Lee Wine Ruk Thai — Yunnanese Clay Houses in Tea Terraces Above the Ban Rak Thai Lake
Those photos of orange clay houses with curved tile roofs and red lanterns, lined up across a green tea slope? Most of them are taken at Lee Wine Ruk Thai Resort. It is the oldest and best-known place to stay in Ban Rak Thai (Mae Aw), a Yunnanese Chinese village high in the mountains on the Myanmar border. Guests come back to the same two things: the lake-and-tea-terrace view that wraps around every villa, and the lakeside restaurant serving pork-leg mantou and home-grown oolong — an atmosphere that is hard to find anywhere else in Thailand.
Lee Wine Ruk Thai sits in the middle of Ban Rak Thai, once called Ban Mae Aw — a village settled by former Chinese Nationalist (Kuomintang) soldiers who put down roots at around 1,700 metres above sea level. The resort is built from orange-yellow clay-and-brick houses with curved Chinese tile roofs, scattered across the tea slopes that ring the lake. Most of the 22 rooms open onto a wooden balcony where you can sit with a cup of tea and look straight out at the view — the single detail guests photograph most.
The part nobody skips is the Yunnan restaurant on the edge of the lake. Most tables order the same things: pork-leg mantou, pork ribs braised in Chinese herbs, and cold-climate vegetables picked fresh from the surrounding plots. The tea house pours oolong grown on the resort's own terraces, and an early-morning cup in the cold mountain air is the moment most people single out. One dining room has a round Chinese moon window that opens directly onto the water — the resort's most-photographed corner.
One guest recalls: "They opened the balcony door first thing in the morning, mist still sitting on the lake, a hot cup of tea, green tea terraces below — so quiet you could only hear birds."
Rooms split mainly between standalone clay houses and rooms inside shared buildings. They lean on warm wood tones with Chinese touches — paper lanterns, folding fans on the wall — and some are family units sleeping two to four. Worth saying up front: these rooms are about atmosphere rather than luxury. A few have fans rather than air conditioning (the mountain air is cool enough that it works), and the hand-built clay construction leaves some finishes looking a little rough around the edges.
The location is both the selling point and the thing to plan for. The resort is right on the Ban Rak Thai lake, under a 2-minute walk to the rowboat dock and the Han Chinese costume rental shops. Nearby sights like Pang Ung and Pang Tong Palace are about 13 km away. But getting here from Mae Hong Son town means a winding mountain drive of about 45 km that takes close to 1.5 hours. If you get carsick, bring something for it — and avoid driving up after dark, since the road is unlit and full of bends.
The overall score sits at 4.3/5 from 61 TripAdvisor reviews, ranked first among stays in the area. Guests consistently praise the view and the quiet. The lower-rated reviews flag maintenance issues in some rooms (taps, door locks), staff with limited English, and rates that a few felt were high for what is offered — there is no pool and no spa here, the draw is pure nature. Better to know that going in than to arrive expecting a full-service resort.
One practical thing to settle before you book: the resort takes mostly cash, and for many dates asks for a bank transfer in advance of arrival. After you book, staff usually contact you with transfer details. Room rates start around ฿1,300/night for a standard room and climb for lake-view rooms and the high season (November to January, when it is cold and the blossoms are out). Those weeks fill quickly — book at least 3 to 4 weeks ahead.
The short version: Lee Wine Ruk Thai suits travellers who want to wake up to mist, tea terraces and a lake in a Yunnanese Chinese village you cannot find in any city. You come here for the view, the photos and the Yunnan food by the water — not for five-star polish. If you can handle the long drive and simple rooms, this is one of the best-feeling places to stay in all of Mae Hong Son.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Lake and tea-terrace views are excellent, especially in the morning mist
- ✓ Yunnanese Chinese village setting photographs beautifully from every angle
- ✓ Yunnan food is good — pork-leg mantou is the standout dish
- ✓ Two-minute walk to the boat dock and Chinese costume rental shops
- ! Some rooms have maintenance issues (taps / door locks)
- ! Staff speak limited English
- ! Long, winding access road — about 45 km from town
- ✓ The standout stay in Ban Rak Thai, right on the lake — best location in the area
- ✓ Rooms decorated in Chinese style with paper lanterns and folding fans, warm atmosphere
- ✓ Cool, comfortable air year-round — a genuine escape from the heat
- ✓ House oolong from the surrounding terraces is lovely first thing in the morning
- ! Some rooms feel pricey relative to the facilities
- ! No pool or spa — the focus is purely on nature
- ! Restaurant closes fairly early (around 6 pm)
- 💡If you want a full lake view — ask for a lakeside clay house or an upper-floor room when booking → inner rooms look at the tea terraces but not the lake, and the rates differ noticeably
- 💡If you're driving — fill the tank before heading up and allow close to 1.5 hours from town → the road is winding, fuel stations are scarce along the way, and night driving is not advised
- 💡If you normally pay by card — bring cash and check in advance whether a transfer is required → the resort takes mostly cash and for many dates asks for payment before arrival