Nong Khai Refugee Camp

In June 1975, about 10,000 Hmong refugees arrived at the Nong Khai police detention center, signaling the start of a large wave of refugees coming into the area. The Thai government quickly realized they needed to manage this growing population, so they set up the Nong Khai Refugee Camp. By the end of that year, the camp's population had grown to 15,682 people, including 8,821 Hmong, 4,679 Laotians, and 2,182 individuals from other ethnic groups. The camp continued to grow rapidly, and by 1978, it housed an impressive 36,583 refugees.

However, in 1978, a devastating fire swept through the camp, destroying much of it and forcing the refugees to be displaced once again. After the fire, the Thai government decided to move the Hmong refugees to Ban Vinai, which had become a major center for Hmong asylum seekers. Nong Khai was then designated as the primary refugee camp for Laotian refugees. This change marked a shift in the camp's purpose, and after several more years of operation, Nong Khai was officially closed in 1983. The camp's history highlights the challenges of managing the refugee crisis during this time and the strength of the displaced people who had to endure multiple relocations in their search for safety.