2024 Shan New Year @ Thoed Thai

[DavidFL]

The 2024 Shan New Year in Thoed Thai should be 12-13 December.
New Moon!
Please stand by for official confirmation.

The 2024 Shan New Year in Thoed Thai should be 12-13 December.
New Moon!
Please stand by for official confirmation.

From

2023 Shan New Year @ Thoed Thai

Confirmed for 23-25 November 2022. Some earlier GTR reports on Shan New Year @ Thoed Thai Shan New Year 2011 Thoed Thai Thoed Thai, the yellow flowers and 2014 Shan New Year https://www.gt-rider.com/se-asia-motorcycling/threads/shan-new-year-2019-thoed-thai.14963/ Prince of Death Road...

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New Year's Eve is 12 December 2023.
Sadly, the big parade planned for 2023/24 has now been cancelled out of sympathy for those Shan people suffering & fleeing from the war in Shan state at the moment.
However, there will still be a night time cultural show with Shan dancing, & music at the fair ground as in previous years, but not as "extravagant."
I will be in TT on the night of the 12th & have booked rooms at Rim Taan for
1. David Unk
2. Steve Merchant
3. Joe C.
4. John -Pierre.
5. Michel B
6 . Oliver H.
does anyone else want to go & join us?

 

[DavidFL]

A start...

A magic time & event to be remembered.

More to come, with a bit of a story....

 

[DavidFL]

After a few weeks of bike issues, it was great to be back on the road, so it was a leisurely run over to TT.
First stop was Panor coffee to check up on the hard working, dynamic happy gals there.

Miss Nid the super hot lovely Akha employee

With the boss Khun Nong & NId

A quick pit stop snack for the old GTR fellah

Miss Parn, the cashier/ supervisor

If you've never stopped in at the Panor, you really are missing something!

R1089 Tha Ton - Mae Chan - Coffee Shops / Restaurants

Hom Pan Din Vineyard & Coffee Bakery 12.5 kms North of Tha Ton On the right hand side heading north GPS Waypoint: N20 04.349 E99 27.606 A smart open air cafe / bakery / winery. Nice cakes. Good service. Thank you Ian Yonok for the excellent tip off. A Rainy Mhs Run With A Tiger

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It had been over a year since I'd indulged & dropped in to say hi & it only reminded me how long it takes to recover from a big accident, bike & body repairs, such that you suddenly find you've lost 18 months playing catch up!

Ooops done it again. A David Unk crash.

Time for a quick cuppa on the Khong it's a 16 kms meander upstream to 1 of my favorite coffee shops, Enjoy on the Mekong. Enjoy Coffee has a magical relaxing atmosphere, but it was a boiling hot day when I left Enjoy to gently meander home. An old rustic house with a magnificent tree on the...

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The gals at the Panor made it all worthwhile.
I almost got quite delayed, because just as I was leaving in walked Ajarn Julasak.
A man I have not seen for several years.
He is an amazing character and owner of the Oub Kham Museum in Chiang Rai.
Oub Kham is a sensational, stunning 5-star museum, that should be at the top of the list for any visit to Chiang Rai!
It must be 5 years since I have been into the museum & I was reminded it is time to go again, because they have upgraded the museum once more & have more exhibits; and in view of the current war & loss of Shan history his museum is even more incredible & a must visit if you have never been.

Oub Kham Museum Chiang Rai

Davidfl;245239 wrote: The master plan for this trip was to check out some "new" (for me) attractions in Chiang Rai. 1. Oub Kham Museum มูลนิธิช่วยปลดหนี้ สำรวจประวัติศาสตร์และวัฒนธรรม Unfortunately no photos are allowed in the museum, but I did manage one with Ajarn Julasak Suriyachai outside...

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A new visit to Oub Kham beckons!

More to come.

 

[DavidFL]

Reluctantly I dragged myself away from Panor Coffee.
TT, Shan New Year & a few mates were beckoning.
Arrival time in Thoed Thai was 3.30PM & I was the last one to arrive.
The Rim Taan Gh was the agreed rendezvous place of stay in TT & what an absolute gem of a place it is.

The Rim Taan is a true beauty & hidden gem, on the banks of the burbling Nam Kham river,

My fave bungalow # 3, stream side.

And right outside the door tables & benches to enjoy a chat amongst old friends in the magnificent ambiance.

And the two old friends
1. Oliver Hargreave, author of Exploring Chiang Mai: City, Valley & Mountains.
2. Joe Cummings, the Thailand Lonely Planet god, & Midnight Ramblers guitarist, (amongst his many credits.)
3. JP Brown, out of the pic getting more beer.

It didn't take long for the boys to get hungry & saunter off in search of fun, food, beer & the Shan celebrating NY.

 

[DavidFL]

In 2023 due to the fighting in Myanmar with thousands of Shan people being displaced there was no sponsoring a big parade.
Financial assistance was more needed across the border to help their fellow Shan suffering from the brutal bombings & attacks of the JUNTA.
However, they still held their annual Shan winter fair with singing, dancing & cultural shows.
Some pics from the night and Shan New Year at the Thoed Thai fair ground.

Official opening

Some poor night dancing shots - I forgot to take my real camera.

The Shan of Thoed Thai are super friendly & it is no trouble to join in & get a few photos with the locals.

Ollie H with the Akha gals

Joe C backstage with the leading dance troupe.

The old GTR fellah joining in

As the night drags on it is a wonderful relaxed, family party scene.

Waiting for new year to come at midnight, the old GTR fellah "retired" to the beer garden & enjoyed the company of the PG gals up from Chiang Rai city for the event.

There's always plenty of food at Thai festivals.

A countdown vdo clip to come.

 

[DavidFL]

Countdown to Shan New Year

The Beer Garden Scene



Taxi Dancing at the fair



There was more action outside the fair ground at a new disco pub. PR Friends was the name....



I've been going to Thoed Thai for over a decade, & never did I imagine seeing or being in a pub like this in Thoed Thai.
TT has certainly come of age, with its youth.

 

[DavidFL]

The day after and a visit to the old Khun Sa drug warlord camp / museum.
There's some amazing history here in TT, as Khun Sa once one of the most wanted men in the world.
Sadly, the museum with his story is in a delapidated state & closed up.

Termites in the rafters & ceiling are the issue at hand.

 

[DavidFL]

Day 1 after New Year's Eve also had some cultural performances, plus a traditional first meal "Kow Mai" of the year.

My day started with a cuppa at the ex-Khun Sa Coffee, now named Chonpao Coffee, after they were advised by relatives that the use of Khun Sa's name was not appropriate.

The Chonpao is a ripper, a little classic cafe.

Thoed Thai Restaurants

Sala Pow Yunnan The "Sala Pow shop factory" in Thoed Thai 5 Flavours Low season 1,000 Sala Pows a day. High season 1,500 - 2,000 a day! Bloody impressive for a Mum & Daughters shop. Location on the left hand side, going into Thoed Thai, before the police...

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The VIPs & GTR old hands get together for a group morning photo.

To start off the New Year the monks of TT walk the fair ground for villages line up to make merit with "tak bat" offerings.

The different colour female costumes, identify which village group the ladies are from.

 

[DavidFL]

The merit making alms round is completed & the monks bless the TT community.

Blessings complete it is time to feed the monks & enjoy the first official meal "kow mai" of the new year.

I was invited to sit with the village elders & tuck into a superb Shan meal.

The gentleman in grey sitting opposite me caught my attention. He looked familiar?

I asked Rim Tan John if he had been at Khun Sa's Memorial service.
Yes was the answer.
Did he make a speech, deliver a euology for Khun Sa?
Yes he did, & the gentleman smiled beautifully. I had nailed it & he complimented me on my memory.
He was a colonel in Khun Sa's army!
Winner, what a great way to start the Shan New Year.

 

[DavidFL]

Breakfast over it was time for the music to start & a few band competitions between the villages.

An interesting observation was the sticky rice applied to the drum, for a better sound? or whatever...

Some senior village ladies.

Later that day their were dancing shows by the various villages, & for the next 2 or 3 days!
However I was off home, as were my mates, but we all agree we should stay longer for Shan New Year in Thoed Thai, and will do next year.
I of all people should know better, but free time was an isue.
See you all in TT for Shan New Year 2025.

Shan New Year in TT is an outstanding cultural event not to be missed.
Some earlier GTR Shan New Year Reports

Shan New Year 2011 Thoed Thai

From https://www.gt-rider.com/se-asia-motorcycling/threads/shan-new-year-thoed-thai-2010-2011.6988/ Dates: 5-6-7 December 2010. A bit of a brownie points trip for me with Meow aka Happy-go-lucky. Its been awhile since she could get satisfactory time off work for us to go away & do something...

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Thoed Thai, the yellow flowers and 2014 Shan New Year

Exerpt: Luck, more than programming, brought me to Thoed Thai, just in time for the 2014 Shan New Year. A week after the Mexican sunflowers festival, the region was one of Northern Thailand’s most attractive touring destinations. Thoed Thai, the yellow flowers and 2014 Shan New Year. New year...

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Shan New Year 2019 - Thoed Thai

What a crowd & what a load of fun. The 2019 Shan New Year in Thoed Thai was a real hoot. more to come once I'm back in Chiang Mai.

www.gt-rider.com