face was in or what the outcome would be damage and scar-wise. Not an easy trip....

However, the trip itself is quite wonderful..and the MHS loop is very enjoyable.

I also recommend GT.Rider MHS loop map for this trip.
Invaluable.