Oh Chiang Mai, How I Miss Thee!

I love Thailand! I love the people (honest and nice), the culture is so rich and the food is absolutely delicious!  I have been there 4 times now.  Thailand is still affordable and it makes my dollar worth a lot more.  My family and I took a trip to Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket in November 2011 (with a side trip to India). On this excursion, I really wanted to spend more time in the Northern part of the country, mainly in Chiang Mai. There I was able to fulfill my dream of meeting a unique tribal group, the Karen ladies.  As you can see, these ladies have different culture and practices from the western world.  I find them  very fascinating.

*This is considered 'beauty' to the Karen ladies. Without the neck ring, they will be attract a man for marriage. They reside in the northern part of Thailand (Chiang Mai). These folks escaped from Burma to be in a safer environment from their home country.

*My daughter, Ava and her new friends. They start them young!

*I assumed as you get to this lady age, the neck ring is taken out. This lady is making scarfs to sale to the tourists. Everything on her table is handmade. All profits goes back to her family in Burma