Ban Mea Phung Luang

Ban Mae Phung Luang. Located at Mu 15 in Tambon Mae Phung, this is a community of the Karen ethnic minority group in Phrae living on the Phi Pan Nam Mountain Range. They have lived along with nature and helped look after the Wiang Kosai National Park while preserving their arts and culture as well as ancestral ways of life. There is a learning centre, which provides educational bases for tourists; for example, organic farming, worm culture, local herbal products, cold-pressed sesame oil extraction, natural dyeing of cotton threads, etc. The weaving of traditional Karen-style cloth called “Pha Tin Chok” can be seen in the community. Also, there is cloth weaving by a waist loom, which is a small loom tied up to the weaver’s waist. The narrow woven cloth will be usually made as belts, bags, hobo bags, and shoulder straps. In addition, traditional Karen-style Job’s tears embroidery is beautiful in design and unique for each shirt. Although the ways of life of the Ban Mae Phung Luang Community have changed according to the times, the traditional Karen-style houses have been preserved. The old Karen women or Mae Ui have tattoos in black ink on their hands and wear large wooden earrings; this cannot be seen among the present generation. Ban Mae Phung Luang offers a homestay service for tourists who wish to explore the nature, as well as learn about the ways of life and traditional wisdom and culture. For further details, contact Khun Ronnakiat Khamnoi, Village Headman of Mu 15, at Tel. 08 9262 4620. To get there: From the Wang Chin District Office, take Highway No. 1124 for 9 km, and turn right to follow Yothathikan Phrae – Ban Khang Pin Chai Road for 850 m.