Ban Muang Noi is a Lahu Na Christian village located in Mae Ai district, Chiang Mai province and it is about 195 kilometers away from Chiang Mai city. The village was set up about 35 years ago and there was no public services at the beginning and the village could be reached by walking from the highway about 25 kilometer from the village. The village has 105 households with a population 750 people, 275 men, 325 women and 150 youths and children. TTC started working with the artisans of this village 20 years ago. The items made by these artisans includes Shoulder Bags, Plain cloth of various width and length, Pattern woven cloth, Christmas runners and wall hanging made of hand woven cloth on back-strap loom.
Currently, the village can be reached by car all year round and living condition is much better now. Each household has a limited size of land that the can grow rice, corn and beans but their earning from agriculture is not enough for all year round. Therefore, villagers need supplementary income. Some of them go to work in different cities in Thailand. About 80% of the village income is from agriculture, 10% from sales of handicrafts, all sold to Thai Tribal Crafts and 10% from others.
Villagers are busy working in their fields from May through July. Then they will be free from agricultural activities from August to middle of October. Busy again for harvesting from middle of October through the end November. Most of villagers are free from field activities during the period from December through April. Therefore, the artisans normally work on handicrafts during this period.
Thai Tribal Crafts team..
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