We left the Baan Yuu Suk shelter in Chiang Mai around 10 a.m. It was a long 4-5 hour drive to the Baan Khun Suay Hill Tribe community. For most of the drive we were on a bumpy dirt road surrounded by shrubs and what looked to be palm trees. Occasionally a bamboo hut could be seen between the trees.

When we arrived we were greeted with Thai hospitality, we enjoyed a hearty dinner of mountain rice, eggs, fried pork and gua fruit. Mickey ate, drank and talked with our hosts as if he were family.  

 “When I first arrived the villagers were weary of me. They didn’t understand why I was here, only that I wanted to learn but over the last few years they have come to accept and welcome my presence” Mickey tells me. He goes on to explain that trafficking is not always seen as a negative thing within the hillside villages, in most cases it is actually seen as profitable, a way to make a living.

After dinner Mickey and I took our cameras and went on a walk through the village. He gives me my first lesson on documentary photography while educates me on the issues surrounding trafficking in the village.

A young boy stands outside the community brothel. 

Total HR: 70