Another Morning in Mae Sai 10-17-2012

Woke up early this morning, around 4:00 AM, and did some telephone calls to the USA.  We are 14 hours ahead of California time so it was 2:00 PM in Los Angeles.

Daeng got up about an hour later and we went to the Ban Pa Meat market for the usual coffee, fried chicken, sticky rice, Pa Thong Ko, tea and soy milk. 

There were a lot of motorbikes in the market this morning.

We talked about being bored and decided to go for a little ride along the border.  We rode to the border bridge, turned left and rode along the river as far as we could on the road, about 4 Km.

We got off the motorbike and told the solder that was standing there that we were going to walk up the path and take a few pictures. 

I had been this far before as this is were the "Charcoal Gang" brings the charcoal across the river.  To read that story just CLICK HERE.

Now, I'm not sure if were are still in Thailand or Myanmar (Burma) as this path is well traveled by mountain folks. 

There is even a spring where nice clean water comes out of the side of the mountain.

We took a few pictures and were starting to walk back when a man and two solders started yelling at us.   Daeng said we had to go back right away.

The man was saying that I, a farang (westerner), could not go here as the Burmese Army did not like farangs and maybe would shoot me.

I thought that was very nice of him until he twice added: "If I got shot that would cause me to lose my job."  I realized that he did not care about me but did not want to lose his job.

He told us not to come back there again.  I smiled at him and in Thai I said: "See you tomorrow!"  He said: "No, don't come back again!"  With a big smile I told him again I would see him tomorrow.  He laughed and told us to get out of here.

We laughed about it as we stopped and had Thai coffee along the road.

On the way back home we stopped at a stone cutters and watch the cutter working on a big carving.  Daeng talked with the man a little.  He said they were very busy with lots of orders. 

We got back home and Daeng took out the Hula Hoop and did a little exercise before lunch. 

It was a fun morning.

Mae Sai 05/03/2010 Charcoal Gang

Daeng went to meet a man that wants to buy her land that is a few miles out of town. I am hanging out and I thought I would tell you about the story of the "Charcoal Gang".

Thailand has logged out all the trees. That means a couple of things; the thousands of elephants used to haul trees have lost their jobs and there is no more lumber, mostly teak, to build homes, furniture or to make charcoal.

There are two main types of fuel used to cook with in Thailand: bottled gas and charcoal. With no lumber, where does the charcoal come from? One of the places it comes from in Myanmar (Burma).

To read about how charcoal is made CLICK HERE!

Now for the story of "Charcoal Gang" that brings it across the river here in the Mae Sai area. I should say "Black Charcoal Gang" as when you handle charcoal you get BLACK.

The "Charcoal Gang" puts the big bags of charcoal on rafts made of bamboo and rubber inter-tubes and float it across the river from the Burma side. Then they carry it up the steep bank of the river to a flat area. This all happens before dawn.

Not only do they bring the charcoal but they bring their own two wheel carts to haul it in. I tried and I can not lift one of these cards, let alone carry it up the steep river bank.

They assemble everything in this area under the watchful eyes of the armed Thai military.

The morning we took these pictures someone was trying to smuggle Burmese rice across the river.

Charcoal is okay but no rice! Check out the "NYPD" T-shirt on the Thai soldier.

The head military man had a little meeting of the "Charcoal Gang" to tell them "Charcoal is okay but no Burma Rice!"

They then paid the "duty" for bringing the charcoal onto Thailand.

At dawn they pushed the carts with the charcoal over the little hill into this little town of Mae Sai.

Once it is over the hill the carts spread out to different areas of the town and they divide up the big bags of charcoal into small bags and sell it for 5 THB (15 cents USD) a bag.

At the end of the day or after all the charcoal is sold they cross back over the bridge into Burma to repeat the cycle again, tomorrow.

All that so we can have a HOT cup of tea as my Aussie friend, Peter, says.