more of what I have been up to

[Nakmuay887]

Few Videos I have put together of my time living in Northern Thailand and some of the things I have seen and experienced over the last 6 months. 

 

**Bare Hand Muay Thai**

 

The first thing you notice is the smell, Betel nut and tobacco in the air. Overpowering at times, the closer you get towards the boxing ring the more you can smell it. That mixed with boxing oil produces a haze that burns your eyes if you stand there too long.

 

I have seen many fights in my life, thousands. But this was the first time I saw children as young as 6 fighting with nothing more than shorts on. No gloves, wraps, or mouthpiece. the pay for such a fight at this border town between Thailand and Myanmar? 100 baht or 3 USD if they are lucky and fight hard enough to even get paid. 

The things that many of these people and children will do to escape poverty even for a night is astounding and very sad at times.

 

**teaching Thai Boxing**

 

The second video is me working with Karen children who have successfully made it into Thailand from Myanmar or where citizen zero living in the hills in various areas around here. It's a very rewarding project for me and something that quickly turned into a roaring blaze of wanting to help these young men and women however I can. They are all so hard working with such a thirst for life, it really puts life and my own problems into perspective very quickly. 

 

**Karen elephant sanctuary** 

 

There is an elephant sanctuary located in the mountains of Tak right alongside the border where they are doing some amazing things. It is run completely by volunteer Karen youth who look after the elephants daily. The relationships that these kids have with these beautiful animals is something to see. Some of these kids cannot read or write but are so intelligent in many other facets of life. It was truly inspiring and humbling to see the way they work alongside one another and how much they cared for the elephants. The pride in their work was unreal. Something I feel many young people do not care about these days. None of these kids had a cell phone, facebook, nothing. Just a machete and a longs days work.

 

**Hill Tribes**

 

The hill tribes people in the north Mountains are truly some of the people least touched by technology, modern influence, and society. They live in a world all their own. The most recent villages I've went to I have been the first foreigner many of them had ever met. The fact that I have blue eyes terrified some of the children.

 

In the beginning I thought going there was the coolest experience of my life and was high on myself for a week after. Since spending several months here now and trekking many trips into villages in and around the Golden Triangle I've come to realize that it maybe does as much bad as it does good. Especially as I've more recently gone into more poor and remote villages and locations.

 

Some of these tribes have no interaction whatsoever with the outside world and having interaction with farang is starting to make them just want hard currency and will slowly destroy their way of life. This is one of the last truly free and remote locations and groups of people in the world and its sad to think it could be altered by acts of my own. They live without borders, without stores, without the need for money, phones or cars. The biggest threat to their way of life? Us.

 

As that desire for currency grows so does desperation to get it. They haven't needed it for hundreds of years if ever and still have the opportunity to live without it now. But like anything money can become a drug. There's thousands upon thousands of stories recently of drug cartels from the Golden triangle (mountains of Thailand, Myanmar and Laos) heading into these village's and convincing them to mule drugs through the mountains and jungles into cities like Chiang Mai and Bangkok. Paid literal pennies for this dangerous work they almost certainly get caught. Either shot on sight or thrown into a Jail for the rest of their lives.

 

I recently took a group of friends from Tak who wanted to see a very remote hill tribe about 90 minutes from where I live. This is a group so remote that they are only now even starting to interact with other Thai's let alone farang. They couldn't believe that foreigners would buy their day to day items like clothing and wood working handicrafts. To them it's just whatever. It's their way of life. They looked at us like we were crazy. Why on earth would someone want to buy these things? This tribe is now starting to get money fever and I think as it gets worse the only reason their lifestyle will stay somewhat intact is because they have no education or opportunity. The only way to earn any actual money will be to sell items that are culturally theirs. The circle of buy and sell will keep things going somewhat but when the next generation comes along they will slowly lose touch with their old life and transition into society someday. That saddens me alot.

 

My first 3 trips I brought candy, sugar, clothing and toys. Now I bring solely rice, clothing and medical supplies.

 

last video is just me whacking on the pads with my coach. He was a golden era Nak Muay and one of the best Muay Khao in history. Retired cop now who coaches me as his pet project. 

 

Until next time! Thanks for reading ????????????