Old thread but for the record Ban Vinai was a refugee camp in Loei province in northeast Thailand. It was a few kilometers south of Pak Chom, which is next to the Mekong river. It was about 50 miles due west of Vientiane, the capital of Laos.
Initially it was mixed Lao and Hmong but the Lao were moved to a camp in Nong Khai. The camp grew to perhaps 20,000 people at one time.
I worked in the camp interviewing refugees for resettlement in 1979/80. When I was there, there were two blacksmith sheds that I was aware of. Each one had several forges. I bought quite a few knives, like the 3 in the center of the last picture. I would buy files in the main town that was about 50 miles away and bring them to the camp.
One guy made me a knife and stamped my name on it. I insisted that he put his name on it as well. Sia Ge Vang.
This is Ban Vinai circa 1981 before the population grew tremendously. There were several more camps in Thailand. One in the north in Nan province has some Mien (Yao) hill tribe people. I have two of their knives and they are beautifully made.

Curved Thai farmer knife (made by an old Thai blacksmith friend) and Mien knife:
