How did the Hmong find the way to Thailand?

[lostodno]

Nyob Zoo everyone,

I am curious how the Hmong actually found their way from Laos to Thailand refugee camps. I presume they did not have detailed maps, and the Hmong aren't known (according to my knowledge) to have a history of celestial navigation.

There was no Google Maps, so how did everyone find their way to the same refugee camps? Obviously one could just head west and eventually hit the Mekong river boarder, but that could lead you to a different part of Thailand.

Thanks for any insights and especially any first hand reports - as it might be different for different people/families.

[nooneever]

GVP knew everything; he was like let my people be free then he split the mekong river so that the rest of us could cross without drowning.  Soon after he settled us in Thailand he went and got some commandments written on a stone and everything else has been cake ever since.  Or something like that.  I don't know, some guy named Gracified23 on here told me that story and that's what I'm sticking to.

[SummerBerry]

You guy are talking about Thailand.  I'm still thinking how they travel from one village to the next in Laos.  It can be 2/3 day journey and they still do it. 

[Reporter]

They knew someone who knew someone else who knew someone else who knew the way. lol

What impressed me was their messaging system: "Koj mus no ces pab hais rau Maiv nkawd hais tias peb nco nco nkawd es peb noj qab nyob zoo thiab no os. Es kom lwm xyoo nkawd tuaj pab peb hlais nplej no nawb."

Two to three days later, the traveler got to the other village. He met Maiv's family and delivered the message to her: "Niam Nom nkawd hais tias lawv nco nco neb es lawv sawv daws noj qab nyob zoo thiab no os. Es kom lwm xyoo neb mus pab lawv hlais nplej no nawb."

You guy are talking about Thailand.  I'm still thinking how they travel from one village to the next in Laos.  It can be 2/3 day journey and they still do it.

[nightrider]

Thru military training, special units and pilots are trained in Thaliand. Whether they know how to get to Thailand or not, it's only natural for people to fled there since it's the safest place and shortest destination.

[dogmai]

Nyob Zoo everyone,

I am curious how the Hmong actually found their way from Laos to Thailand refugee camps. I presume they did not have detailed maps, and the Hmong aren't known (according to my knowledge) to have a history of celestial navigation.

There was no Google Maps, so how did everyone find their way to the same refugee camps? Obviously one could just head west and eventually hit the Mekong river boarder, but that could lead you to a different part of Thailand.

Thanks for any insights and especially any first hand reports - as it might be different for different people/families.

There wasn't Google maps but there was national geographic maps, they used that. 

[loomweaver]

They used the sun as a rough estimate to help them navigate. I've heard stories of how some groups would send some of their most able-bodied men up into the trees early in the morning to locate the position of the sun in the sky (sun rises in the east) and then head in the opposite direction.

[Hung_Low]

Nyob Zoo everyone,

I am curious how the Hmong actually found their way from Laos to Thailand refugee camps. I presume they did not have detailed maps, and the Hmong aren't known (according to my knowledge) to have a history of celestial navigation.

There was no Google Maps, so how did everyone find their way to the same refugee camps? Obviously one could just head west and eventually hit the Mekong river boarder, but that could lead you to a different part of Thailand.

Thanks for any insights and especially any first hand reports - as it might be different for different people/families.

majority of them were guided by thais and laotians... my family was guided by laotians and thais. My family were the first wave to reach Npaab Vibnai... they were in tents first and all the elders started building sections of the camp, xoom ib, xoom ob and xoom peb. They were also the first wave to leave that camp to the US.

[HUNG TU LO]

Imagine Minnesotans had to exodus out east into Wisconsin. From the Twin Cities and surrounding suburbs, you have Stillwater bridge, 94-East bridge, Osceola, or Prescott. Crossing the Mekong was the same - there were points where it was more shallow, less current, smaller channel, etc. Everyone obviously funneled to these points. It's not like Hmong people just started jumping in like rats from a fire.

Where there's war, there's opportunity. Tobacco, opium, paper money, silver bars, these will help you get across the river and into camps. These stories about people jumping in like rats and swimming...com e on, get real. It's the effing Mekong! It's like blindly jumping into the St. Croix river bordering Wisconsin and Minnesota. YOU'RE NOT MAKING IT ACROSS BY SWIMMING.

[Laujtsov]

Laos and Thailand are really close to each other. If you stand on the Mengkong River you could see Thailand on the other side. Plus once Hmong crossed to Thailand. Thai people reported to security officers. Those security officer are the one who take the Hmong people to refugee camps, no navigation required.

Far as astronomical, Hmong do have well knowledge of navigating the Heaven. Hnub Qub for an example, we already know that most of the stars are dead stars or old stars. This goes to show that in ancient time Hmong are not illiterate.

[Umbrella]

Laos and Thailand are really close to each other. If you stand on the Mengkong River you could see Thailand on the other side. Plus once Hmong crossed to Thailand. Thai people reported to security officers. Those security officer are the one who take the Hmong people to refugee camps, no navigation required.

Far as astronomical, Hmong do have well knowledge of navigating the Heaven. Hnub Qub for an example, we already know that most of the stars are dead stars or old stars. This goes to show that in ancient time Hmong are not illiterate.

Stars are not dead. If they were, they wouldn't be shining bright light years away for us to see them.

[DuMa]

Few years ago, i hit a deer, backed up and took it hm n ate it.

Im like...how that deer got down to lower elevation? 

Forest fire is the answer.  It was a stampede.  I missed the first but the second hit me n broke its own neck.  Thank goodness for the suv. 

So if bullets be flying from the east, hmong be running to the west. 

[MovKuam]

Hmong people are Geographer keep that in mind 

[thePoster]

Folks did actually jump into the river.

But man!  It aint that hard!

You folks think they couldn't tell east from west!

I mean they were hunters!!!!


They just look at the sun and they knew which way to go... they just look at the moon and new where to go.

It's that simple folks!

Cheezez!  Go take a hiking class!

[thePoster]

Sometimes I read some of the folks in here's topic's and questions and I think to myself  "dang! all yalls really living in your own little bubble?!!?  Expand your minds cheezez!"