1. Ban Vinai (BV) was approximately 12 kilometers south of Pak Chom at the Thai-Lao border.
2. 1992 United Nations-sponsored BV closed. Hmong refugees awaiting resettlement to USA moved to Phanat Nikhom. Those who want to return to Laos moved to Ban Napho and Chiang Kham
3. Camp opened 1975. Intended to hold 12,000 refugees. At one point in the 1980s, the population increased to over 50,000. BV closed 1992.
4. BV is 9 miles from the Mekong River.
5. There were a number of different ethnic groups in Ban Vinai in 1985.
6. There were two gates to enter and exit Ban Vinai. This is the back gate. Sometimes the Thai security guards at Ban Vinai went to lunch, and kids would hang out at the gate.
7. There are 2-3 theories about the meaning (origin) of the name Ban Vinai, one or two meanings are put forth by Hmong, one by Thais. 1 theory is that “vi nai” in Thai means “disciplined”. Another theory is that Vinai was named after a Thai commander who passed away 1975, the camp was a tribute to him
Research suggestions
Any UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) or US State Department, CIA info about camp details, statistics.
Meaning of Ban Vinai, origins of the name. Hmong, Khmer, Lao and Vietnamese camps were simply named after their locale, but Vinai was different, and is not agreed upon.