Huai Hee village

Green Maehongson

2009-01-20T22:14:00.000-08:00

Maps for participatory planning in Thailand

2008-12-09T22:11:00.000-08:00

Huai Hee village
Huai Hee is an old Karen village that was founded 170 years ago and has a population of about 200 (Sahlin, 2000) or a population density of 12 people/km2. It became officially registered with the Department of Local Administration (DOLA) in 1983 as key village No. 8, yet was recently still listed as a class 2 village with only a potential for permanent settlement (DLD, 1994). The village is bordered to the west by the Nam Tok Surin National Park established in 1981, which covers one third of the Tambon. In the past Huai Hee villagers farmed within the national park boundary, but due to pressure from the Forest Department (RFD) this land had to be abandoned, a process that was monitored by the TG-HDP.

When interviewed about why the village does not have an outer boundary (Diagram 3), the village committee first replied that they forgot to demarcate it, but when pressed further mentioned the controversies over a proposed agreement with the forest department on land for agroforestry use by the village, which was never implemented. The insecurity over which land villagers are allowed to cultivate persists; hence an outer user boundary does not have that much significance for farmers, as the consequences of a village boundary remain unclear. The village area is 1,700 ha (given by the TAO office), of which 1,151 ha are conservation forest (64%), while 32% of the land is used for agriculture as well as residence. Of the total agricultural area of 466 ha, only 5% on average have been used during the last three years. Fruit trees play a minor role with 7 ha under cultivation, as fruits are only grown for home consumption due to the lack of a market and road access. There is an inconsistency in the pattern of land use in that some upland area lies outside the demarcated agricultural area, an indication that fixed areas are not yet part of the villagers‘perception of land use planning.

Aggregation at Sub-District Level
In Tambon Huai Poo Ling the ten village maps were aggregated on a sub-district map (see Diagram 4), and the white areas indicate villages that lie outside the TG-HDP project area. It is interesting to note that Pa Kaa village lies outside the Tambon boundary (in neighbouring Pai district in fact), if the data provided by NNCO are correct. To date there exist no reliable maps from the Royal Survey Department indicating Tambon boundaries and work is in progress to produce this data, yet the provincial office gives the total area of Huai Poo Ling as 37,152 ha. As far as land use planning is concerned it is important to note that there are overlapping areas claimed by adjacent villages (marked in pink), which may lead to conflicting claims over its use. In most cases this land lies in conservation forest areas, which means that the total forest area claimed by each village is actually less when aggregated to Tambon level, so that village maps can be deceiving when examined from a higher level.

The total upland area of 6,200 ha makes up some 17% of the whole Tambon area, or with perennial crops paddy, fields and land used in the last three years amounts to 7,600 ha or 20% of the Tambon. The total mapped forest area amounts to 14,700 ha or 40% of the Tambon, but as only 22,500 ha of the Tambon have actually been mapped, the fact that 65% of it is conservation forest is more significant. This by far exceeds the target of 25% protected forests set by RFD nationwide. It is obvious that the aggregated data has a relatively high level of inaccuracy, but the most important relation for planning purposes is that between conservation forest and upland area, and the figures show that the forest cover in Huai Poo Ling is very high. Now that these villages are registered and leaders are members of the Tambon Administration Organisations (TAO), they reiterate their hope of obtaining land rights at communal level. However, as long as the Royal Forest Department (RFD) and the Department of Land Development (DLD) are not represented at TAOs and in the District Hill tribe Committee, it is very difficult to obtain the commitment from farmers for planning if two key agencies are absent in the decision-making bodies.

Music Video

2008-11-25T23:04:00.000-08:00

One Day Trekking in Maehongson, Thailand

2008-11-20T00:54:00.000-08:00

Guidelines for Travellers

2008-09-30T21:59:00.000-07:00

Guidelines for Travellers
Help us protect the local environment…
- Try not to waste water. The communities we will visit are remote and may not have a consistent water supply.
- Carry out all non-biodegradable garbage, like plastics and styrofoam, back with you.
- When on treks in the forest, or even around the village, try not to disturb plant and animal life. Some of them may be very rare and fragile and sacred to the community, others could be hazardous to your health.

Respect local cultures and norms of behaviour…
- Ask permission before taking photographs or video
- Learn as much as you can about the local history and culture you are going to visit
- Wear appropriate clothing—loose and light-weight clothes covering the knees and shoulders are most appropriate
- Follow local customs—sit, eat and behave like your hosts; be aware that kissing in public is culturally inappropriate
- Respect people’s privacy
- Treat your hosts as you would like to be treated in your own home

Help us support the local economy…
- Support local trade and craft peoples by buying only locally-made souvenirs where possible
- Respect standard food and lodging charges
- Refrain from giving money or sweets to children—this encourages begging and dependency. Instead donate money to JKET or PRLC for conservation and development projects

What is JorKoe EcoTrek?

2008-09-30T21:34:00.000-07:00

What is JorKoe EcoTrek?
JorKoe means traveller with long vision in the Karen language. JorKoe EcoTrek is an alternative tour operator in Mae Hong Son, offering community-based sustainable tourism tours to ethnic minority villages. It was founded 2 years ago as a fundraising unit and a vehicle to share with visitors the community-based ecotourism projects being implemented by the Thai environmental NGO, Project for Recovery of Life and Culture.

What is PRLC?
The Project for Recovery of Life and Culture (PRLC) is an NGO organised under the North-Net Foundation, a network of rural community development organisations based in the five upper provinces of northern Thailand.

PRLC aims to improve environmental sustainability and quality of life of the people in Mae Hong Son by:
· helping to form and strengthen local community organisations and networks
· strengthening the capability and increasing the participation of the local people in the management of forest resources and local ecology, and
· encouraging self-reliance.

PRLC currently has projects in community based natural resource management, sustainable agriculture, alternative occupations, promoting civil society, and youth leadership development

What is Community Based Tourism?
Community Based Tourism (CBT) is a type of tourism which:
¨ Contributes to the conservation of natural and cultural resources
¨ Contributes to local economic development
¨ Requires a high level of local participation by community members
¨ Provides a socially and environmentally responsible product to visitors

PRLC's Community Based Tourism Program
The aim of the CBT program is to provide a means for forest-dependent communities in Mae Hong Son to pursue sustainable development on their own terms. The specific objectives of the program are

¨ To support the communities’ efforts in forest conservation, which are a major tourism resource in Mae Hong Son
¨ To strengthen community organisations by building their skills in tourism management and interpretation
¨ To increase economic self-sufficiency in rural communities by providing alternative employment and supplementary income-generation opportunities
¨ To assist communities to preserve their culture on their own terms
¨ To raise awareness of community based tourism in the Mae Hong Son area

The CBT program arose through the initiative of various communities that PRLC had been working with in natural resource management, who were beginning to see both the environmental, economic and social benefits and costs of the growing tourism industry in Mae Hong Son. PRLC’s role has been to support the development of CBT in these communities by providing technical assistance and training, but ultimately the management of these projects lies in the hands of the communities.

How do the communities benefit from our Tours?
Community Based Tourism offers ethnic minorities the possibility to take control of tourism and income distribution in their communities on their own terms and in accordance with their culture and way of life.

PRLC’s Community Based Tourism activities are planned and managed by active participation of the local communities. With the income generated from tourism, communities involved in tourism are able to support and maintain conservation activities, as well as improve their quality of life.

Most communities that participate in our CBT tours have organised their own CBT groups, with self-determined regulations on membership, responsibilities, and benefit sharing. Homestay and food services are provided by local families according to a rotation system, as are local guide services within and between villages. 100% of all food, accommodation and local guide costs stays in the local communities, 20% of which goes to a community fund for conservation and tourism related activities. The net profits made by JorKoe EcoTrek are funnelled to PRLC for conservation and development projects.

Program Options
Jor-Koe Eco-Trek offers several tour programs. All programs can be modified to accommodate specific requests or interests from visitors, such as birdwatching, botany, or culture. We can also arrange other activities, such as bamboo rafting, horse riding and biking.
Tours marked with a * may not be available during the rainy season (June-October)

Our tour prices are located at the end of the brochure, and are per person. They include:
¨ Transportation to and from the villages
¨ English-Thai speaking guides
¨ Local guides, accommodation and food in the villages
¨ Drinking water, fruit, coffee and tea
¨ Pre-departure information on local culture and traveller guidelines
¨ Contribution to PRLC’s development fund

Day Tours
JKET currently offer 3 day tours to some of our project sites and other areas around Mae Hong Son:
Karen Village and Community Forest Trek
Mae Aw: Bamboo rafting, Royal Palace and Chinese Kuomintang village
Pangmapa: Coffin Cave and Jeep Trek
For more information about these tours, please contact JKET.

Multi-day Tours
Tour 1: Karen Culture and Ecology
Baan Huay Hee and Baan Nam Hoo (2 days, 1 night)
Day 1 Karen village life and homestay
Day 2 Doi Pui and community forest trek
Tour 2: Doi Pui
Baan Huay Hee and Baan Nam Hoo (2 days, 1 night)
Day 1 Rainforest trek and camping
Day 2 Karen village life
Tour 3: The Great Hornbill Habitat*
Baan Huay Goong (2 days, 1 night)
Day 1 Trek and Karen village life and homestay
Day 2 Rainforest and Great Hornbill trek
Tour 4: Shan and Lahu Culture
Baan Melana, Baan Jabo and Baan Bokrai (3 days, 2 nights)
Day 1 Waterfall, Shan village life and homestay
Day 2 Trekking, coffin caves and Lahu culture

Tour 5: Mountains and Caves
Baan Melana, Baan Jabo and Baan Bokrai (3 days, 2 nights)
Day 1 Waterfall, Lahu village life and homestay
Day 2 Jeep trek
Day 3 Trekking, coffin cave and Lahu culture
Tour 6: Trekking Adventure*
Baan Nam Hoo, Baan Huay Hee, Baan Huay Mai Dam, Baan Huay Thong Koe, Baan Huay Goong (5 days, 4 nights- 3 days of trekking)
Day 1 Karen village life and homestay
Day 2 Karen lifestyle and homestay
Day 3 Trek: Rainforests, waterfall, homestay
Day 4 Trek: Hornbills and waterfall
Day 5 Trek: River crossing

What to Expect
All accommodation in our tours is provided by local families in the communities as a homestay. Homestays are very basic. You will be provided blankets and a pillow, but you may want to bring your own sleeping bag during the cold season. Some of our villages have mosquito nets, but you may also want to bring your own. In most of our villages there is no electricity, and toilet facilities are also basic, with no hot water.

Food is also provided by the local people we visit. They provide an assortment of traditional foods as well as basic fare, such as eggs and vegetables. If you have any dietary requirements, please let us know in advance.

Bottled drinking water is provided in our tours. In the villages you will also be offered water and tea by your host family. This is boiled rain water, and poses no health hazards; however, if you do not feel comfortable drinking it, feel free to drink bottled water at all times.

What to Bring
¨ Lightweight trousers and shirts for trekking
¨ Warm shirt/fleece during the rainy season and cold seasons (June-February)
¨ Rainproof jacket during the rainy season (June-October)
¨ Good walking shoes/boots and waterproof sandals
¨ Sunscreen and hat
¨ Insect repellent
¨ Torch
¨ Toilet paper
¨ Camera and film
¨ Binoculars, if you have them
¨ Sleeping bag during the cold season (November-February) or if you plan to camp on Doi Pui
¨ Money for incidental expenses

ปฏิทินเทศกาลสำคัญจังหวัดแม่ฮ่องสอน

2008-09-24T04:19:00.000-07:00

International Service Learning

2008-09-08T21:17:00.000-07:00

A big word for a big world.A big world means big possibilities. Possibilities for discovery & inquiry, for learning & understanding.At the University of Denver, enhancing those possibilities is our job. Through our many programs and centers, we work to cultivate a globally minded community in which faculty, staff and students can all learn from one another.On the one hand, we help international students with their immigration and cultural adjustment needs and with their English language skills. On the other, we organize international study and service learning opportunities that help our students prepare for life in the global village.The International House, offers a warm and hospitable environment in which people from all different backgrounds can mingle, share ideas and feel at home.
More information >> http://www.du.edu/intl/isl/thailand_itinerary.html

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2008-09-05T01:55:00.000-07:00

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Karen culture and Ecology at Ban Huai Hee (Maehongson)

2008-08-14T22:08:00.000-07:00

Day 1
08.30 am - Head out to the village, enjoy the view along the way.
09.30 am - Arrive at Ban Nam Hoo, sightseeing around with the villagers.
09.45 am - Transfer to Bam Huai Hee Karen village.
10.30 am - Arrive at the village, welcome by the villages.
11.30 am - Check-in to Homestay, lunch with the family.
03.30 pm - Talk and share their lifestyle, meeting with the weaving group, school visiting and the
local crafts peoplr.
04.30 pm - Observe the rotational agriculture, the local wisdom of Karen.
06.00 pm - Dinner with the host families.
07.30 pm - Evening entertainment with the villages for cultural exchange.
09.30 pm Good night.

Day 2
07.30 am - Breakfast with the host families.
08.30 am - Option 1: Walk up through the orchid nature trail, it's a chance to see a great
variety of orchids, ferns and forest wildlife, as well as walk through a protected forest
area. Walk back to the village, have lunch with the family.
Option 2: - Trekking up to Doi Pui. Have lunch on the top of mountain, enjoy
panorama view. Walk back to the village.
02.00 pm - Say goodbye to the villages, before returning to Mae Hong Son with some priceless
memories of the experience.

CBT Information at Ban Huai Hee village

2008-08-08T01:20:00.000-07:00

Tourists have been coming to the village for more than 10 years, but negative environmental impacts due to tourism raised the villages' concern, inspiring them to seek out a more environmentally and culturally-sensitive vehicle for tourism: Community Based Tourism (CBT).

In 1997 Huai Hee began practicing community based tourism. Founded upon principles of community organization and control, villages work together to set the policies related to tourism, equally sharing the responsibilities and benefits together. Both rotating visitor placement among all participating households and contributing of a portion of CBT income to a community fund ensure equal distribution of earnings. This fund can be used for several purposes, including health care and education. Facilitating positive interaction between visitors and the community, CBT helps integrate natural resource management, cultural preservation, and sustainable development into the experience of tourism.

Maehongson Widgets

2008-08-07T02:59:00.001-07:00

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2008-06-22T22:15:00.000-07:00

A brief information guide for the village's Community based tourism initiative.

2008-06-15T20:53:00.000-07:00

Want to understand the customs and culture of Huai Hee village? This post will provide an overview of :
- Community based tourism. What is it?
- Prices for staying in the village.
- Village area attractions (Doi Pui mountain, orchid conservation site, cave).
- Village history, including way of life infermation (agriculture, arts, crafts, and others).

Village History : Huai Hee village is named after the stream that flows nearby. "Huai" in Thai means "stream," and "Hee" translates to a specific species of bamboo found along the streambed. The Karen people living in Huai Hee refer in the area for more than 100 years. The village was established in its present location in 1973 and the current school and main road were constructed shortly thereafter.

Foods : During your stay in the village, you will be introduced to many traditional Karen foods. A typical meal consists of two or three main dishes supplemented by rice. Common dishes include moosato (a spicy chili paste), pork, pumpkin, and a variety of other vegetables. The meals served depend on the seasonal availability of ingredients, as most food is grown in the village's agricultural plots.
Agriculture : Village life revolves around a mutualistic relationship with nature. For hundreds of years, villages have adhered to strict codes of resource management, protecting surrounding forest out of respect for spirits believed to live within, and knowledge of local sustainability. The village practices subsistence agriculture, maintaining several paddy rice fields and non-irrigated rotational plots.
Managing ten separate rotational plots, the village utizes one plot per year, protecting the other nine plots from fires while they regenerate. By adhering to a nine-year fallow cycle, the villagers allow the land adequate time to recover-the soil nutrients are replenished, and the rapid regrowth of natural foliage helps prevent topsoil loss through erosion. This system enables them to re-use the same ten plots indefinitely. See the figure below for a visualization of activities pertaining to swidden plot use.

Aside from agriculture, vilagers earn additional income by raising livestock. Cows and buffaloes are raised to sell for profit, while pigs and chickens are raised both for consumption and sale. Nearby streams also serve as a source of food, supporting a variety of fish, shrimp, frogs, and other aquatic life. Supplemental income is earned through the village traders of weaving and blacksmithing. Outside the boundaries of the conservation area, villagers hunt for barking deer, birds, and other animals
Weaving : Weaving has long been an integral pert of Karen life. At a young age, Karen women learn the skill of hand weaving. Items ranging from blankets and bags to shirts and blouses are weaved. Although some of the cotton needed comes from outside sources, they are able to harvest a seasonal supply of cotton from the community swidden fields. This cotton undergoes a multi-stage process including fluffing, rolling, spinning, and dyeing. Villagers use a variety of natural materials to make dyes. These include seeds, leaves, ashes, fruits, mud, bark, and roots. A limited number of articles are made available to visitors for purchase.

Doi Pui : The beautiful Doi Pui peak (called "Juhjuakoh" by the Karen) stands at 1770 meters, making it the tallest point in the Mae Hong Son region. Take a day hike (3-4 hour round trip) with a local guide and see the remains of WWII American plane crash or the orchid nursery along the way. Bird-watching is also possible on the trail. Once on top, take in the 360 view. Overnights on Doi Pui can also be arranged with the local guides.

Cave : There is a cave 5-10 minute walk up a trial near the entrance of the village. Its initial opening is wide and well-lit, but a small inner chamber can be entered through a narrow opening. Villages hunt the porcupines that live in the cave's tunnels, and bats can be seen in the darker chamber.

Orchid Conservation : The forests surrounding Huai Hee village are home to over 100 indigenous species of orchid. In the past, theft of orchids by travelers threatened the local orchid population. Enlisting the help of scientists from Kasetsart University and the Project for Recovery of Life and Cultural Heritage, villages have set up a nursery along the Doi Pui trail. Villagers raise, propagate, and care for the orchids in the forest, insuring a healthy and diverse orchid population for years to come. The best time to view the orchids in bloom is in the months of December and January.

Prices : CBT has a fixed set of rules and prices for services in the village. These include ;

1. 100 Bath per person per night for lodging

2. 50 Bath per person per meal

3. 100 Bath per person for guiding services

4. One guide for every two tourists

Additional village rules regarding tourism can be viewed at the village meeting area.

CBT stakeholders in Mae Hong Son

2008-06-15T03:03:00.000-07:00

Touch the way of the Karen's Life & Culture

2008-06-15T02:17:00.000-07:00

Ban Huai Hee, Muang District, Mae Hong Son
The village of Ban Huai Hee is located at an altitude of about 1,000 meters 26 kilometers southeast of Mae Hong Son, Thailand. A small, winding gravel road leads travelers to the 172 year-old village. Today Ban Huai Hee consists of 25 households with a population of 196, split evenly between male and female. For 20 years there has been a governmental primary school with two teachers. Ban Huai Hee also has a small cooperative shop and a church. The church plays a major role in the village community; of the 25 households all except one are engaged in and practice a Christain way of life.

One thing the village does not have, however, is electricity: the village satellite telephone as well as the two TV sets get their power from two solar cell stations, the latest one being built in 2000. The two stations are able to provide every household with its own battery.The main source of subsistence in Ban Huai Hee is upland rice farming. The rice is grown in a cyclical land rotation system and under to ten-year intervals. Vegetables are grown or collected from the forest and hunting is practiced on an irregular basis. The citizens of Ban Huai Hee have, as many other highland prople, been blamed by Thai society for deforestation and the deterioration of highland watersheds. In Ban Huai Hee the situation went so far that the local people were threatened with being moved away from their traditional area if they did not change their way of living.

Through the CBT project, the villagers of Huai Hee have experienced an increased understanding from the people who earlier accused them of destroying the forest and ruining the watersheds. Now, when and explain how they protect their forest and at the same time continue to live their lives in accordance to their treaditions and in harmony with the national park their village is located in. Via CBT, the villagers have found a way and a self-confidence to share their culture and vast knowledge about their surrounding area, in addition to supplementing their income and improving their standard of living on their own terms.

The last few years has seen Ban Huai Hee visited by small groups of tourists and journalists on study trips or participating in CBT tours organized by some volunteer or NGO organization. These tours also benefit the villages, enabling them to learn about the outside world. Some of them are trying to learn English. By teaching tourists about their way of life, the villagers became aware of the importance of their culture, giving the village youth more reason to stay in Ban Huai Hee. They now sometimes work as local guides and, in the future, maybe also as park rangers.

The receipts of tourism activities go to a special community fund that is used to finance various development projects in the village. For example, the new orchid plantation has been partly realized with financial support from this fund.

In the case of Ban Huai Hee things worked out quite well. The villagers are able to manage sustainable tourism, responsible agriculture and forest conservation. Moreover they are proud of their culture. That is why MEPC is proud to offer you a CBT tour in this village and experience an alternative way of tourism that contributes to society. We hope you will join us.

Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards 2008 - responsibletravel.com's blog

2008-05-11T23:46:00.000-07:00

Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards 2008 - responsibletravel.com's blog

Village History (Huaihee Village)

2008-01-07T21:41:00.000-08:00

Huai Hee Village is named after the stream that flows nearby. "Huai" in Thai means "stream," and found along the streambed. The Karen people living in Huai Hee refer to themselves as "bakinyaw" and have lived in the area for more than 100 years. The village was established in its present location in 1973 and the current school and main road were constructed shortly thereafter.

ประวัติความเป็นมา
"ห้วยฮี้" เป็นภาษาไทยใหญ่ ปกาเกอะญอ เรียกว่า "กลอคี" ซึ่งเป็นชื่อของไม้ใผ่ชนิดหนึ่งที่มีลำปล้องยาวคล้ายไผ่ข้าวหลาม มีเนื้อไม้บาง ไผ่ชนิดนี้ "คนเมือง" เรียกว่า "ไม้เฮี้ย" เป็นไม้ใช้สานทำฝาบ้านได้ดีและสวย ช่วงที่ไม้ยังอ่อนอายุประมาณ 1 ปี ใช้ทำตอกได้ดีมาก
ชุมชนบ้านห้วยฮี้เริ่มต้นจัดการท่องเที่ยวตั้งแต่ปี พ.ศ. 2539 การจัดการท่องเที่ยวเชิงอนุรักษ์บ้านห้วยฮี้เป็นการหาทางออกในการแก้ไขปัญหาร่วมกันและมีกิจกรรมเพื่อเพิ่มความสมดุลทางธรรมชาติ และการสื่อความหมายให้กับคนต่างวัฒนธรรม เข้าใจเรื่องของชาวปกาเกอะญอที่อยู่แบบอนุรักษ์ ฟื้นฟูสิ่งแวดล้อมธรรมชาติ ซึ่งชุมชนมีวัตถุประสงค์ในการจัดการท่องเที่ยวคือ เพื่อการอนุรักษ์ฟื้นฟูดูแลจัดการทรัพยากรธรรมชาติให้เกิดความอุดมสมบูรณ์สืบไป เพื่อใช้ประโยชน์จากการอนุรักษ์ทรัพยากรธรรมชาติโดยไม่ทำลาย เพื่อสื่อให้บุคคลเข้าใจวัฒนธรรมและร่วมกันอนุรักษ์

รูปแบบการจัดการ
กลุ่มท่องเที่ยวเชิงนิเวศน์โดยชุมชนบ้านห้วยฮี้ จัดตั้งขึ้นโดยมีลักษณะของ กลุ่ม ในชุมชน โดยมีวัตถุประสงค์ดังต่อไปนี้
1. เพื่อเป็นการอนุรักษ์ทรัพยากรธรรมชาติ และวิถีชีวิต วัฒนธรรมประเพณีอย่างยั่งยืน
2. เพื่อให้เจ้าหน้าที่ในหน่วยงานต่างๆ เช่น องค์กรเอกชน, เจ้าหน้าที่ภาครัฐ, และนักท่องเที่ยวที่ขึ้นมา จะได้เรียนรู้วิถีชีวิต ได้สัมผัสและเข้าใจเกี่ยวกับการอนุรักษ์ทรัพยากรธรรมชาติ และวัฒนธรรม ประเพณีของชุมชน
3. เพื่อให้บุตรหลานได้เรียนรู้วิถีชีวิต ในการอนุรักษ์ทรัพยากรธรรมชาติ และวัฒนธรรมประเพณีของชุมชน
4. เพื่อให้เป็นรายได้เสริมให้แก่ชุมชน ที่จะได้ให้ไว้แก่บุตรหลานในการศึกษาและเครื่องใช้สอยต่างๆ