Backpacking to find Thai people in Margherita, Assam, India

Backpacking to find Thai people in Margherita, Assam, India with mr.hotsia

If you think India only has big cities and famous attractions like the Taj Mahal or Delhi, I, mr.hotsia, will take you to explore another side that few talk about: Margherita, a small town in Assam state, located in Tinsukia district in Northeast India. It is a land where the life of the Tai Phake Thai group blends interestingly with Indian lifestyle.

Margherita is a quiet town with very few tourists due to safety concerns from unrest in nearby areas. But for me, this is an opportunity to experience the real life of the little-known Thai community abroad. I traveled nearly 480 kilometers by car from Guwahati, the largest city in Assam, which I have previously written about.Backpacking in Guwahati, Assam, IndiaNearly 480 kilometers by car heading to Margherita

Margherita, a coal mining town and tea gardens embraced by mountains

Margherita is hidden among mountains, tea gardens, and the Dihing River flowing through. The town has a small golf course that looks beautiful and unusual in the context of a coal mining town filled with smoke and machinery noise. Coal mining is the main industry here, along with plywood factories and small tea gardens, reflecting the lifestyle of people still connected to nature and traditional production.

What I liked most was the quietness and simplicity of this town with no bustling tourists. I stayed at New Hotel Blue Moon, the best hotel in Margherita as I explored. The ground floor is a small restaurant with the aroma of home-style Indian food, and upstairs offers budget accommodation at about 300 baht per night. Air-conditioned rooms are available for 400-500 baht, which suits backpackers like me very well.

Searching for Thai people in Ban Powai Mukh village

The real highlight of this trip was searching for the Thai community living in India. For Margherita, I heard of a Thai village called Ban Powai Mukh, about an hour west of the town by car.

I rented a car through the hotel for about 700 baht round trip on the first afternoon. Upon arrival, I found the village quiet and faced communication difficulties with the locals. Despite efforts to talk and understand, language barriers limited deep understanding. I arranged to meet the villagers the next day to stay with them and try cooking local food together.

Unfortunately, the night before the appointment, the villagers called to cancel due to a Hindu metal worship ceremony, a religion also practiced by the Thai people here. This was another lesson that even though we share Thai roots, the beliefs and cultures blended in India are more complex and profound than expected.

A new experience at Ban Namphake

Unable to stay at Ban Powai Mukh, I traveled to another village called Ban Namphake, also in Tinsukia district, which I had previously written about.Backpacking to find Thai people in Tinsukia, Assam, IndiaThat I have already explored

At Ban Namphake, I received a warm welcome from the Tai Phake people. Here you clearly see Thai lifestyle in an Indian atmosphere — language, clothing, and food. I tried traditional sticky rice with banana for breakfast made by them, and spent time talking and learning about the villagers’ way of life, who still preserve Thai customs well.

Travel tips and advice from mr.hotsia

For traveling in Assam, I recommend starting in Guwahati, the largest city with an international airport. There are convenient and safe taxi services via the Uber app. You can easily buy an Indian SIM card to use this service. Traveling to cities like Margherita, Tinsukia, or Dibrugarh is mainly by car or bus.

If you are interested in studying the Thai community in India, I recommend reading the articleBackpacking to follow the Tai Phake, Assam, Indiawhich provides in-depth information about the Tai Phake people and their history in Assam, as well as the articleBackpacking in Assam, Indiawhich helps you better understand the context of this area.

Summary of the trip in Margherita

Coming to Margherita and searching for Thai people in this small village was a challenging journey full of more interesting stories than I expected. Although there are no luxurious tourist attractions, experiencing the real life of the Tai Phake in India, seeing the beautiful landscape, and tasting authentic local food made this trip very valuable for me, mr.hotsia.