Mae Sot - getting ready for the jungle trek

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Last week I traveled to the North Western town of Mae Sot to do a 3-day jungle trek near Um Phang.

Mae Sot is a town on the border with Burma (Myanmar) and has been an unstable area with skirmishes between Burma and Thailand in the recent past. It's rather peaceful now and Mae Sot is now a trading post, profiting from illegal trade with Burma.

Many Burmese live in this part of Thailand that have fled the country for its notorious junta regime. There are a large number of refugee camps here (see picture), housing an estimated 150.000-200.000 refugees! After my dinner in Mae Sot, I met a Dutch girl who was teaching English at one of the camps. She told me that many women are being raped by Burmese military and that the conditions on the Burmese side of the border are worse. Let's hope that recent US efforts for a dialogue with the junta will help to get democracy back to Burma soon to end the suffering of the Burmese people.

I made the picture of the refugee camp on my way to Um Phang the next day. It was a 4-hour ride on winding mountain roads to Um Phang on a truck with small benches facing each other in the back. Not very comfortable, but it got me there!

When I arrived, I checked into the place where I booked my trek. I had dinner there and I met my 2 companions for the next 3 days: 2 Americans, Bart and Trevor (father and son) from Vashon Island, Seattle. Trevor was touring his dad around Thailand while studying in Bangkok. They would be great companions; more on that, and the great jungle trek in the next post!

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Photos

Burmese refugee camp near Mae Sot
One of the refugee camps near Mae Sot. I shot this picture while on my way to Um Phang

Comments

[bert staubach]

He Pannekoek
Nou Teun, dat ziet er allemaal goed uit zeg. Veel plezier in de jungle en broekspijpen dicht binden he. groeten Bert Staubach

[new]

thailand
hi how are you?

[Myint soe]

Miss my friends in refugee camp
hi how are you? i know this refugee camp before i live in this camp but now i am in U.S.A when i see this picture i want to go back to Thailand and visit my friends now i miss my friends so much :)