Mae Jam ‘To see rice terrace field and lifestyles of northern Thai farmers’

Thailand is an agricultural country. When people talk about Thailand, one of the things in their mind is farmers growing something. That’s right. In fact, there is a strong bond between agriculture and Thailand. These two words can barely separate from each other. If you’re in Thailand and drive out to suburban areas, you will usually see farmers growing rice and many other plants in their fields.

 Moreover, agricultural products in Thailand are famous and popular, for an instance, fruits. Many tourists from other countries love Thai fruits like Lamyai, Longkong, Mayongchit etc. Thai fruits are not less delicious than any other kinds of fruits. Therefore they play a big role in tourism income for the country. 

Or, even rice is popular to foreign tourists too. Rice is the most important economic plant in Thailand. As you know or may not know, Thai people mainly eat rice, along with some other dishes, for instances, curry, omelettes, fried short mackerels etc. When foreign tourists visit Thailand, they don’t usually eat their own traditional dishes, but, instead, they love to try Thai dishes, including rice. 

With all of these, you may want to learn more about Thai agriculture. You may want to track the roots of good-qualitied products from the country, finding out how they are planted before being sent out as delicious foods. 

Well, there is a land where you will have a good opportunity. It is Mae Jam, in Chiang Mai.

Mae Jam is a county in Chiang Mai Provice. Why is it a suggest location for you? Because, in Mae Jam, there are many Rice Terrace. Again, what are Rice Terrace? They are farms, of course, but are not ordinary farms. General farms are fields that consists of single heights of ground. But Rice Terrace consist of different heights, just like stairways.

What is so special with Rice Terrace? First, it must be about appearance. Rice Terrace are beautiful and stunning. Chiang Mai itself is already surrounded with mountains. Just imagine when you see Rice Terrace along with these marvelous too. Won’t that be amazing?

Rice Terrace might have been built for one kind of plant growing or many kinds of plants growing, depending on the purposes of their owners. However, here are some example of Rice Terrace in Mae Jam, Chiang Mai, that you may want to visit most.

Where to visit rice terrace in Mae Jam

1. Ban Pa Bong Piang

This probably be the most beautiful stair farm in Thailand. It is located on mountaintop. Therefore you can see the whole farm area, descending like a stairway. You can not possibly imagine how gorgeous it is, seriously. In the morning, you can see the fog all around. In the evening, you should be able to see the sunset beyond the mountains. Very astonishing!

That’s not enough! You can stay there if you want to. There are shelters available for tourists. The price is 500 Baht per person. With this price, you will gain sleeping area, breakfast and dinner. There is no electronic system, including air conditioners and fans. But you can still use your 3G or 4G on your mobile devices, of course. There are still signals.

How to get there

Start you trip from the junction in front of Mae Jam County Office. Then turn right and keep going for about 10 kilometres, traveling pass Ban To Rua, Nam Oke Hoo and Ban Toong Na Yao. When you reach Ban Toong Na Yao, you need to cross a small bridge. Then turn right and you will see the sign saying ‘To Inthanon Witthaya School’. Just keep going to the right side and then turn left for another 1 kilometre. Then you will find Mae Mink Village. From that point, you may want to hire a motercycle or a jeep, because the road is quite rough.

2. Ban Teen Pha

At this place, you should see a small village of S’Kaw people in the middle of mountains, being surrounded with the stair farm. Ban Teeh Pha not only plant rice, but also many other kinds of things.

How to get there

Ban Teen Pha is located just before Ban Pa Bong Biang. You just need to drive pass Inthanon Witthaya School first. Then you should find the village.

3. Ban Kong Kan

This is a peaceful village in Mae Jam Village. The stair farm there is so beautiful with its mountain surrounding. The grass is green and fresh. You don’t want to forget your camera at home.

How to get there

Start you trip from the junction in front of Mae Jam County Office. Turn right to the same route as to Wat Buddha En and Wat Kong Kan. Keep going for about 1 kilometre. Then you should find Ban Kong Kan.

4. Ban Bon Na

This small village is surrounded with mountains. Its stair farm is not too high, but enormous. There is a small concrete road cut through the farm. The scene is so stunning.

How to get there

Same again, start you trip from the junction in front of Mae Jam County Office. Turn left and then right, driving pass Mae Jam Market. Then keep going and go across a bridge that leads you to Wat Khao Noi.

Other attractions in Mae Jam Village.

Wat Yang Luang : As you enter Wat Yang Luang through the entrance gate, the first sight that greets you is the large-scale painting of the Lord Buddha and two disciples on the outer wall of the viharn (assembly hall). The viharn dates back to 1877. The temple is beautiful, and set in the midst of verdant rice fields that stretch toward the distant hills.

Exterior doors are richly decorated with mythical animals, and the interior houses a large Buddha image. To the right rear of the principle Buddha statue is a white stone Buddha reputed to be 500 years old, with a wall painting in white on black of a seated Buddha. On the left side of the large Buddha statue is a bronze image of a standing Buddha.

Wat Yang Luang is where the Jula Katin celebration is held at the end of Buddhist Lent each year, the district’s most important religious festival.

Wat Phuttha Eoen (or Wat Buddha-En as per the sign) was built in 1868. Its dominant and almost unique feature is that the bot / ubosot rests on wooden piles in a lotus pond. There are elegant teak serpents (naga), running along the base. The temple dates back to 1868.

The primary viharn’s murals illustrate the Chadok the last ten lives of Lord Buddha prior to enlightenment. Also featured are elephants and lacquer decorations on the tree-trunks that support the entrance holding up the portico.

The Wat Pa Daet complex is an interesting collection of unique buildings. However, its not until you go inside that its true glory unfolds. The walls are adorned with elaborate, pastel-coloured scenes of everyday life in the region, including ploughing, sowing, reaping, religious processions, and royal palace life.

In the post-rice season, the villagers pursue several crafts for which they have become renowned. At Ban Fai Thong, just southwest of the town, weavers produce distinctive teenjok, the finely-detailed decorative fabric that hems the bottom of pasin (sarongs) that the women wear. The diamond shapes in predominantly reds and yellows are unique to Mae Jam. Locals say that creating their cloth is not only a job, or a means to generate income, but an integral part of their lifestyle.

‘Mae Aok Hue‘ , or a water source flowing out of natural dirt hole, is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Mae-Jam. In fact, it’s an ‘unseen place’ of Chiang Mai Province too. Now, it’s very popular, due to the very clear and cool water this year. It’s something like a flawless gift from nature. If you don’t know where to go on your holidays, but you want a leisure picnic near a water source with your family, then don’t hesitate to go to this place.

How to get to Mae Jam District 

However, the best season to go to Mae-Jam for rice terrace seeing is somewhere during September to Novembe, in every year, of course. Before you can reach each of these Rice Terrace, you need to be in Mae Jam first, of course. And here is the best way for you to go.

Driving is the most convenient and private way to travel to Mae Jam. There are two separate routes. The first one is to start from the route that lead you to Doi Inthanon National Park. In Jom Thong County, there is a sign saying ‘Doi Inthanon’. Yes. Just follow it, turning right. Keep going and you will pass Mae Klang Waterfall and Doi Inthanon National Park. Continue until you see the sign that tell you to turn left to ‘Mae Jam’. Just follow it.

The second route is to start from Hod-Mae Sariang, which is in Chiang Mai downtown. Just prepare yourself at the airport intersection. Keep going straight along Chiang Mai-Hangtong Road until you reach Hod Market. At that point, you will see a big traffic circle and a clock tower. You need to drive around the circle to the right side. You should see the county office on your left hand too. Then follow Hod-Mae Sariang Road until you find the sign ‘Mae Jam’.

Nearby Places 

Beside of Rice Terrace, here are some other interesting tourist attractions in Mae Jam. 

• Doi Inthanon National Park

Doi Inthanon National Park features some of the most beautiful natural sights in Northern Thailand. Visit two impressive waterfalls, a hill tribe farming village, and the stunning twin King and Queen Royal Pagodas. Enjoy a relaxing nature trail walk before reaching the highest point of Thailand.

• Thep Phanom Hot Spring

The cold water in the earth crust is heated up by the thermal energy of the earth and, at this site, it doesn’t cool down until it is released at the surface. The average temperature of the water is 99 degrees Celsius.