Moonshine’s Lustre: The Story of Thailand’s Lao Khao
The first time I tasted lao khao was after I decided to write this article. Inspired by a CNN photo essay featuring chefs Antony Bourdain and Andy Ricker sipping on the infamous liquor in a Mae Rim distillery, I wanted to learn more and try it for myself. I’ll admit that growing up in middle-class suburbia left me oblivious to the lao khao culture of the rest of the country. I was really surprised to learn that over 60% of Thais choose lao khao as their libation of choice, according to Thailand’s Department of Mental Health.
Migrant Lives Matter: The challenges and prejudices faced by Shan migrant workers
For the past few hundred years the people of Chiang Mai have had a strong relationship with their cultural and ethnic brothers and sisters across the border in the Shan State. Our royal families intermarried, we took turns exerting power and influence over one another, trade was brisk, Buddhism and cultures shared, languages were similar enough to converse with one another and we even look similar. Combine those elements with the geo-proximity, and the Shan had more affinity for their southeastern neighbours in Chiang Mai than they did their southwestern Burmese oft-times enemies.
My Journey: 17 Year Old Essay Winner’s Journey to Dublin
At the start of this year, I submitted an essay titled with the theme ‘A Journey’ to Citylife that eventually won me a round trip to Dublin this past summer. Within it I had written: “For every journey one undertakes there must be a will. A will to fight and a want that drives us to be.”
Editorial: September 2017
I mentioned in the April editorial of this year that I had been feeling slightly discombobulated following accusations of being a purveyor of fake news. Now, nearly half a year and a few added allegations later, I feel as though I must return to this distressing topic. To be fair, I am only talking about perhaps a half dozen denunciatory readers out of the hundreds of thousands who have laid eyes on our content since my original strop. But while the only things hurt here are my tender feelings, I do worry about this trend and how it is going to come back and bite all of us on the tuches further down the road.
Living with Elephants: dispelling myths, setting standards and changing attitudes
Thailand has had a long and close relationship with its elephant population, so much so that we even have a National Elephant Day on March 13th. Though elephants were ridden like horses and used for labour like buffalos, they were also highly regarded, even revered, animals, with some Buddhist beliefs going so far as to claim that elephants are the only animals that can be reborn as a future Buddha. Elephants have been fundamentally associated with ancient religious rituals and the monarchy for centuries; being symbols of legitimacy, prestige and power for all political aspirants. King Rama II’s national flag of 1817 featured his white elephant (the flag was changed to its current form one hundred years later) and elephants played a considerable role as a royal vehicle in both traditional warfare and ceremonies. Yet our elephant population has dwindled from one hundred thousand at the turn of the last century, to under 5,000 including about 3,600 in captivity today. The question isn’t, therefore, what happened to our elephants; but how on earth we allowed this to happen?
RIP Kham Mueang: the slow death of a language
There are few greetings as charming as a “sawasdee jao” received with a gentle wai by a welcoming Lanna lady in her lilting kham muang. For many visitors to Chiang Mai, this is the extent of their kham mueang vocabulary or knowledge of the language itself. In fact, there is a common misconception that kham mueang is merely a northern dialect of central Thai when in fact it’s a rich language with its own unique script and history, spoken by approximately six million people across the north of Thailand and Laos today. In spite of the great number of speakers, it is also a language under threat of extinction as fewer and fewer of the younger generation now speak it.
What Sex Workers Want You to Know
On its surface, Can Do Bar seems like your average after-hours watering hole. Shelves of liquor bottles shimmer under neon signage, and the latest pop chart-toppers drift out from the loudspeakers. Despite its comfortingly nondescript appearance, it is the only bar of its kind in Chiang Mai: it’s run entirely by sex workers.
An Unexpected Hemp Revolution in Thailand
As Western countries edge closer and closer to hemp and cannabis legalisation, Thailand is quietly and tentatively following suit. Following the vilification of cannabis and hemp caused by the American presence in the region in the late sixties, Thailand and her neighbours introduced harsh prison sentences, and even death penalties for the consumption and dealing of the drug. Almost half a century later, new, and more progressive attitudes are finally sprouting up like toadstools across Thailand. This year, laws have already been passed that will see hemp become a fully commercial crop within the next three years, and legislation regarding decriminalisation and re-classification of cannabis is currently under review, with positive results predicted within the next two years. Northern Thailand has been given the honour to lead the hemp revolution, with a rich history of cultivation among Hmong and other highland cultures making this the logical locale to begin, and starting with those who know best.
Citylife’s Bloody Experience at Pu Sae Ya Sae
I stepped into the festival expecting a witchcraft of atmospheres. Rituals, sorcerers, spells being chanted, rain dancers, and vials of buffalo blood being passed around to be drunk by all. I expected a supernatural presence to reveal itself, to cause a ruckus. I prepared myself for the possibly that magic may exist. It was all very thrilling. Of course, I had misjudged the situation. In reality, the event was much more down to earth than my senses had prepared me for.
The Thai Lottery: It’s More Than a Game
“Lotto culture is Thai culture,” Priyawit “Bom” Nikornpant insists. “If you study Thai beliefs and lottery beliefs, you will understand that the thinking systems are analogous.” The belief systems that cloak lottery-playing methodologies in Thailand are complex, starting with the seemingly simple process of buying a ticket. The first step is to choose which numbers to buy.
Chiang Mai Does Cosplay
Cosplay comes from the combination of the words costume and play…if you hadn’t guessed it already. First made popular in mid-twentieth century Sci-Fi conventions of America, it really took off as a subculture in Japan during the anime and video game boom of the ‘80s. Today, it’s gained a worldwide following, mainly by the most dedicated fans of anime, videogames and cartoons who dress up as their favourite characters and adopt their personality for a day. Citylife decided to talk to a few avid cosplayers in Chiang Mai and find out more about these uber fans of anime.
Into the Jungle: An experience with Karen hunter-gatherers
The rain started to ease as we reached a village perched upon a mountain’s peak near Mae Wang. As the tarmac disintegrated into a dirt road that seemed to be part-timing as a small river, we slipped and slided our way, seemingly perilously, to the Karen village that was home to our local guide, DuanJan or John. The trek was organised by Chai Lai Sisters, Thailand’s first sustainable trekking company run by indigenous Karen women who wish to raise awareness of their ways of life and the struggles they are facing as a wider community. For us it would be a challenging yet fun adventure into the jungle, but for John and many other Karen men, it would be just another day as a hunter gatherer, this time with a writer and photographer from Citylife in tow. After slinging a .22 rifle over his shoulder, grabbing a few homemade squirrel traps and slipping on a pair of flip-flops, jungle-John was jungle-ready. Pi the photographer and I required a few more amenities, donning our steel-toed Gore-Tex hiking boots before managing to stuff our waterproof backpacks with bottles of water and a change of clothing. I even slipped a Swiss army knife into my pack…just in case.
Architects of Interaction: The Visionaries Behind Two of Chiang Mai’s Innovative Community Spaces
Beyond the walls of the Old City far from the usual bars and clubs where many Chiang Mai residents find their nocturnal weekend entertainment, a new social space began filling up by 8pm. In an unlikely location — a warehouse tucked behind a Nissan dealership — the city’s hippest tastemakers flocked to take part in a new kind of nightlife.
One Sleep Closer to Home: Housing For Chiang Mai’s Homeless
Thailand’s homeless community is incredibly small compared to the rest of the world. According to the Issarachon Foundation, just 3,311 people were homeless in Thailand in 2015, which works out as just 0.005% of the population. To put it into comparison, the UK (which has a similar population to Thailand) has over 250,000 homeless people according to the charity Shelter, making up 0.4% of their entire population. America has double that.
What is Lanna? How Lanna became the identity and brand it is today
What do you think of when you hear the word Lanna? It’s likely the knowledge that you are living in the Kingdom of Lanna, founded by King Mungrai 720 years ago. You probably think of TAT posters of pretty northern girls wearing colourful tube skirts, or pasin, holding hand-painted mulberry paper umbrellas. Your mind likely goes to the rich culture and traditions of yi peng and other local ceremonies, of the lilting northern dialect, of charming old wooden houses and whitewashed temples and of the unique food which rivals many world cuisines. It’s also probably pretty clear to you that the people of the north don’t share its history, culture, traditions or even language with its Siamese brothers and sisters to the south. If so, you would have more knowledge about Lanna than just about anyone here did half a century ago.
The Pretty Life
As Chiang Mai’s annual Motor Show comes to a close, a dozen or so ‘pretties’ put their slinky dresses back into wardrobes wedged between faux leather biker jackets and skimpy Japanese schoolgirl dresses, cover up their cleavages and return home. Muscles sore from standing in teetering heels all day, cheeks aching from smiling, they head out for a night with friends, or another job serving beer to grinning late-night patrons. Thailand’s ‘pretty’ culture is alive and kicking.
Refuge from Home
“We would often be startled awake by sounds of distant gunshots,” said Paw Toh Ki, 65, a Karen refugee born in Por Toh village, southern Myanmar; who came to Thailand with her husband and nine children in 1994. “We heard of one neighbouring village after another being burnt to the ground, and lived in constant fear. I never knew what we did wrong to deserve this and didn’t understand why this was happening to people around us. But one day I heard loud shouting in our village. I thought it was going to be OK at first, until the first gunshots were fired. I was frozen in place, my legs wouldn’t move. My husband and children dragged me out the back of the village into the jungle; thankfully my husband had grabbed a knife, a pot and some rice. Other than that, the only things we carried were our children.”
Gateway Bugs Anyone?
Have you eaten a cricket? Was it deep-fried? Or was it more comfortingly ground into a powder and used as an ingredient in something else? For many locals, eating insects is already part of a normal diet, but for younger generations _ or for those who grew up in urbanised areas where insects are not as widely consumed _ the idea of snacking on bugs may not exactly spark an appetite. Yet entrepreneurs in Chiang Mai ranging from cricket sellers in neighbourhood markets to high-end chefs in the city’s most creative restaurants are hoping to broaden the consumer market for edible insects. And they’re doing it for the good of the environment, public health and hopefully down the line, the Thai economy.
Two Lanna Fairs by Lanna’s Fairest
The small district of Pasang in Lamphun is known for two things; beautiful women and beautiful textiles. Its women have won numerous pageants on regional as well as national levels over the years and its cotton weaving industry is one of the most robust in Thailand, in fact the province claims Pasang’s population of 55,000 produces the largest amount of hand woven cotton products in the nation. This cluster of villages takes great pride in these two accolades and have turned a small cottage industry into not only a formidable source of income, but also a unique tourist attraction.
Something for Nothing: The changing face of Chiang Mai’s digital nomad scene
“Nomad workshops, nomad conferences, nomad gear, nomad retreat, people giving talks to gullible people to build a following they can sell shit to.” This is how the online communities are reacting to the digital nomads in Chiang Mai. Anyone who is active in any of the many locally based Facebook groups will notice that there are an increasing number of biting and bitching posts about digital nomads. And a read of the digital nomad groups will see a community fraught with tension and accusation. You hear odd comments at a bar, read a scathing blog or two, and hear about various ‘scandals’ and accusations of con-artistry. But it is hard to put a finger on what exactly is going wrong or who is it that people dislike so much. Is it a case of one bad sheep or a herd of blind followers? We all know something is going on, but what?
Arranged Bliss
The anachronistic term arranged marriage conjures up all sorts of, generally negative, images — terrified child brides, life-long servitude, and misogyny. So, when Citylife heard of a happily married couple who had entered into their wedded bliss via family arrangements, we couldn’t resist interviewing them for our Valentine’s issue.
Copycat Copyshop Cowboys
For students at Payap University, the old photocopy shop couple are well known. Every day they rock up on a black vintage Vespa, both kitted out in matching cowboy-style outfits; double denim one day, leather chaps the next. Chumpol ‘Uan’ Promchitmart, 62, and Saisunee ‘Tuk’ Khampunya, 56, have, for the last 30 years, been working at the university in their little shop. Some would say they are a match made in heaven, others would say the Wild West.
Once Upon a Star: Love of a Groupie
“I cried for three straight months when he left,” said Monthathip ‘Mona’ Thukjai, 24, a pretty young medical technologist at Chiang Mai University, giggling self-consciously. “It was a personal matter and one we weren’t clear on, but I had just bought my ticket to go see him when he left. At first I thought I would cancel, but then I decided that I needed to show my support, so I went anyway.”
The Rise of Thai Women in Tech
When we think of iconic figures that have worked, or are working, at the apex of the computer tech industry, for the most part it is men’s names that populate our thoughts. The industry is seen as a masculine domain, and if you look at the ratio of women-to-men employed, or holding leadership positions, within the tech milieu you see a vast disproportion in male to female employees; from developers to CEOs, jobs in the tech industry are traditionally filled by men.
The Bookworm: An Interview with Trasvin Jittidecharak of Silkworm Press
Trasvin Jittidecharak, whose mother was the founder of Suriwong Book Center, Chiang Mai’s first and largest bookshop, is the publisher and owner of Silkworm Press, a long-established and reputable publishing house founded and based right here in Chiang Mai. Citylife sat down to talk to Trasvin this month about the world of books and their place in today’s digital age.
ช่างภาพลุงวิจิตร ไชยวัณณ์ เล่าเรื่องเยือนสหรัฐอเมริกาพร้อมในหลวง ในปี พ.ศ. 2503
ท่ามกลางฝูงชนแน่นขนัดที่ต่างเปล่งเสียงร้องถวายต้อนรับด้วยความยินดีเพียงแรกเห็นพระบาทสมเด็จพระเจ้าอยู่หัวภูมิพลอดุลยเดช และสมเด็จพระนางเจ้าฯสิริกิติ์ พระบรมราชินีนาถ ที่ทรงเปี่ยมด้วยพระสิริโฉมอันงดงามทั้งสองพระองค์เสด็จฯลงจากเครื่องบินพระที่นั่ง ไม่ว่าจะเป็นชาวไทยหรือชาวอเมริกันที่มาเฝ้าฯ รับเสด็จในครั้งนั้น ต่างก็ชะเง้อ ชะโงก เขย่งให้ตัวสูงขึ้น ขอเพียงเพื่อจะได้ยลพระสิริโฉมอันงดงามของทั้งสองพระองค์ขณะเสด็จฯเยือนสหรัฐอเมริกา
เรื่องเล่าโครงการหลวง จากหม่อมเจ้าภีศเดช รัชนี
หม่อมเจ้าภีศเดช รัชนี เป็นสมาชิกของชมรมขี่ม้า ในช่วงต้นยุค 80 ที่กองพันธ์สัตว์ต่าง ซึ่งตั้งอยู่ที่อำเภอแม่ริม ขณะนั้นท่านมีพระชันษา 60 ปี แต่ฉันยังอายุไม่ถึง 10 ขวบ เป็นเด็กที่ค่อนข้างเกเรนิดหน่อย แต่ชอบขี่ม้า ตลอดเวลา 7 – 8 ปี ที่ขี่ม้าด้วยกัน ทุกวันเสาร์อาทิตย์ฉันจะตื่นไปขี่ม้าก่อนพระอาทิตย์ขึ้น พร้อมกลุ่มสมาชิกของชมรมขี่ม้าประมาณ 5 – 20 คน และหากหม่อมเจ้าภีศเดชอยู่ที่เชียงใหม่ ท่านก็จะเสด็จมาด้วยและเราจะขี่ม้าขึ้นไปบนดอยสุเทพหรือดอยปุยด้วยกัน บางครั้งก็จะหยุดพักปิกนิกตามน้ำตกต่าง ๆ เช่น น้ำตกตาดหมอก บางทีก็ขี่กระโดดข้ามสิ่งกีดขวาง และหลงทางบ่อย ๆ บางครั้งหลงเป็นชั่วโมง เพราะเป็นพื้นที่ป่า และไม่มีทางเดิน อีกทั้งในช่วงเวลานั้นฉันยังเป็นเด็กเพียงคนเดียวในชมรมอีกด้วย จึงมักจะร้องไห้บ่อย ๆ เพราะชอบหลงทาง
Christmas Tunes
Well, what a month. The Americans have decided on their next president and the lanterns and pageantry of Lo Krathong have faded. The long-tailed macaques at the Lopburi Monkey Banquet have finished their feast and are presumably back to terrorising tourists. The turkeys of Thailand that survived Thanksgiving can breathe a sigh of relief, blissfully unaware that round two of being stuffed, basted and roasted is less than a month away. Yes folks, a fun-packed November is behind us and, in the words of Noddy Holder; it’s Christmas! again.
The King’s Parade
Two months ago I met with Sudchai Kanonokulsoontorn, a pleasant 63 year old man with a deep love for the King. We were to talk about the International We Love the King Parade — a parade organised exclusively for foreigners in Chiang Mai who wish to express their love and respect for the King independently from the usual collective events that are scattered throughout the city around the 5th of December, His Majesty the Late King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s birthday. We talked, we laughed, we shared stories about the King and about what the expat community in Chiang Mai were doing for him and we smiled, a lot.