Ban Rak Thai
A Yunnanese Chinese village on a reservoir near the Myanmar border, surrounded by tea terraces.
Ban Rak Thai is a Yunnanese Chinese village on a reservoir near the Myanmar border, 45km from Mae Hong Son. It is free, takes two to three hours, and is known for tea, Yunnanese food and morning mist on the lake.
Open Ban Rak Thai in Google Maps19.5700, 97.9330
Prices and hours are our current best information, not a published rate. Confirm on the day before you travel.
A Yunnanese Chinese village on a reservoir near the Myanmar border, surrounded by tea terraces.
The village was founded in the 1950s by Kuomintang soldiers who fled Yunnan after the Chinese civil war and were settled here by the Thai government in exchange for help fighting communist insurgents. The community still speaks Yunnan Chinese, celebrates Chinese New Year, and grows tea on the surrounding hills with seeds brought from Yunnan.
It is the strangest and most beautiful village in northern Thailand: mist over the lake, tea rows on the hills, and Yunnanese food that is nothing like Thai cooking.
What you’ll actually see
- The reservoir at dawn, when mist sits on the water and the mountains behind it
- The tea terraces on the hills above the village, pickable in the cool season
- The Yunnanese restaurants serving mian shi and preserved pork
- The Chinese shrine and the old Kuomintang memorial at the top of the village
How to visit it well
- Stay overnight for the morning mist on the reservoir.
- Drink the local tea; the plantations are behind the village.
- Bring your passport — the border checkpoint is close.
Mistakes worth avoiding
- Arriving at 11am and missing the mist, which is the reason to come
- Expecting a Thai village — this is culturally Yunnanese and the signs are in Chinese
- Not bringing a jacket; at 1,200m the mornings are cold from November to February
Is it worth it?
Worth the drive from Mae Hong Son, and one of the most interesting places in the far north. The overnight is worth it for the morning mist. Come for the tea and the food, and be there at 6:30am.
Common questions
About 45km north, 1 hour 15 minutes by car on a winding mountain road. The last section runs along the Myanmar border.
Yes, there are small guesthouses and homestays from around 800 baht. Booking ahead is wise in the cool season.
Walk the reservoir, visit the tea terraces, eat Yunnanese food, and visit the Chinese shrine. Two to three hours covers it; overnight is better.
No, but the road runs right along the border and there are checkpoints. Carry ID.
Tours that include Ban Rak Thai
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Last updated: October 2026 · Prices and hours checked by Kanya Pongsak