What’s Happening?
• ARTS & EXHIBITIONS Now – 10th February ‘BEAUTIFUL LIFE’ @ 9 Art Gallery/Architect studio, Chiang Rai 053 719 110, 083 152 6021 Painting entitled ‘Beautiful Life’ by Sudrak Utayophas. Opening hours are Thursdays-Sundays 10 a.m.- 8 p.m. The exhibition will be on view until February 10th. Now – 11th February ‘PAINTING & PRINTMAKING’ @ Tita Gallery Chiang Mai 053 298 373 or tita@cm.ksc.co. … Continued
Northern Thailand Golf Map project
Chiang Mai is a paradise for golf lovers with unbelievable choices from integrated golf resorts to boutique resorts in the centre of the city. There is much more to golf than just playing golf in Chiang Mai. The lovely valley of the city with its encircling mountains offers an outstanding selection of beautiful and challenging golf courses. Whether you are on your own, or in a group, on holiday or … Continued
City Buzz
The newly opened Dejavu Café, located on Nimmanheamin, Soi 11, is decorated with inspiration taken from the owner’s tattoo studio, namely Dejavu Tattoo. The café is painted in shades of red and black, and when you first step inside, the colours seem to boost your energy. The entire left wall is decorated with Salvador Dali paintings, and the right wall is covered with big Ganesha in … Continued
City Sport
• CRICKET Over the last month there has been a little less cricket played in Chiang Mai, due to international tournaments, and/or Christmas and New Year hangovers. On the 12th December, despite the best efforts of the rain, a match was played at the Prem Center. The only other fixture in the month was on January 9th, at Gymkhana. With 12 players, they managed a double-innings, double sixes match. … Continued
Community Service
01 • Bike Hash A special one-off mountain bike hash weekend is planned for the long weekend of February 18/19/20 organised in conjunction with the Bangkok bike hash club. Two rides will be planned, along with the popular after-ride beer social at Doi Kham resort. This popular, fun, activity follows the popular method of following a paper/powder marked trail, similar to the running hash. Saturday’s … Continued
City Vibes
Artist: Kanye West Album: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy Rating: This may well be a City Vibes first, as I am about to highly praise a mainstream hip hop album. Kanye West’s new release represents an artist at the zenith of his talents. It is creative, innovative, diverse and hugely entertaining. The track ‘Blame Game’ had me instantly hooked with its cool pianos and sultry vocal leading into m … Continued
Chiang Mai on the WWW
www.city-now.com www.city-now.com CityNow!, Citylife’s sister publication, has been in print and online since 2006 and has now re-launched the updated and redesigned site. With its graphic background and easy to use toolbar, you can have fun with CityNow! and make it your own. CityNow! is a user friendly website designed to promote events and festivals, as well as inform residents and travellers o … Continued
Your Say
• Noisy Nimman I enjoyed a totally booze free day yesterday!…So was strangely sober when I crawled out of my bed just after midnight, dressed politely, and strolled across to ‘The Box’ passed the twenty to thirty young Thai customers regaling themselves happily outside the alleged wine bar to the live singing maelstrom garden band and found the manageress inside the empty of customers wine bar b … Continued
The Life of Wine
Myths and misconceptions This issue tackles the various myths and misconceptions swilling around the wine drinkers of the world. We are not sure where they came from or how they were invented. Could have been ‘Chinese whispers’ or some creative thinking after a few too many perhaps. Here are some common myths and misconceptions: Myth: You should always take the top off a red wine to let it breathe … Continued
This is Thailand
1. I want to rent a motorbike – where can I do that really cheaply? James: (actually Brooke, editorial intern): There are many places in Chiang Mai where you can rent a bike for as little as 150 baht a day. Many of these cheaper places have seedy reputations though and may give you damaged bikes and this may end up costing you more in the end. You can try Mr Mechanic on Moon Muang Road. The cheape … Continued
Citylife In-house
Citylife Next Issue: Subculture All things outside the mainstream…you have an interest or wish to learn more about one of Chiang Mai’s subcultures, do get in touch with us at editor@chiangmaicitylife.com. CityCard There are only four more weeks left before the CityCard campaign expires on 30th March 2011. Citylife would like to say thank you to all businesses that participated in this campaign a … Continued
A Retiring Attitude
This will be my final Retiring Attitude column. I am retiring. I was a bit shocked when I checked and saw that my first column was way back in March of 2006. That’s longer than I have ever worked at any one place. I would like to thank Pim and James, my editors, and all the staff at Chiang Mai Citylife, for allowing me the freedom to share my musings on retiring to Thailand. I leave them with sadn … Continued
Run Rabbit, Run Rabbit, Run, Run, Run …
The words of the old song filled my head as I stood in front of the customs officer in the international arrivals hall at Chiang Mai Airport. Through the open doors, I could see Mrs. D standing behind the barrier. Her hand covered her mouth as she tried to stifle her laughter “Muscle massager?” I said hopefully as the customs officer waved the offending item in front of my face. His frown deepened … Continued
The Porn Story
Pornography, for so long a bit part villain, a certified, but shrouded ‘outsider’, has taken on in these days of internet collateral revelations, very much a central role in the story of the world. There was a time when porn was top shelf, back room, bungled in the holly bushes or shoved down the backs of cisterns in public toilets. Though not any more, pornography is now an omnipresent viral demi … Continued
The Six Senses Hildaway – Koh Yao Noi
As you enter the Six Senses at Koh Yao Noi from the island’s main road you could hardly be aware of the grand ambition of the resort that awaits you; hidden from view, sprawled out over a hill top, it truly is a kind of secret paradise verily apt for a scene in a Hollywood tropical fantasy film. Over a web of brickstone laterite pathways that stretch over 24 acres of resort, villas are dotted amon … Continued
Dream-makers:followers of an Isaan mystic’s monument to his powers
The extraordinary physical labour that gave form to Bunleua’s visions was offered freely by a generation of his followers, many of them, like Bunleau, poor sons of Isaan, all of them profoundly devoted to their charismatic leader, who supervised their work while reclining on a silk-covered canopied bed. The sculptures range upward to 25 metres tall a seven-headed serpent representing the various l … Continued
Marrying their way to a better life
It has been three years since 36 year old Hathairat Lauridsen moved from Khon Kaen in Thailand’s Isaan region to the city of Ballerup in Denmark. She first met her Danish husband, Rene Lauridsen, at a café when he was travelling through Thailand. He showed her a smile, and two years later, they got married. Relatively few Thai women end up in Denmark due to romantic considerations: the random girl … Continued
Avatars in love
With the emergence of entire virtual universes online, the internet has now pixelated ‘love’ in the form of avatar dating. People all over the world date, make-out, get married or simply fall head over heels for the online avatar version of someone they have not yet – and might never – meet face to face. He now prefers to go by his avatar name: SirBlues. There was a time when he had a secondary al … Continued
Portrait of a Love Guru
Love her or hate her – and I have oscillated between the two for nearly three decades – but no one can be indifferent to Sudarampai ‘Peung’ Soonthornrangsri Chiang. She is stunningly beautiful, can – and often does – cut you to the quick with her tongue…or pen, is often accused of being arrogant, though I believe it is simply a bone deep confidence which exudes from her every pore, is overwhelmi … Continued