Looking for Burmese traces in Chiang Mai
In the official Thai historiography, there are a number of historical phases that people prefer to talk about as little as possible. One of those periods is that of the two centuries that Chiang Mai was Burmese. You can already question the Thai identity and character of the Rose of the North anyway, because formally Chiang Mai, as the capital of the kingdom of Lanna, has not been part of Thailand for even a century.
The Temples of Mae Hong Son
When I first visited Mae Hong Son, the capital of the least populated province in Thailand, more than thirty years ago, I was immediately sold. Back then it was one of the country's most pristine and remote towns, tucked away between towering mountains and difficult to reach from Chiang Mai via a road that seemed to wind forever in sharp hairpin bends between the steep, densely forested slopes.
A Dutch eyewitness account of the destruction of Ayutthaya
It was the dramatic climax of the Second Burmese-Siamese War (1765-1767). On April 7, 1767, after an exhausting siege of nearly 15 months, Ayutthaya, the capital of the kingdom of Siam, as it was then so beautifully phrased, was captured and destroyed by Burmese troops 'by fire and sword'.
Bang Rajan: a touch of Wahrheit and a lot of Dichtung….
Bang Rachan is a household name in Thailand. In fact, it illustrates how thin the line is in Thai historiography between Wahrheit & Dichtung. It's kind of like a Thai version of the well-known Asterix & Obelix stories: We go back to the year 1765. All of Siam is under the Burmese knot except for the brave inhabitants of one small village who stop the Burmese legions…
Suphanburi, a historic war zone
The names Nong Sarai and Bang Radschan are known to many Thai people. In this central rice chamber of Thailand in Suphanburi province, many battles took place between Burmese and Thai armies, with the Thais being praised for their heroism. However, in the 16th century it was about small kingdoms. For example, the really important areas were the Lan Na area around 1280, south of it Sukhothai in 1250 and Ayudhya around 1351.
'The invisible', Burmese migrant workers in Thailand
In recent years, there have been many reports of human trafficking, especially in fisheries, and poor working conditions in factories and other workplaces, while pay is very moderate. This mainly concerns migrant workers. Employers, police and immigration authorities exploit these people. Eighty percent of the migrant workers come from Burma and that is what this story is about, with extra emphasis on the problems of the female migrant.
Koh Tao suspects double murder in court in July
The Burmese suspected of murdering two Britons faced court for the first time today. However, human rights organizations fear that the process will not be fair.
Burmese in Thailand (video)
Thousands of Asians cross the border from neighboring countries in Thailand to find work in Thailand. A large group comes from Burma and they reside illegally on Thai territory. In 2013 this documentary about a man from Burma named Jet was released. He works 20 hours a day in a “Tom Luead Moo” shop.
A video believed to show police officers beating Burmese prostitutes has sparked outrage in Thailand.
Slaves rescued from Thai fishing boats
Eleven Burmese migrants have been rescued from fishing boats from Thailand. The Burmese were forced to work for the Thai fishermen.
It was a party with the Burmese children in Pakayor
The hearts of the more than sixty children of Karen (Burmese) refugees in Pakayor beat with anticipation.
Many migrants look like forced labourers
Burmese Aye Phyu arrived in Samut Sakhon four years ago as an 18-year-old to work in a fishcake factory. She owed 16.500 baht for transport and bribes to the police. She worked 12 hours a day, seven days a week, earned 4000 baht a month, of which 1000 baht was deducted to pay off the debt. For two years she never left the factory a single day. Even when she blamed her…
The Karen villages on the border with Burma have been virtually inaccessible by car for several weeks now. Due to the rainfall of the past few weeks, the water in the rivers is so high that supplies have to be made walking and wading through the rivers. The organizer of the relief effort, retired accountant Hans Goudriaan, even returned empty-handed on the last trip because the river water washed over the hood. Fortunately, the first phase of our assistance is…
Help to children Karen-dorp successfully started
The start of the relief campaign for the children in the Karen village of Pakayor has been successful. No fewer than seven carpenters put a new roof on the children's home in this village of Burmese refugees in one day. The old roof was made of straw and was as leaky as a basket. The inhabitants of this village, a stone's throw from the Burmese border and 70 kilometers west of the resort of Hua Hin, have to make ends meet from …
Burmese in Thailand: they are there, but you don't see them
It's only a 60-kilometer drive west from the luxury resort of Hua Hin, but what a world of difference! No electricity here, some shabby huts and dozens of children. All from Burma, a few steps away. These Karen run the risk of being mercilessly shot by the Burmese army when they return to their own country. This is the village of the Thai Aom. At 28 years old, she has the responsibility for more…