City Buzz
Looking for an experienced quality house builder in Chiang Mai? Build Sabai provides knowledgeable and experienced engineers and designers for those who need international standards in house building, design, construction and renovation. Their motif is to be with you every step of the way, and so if at any point you are not satisfied with your deign, then you sit down with them and changes can be … Continued
City Vibes
Artist: Girls Album: Father, Son, Holy Ghost Rating: Girls’ singer songer writer Christopher Owen is about to make you a very happy camper. ‘Father, Son, Holy Ghost’ exudes a universal appeal, it could turn even the most jaded rock fan, the hardest nosed critic or even fans of K-Pop, who instead of being mercilessly crushed by a shit-soiled boot of integrity (as in the much touted scenario) should … Continued
The Life of Wine
As the echoes of midnight church-bells fade across the vineyards of Burgundy on the 17th of next month, something remarkable is going to happen. Millions of bottles of wine will begin a sprint from the tiny villages of Beaujolais to the French capital, where cargo jets, engines running, will be waiting to transport them to every corner of the globe. The race to be the first to shout: ‘Le Beaujolai … Continued
Chiang Mai on the WWW
www.lannahillhouse.com www.lannahillhouse.com Anyone who has visited Chiang Mai knows that staying here for just a few days or even a couple of weeks is often not enough. Many people stay for months at a time. For those looking for something less transient than a hotel, something homely but luxurious, you couldn’t ask for a much more serene place to stay than Lanna Hills House. Situated in one of … Continued
Your Say
♦ Straight Shooter I’d like to congratulate with you and Boontawee for the beautiful and very creative portraits. He’s indeed on his way to master light! Well done. Regards, Alberto Cosi ♦ Comedy of Errors Nice job making the photos in the City Events larger in this issue… save my ol’ weak eyes from straining way too much. Luxurious Dining on a Shoestring: A Primer, failed to mention … Continued
What’s Happening?
ARTS & EXHIBITIONS 4th – 30th November DOLLS OF JAPAN EXHIBITION @ CMU Arts Centre 053 218 280 Showcasing Japanese dolls. The grand opening will be on 4th November at 6 p.m. 3rd – 28th November LIGHT SPACE PROJECT @ Gallery SeeScape, Nimmanhaemin Soi 17 081 706 2305 This is an international artists group exhibition displaying the concept of ideas of light and space. 5th November THREE SISTERS … Continued
Community Services
01 Informal Northern Thai Group Tuesday, 15th November: ‘The 11th Panchen Lama (1969): a political recognition of a Tibetan spiritual master’ by Fabienne Jagou, Ecole française d’Extréme-Orient. For further information, please call 053 117 319 or email gabaudel@loxinfo.co.th. 02 Dog of the Month: Dumbo This medium-sized young man is 2 years old and has lots of energy. He likes to pla … Continued
Fetch The Ball
I always enjoy watching ‘The Dog Whisperer’. I find his ability to turn an unruly dog into an exemplary model of canine citizenship with just a few sounds and gestures to be fascinating. Mind you, I am not sure why I should as all Mrs. D has to do is give me a look and I am cowering in the corner along with our two dogs. There is no doubt who is head of the pack in the Daring household. It didn’t … Continued
Clients’ Spot
Mentor International is both an English school and a placement office for English schools in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and USA. For over 25 years they have been sending Thai students to places all over the world, and more importantly, sending them with confidence in English. There are 3 levels of English provided for learners, from beginner to advanced, available at the school. The summer cou … Continued
Special Scoop: Siam Pools
Siam Pools is the manufacturer of haute-swimming pools in Chiang Mai, and over the three years they have been in business, due to their great success, they have opened two more branches, one in Hua Hin, and one in Koh Samui. Keith Venes, Siam Pools CFO, explains that though Siam Pools might not be the cheapest place to buy a pool, they adhere to the most professional standards, following Australia … Continued
Underdog
Underdog Citylife interviewed three people in Chiang Mai who have had to overcome great obstacles in life, only to achieve their dreams. We think you will find their stories as fascinating, and encouraging, as we did, and hopefully we can all learn something from their strength and confidence when up against the odds. The Fighter At 13 Pornchai ‘Pel’ Puttapoun was told by his parents that they had … Continued
Football’s Coming Home
For the briefest of spells, Thai Premier League action did finally descend on Chiang Mai. Only it was the orange and black of near neighbours Chiang Rai United that was flying from the TPL mast at the 700 Year Stadium, not the royal blue and white of Chiang Mai FC. The evolution of professional football in Thailand has been a slow one and in Chiang Mai, excessively so. While teams such as Buriram … Continued
Facing Up to Politics
The political landscape is radically terraforming around us with the new national government, cabinet reshuffles and abortive attempts at policy implementation. As this occurs, the need to step back and take stock of the pervading climate of political opinion and gain some perspective on this volatile and polarising force known as politics becomes all the more pronounced. In this, a series of six … Continued
Tigers Burning Bright: Chiang Mai Rugby
Rugby is never going to be on the TAT brochure. Sure, many of us have burned up with rugby fever over the past two months of Rugby World Cup exhilaration, but while the occasional roar from the UN Irish Pub or The Red Lion may have caused a few heads to turn as they walked past, the fourth largest international sporting event in the world – after the FIFA World Cup, Olympics and Tour de France – h … Continued
Doi Pu Muen
I like to travel, and I have always enjoyed off-the-beaten-track destinations. So, when the Chiang Mai Provincial Office of Tourism and Sports held the Chiang Mai International Adventures 2011 conference, I was happy to be a member of press invited on one of their jaunts. Doi Pu Muen is a new eco style tourist attraction focused on local Lahu traditions and culture. A village located in the Pa Hom … Continued
Floods Mud & Mayhem
The floods have been dominating local, domestic as well as international media channels since September. They have been described as the worse in over 50 years, and have reached national crisis proportions. Images of the partially submerged UNESCO World Heritage Sites at Ayutthaya and roads that now resemble canals, if not rivers, represent the crescendo of the 2011 monsoon season. By the beginnin … Continued
This is Thailand
1. I went to a Thai restaurant the other day, one which I haven’t been to in about 2 years, and a dish that used to cost 40 baht was 70 baht. How come many things seem so expensive these days? James: I am by no means an expert, but I do know the price of many raw foods and petrol has gone up, so of course restaurateurs may hike their prices. One well known restaurateur wrote on ThaiVisa.com recent … Continued
Citylife Inhouse
Citylife’s Garden Fair (Sunday, 27 November 2011) It is that time of the year again! Bring your friends, family, neighbours, even dogs, and come to Citylife’s garden for a fabulous day of shopping, eating, drinking, entertainment and fun in the sun. The weather promises to be lovely, we have 50 stalls booked so far (200 baht per stall if you are interested in selling anything or providing any serv … Continued
City Women
At the moment, my life is a blur of work and babies. I have a chance to look up every now and then and in between a sprinkle of nights out and the occasional drink too many, I realise that a month or so can go past where I don’t see people I often saw two or three times every week for years. I’m not quite sure where the time goes, but I do know that a fair bit of my time (usually when working on s … Continued
Out in The City
It’s easy to get down. Open your newspaper, watch the TV news, log onto the interweb, it’s all depressing. Monetary mayhem, weird weather, chaos, conflict, gloom, doom and death all assault our senses every day. It is time to warm the cockles, lift the heart, spread a smile and restore a little faith in our fellow beings. Find a story that bucks the trend; but where to search? Look no further than … Continued
Editorial
I was fifteen years old when I left the Thai education system to join an international school. There were many incidents which were seminal for me; my first camping trip; finding out that moguls on the slope weren’t in fact homes of furry little animals; eating cheese for breakfast; the first time putting on a duvet cover and learning that great inside-out trick; being bullied; etc. There was one … Continued
Notes from Joe’s Kitchen
When people write about Thai cuisine, they usually include the “four pillars” that constitute the building blocks of Thai cooking. This taste foundation consists of sweet, salty, sour and hot flavours. I’ve watched my wife, and others, prepare Thai food for many years and all of these ingredients are present, in greater or lesser amounts, in almost every savoury Thai dish. Thai cooks frequently ad … Continued
Handsome Men ♦ Invisible Women
♦ Image If you ever felt a pang of shame at the cinema in Thailand when you heard such words as [i]’she’s as loose as a Bangkok whore'[/i], or a similar defamatory witticism in reference to Thailand’s bawdy image, you can put your conscience at ease. Thai subtitles are not usually so brash, while – and to some extent [i]therefore[/i] – many of the locals sitting near to you may not be aware that t … Continued