Introducing Soppong & Around
Soppong is a small but relatively prosperous market village a couple of hours northwest of Pai and about 70km from Mae Hong Son. Since the paving of Rte 1095, Soppong and Tham Lot have become popular destinations for minivan tours from Mae Hong Son and Chiang Mai. Soppong in particular is becoming a buzzing travellers’ haunt.
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Although for many years this town was known only as Soppong, lately the Thai government has been calling it ‘Pangmapha’, since the Pangmapha District Office is now located here. The two names seem to be used interchangeably.
The area around Soppong is the place to come in Northern Thailand for caving. There are also several Shan, Lisu, Karen and Lahu villages that can easily be visited on foot. The best source of information on caving and trekking in the area is the owner of Cave Lodge in Tham Lot. The people at Border Bar in Soppong are also good for reliable information.
The rough back road between Soppong and Mae La-Na is popular with mountain bikers and off-highway motorcyclists.
If you’re here on Tuesday, check out the market. Next to the Border Bar, a Bangkok Bank was being built at the time of writing.
Last updated: Mar 2, 2009
