Special Scoop: Lavender Lanna Hotel
A new addition to the many stylish gay establishments in Chiang Mai, Lavender Lanna Hotel is a huge complex of everything, essentially, homosexual. Formerly the Tokyo Hotel by the Hua Rin moat corner, this landmark building has gone under the knife and been transformed into a gay man’s utopia. Within walking distance from Kad Suan Kaew Shopping Centre, the trendy Nimmanhaemin Road, and other city … Continued
Editorial
It appears our Pink Issue is very well _ though unexpectedly _ timed. Once again, Chiang Mai is making national news because of a gay issue. The first incident this year was the cancellation of the Gay Pride Parade planned to be held in February, an event organised by Mplus, a non _ profit organisation which promotes sexual health related issues for gay men. The parade was aimed at raising awarene … Continued
Mr. Stereotype meets Mr. Ignorance
Sitting with friends at the end of a rather pleasant Sunday brunch, the discussion moved on to the upcoming issue of Citylife focusing on Pink Chiang Mai. Having promised, and failed, to write an article for about five years, I thought “Great! I know nothing about this, so this has to be the topic for me.” At the risk of having people immediately invoke the “methinks he doth protest too much” clau … Continued
Deep Sea Luxury: dusit d2 baraquda pattaya
dusit D2 baraquda pattaya is sophisticated, modern, creative and cool _ with a lower-case ‘q’ _ but most of all, it is just really good fun. In a hotel where the check-in desk is a bar, the guru (GM darling) sports a sassy tightly-bound goatee, drinks are named d-job and gayzilla, the swimming pool spends all night turning green or blushing red in a mesmerising display of colours and the fish sauc … Continued
Special Scoop: Jin Design
It’s our Jin of the month again. Last month we talked about how Jin Design follows the philosopher Abraham Maslow’s theory on the hierarchy of needs. Basically we need to figure out what our clients’ priorities are. Once we have established the hierarchy of their needs, then we can design their homes or offices which best suit their requirements. This month we want to discuss Steve Job’s belief in … Continued
Special Scoop: Kantary Hills
Kantary Hills, part of the Kantary Group of hotels and serviced apartments, has for some time been a well established name in the hospitality business throughout Thailand. Sister companies, Cape Hotel Group and Kameo Hotel Group, have also become names lauded over by those who have experienced their unmatchable quality of comfort and service. With locations in the most desirable of Thailand’s hot … Continued
What’s Happening?
1st – 31st October THE BEAUTY OF BOY @ Soho Bar prnbrn@yahoo.co.uk A photographic exhibition titled ‘The Beauty of Boy’ by international photographer ‘Philip Stopp’. The opening will be held on October 1st, 7.30 p.m. Now – 14th October ‘TANG KERB’ @ Galerie Panisa (Opp. Toyota showroom, Chiang Mai) 053 202 779 A contemporary art exhibition by students and lecturers of Painting Major, Faculty of Fi … Continued
City Sport
[i]This is the Chiang Mai community sports page, please feel free to send your sports news, results and any announcements you wish to make to james@chiangmaicitylife.com. [/i] GOLF 5-day Junior Golf & Tennis Camps The sport camps include 5 full days of intensive golf or tennis training. Day or Residential Camp options are available. Full packages to include activities and excursions, accommod … Continued
Your Say
Little England Congratulations to Johnny Brash (‘Your Say’ September 2009) on highlighting the problem of complaining expats. These people would have complaints no matter where they lived, and this is the reason why so many ex-pats are not members of the Chiang Mai Expats Club, which has a fair proportion of whingers. Many English expats come to Chiang Mai and have succeeded in creating a ‘Little … Continued
Surfin’ Lessons
It’s nearly the tourist season, if you’re planning to go away this Christmas now is the time to book online. Likewise those with tourist businesses should spruce up their websites, update prices and think of advertising on the internet this month. Room bookings is the biggest activity on the web, and though there are dozens of hotel sites out there, tripadvisor.com has emerged as one of the most u … Continued
Living Lesbian
I invited five lesbians _ all strangers to me _ for a drink one night in late September. While we have featured many articles this month about a variety of gay issues, we struggled to find lesbians who would speak on record about various issues. So, Citylife’s staff, invited their lesbian friends for a ‘fly on the wall’ type evening, where they discussed various aspects of being lesbian in an anon … Continued
City Vibes
[left][/left]The xx are creating quite a storm with their eponymous album which drips with the influences of seminal acts the Cure, Joy Division and New Order. But this is very much a cutting edge release for 2009, a sophisticated, melodic album that reverberates with both melancholic urban flavour and effortless indie creativity. Tracks such as ‘Basic Space’ enchant with unorthodox structures, wh … Continued
Retro Sexual
In the west we tend to treat sexual orientation with a more than meets the eye attitude, believing for the most part that there is a fuzzy line separating the straight and the gay. Research by various sexologists since the fifties suggests that latent sexual preferences are closeted in favour of being developed, due to the fear of familial and public shame, religious scruples, guilt, social embarr … Continued
Being Pink in Khaki
Gays may not be permitted to marry in Thailand, and ‘hate crimes’ are still occasionally perpetrated towards ‘the third sex’, but overall, Thailand enjoys a good international reputation for being very ‘pink-friendly’. The constitution includes a paragraph which offers some protection of LGBT _ rights (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual), stating, ‘The Thai people, irrespective of their origins, … Continued
A Retiring Attitude: you’re not a newbie anymore when …
When we first come to Thailand we go through a phase when everything is new, confusing, and strange. All Newbie Expats go through this stage. Eventually we become more comfortable in our new home. The check list below might help you identify if you have made the transition from a ‘Newbie Expat’ to an ‘Old Asia Hand’ yet. Send me your ideas and we can add to this list. You know you aren’t a Newbie … Continued
Community Services
01.Informal Northern Thai Group Tuesday 13th October at 7.30 p.m. Martin Venzky, Stalling Technology Park Advisor, “I would like to give a talk about the project I am working on – setting up a Technology & Science Park together with the Chiang Mai University and the Ministry of Science. Although this is not a socio-cultural project, it should be a very important project for the regional econo … Continued
CULTURAL INSIGHT: The last years of old Lanna
The 1902 Shan Rebellion was contained, after the sacking of Phrae, by the prompt action of Leonowens who was based in Lampang, of Lyle who galloped from Nan where he was Honorary British Consul, and of Captain Jensen, seconded from the Danish army to the Thai Gendamerie. They stopped the attack on Lampang and persuaded most of the rebels to lay down their arms. Jensen was killed at Phayao while pu … Continued
The Gay Precept: how Buddhism views homosexuality
I am quite new to Thailand _ only 30 days have gone by since I put my feet on Thai soil and everything is still mystifying, bewildering, and puzzling to me. The small smoke-filled spirit houses containing tiny shots of Sang Som; the pretty ladies who aren’t really ladies; the fried creepy crawlies people wolf down with gusto and the ubiquitous temples, sparkling and spellbinding. But most of all, … Continued
Ten Years ago
Chiang Mai chugged along through another month of monsoon in September. The banks of the Ping brimming to alarming levels – will the foreign cemetery be swept away again? Songteaws a thorn in everyone’s side – maybe we should set up a bribery fund for the policemen in front of Kad Suan Keaw to actually do their job…Jet planes vibrating the city with their demonic flight patterns – has Chiang Mai b … Continued
Rubbish-reinventing at Rajabhat
The burning of trash such as plastic bags, old wooden furniture, outdated newspapers etc. has long been a problem in Chiang Mai, its suburbs and the surrounding villages. Especially towards the end of the winter months, rubbish burning in the rural areas surrounding the city creates hazes that hovers above the rose of the north like gloomy ghosts. This annoyed two lecturers from Chiang Mai Rajabha … Continued
This is Thailand
For those of you with any questions regarding Thailand, Thai culture, history, tourism, laws, rules, food, nightlife, sub-cultures, dating; generally anything as long as it is relevant, we have a panel of three experts who will respond to your enquiries. Email: james@chiangmaicitylife.com. 1. My family and I are really missing the old great board games, Trivial Pursuits, Monopoly Twister!., etc, d … Continued