Taidam Cultural Village .

Or Ban Na Pa Naat, to give its proper name , is a small community of people, originally from Vietnam, located about 25kms from Loei. They maintain their original lifestyle of farming and weaving and have their own schools and temples .
When you get there it has a cultural center where you can learn about them and their customs .If going its best to go on a Friday as the kids and the elders all dress in traditional costume .Other days the elders are all out tending to their farms. A couple of times a year they have village festivals, dates of which are published by TAT.These are normally crowded but fun filled occasions .There wasn't much happening when I went this week but I attach a few photos and a link to the TAT web site .http://www.tatnews.org/emagazine/5144.asp

The cultural center

Pictorial alphabet

weaving.

Alphabet comparison.

Just a point . The Taidam is not a reference to their skin colour but to the traditional black cloth they wear .They are actually quite pale skinned .

I go running (marathon training) through ban napanad about 3 times a week ,you have probably met my girls mother who weaves at the cultural centre and is of course tai dam herself.
They have now moved the cultural centre to a new location about 100 metres on the same side of the road.