Homes and a handicraft exhibit caught fire on Saturday evening. Fire-fighters were slow to arrive because of the remote hillside location. Five out of 10 homes and the showroom at Ban Tong Luang village in Mae Rim district were destroyed. There were no injuries.

The Thai "guardian" of the village denied access to forensics officers dispatched by Mae Rim police. He told police the fire was accidental.

"The area is private land. So when we were denied entry there was nothing we could do," explained Lt-Colonel Kriengsak Wong-uthai.

He said guardian Wiboon Chaitham, 48, reported a candle left burning in the showroom started the fire. Wiboon looks after 18 Karen villagers - 11 women, two men and five children.

A source said police inspected the village in August last year after reports Karen there were engaged in tourist activities. However, Wiboon produced Chiang Mai employment office documents at the time stating the villagers were employed to cultivate his land.

The land is adjacent to a popular elephant shelter and an exhibition centre for local agricultural products.

The source suspected the fire was arson committed by jealous tourist operators.