Doi Pui Village

Ten years ago, many of the people who knew about Doi Pui where expats who lived in Chiang Mai, who would make the occasional trip up the mountain to smoke or purchase opium.  There was nothing really to do, or see up there, and most of the traffic stopped at the temple further down the mountain.  Opium has been part of the Mong hill tribe culture for centuries.  Normally only accepted for elderly people, it became a source of revenue for the small village as more and more expats discovered its existence.

As some would say, that “golden era” came to an end when the former prime minister Taksin lead a war on drugs due to a problem that the north of Thailand was having with a drug called “yaabaa” (translates to “crazy medicine”) which was being smuggled in from Burma.  Faced with a possible death sentence, the Mong people of Doi Pui were forced to look for different sources of income.

In the last five years, the once small village is still basically a small village.  However, it has become a small village that someone who hasn’t been there in ten years would hardly even recognize.  As you pull into the front parking lot, you will notice that there are shops and small markets that lead up the hill.  The back flower garden where the opium dens once stood have been removed and replaced with a small stand which charges a small entrance fee to see the garden.  A new and separate area off to the right requires another entrance fee, where visitors can see a few poppy plants as a tourist attraction.

There are now daily tours from Chiang Mai which run visitors up the mountain, normally as part of the tour which visits Doi Suthep Temple.  It is worth seeing if you are planning on visiting the temple anyway, because it is not much further and is good for a few photos if nothing else.  Most of the goods to be purchased are the same as what can be bought in any of the markets in Chiang Mai, and really any money spent in this town could be personally considered a donation to the Mong people.  (good for karma!)

Even though there are daily tours which go up the mountain to the temple and the hill tribe village, many of the adventurous types prefer to rent a motorbike and go it for themselves.  The ride up is pretty straight forward, and the scenery is beautiful.  If you do decide to go by motorbike, make sure you dress accordingly as the temperature up on the mountain is significantly cooler than it is down in Chiang Mai.  (long pants and a light jacket)

Related Links:

Nong Buak Hat Park
Elephant Conservation Center in Lampang