Upon arrival at the expansive grounds of Fah Lanna Spa, one immediately exhales. The ubiquitous spa aromas gently tickle the nose and lead you inwards, but there is something wonderful about having a large space where art, culture, crafts, design and nature intermix so seamlessly.

Thailand might seem to be a just a country where you can do cheap shopping sprees and enjoy cheap food. However, there is a lot more to do in the country! Here is your guide so you can stay away from the typical activities and look forward to a more engaging experience both in and out of the tourist-filled attractions of Thailand.

We headed to Chiang Dao to activists who are doing everything they can to relieve air pollution issue for their community

If you love these steaming, aromatic, bite sized baskets of deliciousness – and who doesn’t – then here is a list of some of the best, most interesting or best valued dim sums to be had in town.

Knowing that this is a play by university students, I expected to see the same kind of thing I had before. But the first step into Lanyim Theatre soon proved time that I had underestimated this group.

We had a poignant article on our website last month, ‘What Does it Mean to be Thai’, submitted by Jaem Prueangwat, a young gay Bangkokian struggling to find his identity as a Thai man. Much of what he said resonated with me, and from the comments of readers, with many others.

It’s late Saturday morning at the Nong Ho race track in Chiang Mai and the scorching summer sun beams down with its usual intensity and oppressiveness on the spectators about to enter the grandstand.

The local schools are often equally unhelpful. Corrupt school directors in Thailand are usually moved, rather than fired, and many end up in hill tribe schools where the hill tribe members do not have a loud enough voice to protest.

Museums are, at their core, historical oases. They present us with our past. Yet, people often feel removed from the past they’re viewing. The glass cases can give one the impression of a zoo, in which the materials on display are to be stared at, rather than interacted with. One may walk through an exhibit passively, with the information simply washing over the onlooker.

Sometimes we write these hotel reviews and actually get jealous that we have our own houses to go back to each night, as we don’t get a chance to experience all the awesome sleeping options there are in our city.

While there are concerns over Thailand’s bourgeoning ageing population, with the topic popping up now and then in the media, the issue hasn’t been discussed as seriously as it is in countries such as Japan or China, until recently.

As fun as the city can be, we all need occasional respite. And if a trip to Bora Bora isn’t in the cards, we seek to retreat where we can. Here are a few places we discovered this month.

ChangChill is offering a new kind of elephant tourism, one that we expect will be in high demand and one we hope will soon become a model many others will follow.

A 15 course set menu inspired by the sea features farm-raised sweet prawn from Surat Thani, served with a salty sea blite pesto made with chakra vegetables, Kaffir lime, and the aroma of bergamot skin and bergamot juice, and more.

The slow and gently Lanna service is abundant and the relaxed pace of the city makes it a perfect place to leave time at the doorstep and escape into a world of luxurious massages, beautiful aromas and the odd crack of the neck.

A book lover’s haven, a quiet place for reflection – Payap University Library’s Archives are an unexpected delight

Smiles, tears, and first steps towards novice monkhood during Poi Sang Long in Mae Hong Son.

Whether it be football, cricket or Thai boxing, anyone in the know about sports in general will automatically tell you without hesitation that the future of any chosen sport lies with the children who participate.

Shangri-La Chiang Mai’s Executive Chef, Paolo Pelosi, has drawn inspiration from the sights, sounds, scents and tastes of an Italian spring to bring us a superb culinary event.

Shangri-La Hotel Chiang Mai continues to take us on a culinary journey unlike any other we have experienced in the northern city.

Tucked away in one of the many pockets of Chiang Mai’s Chinatown, between a mystery concrete box and a store selling kids’ bikes and pork buns, is a nondescript, seemingly ordinary shop called Kasem Store.

What being Thai means exactly is perhaps forever evolving I came to believe, maybe not really existing. Failing to come up with anything, I will now stick to telling you my story. My truth.

Amongst the variety of dishes on the menu, Daddy’s Antique’s pasta illustrates the overall character of this European restaurant; being both sophisticated and comforting.

First impressions count and as we were driven through the beautiful grounds of the Dheva Spa and Wellness Centre, we were expecting to be impressed. We were however blown away by the beauty of the spa buildings and the complete serenity we felt when we entered the spa reception. We felt completely removed from the bustle of daily Chiang Mai life.

With over 700 sois in the municipal area alone, this is a labyrinth well worth diving into, because there is a wealth of hidden gems to be found…if you can (or cheat and use GPS, we won’t tell).

Sometimes businesses offer more than one service or product. Sometimes these matches are incongruous, others inspired. Here are a few you can checkout and decide for yourselves.

While we love Chiang Mai for its casual cheap and cheerful vibe, who doesn’t enjoy a good treat now and then? It could be a luxe spa experience, some Michelin standard bites or an uber cool new bar!

Sometimes it’s not just the product which draws us into a shop, but the actual design and display of the shop itself, which attracts us. Here are a few we really enjoyed this month.

His enthusiasm and passion have earned him funding from the USAID…as well as getting him in some trouble with the military which almost saw him put in jail. As it is now his last year as a college student, he is focusing on turning this student group into a future career.

With the modest success of 2008’s event, organisers and supporters of the 2009 event were aiming for something far more ambitious. Thailand was ready for a big and beautiful shout-out by the gay community, they thought. A total of 22 different organisations in various fields of LGBT activism had come together to organise this parade. As the day drew near, rainbow flags were being made, guest speakers lined up, fancy costumes designed and all accoutrements of celebration were being prepared.

Road rage is rife in this country where emotions tend to be kept bubbling politely under the surface. It’s odd, but drivers are like road-trolls, we behave in ways we would normally find appalling.

You may be surprised to learn that Chiang Mai is well on its way to submitting its final dossier to UNESCO in our bid to become Thailand’s first living heritage city. It has involved an extraordinary amount of work by people from many sectors. And while UNESCO suggests an indicative timeframe of ten years for the preparation of nominations, and we have been at it for just over three years since we were placed on the tentative list in 2015, those leading the charge say that they may be ready to submit in as little as a year’s time.

In Thailand, up to 80 percent of the urban population suffers from this syndrome, with those in their late teens or early twenties especially at risk.

When we first heard of a dramatic comedy theatre play on breast cancer, it was difficult to comprehend how will the three go together? Comedy, theatre and poignant theme of breast cancer! Glad we went for the preview show of this play because it did justice to comedy, theatre and breast cancer issue in a very compelling way.

Shangri-La Chiang Mai continues to elevate the culinary bar. Following last year’s successful series of dinners featuring visiting Michelin-starred guest chefs, this month the hotel welcomes to Chiang Mai a two-starred Michelin chef, which we believe is the first time for our fair city.

It has been 3 years since we last reported on the Chiang Mai Pickleball Club and a lot has happened in that time. The club has changed location, tripled the number of courts and grown an enthusiastic membership of both farang and Thai players.

MINI-INPUT is the largest conference on public television worldwide taking place annually. In 2019, the Goethe-Institut together with Thai PBS, the Thai Health Promotion Foundation and the Thai Media Fund are hosting the conference in Bangkok for the first time in Southeast Asia this coming May.

In Buddhism, the Buddha mentions three important principles that cover all of his teachings, which are at the heart of what people should follow in order to live happily and peacefully. The three core teaching are simply: To avoid all evil, to cultivate good, and to purify the mind.