Though only a stone's throw from the Myanmar border, I was sure the village must still be in Thailand. I just couldn't work out why everything looked and sounded so Chinese. Even the name, Ban Rak Thai, or "the home that loves Thais," seemed to imply that the place itself had some kind of separate nationality.
Tea Leaves
No-reservations travel sets you free
Ditching travel planning turns out to be a liberating experience in Thailand
Boating in Ban Rak Thai: Located near the Myanmar border, the remote Thai village was not on the author's travel itinerary, but it proved to be a delightful discovery. (Shutterstock)
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