Jim and I used to visit Panang at her beer shop every month when we first starting coming to Tland. Then visa requirements changed and we no longer spent much time in Mae Sai (until this year!) Just saw her for the first time in years and had a good reunion. 
While there, Panang introduced us to Lanlan, a young Chinese cyclist who had biked from BKK and who spoke flawless English with a British accent. She was heading to Chiang Khong, so we gave her some tips for the area. She stayed at BaanPakPon and loved it and SaiFon. She was taking night bus to BKK and heading for the beach before flying home to China. 
Jim visited a Hmong Hill Tribe village near Chiang Khong this winter. The Hmong are an Asian ethnic group from the mountainous regions of China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. Hmong are also one of the sub-groups of the Miao ethnicity in southern China. Hmong groups began a gradual southward migration in the 18th century due to political unrest and to find more arable land. A number of Hmong people fought against the communist-nationalist Pathet Lao during the Laotian Civil War. Hmong people were singled out for retribution [because of supporting US troops) when the Pathet Lao took over the Laotian government in 1975, and tens of thousands fled to Thailand seeking political asylum. Thousands of these refugees have resettled in Western countries since the late 1970s, mostly the United States but also Australia,France, French Guiana, and Canada. Others have been returned to Laos under United Nations sponsored repatriation programs. Around 8,000 Hmong refugees remain in Thailand.” Here are Jim's photos of Hill Tribe Village
A few weeks later when visiting with her, I mentioned a funeral procession that I'd observed. She said, "Yes, I was in the procession and saw you, but was too busy to stop and talk with you then. The funeral was for my uncle."
In September 2010 Jim went to the Thai Consul (located above the Union Oyster House in Boston) to get three 60-day tourist visas for us to use this winter in Thailand. Normally, every two months, we must exit the country at one of the borders in Thailand - Burma, Laos, Cambodia or Malaysia - and return with a stamp for our 2nd 60-day visa. 
After 60 days, we went to Mae Sai at the Burma border to get our passports stamped for our next 60 days. It was there we discovered that the Thai Consul in Boston had stamped the wrong date in our passports and, technically, our next two 60-day visas were null and void, expired, invalid, terminated, kaput, no good. 
Instead of two more care-free months, we were given only 14 days. The consequences of this are we either 1)return to a border every 14 days until we leave the country for good, 2)travel to the consul in Laos or Malaysia where they might not give us another tourist visa as we, technically, have already been given three for the year, or 3)exit Tland and then FLY back in as opposed to train or bus, where we'd get another 30 days. 
In the meantime, we are going to enjoy the rest of our time here, including fresh coconut!
NYE, we crossed the Burmese border into Tachilek. Jim explored while I sipped tea and talked politics, local culture and travel with this gentleman who spoke Thai, Burmese, English and Hindi.
Although it's January now, Jim has just posted some photos he took in Chiang Khong during LoiKratong held during November's full moon. The launching of a small float (a krathong) signifies ridding yourself of ill fortune as well as expressing apologies to Khongkha, the River Goddess. Some believe that the ritual is meant to worship the Buddha's footprint on the bank of the Narmada River, while others say that it is to pay respects to Phra Uppakhut, one of the Buddha's great disciples. The Loy Krathong Festival is celebrated nationwide in Thailand, especially where there are rivers, canals or sources of water, with unique characteristics in each locale. 
