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Arunothai - Mae Fang We ended last week's journey at Ban Arunothai, a community of former Kuomintang troops in Chiang Dao District of Chiang Mai Province. Today we'll continue from there along Highway 1340 which winds uphill along the Thai-Burmese border to the famous Doi Ang Khang. Along the way, you'll pass several KMT settlements including Ban Tham Ngop (also known as Ban Santi Wana) which was the stronghold of KMT's Third Army led by Gen. Ly Wen-huan. The former residence of Gen Ly is about 17.5 kilometres from Ban Arunothai, about a kilometre from Ban Tham Ngop. Three kilometres from the general's home, you'll find Ban Pha Daeng, today's Point B. Drive 15.5 kilometres further from there and you'll arrive at a Y-intersection. The road that goes right is Highway 1340 which continues along the mountain ridge and goes straight to Doi Ang Khang. The road on the left takes you down the valley to another Chinese community called Ban Luang before rejoining Highway 1340 near Doi Ang Khang's roadside camping ground. A couple of kilometres from the camping ground is Ban Khum, another KMT community and the gateway to Doi Ang Khang Agricultural Research Station, a royally-sponsored project. From the research station, there's a backroad that can take you further along the Thai-Burma border to Ban Muser Daeng and probably all the way to Mae Ai. But we won't be doing that road today. So, drive back along the 1340, past the roadside camping ground to an intersection (around 4.5 kilometres from the camp site) where Highway 1340 meets with Highway 1249. Yes, switch to the 1249 and drive carefully down the steep slope. After 19 kilometres or so, you'll emerge on Highway 107. Go left. Fang is about 12 kilometres from there. Just before Fang town, veer left onto the bypass road. Two and a half kilometres from where you turn, there's a side road on the left with the Mae Fang National Park sign. Follow that road for only 200 metres then turn right onto a smaller road. The park is less than eight kilometres down that road. By the way, at Mae Fang National Park you can ask for permission to drive further to Doi Pha Hom Pok, Thailand's second tallest mountain. However, the road doesn't go all the way to the mountaintop. Those who wish to enjoy the view at the summit of Doi Pha Hom Pok must be prepared to hike for a few hours. |