Northern Thailand History
The Biography of General Lee Wen Huan and the Third KMT Army
May
Introduction
The Biography of General Lee Wen Huan and the Third Army is a story that was given to us by Khun Phoranee Chaisiri, the eldest daughter of General Lee , when we visited Tham Ngob in December 2025. Her younger sister Chawiwan Chaisiri wrote this article in Thai.
The Biography of General Lee Wen Huan and the Third Army by Chawiwan Chaisiri
Introduction
General Lee Wen Huan, also known as “Li Chaiyan,” was originally from Yingtian County, Nanjing (the former capital of China). During the early Ming Dynasty, his ancestors followed his grandfather, Ying, on southern campaigns and settled in Yeshuitang Village, Zhengkhang County (now Yongde County), Yunnan Province. During the Japanese invasion of China, General Lee took part in the resistance.
When the Communist Party launched its revolution and began reforms in China, General Lee served as commander of the Zhengkang County Defense Force, reporting directly to the Governor of Yunnan Province, Lu Han.
The town of Hmong Hsat
Facing an unfavourable situation, he led roughly a thousand soldiers and volunteers to establish a base near the Myanmar border (which also borders Yunnan). Initially, General Lee led his troops from Zhengkang County, settling in Ma Li Pa (also called Kokang) in Burma. After some time, they advanced toward Mong Hsat in the Kengtung region of Burma.
All of these forces, both regular army units and volunteer groups, converged on Mong Hsat because they shared a common cause: the liberation of their nation. Mong Hsat was the stronghold of Kuomintang (KMT) troops, a group of Yunnanese soldiers led by General Li Mi, who was of Yunnanese descent and a friend of U.S. General Douglas MacArthur during World War II. He commanded General Lee Wen Huan of Tham Ngob (Chai Prakan District, Chiang Mai Province) and General Tuan Si Wen of Doi Mae Salong (Mae Chan District, Chiang Rai Province).
The recall of General Li Mi
At that time, General Li Mi was a crucial unifying force in all aspects, especially in boosting the morale of his soldiers. The Yunnanese troops were in very high spirits, and everything was going well until it was disrupted by persecution against General Li Mi by other factions within the army. He was reported to Taiwan, and eventually recalled to Taiwan, where he was placed under house arrest until the end of his life.
After General Li Mi was recalled to Taiwan, the Kuomintang (KMT) government appointed General Liu Yunling to replace him. Although not of Yunnanese descent, General Liu Yunling organized a major military campaign. The 13th Division was commanded by General Li Wenhuan (General Lee), and the 14th Division by General Liu Shaoting. These two divisions were combined to form the Third Army, with General Li Wenhuan as the commander and General Liu Shaoting as the first deputy commander. From the time they left China, there was constant fighting.
The government of Burma complains to the United Nations
In the city of Hmong Hsat, a major battle erupted between KMT forces and Burmese troops. The clash escalated into an international issue. The United Nations convened representatives from Taiwan (the KMT’s home country), Burma, the United States, and Thailand. Thailand’s representative was General Chatichai Choonhavan, the later prime minister. The meeting concluded with an agreement to evacuate the KMT personnel—soldiers and civilians—to Taiwan, where President Chiang Kai‑shek had retreated.
- 1953 – First evacuation: Organized by the UN, the route passed through Tachileik (near Mae Sai District, Thailand); evacuees boarded aircraft in Lampang Province. Approximately 7,000 people were moved.
- 1961 – Second evacuation: People from Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, and Laos gathered in Luang Namtha, Laos, before being flown to Taiwan. Over 4,000 evacuees were involved. The Kuomintang government in Taiwan arranged for planes to pick them up.
The KMT abandons Generals Lee and Tuan
Before these evacuations, KMT troops stationed along the Thai‑Burma border and in Laos were divided into five armies. After the two evacuations, troops of the 1st, 2nd, and 4th armies returned to Taiwan. The remaining armies were the 3rd Army led by General Lee Wen Huan (known to Thai officers simply as General Lee) and the 5th Army led by General Tuan Shi Wen.
General Tuan and General Lee died in 1980 and 2000, respectively. Some elements of the 3rd and the 5th armies evacuated to Taiwan, while others stayed behind awaiting a return to China. Ultimately, the KMT abandoned both generals and their armies, leaving them to fend for themselves and support their families. They had to find a new. place to live for their people.
Infiltration of communist insurgents
Around 1960‑1961, communist insurgents infiltrated the Thai‑Lao border in Chiang Khong and Chiang Kham districts, organizing Hmong ethnic groups into platoons in the Doi Pha Mon and Doi Yao areas of Chiang Khong District, Chiang Rai Province. Their aim was to oppose the Thai government. Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn’s government, after reaching an agreement, secretly ordered General Lee to deploy over a thousand men to Doi Pha Mon to suppress the Hmong uprising. General Lee’s arrival quickly quelled the incident.
Later, General Lee moved most of his troops to Ban Tham Ngob (then part of Fang District, Chiang Mai Province), leaving about 500 soldiers at Doi Pha Mon. When the Communist Party of Thailand (CPT) learned of the redeployment, it reignited unrest. General Lee then sent about 200 soldiers to assist Laotian forces under General Phoumi Nosavan in cracking down on the main Laotian communist base in Xayaburi aka Saignabouly. After this, Doi Pha Mon remained peaceful for several years.
Trouble on Doi Pha Mon
In 1967, international communist supporters attempted to sow discord between the Thai government and General Lee’s troops at Doi Pha Mon. They murdered the village headman and several officials, planting General Lee’s uniform near the bodies. The Thai government consequently forced Lee’s forces to abandon Doi Pha Mon and relocate to Tham Ngob.
After Lee’s complete withdrawal, about three months later international communists allied with Thai insurgents to seize Doi Pha Mon, smuggling large quantities of weapons through Laos to arm Hmong fighters. These fighters attacked police, destroyed buses and property, and even pretended to surrender to lure high‑ranking officials, including the governor of Chiang Rai, the police superintendent, and the chief of staff of the 3rd Army Region, into ambushes.
His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen visit Chiang Khong
Subsequently, General Kriangsak Chamanan, then Deputy Chief of Staff of the Supreme Command, negotiated with Generals Lee and Tuan to deploy roughly a thousand troops alongside government forces, successfully crushing the insurgents at Doi Pha Mon and Doi Luang.
On July 19, 1971, His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen visited Chiang Khong District and granted General Tuan and General Lee a private audience, praising their successful suppression of the insurgency. General Lee presented a commemorative stone, a rock from Doi Pha Mon and Doi Pha Tang, to symbolize that the area had been fully restored to the Thai people.
After hostilities ceased, the government allowed some of General Lee’s soldiers to remain at Doi Pha Tang to guard the border, while others returned to their original base at Tham Ngob in Chiang Mai Province. Today, Doi Pha Tang village is a popular tourist destination, especially in winter, located in Wiang Kaen District, Chiang Rai Province.
The Battles of Khao Kho and Khao Ya
The Battle of Khao Kho and Khao Ya in Phetchabun Province (1982) marked the end of the last major communist insurgent stronghold. Under Prime Minister Prem Tinsulanonda, the Third Army (led by General Lee) and the Fifth Army (led by General Tuan) contributed a total of 400 soldiers to the government’s anti‑communist operation. This sweeping campaign finally eradicated the communist insurgency—a goal long pursued by the former KMT soldiers.
General Lee Wen luan’s forces, besides being stationed at Tham Ngob in Chai Prakan District, Chiang Mai Province (their headquarters), also oversaw more than 40 subordinate villages along the borders of three provinces: Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, and Mae Hong Son. Most of the inhabitants were of Yunnanese Chinese descent.
Granting Thai citizenship to KMT troops and their families
The battle marked the beginning of the process by which former KMT soldiers and their families obtained Thai citizenship. Recognizing their courageous service, the Thai government petitioned His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej for naturalization. The king graciously granted the request. The granting of Thai citizenship to former Kuomintang (Chinese Nationalist) soldiers and their families signified the culmination of a long struggle for belonging and land rights.
Everyone needs a home
Currently, they hold Thai citizenship as Yunnanese‑descended residents living along the borders of Wiang Haeng, Chiang Dao, Chai Prakan, Fang, and Mae Ai districts in Chiang Mai Province; Mueang District and Wiang Kaen, Chiang Khong, Mae Suai, and Mae Sai districts in Chiang Rai Province as well as Ban Mae O (now Ban Rak Thai) in Mae Hong Son Province.
The former Kuomintang soldiers and their families live today thanks to the generosity of His Majesty the King, Her Majesty the Queen, the Chakri Royal Family, and the compassionate Thai government and people, who have supported them for over 60 years.
General Lee once told his children, “Everyone needs a home”
. For a long time he diligently searched for land so that a group of people once unwanted could have a place to live and breathe in their own homes.
Written by Miss Chaveewan Chaisiri, the youngest daughter of General Lee.
Notes on editing the article
I used Google Translate to translate the Thai text into English and used an AI application to improve the text. I tried to stick as closely as possible to the original text. Finally, I added the headers to the text to improve its readability.
I included the most widely spelling of the names of people, for example General Lee instead of General Li. Also names of places sometimes turned out to be confusing like Muang Sae instead of Mong Hsat. Where necessary I corrected the text and the names but always stuck as much as possible to the original text.
The National Flag of the People’s Republic of Taiwan
Lu Haodong and Sun Yat-sen designed the flag of the Republic of China (Taiwan). The design of the white sun on the blue field (symbolizing the sun of progress) is the national emblem of the country.
The three colors correspond to the fundamental principles of the people of Taiwan. Blue signifies liberty, justice, and democracy. Red color symbolizes fraternity, sacrifice, and nationalism. White color represents equality, frankness, and people’s livelihood. The twelve white rays represent the twelve months in a year and the twelve shichens (traditional Chinese hours) where each ray corresponds to about two hours of each day. The Blue Sky with a White Sun appears on the grave stones of soldiers of the 3rd KMT Army at Tham Ngob.
The location of the former 3rd KMT Army Camp at Tham Ngob
On Google Maps the former 3rd KMT Army Camp is identified as General Lee’s residence, Nong Bua, Chai Prakan District, Chiang Mai province. The compound consisted of General Lee’s private residence and the 3rd Army Camp. This consists of barracks, administrative buildings, a mess hall and a parade ground. What I suspect to be the mess hall has been turned into a restaurant for tourists years ago.
During my last visit in November 2025 I found out that the army barracks has been turned into a guesthouse and a restaurant with an attractive terrace. I was very excited to spend the night there. The “Tham Ngob Inn” is open from early November until late February, which is the tourists season. During the rest of the year Doi Angkhang and its surroundings are deserted and most places close for months.
The guesthouse is quite basic but nice enough for a night. The restaurant has some nice old pictures and the terrace is outstanding. I enjoyed the food. Apart from the Tham Ngob Inn there is nothing to do in the village. During daytime there are a couple of stalls in front of the gate of the Tham Ngob Inn. Before you reach Tham Ngob coming from Arunothai you will pass the Memorial Hall and the cemetery. Both have been established in the past five years as far as I can tell.
