Asha, an Akha Village in Chiang Rai, and the Women Who Make Our Cotton Gifts
Asha, หมู่บ้านอาจ่า (Asha village), is a small Akha village in Chiang Rai, about 25 minutes' drive north-west of the city, and it is home to the women who knot our cotton gifts.
About 300 people live there, farming pineapple, rubber, rice and bananas and raising pigs. Through Akha Ma-De, the village programme powered by Macrame by Nicha, seven Akha women work with us, our founder Nicha included.
Here is where Asha is, who lives there, how the work travels, and what the women make.
Meet the Women of Asha and Their Gifts
Where Is Asha, the Akha Village in Chiang Rai?
Asha village sits in ตำบลแม่ยาว อำเภอเมืองเชียงราย (Mae Yao subdistrict, Mueang Chiang Rai district), about 25 minutes' drive north-west of Chiang Rai city.
On the Mae Yao municipality's village list, Asha is one of the small satellite villages of หมู่ 11 บ้านห้วยแม่ซ้าย (Moo 11, Ban Huai Mae Sai village).
The hills of Mae Yao are home to several peoples. The road out to Huai Mae Sai waterfall, about 20 km from the city, passes Iu Mien, Akha and Lahu villages.
A small farming village
Asha itself is Akha, and small: about 300 people. Families live from pineapple, rubber trees, rice, bananas and pigs.
The children go to โรงเรียนบ้านห้วยแม่ซ้าย (Ban Huai Mae Sai School).
There is no post office in the village, which matters for a village whose work travels all the way to Bangkok. More on that below.
The Akha People of Asha
The people of Asha are Akha of the U Lo group, อู่โล้ (U Lo) in Thai. The Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre names three Akha groups, Lomi, Phami and U Lo, and describes U Lo as the smallest of the three.
Faith and tradition today
Asha is Protestant, like many Akha villages today, following the arrival of missionaries.
So some things you may have read about Akha villages belong to Akha tradition in general.
Many traditional Akha villages hold the โล้ชิงช้า (swing ceremony), a four-day festival in August to September honouring a goddess of abundant crops.
Many also keep a carved ประตูหมู่บ้าน (village gate).
In Asha there is no swing ceremony any more, and no village gate.
Akha dress
Traditional Akha dress carries meaning. The Maxwell Museum notes that a woman's headdress shows her region or local group, her age and her marital or social status, with old silver coins marking wealth.
Headdresses were once worn every day and are now mainly kept for special occasions.
For the U Lo group in general, the Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre describes a black, long-sleeved shirt opened down the front, and girls wearing the hat from childhood until marriage.
Nicha, Born in Asha
Nicha was born in Asha, in a bamboo house.
She founded Akha Ma-De in 2021, and Macrame by Nicha is a women-led family business. Her story is on our page about Nicha, our founder.
It is a family affair in the truest sense: her grandmother, Api Minium, is one of our makers.
The women who knot our cotton
Akha Ma-De works with seven women: three full-time and four part-time, Nicha included.
In Akha, their names carry a family title: Ama means Mother, Abu means Daughter and Api means Grandma.
- Ama Mishu
- Abu Jor
- Abu Jan
- Api Minium, Nicha's grandmother
- Abu Anna
- Abu Athu
- Abu Nicha, our founder
You can meet them properly, with their portraits and short bios, in the Meet the Makers section of our corporate gifts page.
How a Piece Is Made in Asha
The women of Asha knot at home, in their own houses.
Orders, materials and finished pieces travel between Bangkok and the village by ordinary post.
Since there is no post office in Asha, the women travel into Chiang Rai city to send and collect parcels. It is a simple system, and it lets them work from home.
What the Women of Asha Make
Here are some of the handmade cotton gifts from the Akha Ma-De programme, with their current prices.
- Malai Glin Rak, our เครื่องหอมแบบไทย (Thai-style fragrance) malai (garland), made to carry ความอบอุ่นใกล้ชิด (warm closeness) wherever you are, THB 499.
- พวงกุญแจช้าง ผ้าฝ้ายทำมือ (handmade cotton elephant keychain), THB 390.
- ที่รองแก้วผ้าฝ้าย ทำมือ (handmade cotton coasters), absorbent and sold as a pair, THB 490.
- Signature Bracelet, a กำไลผ้าฝ้ายทำมือ (handmade cotton bracelet), on pre-order with engraving arranged through LINE, THB 390.
- Malai Petite Corporate & Diplomatic, ความร่วมมืออันยั่งยืน (a lasting partnership), in 17 colours, THB 1,590.
At Christmas, our handmade Christmas ornament range joins them, and the story behind it is in our article on who really makes handmade Christmas ornaments in Thailand.
For company orders, we work on quotation: tell us the piece, the quantity and the date you need.
Request a Quote for Gifts Made in Asha
Akha Ma-De, the Village Programme
Akha Ma-De is the social programme powered by Macrame by Nicha, founded in 2021 to create paid work for Akha women in Asha village.
Akha Ma-De won first prize in the SME category at UN Women's 2024 Thailand WEPs Awards.
If your company wants gifts with a community story you can check, our guide to eco-friendly corporate gifts in Thailand, handmade by a community and verifiable is a good next read.
Can You Visit Asha Village?
For now, Asha is simply home. The women knot in their own houses, and the village does not host visitors or workshops yet.
A craft space is planned, and we will share news here once there is a date.
Today, the easiest way to meet the makers is from wherever you are: message us on LINE and we will happily tell you more about them.
If you would like to get your own hands on the cotton, our macrame workshops and team building sessions run on request.
Akha Villages in Chiang Rai You Can Visit Today
If you are travelling in the north and want to spend time in an Akha village in Chiang Rai, these three villages welcome visitors with community tourism and homestays. Details change, so check with the village or your host before you go.
| Village | Where | What visitors find | Staying |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ban Lo Yo | Moo 19, Ban Santisuk, Pa Tueng subdistrict, Mae Chan district | About 65 households and 300 people; cooking, forest and village walks, games, bracelet-making, a museum and a café | Mud-house homestay running since 2007, booking required |
| Ban Pha Mee | Wiang Phang Kham subdistrict, Mae Sai district | Coffee, the Akha swing, sunrise views, treks and Akha cooking | Homestays and creative tourism |
| Ban Pha Hee | Moo 10, Pong Ngam subdistrict, Mae Sai district | About 590 residents, coffee farms, all three Akha groups (Lomi, Phami and U Lo) and a swing festival (4 to 8 September in 2025) | More than 50 listed places to stay |
Village figures come from the Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre's community records (2023).
Two more names you will see online
Travel guides also mention Huay Kee Lek, in Wawi subdistrict, Mae Suai district, known for its swing, spirit gate, bracelets and baskets, and Ban Lorcha, on Highway 1089 between Tha Ton and Mae Chan, known for guided visits, dances and weaving.
Recent sources are unclear on whether either still welcomes visitors, so check the current situation before you plan a trip.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Asha village?
Asha village, หมู่บ้านอาจ่า (Asha village), is in Mae Yao subdistrict, Mueang Chiang Rai district, about 25 minutes' drive north-west of Chiang Rai city. On the Mae Yao municipality's list it is a satellite village of Moo 11, Ban Huai Mae Sai.
Which Akha group lives in Asha?
The people of Asha are Akha of the U Lo group, which the Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre describes as the smallest of the three Akha groups it names (Lomi, Phami and U Lo). About 300 people live in the village, and it is Protestant, like many Akha villages today.
Can tourists visit Asha village?
Not yet. The women knot at home, and the village does not host visitors or workshops yet; a craft space is planned, with no date set. Today you can reach the makers through LINE, and Macrame by Nicha runs macrame workshops and team building sessions on request.
What do the Akha women of Asha make?
They make handmade cotton gifts for Macrame by Nicha, including the Malai Glin Rak, an elephant keychain, cotton coasters, the Signature Bracelet, the Malai Petite Corporate & Diplomatic and Christmas ornaments. Seven women work with the Akha Ma-De programme, three full-time and four part-time, and orders travel between the village and Bangkok by post.
How can a company order gifts made in Asha?
Send a quote request through the Macrame by Nicha corporate gifts page, or message us on LINE, with the piece, the quantity and the date you need.
Akha Ma-De exists to create work for the women of Asha, so thank you for every order that keeps their hands busy.
Request a Quote for Your Company