Green on Green

Rain arrived right on schedule this year, turning the hills and fields of Banrai into a palette of many shades of green.
Despite heavy seasonal rains, Banrai is not flood prone because it is situated at relatively high elevation and there are no major rivers here. However, because of the mountains, flash floods do happen and forest trails can be very dangerous to hike on during the monsoon season.
The best time to visit Banrai is in late October to mid November when the scenery is still lush green and the air is cool. After that, sugarcane harvest begins and fields are set on fire, resulting in widespread haze that lasts until February. As far as I know, no effort has been made to stop this practice even though it isn't absolutely necessary.

Three major crops have traditionally been grown here: cassava, sugarcane, and corn. In just the past year, there has been a big movement to plant rubber trees in our area. Most of the newcomers who are rubber tree plantation owners are from the South. This is because land in southern Thailand is three to four times more expensive than land of comparable soil quality in Banrai. Another major reason is the on-going violence in certain southern provinces in which Muslim insurgents are fighting for an independent homeland. Less than ten years from now, Banrai will be one of Thailand's major rubber producing areas. Thailand is the world's largest exporter of natural rubber.

Photo location: Baan Klong Ee Pu, Uthaitani rovince