Day 1

I travelled to Chiang Rai today. My initial thoughts about going to Chiang rai was that it was simply about going along with what was on the itinerary. I admit that I did lack some form of anticipation towards Chiang Rai. However, on our way there, the tour guide explained several details that made my ears perk. Chiang Rai was becoming an important stopover point for Chinese tourists, especially due to the direct flight from Kunming. Chinese tourists also liked to come to Chiang Rai from Macau because of their desire to gamble. This was related to our topic and I felt slightly more optimistic about going to Chiang Rai.

On the way there, we stopped by a hot spring. It was an unexpectedly good find for our group as there were Chinese tourists there! We managed to start on our interviews, with the help of our translator, May. I was a little nervous and our first interview was done rather haphazardly. However, we did manage to learn from our mistakes throughout the day. Through our first interview, we also realised the difficulty of having to wait for the direct translation from May in order for us to ask more probing questions. However, we figured out that this was a better trade-off than being entirely unaware of what the interviewee is saying. Luckily, May did a good job and I think our initial success could be largely attributed to her! We managed to get 2 interviews from this hot spring and I was delighted by this unexpected find.

After arriving in our hotel, our subgroup discussed and we decided to head to the Hills Tribe Village even though we were supposed to go for a city tour. Although there was some hesitation due to the entrance fee (which we had to pay by ourselves), we decided that there could be some research value in the village; apparently, the village was a specially-created tourist spot that gathered all the tribes together. Although there were plans to split up, we eventually decided that we should go as a whole group – I personally felt this was a right decision as going together did help to unify the group better, something that was important in the initial stages of the trip.

A scene at the hill tribe: an abandoned car with chickens

At the hill tribe, we took the chance to interview 2 tribes. This gave us pretty interesting insights into their lives as people who actively showcase their living environments and houses to the public. We also got better insights into their culture and their pride in it. They also had interesting personal histories, such as the Karens who moved from Burma to the village. Listening to their troubles about crossing borders and finding a better life for themselves made my own problems seem so insignificant in comparison. At the same time, the lack of advanced technology and any form of entertainment in the village also made me wonder about how they passed their time – perhaps it is the lack of exposure to such things that makes them content with having just enough.

Although the hill tribe village proved to be an enjoyable experience, there were also moments where our group felt that the village gave off a weird or awkward atmosphere. This was especially so after every tribes performance, when the tribes people will hope for donations. Although there was no explicit wish for donations, there was a pressure for us to donate in appreciation of their performance. The fact that there were little tourists on the day we visited added into the atmosphere as it seemed as if the people or creators of this artificial village were trying to cash in on our guilt and sympathy for the villagers. This was emphasised by how certain performances seemed to be lacking in vitality, as if the villagers are performing for the sake of having to do so.

At night, we went to the Chiang Rai night bazaar. We had an interview with a person who lives in Chiang Rai. I thought she was very friendly. Through this interview, w also learnt how the locals live, adapt to and take advantage of the tourist environment. For example, she sells fruits while also working her day job to earn extra income. I thought this was a very interesting fact as it showed how people need not be fully-specialised in tourist jobs in order to benefit from it.

Overall, the first day was very well spent. I am looking forward to the rest of the trip!