Thank you for the rehearsal, I had missed this one, another fabulous GTR report. So many things still to visit in the region 
Return to Nan & back to the future?
- Thread starter DavidFL
- Start date
Davidfl;251292 wrote:
Made it; & a very contented GT Rider
Amazing Thailand - a memorial museum to the communists fighting the Thai goverment.
Get out there & enjoy it while you can riders. Life here is G-O-O-D!
The more you ride the better it gets.
More info & translation from Ms Wipawee
The information on this poster is not really clear. Therefore, I searched more info from other websites and then extend some info in each paragraph on the poster. You can cut it shorter, or look for another part that may useful.
Revolution 1932
In 1935 the new army chief and defence minister, Plaek Phibun Songkram (1897–1964), known as Field Marshal Phibun, became prime minister and established a dictatorship. From 1933 to 1937 the number of military men doubled and the military budget increased dramatically. The army became a vector of industrialisation. In the name of nationalism it invested in agriculture and transport and took control of Chinese enterprises. A new law on nationality in 1939 forced minorities to “become” Thais by learning the language, changing their family names and sending their children to Thai schools. The regime of Phibun imposed a martial law more severe than Siam had ever known in order to assimilate non-ethnic Thais into this nationalistic vision. A new alliance was established between sectors of the traditional bourgeoisie (including Sino-Thais), the administration and the military. But, under Phibun, some campaigned for the “superiority” of the “Thai race” and racist campaigns were directed against minorities.
Communist Party of Thailand's beginnings, 1940–1972
At the onset of World War II, Thailand, under the authority of General Phibun, allied itself with Japan, embracing much of Japan’s fascistic ideology. In 1941 Japanese troops invaded the country under the pretense of fighting British and French armies on the Thai borders. The Thai government declared war on the Allied powers while joining the Axis, but Japanese forces quickly took on the role of conquerors, alienating the Thai population. Two resistance movements organised against the Japanese occupation: the Volunteer Organisation for Armed Opposition to Japan created by the newly reestablished CPT and the underground Seri Thai (Free Thai) network.
As armed struggle was no longer on the agenda, the CPT dissolved its military forces. Then, instead of organising peasants in the countryside, the CPT called back its members to Bangkok, which shows how much it remained an urban party. Leaders and militants of the party returned from China, including Udom Srisuwan, who became a well-known editorialist of the CPT and its primary theorist. During the years following the war the influence of revolutionary ideas began to find its place among students such as Jit Phumisak (1930–66), whose essays and poems impressed many generations of militants and who was eventually killed by police. The underground, episodic CPT newspaper, Mahachon (the Masses), became a weekly publication. The party reestablished itself in the capital and started the Bangkok Labor Federation as well as unions, associations for women and youth and associations of school and university students. The CPT became politically involved at the parliamentary level when parliament member Prasert Sapsunthon publicly declared his affiliation.
From 1950 Bangkok aligned itself with the United States and became the first country in Asia to offer troops and material to the United Nations in Korea. In return, Washington offered massive military assistance to the Thai regime. Thus, the geopolitical situation of Thailand changed dramatically. In the past, Siam, as a buffer between French and British colonies, remained at the margins of regional conflicts and avoided colonial conquest. This time, the kingdom was on the front lines, in the direct service of imperialist military strategy. The anti-communist and anti-Chinese repression worsened and arrests increased. The democratic movements and the left were muzzled. Pridi Banomyong returned to exile, this time permanently
The movement toward rural armed struggle was difficult for the Thai party to make, as it necessitated a radical reorganisation of party forces that were culturally and sociologically removed from the peasantry. The prestige and influence of Chinese Maoism helped move the CPT toward rural struggle, but the evolution of Thailand’s political scenery itself played a significant role. From the mid–1940s to the end of the 1970s, the country had only three democratic interludes of three years each punctuating three decades of military rule. There were 18 coups d’état under one reign of King Bhumibol, Rama IX, who ascended the throne in 1946.
The CPT held its second congress in early 1952 and was officially named the Communist Party of Thailand. It was only during this period, the early 1950s, that the Chinese Communist Party of Thailand (CCPT) was formally dissolved. According to some estimates, this organisation had about 4000 members and the CPT only 200. Some militants went back to China and others joined the Thai party. This integration reinforced the “Chinese” influence on the direction of the organisation. The congress also endorsed the “rural turn” of the CPT, without giving up the development of its urban activities. In particular, it mobilised forces to participate in the worldwide peace movement, an issue important to Thailand.
On October 6, 1976 police, military and anti-left wing paramilitary forces assembled at the gates of Thammasat University and opened fire on protesters in a massacre. There were hundreds of deaths and thousands of arrests; the televised images of the massacre shook the entire country. Just three years after the removal of the dictator in 1973, the military took power again in October 1976, shortly after the massacre. For many, it destroyed hope for Thailand’s democratic evolution.
Still, this was not the end of the left. By the thousands, in order to avoid arrest or death, to pursue their struggle and obsessed by the desire to avenge friends massacred at Thammasat, students joined the guerilla forces, along with workers and peasants. The People’s Liberation Army of Thailand (PLAT) increased its forces dramatically. In the beginning of 1979, at its peak, it had 12,000 to 14,000 soldiers according to government estimates; according to other estimates, there were 20,000. Guerilla zones existed in more than 40 provinces and the CPT had influence in thousands of villages with a total population of more than 3 million.
The mass arrival of young urban folks in the guerilla camps caused many logistical problems. The integration of students educated into the urban democratic fight within more traditional village communities was difficult. A few months after the coup d’état of October 6, 1976, the first conflict broke out within the camps in the southern province of Surat Thani; however, such conflicts remained localised. Still, the rallying to the CPT, to the PLAT and to the new United Front of prominent worker, peasant and student activists, and the growing propensity of the student movement for revolution, allowed for a considerable enlargement of the social base of the Thai communist movement.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Communist Party of Thailand - CPT was a Marxist-Leninist, Communist political party inThailand, active from 1942 until the 1990s. Initially known as Communist Party of Siam the party was founded officially on the 1st of December 1942, although communist activism in the country began as early as 1927. In the 1960s the CPT grew in membership and support and by the early 1970s was the second largest communist movement in mainland South-East Asia (afterVietnam). Even though the CPT suffered internal divisions, at its political peak the party effectively acted as a state within the state. Its rural support is estimated to have been at least four million people; its military support consisted of 10-14,000 armed fighters. Its influence was concentrated to the North-Eastern, Northern and Southern regions of Thailand.
However, following a series of internal party disputes, changes in international communist alliances, successful counter-insurgency policies of the Thai government and, ultimately, the end of the Cold War, the party disappeared from the political scene in the early 1990s.
1940s - 1950s: Founding of the Party
During its initial phase of existence, the Communist Party of Siam remained a small party. It was mainly based amongst intellectuals in Bangkok and the services. By early 1948, British intelligence sources deemed reports that the party would have had 3000 members nationwide as 'exaggerated'. The party enjoyed a brief period of legality from 1946 to 1948. The secret party headquarters were located in a wooden building at Si Phraya Road, Bangkok.
For more interesting info pls consult
http://links.org.au/node/1247
17th FEb 2012
Wat Phumin in Nan
is under going renovation, & maybe disappointing for some whilst this is going on.
The Nan Tourist info centre, opposite Wat Phumin is one of the best set ups I have seen in North Thailand.
The official tourist office
At the Tourist Info Centre Nan Coffee has some good coffee
Miss Jit is the stunning "Coffee Vendor."
Wat Phumin in Nan
is under going renovation, & maybe disappointing for some whilst this is going on.
The Nan Tourist info centre, opposite Wat Phumin is one of the best set ups I have seen in North Thailand.
The official tourist office
At the Tourist Info Centre Nan Coffee has some good coffee
Miss Jit is the stunning "Coffee Vendor."
17th Feb 2012
I hung out in Nan for another night as supposedly there was to be a night of classical Thai dancing in the grounds of the Nan Museum, but sadly they were only setting up & the big night was the 18th, too late for for me with Chiang Mai ToyRide the next morning.
I did however manage a couple of night time temple shots
Wat Chang Kham
Wat Hua Khuang
Plus Miss Emmy performing at the Nan Riverside Pub
And Wat Ming Muang at dusk
also at dusk, Wat Khu Kham
I hung out in Nan for another night as supposedly there was to be a night of classical Thai dancing in the grounds of the Nan Museum, but sadly they were only setting up & the big night was the 18th, too late for for me with Chiang Mai ToyRide the next morning.
I did however manage a couple of night time temple shots
Wat Chang Kham
Wat Hua Khuang
Plus Miss Emmy performing at the Nan Riverside Pub
And Wat Ming Muang at dusk
also at dusk, Wat Khu Kham
Just in from an over-nighter (2 nights) in Nan & looking to dump a few pix.
The air was exceptionally nice on my Nan rest day...
Wat Phumin
Wat Phrathat Chang Kham
Wat Hua Kuang
Coffee Bike is a free wifi coffee bar at theShell gas station in the centre of town.
GPS Waypoint:N18 46.729 E100 46.288.
Coffee Bike is biker owned & well known in the Thai biker comunity.
Check it out sometime.
En route back from Nan, I popped into the Huai Rong waterfall off R101 between Wiang Sa & Phrae.
not the biggest waterfall in the world, & dry in hot season, but still a popular family picnic spot.
GPS Waypoint: N18 26.523 E100 27.001
The air was exceptionally nice on my Nan rest day...
Wat Phumin
Wat Phrathat Chang Kham
Wat Hua Kuang
Coffee Bike is a free wifi coffee bar at theShell gas station in the centre of town.
GPS Waypoint:N18 46.729 E100 46.288.
Coffee Bike is biker owned & well known in the Thai biker comunity.
Check it out sometime.
En route back from Nan, I popped into the Huai Rong waterfall off R101 between Wiang Sa & Phrae.
not the biggest waterfall in the world, & dry in hot season, but still a popular family picnic spot.
GPS Waypoint: N18 26.523 E100 27.001
November 2012, if it is wet, watch out for some road works on R1256 The Doi Phukha Road.
See Snot on Doi Phukha
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See Snot on Doi Phukha
Snot on Doi Phukha
After a brilliant 2 nights in Nan for the Tod Kathin festival it was time for a quick afternoon blast up & over Doi Phukha via Bo Klua, ending up in Pua for the night. The Doi Phukha loop is still the top spectacular ride in North Thailand I reckon & R1080 on the east Laos border side is in...
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16 December 2012.
R1091 Pong - Chang Muan - Nan.
& for me the best way / ride into Nan, fast flowing, swooping....
and the reason for the ride to Nan, to link up with Moto-Rex coming back from Laos after 2 weeks off road with Brian Bkk.
A rare snap of Moto-Rex & I "on the road together,"
R1091 Pong - Chang Muan - Nan.
& for me the best way / ride into Nan, fast flowing, swooping....
and the reason for the ride to Nan, to link up with Moto-Rex coming back from Laos after 2 weeks off road with Brian Bkk.
A rare snap of Moto-Rex & I "on the road together,"
Still picking up on all the Nan attractions.
Pua & it's Tai Lue temples.
Wat Ton Laeng
the oldest Lue temple in Pua.
& a beauty of a Lue temple of it ever was.
Wat Nong Daeng in Chiang Klang, 15 kms away.
built by Tai Lue & Phuan so the story goes.
Pua & it's Tai Lue temples.
Wat Ton Laeng
the oldest Lue temple in Pua.
& a beauty of a Lue temple of it ever was.
Wat Nong Daeng in Chiang Klang, 15 kms away.
built by Tai Lue & Phuan so the story goes.
Under renovation yet again.
Pua.....Wat Prang & the "Ticklish Tree.""
Wat Prang
Maybe not look much to most people, but Wat Prang is the home of the amazing ticklish tree
stroke the tree trunk & the leaves will jiggle - dance, as if ticklish.
Hard to believe, but it is true & it does.
not that you can see it in this photo above, but witness it I did.
A bit of info on the tree
Gardenia turgida Roxb. (Rubiaceae)
According to Wikipedia: Gardenia is a genus of flowering plants in the coffee family, Rubiaceae, native to the tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, southern Asia, Australasia and
They are evergreen shrubs and small trees growing to 1–15 metres (3.3–49.2 ft)
In India the tree can be used for medicinal purposes for snake bites
From a small tree - 5 g of fresh roots are crushed and mixed with 200ml of drinking water. Root paste along with water is given orally in twice a day.
It is the only one in Thailand, so they claim.
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Davidfl;213838 wrote:
Around 2.00 pm I headed north in search of the communist soldiers monument. I figured that I still had 4 1/2 hrs day light riding left for me to slip up to Huay Kon & perhaps track down the monument the same day. Easy eh?
Pua is only approx 60 kms north of Nan and a fast 40 minute ride on R1081.
Chiang Klang is another 16 kms north of Pua.
3 kms north of Chiang Klang a huge new blue highways dept sign indicated the turn off to the Pha Daeng battlefield.
Above: Big new road sign with the local attractions, but no kms. So they are out there somewhere!
I could not believe my luck, this had to be it - I was almost there already. This was Route # 1291, a new one on me & it headed east straight up into the hills.
Above: R1291 & 4017, 2 great biking roads to tackle.
What a road it is. Another exhilarating steep & winding Nan mountain road. After 15 kms R1291 for some reason becomes Route 4017 to run for another 22 kms way way up in the mountains.
Above: R1291 thru the cabbage fields (must be Hmong hill tribes around somewhere?)
Eventually the road ran out in Maneepruek a Hmong village.
Above: Downtown Maneepruek megatropolis.
Above: Maneepruek super highway to nowhere.
Above: End of the road, Thai style. But where's the monument & battlefield?
The GPS showed I was only 7 kms as the crow flies, from route 1081 on the Lao border / east side of Doi Phukha. But there was no battlefield or chedi that I could see. Perhaps Maneepruek was really a Fakawi tribal village, as they certainly knew nothing about a huge monument to fallen communist soldiers or where the battlefield was. You could only laugh about it, but I'd found a new spectacular road, had a great ride, got some nice pictures & so had a good rewarding time. But where was the huge monument nestled spectacularly on the mountain ridgeline?
Davidfl
Keep The Power On
Bump for Ian Yonok
Tham Pha Daeng, an old commie cave & camp
Now is that a 3 hour walk one way, or 3 hours return?Tham Pha Daeng (ถ้ำผาแดง
Tham Pha Daeng is located at Ban Mani Phruek, Mu 11, Ngop subdistrict.
It is a very beautiful cave and the longest one within the Doi Phu Kha National Park. Within the cave are stalactites and stalagmites with beauty, as well as, a large waterfall and brook.
In the past, Tham Pha Daeng was the refuge base of the Communist Party of Thailand.
The traces left inside the cave are beds of soldiers, beds of patients, some of which are still in good condition, secret holes to hide the weapons, pieces of food trays, and utensils.
To get there: Walk for 3 hours around the hills to admire the nature, plants and wildlife, as well as, the houses of the Hmong hilltribe amidst the nature at the centre of the valleys.
Hi. I go often to Mani Phruek, because I live in the area.
P { margin-bottom: 0.21cm; }A:link { } Mani Phruek caves (Mani Phruk)
There are several caves in the area of Mani Phruek (Mani Phruk), close to an hill tribe village. The most famous one, Tham Pha Phueng, is one of the most spectacular cave entrances, and the deepest cave of Thailand.
Tham Pha Phueng ถ้ำผาผึ้ง
The cave is close to Ban Mani Phruek 1 H'Mong village, and can be visited without being accompanied by a guide. The cave entrance is reached by a 5 minutes walk.
For the other caves (and for the battle field), you will need a local guide from the nearby Department of Forestry. It is a very nice off-road track, but easy to get "lost"
Tham Champi ถ้ำจําปี
This cave is 4.5 km. north-west of Ban Mani Phruek 1 and 400 metres lower in altitude.
There is a track from the village that can take you to about 1 km. from the cave.
Recommend getting a guide.
The cave is 400 metres long and well decorated, though it does also have a lot of bats.
Tham Ho Ying ถ้ำหอหญิง - Tham Ho Chai ถ้ำหอชาย
These caves are on Phu Hua Lan mountain, up the hill from Tham Champi. There are still landmines on Phu Hua Lan (there are warning signs) so stick to the footpaths and, preferably, have a local guide. Both caves are short (Tham Ho Ying is 100 metres long and Tham Ho Chai 30 metres long), but have some formations.
Tham Pha Daeng ถ้ำผาแดง
This is the well-known Communist base camp cave. It is about 9 km. north of Ban Mani Phruek 1 and can be accessed via the good track that goes along the ridge to the north-east of the village. As there are no signs once past the village a local guide is recommended.
Other caves:
Tham Phu Hua Lan ถ้ำภูหัวล้าน
Tham Nam Dan (Tham Nam Mudt) ถ้ำนํ้าดั้น(ถ้ำนํ้ามด)
Tham Nam Tok Nam Poen ถ้ำน้ำตกน้ำปิน
Tham Huai Poen ถ้ำห้วยปิน
http://www.thailandcaves.shepton.org.uk/deepest-caves
DATE: Sat 22 - Tues 25th July 2006.
In the last few weeks having done 101, 1148 & 1091 into Nan I feel that R1091 is the best way to ride into Nan, & then take 1148 out. The difference is marginal, but for sure you will get a better ride and feeling arriving in Nan via 1091.
Pix above: R1091 soars up into the mountains from Chiang Muan & Ban Luang.
Arrival time in Nan was 7.15 pm after checking out a few R1091 roads; & the tip is that Route 3030, north from Sanian (8 kms west of Nan) is good for a 16 kms side trip from Nan city to see some Yao hill tribe villages & lovely forest. Check it out sometime if you're hanging out in Nan looking for something to do.
Davidfl
Keep The Power On
Route 3030 features in today's news with a significant shoot out between police & drug dealers
Drug gang leader shot dead after bloody shootout in Nan
SECURITY personnel shot dead a suspected drug-trafficking gang leader and arrested one of his men in Nan province yesterday in an unfolding operation in which as many as 12 soldiers and police have been shot.
Three other gang members reportedly remain on the run.
Soldiers and police intensified their operation to nail down the members of this gang, after they shot the security personnel on Thursday night.
The most seriously wounded was Colonel Settapon Kettem, chief-of-staff of the 38th Army Circle.
Settapon was shot in the head and in the chest as he led a team of about 50 policemen and soldiers in searching several houses in Huai Labaoya, a largely tribal village in Muang district, on Thursday night.
At the time of the attack, his team had found more than 1,700 methamphetamine tablets in the possession of two villagers including the dead alleged drug-trafficking gang leader, Wen Kuan Chao. As the team left a house to go to another house, gunshots were fired and eight officials were wounded. Wen, 64, was also known as Sadam the Brutal.
More gunfire ensued as the team tried to evacuate the wounded. During the exchange of gunfight, three security personnel were shot.
After the team managed to leave Huai Labaoya on Thursday night, arrangements were made for Settapon to be airlifted from a local hospital to Phramongkutklao Hospital in Bangkok yesterday.
Following surgery, Settapon's condition was listed as stable yesterday but he remained in intensive care.
Yesterday morning, more than 100 police and soldiers searched a forest zone around the Huai Labaoya to try to track down the attackers and three more soldiers were wounded.
As of press time, just four victims were discharged from hospitals.
"We will check which villagers left Huai Labaoya during the attacks on security officials in a bid to bring the culprits to justice," Third Army Area deputy chief Maj-General Thana Jaruwat said yesterday.
Most Huai Labaoya residents are from the Yao and Mien tribes.
"The village sits amid a hilly forest. Many people here are said to have been involved in drug trafficking or smuggling," Tambon Sanian Administrative Organisation chairman Thirapon Wanwipusit said.
An informed source said only small-scale drug suspects lived in Huai Labaoya as bigger players usually hid in forest zones.
"They [the bigger players] get food and water from people living in the |village," the source said.
The source added that with such links, residents of Huai Labaoya had usually been uncooperative when authorities came to seek information on drug suspects.
Thana said the authorities would from now on closely check Huai Labaoya to determine which |resident had abused or trafficked illicit drugs.
Source: The Nation Newspaper.
The village of Labaoya is at the end of the concrete road R3030.
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The asphalt ends up in the village of Sop Khun, 37 kms from R1091. If you're on a road bike, then the only option is to turn around and come back out. But if you're on a dirt bike & a bit of a half decent trail rider, then there still is a link up from Sop Khun over to the next mountain Doi Phachi, & then onto either Ban Luang or Pong. Doi Phachi is also another old CPT HQs site, which is worth investigating & exploring sometime
From Sop Khun to Doi Phachi (Santisuk) there's a narrow trail that winds through the mountains.
At the Doi Phachi end there is a small cemetery for the communists who died.
Now if someone wants to go & check it out & write it up for GTR......you should also be careful walking around in the area because the local say that there are supposedly still a few land mines laying around from the war= take a guide if you want to go hiking!
Some more info & report here
Communist Village & Natural Wonders Of Phayao...
..... plus a pretty tough dirt ride over the mountains. But it started with a search for a "Hanging Rock" at Bo Sipsong. North of Phayao is a ridge running roughly north-south. Access from the west is from a village road, east of highway 1. A brand new tarmac road in. Then came to a...
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See also:
Phu Phayak & The Communist History Of Nan
Tucked away in the far top, north-east corner of Nan is the ex communist stronghold of Phu Phayak. Phu Phayak has featured on GTR here Return to Nan & back to the future? It took me a few goes over several years 2006, 2008, & finally 2010 to find Phu Phayak; after I first heard of it in a...
www.gt-rider.com
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