The Tai Yai
Living in the majestic northwest corner of Thailand’s border with Burma you will find a village that was founded by migrant Shan farmers early in the nineteenth century. These farmers were descendants of a powerful group that had founded the Nanchao Kingdom of the Tai in China around the 7th century.
The group moved back and forth between Thailand and Burma for several centuries. Their first settlement in Thailand came in 1831, the area later became known as Mae Hong Son. Today this group calls themselves Taiyai or “big Thai”.