City Vibes
Artist: Burial Album: Kindred EP Rating: Burial is without doubt one of the most exciting artists in modern music. Not only does he keep fans on tenterhooks with a dearth of releases, his output is so next-level it crushes the valiant efforts of its contemporaries in its wake. There are three mighty tracks on this EP, each is mind-blowingly creative, esoterically dark and hauntingly emotive. The d … Continued
Out in The City
Older gay friends eulogise about the ‘good old days’. When, in London, the constabulary spent themselves, zealously pursuing homosexuals to notch up Victorian convictions that were easily prosecuted in courts that were presided over by public schoolboys who really did know better but who could do no better than hand out jail terms. There was a secret underground of gay networking and basement club … Continued
Community Services
01 Informal Northern Thai Group Tuesday, April 3: ‘From print publishing to the global digital marketplace: A travel writer’s perspective’ by Mohezin Tejani. For further information, please call 053 117 319 or email: [email protected] 02 Nicotine Anonymous Want to stop smoking? It works! Meetings on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 1 p.m. at The 7 Fountains, Huay Kaew Road. For more information p … Continued
This is Thailand
1. I do a lot of travelling to and from Thailand for business and pleasure, have you got any tips for jet jag? Grace: I would advise people not to worry too much, the main thing is that your body will eventually re-adjust itself to the time zone of your new location, even if it takes a week or more. Don’t get too worked up about losing sleep it won’t kill you, being anxious about the problem will … Continued
Your Say
++ Grumpy with Songkran ++ Every year I read articles written by foreigners, advising that at Songkran you should let people throw water at you and accept it with good grace. If the water throwers were doing anything remotely resembling the original traditions of the festival, i.e. sprinkling water over the shoulders of family elders, then I could accept this argument. However these louts can righ … Continued
The Baker’s Dozen
I asked some Thai friends the other day, who they thought was responsible for the appalling air quality. Mushroom growers, apparently…and nobody else. Floored by the assignment of all blame upon one, seemingly small group, I disputed the poor shroomers’ sole culpability, but my friends remained unmoved, and unconvinced. We agreed on the need for wider education and the enforcement of existing la … Continued
The Feminisation of the Social Network
Whether it’s a business-focused power lunch, a mummy-and-baby play group, or girl talk over a couple of chai lattes, women who get together love to talk. Yet a growing number of studies show that, in the digital age, women also love to post, ‘like’, comment and tweet. Yes, it’s true – women are the new face of the social network mainstream. According to a 2011 Pew Research Center report, significa … Continued
Leaving Cityllife
“Nostalgia (Sehnsucht) refers to the moral pain of the expatriate when he is overcome with the obsession of return,” said Johannes Hofer, a Swiss doctor back in the 17th century. He wrote that some of his subjects, having been removed from their families and friends more or less wasted away and died suffering from memories of the past. “The mysterious presence of absence,” that defined nostalgia, … Continued
City Buzz
Yummy Pizza Yummy Pizza is a little out of town, but there are a few good reasons why it is worth the short drive. Firstly, it is next to a driving range so if you fancy a spot of golf it is a nice place to eat afterwards, then you have the live music on Wednesday nights, which is really something, of course the food is also very good, and if you live in the moo baan-heavy area of Mae Hia, then th … Continued
Sabina Fay Braxton: Coming Home
Having been a nomad of sorts all her life, Sabina Fay Braxton has, after nearly forty years, come home to Chiang Mai…well, one of her many homes. As we settled in for a chat over a coffee in the lounge of the spanking new 137 Pillars House Hotel in Wat Gate, Sabina assesses her old home. “That was my bedroom,” she points to the hotel’s meeting room, “and my parents’ bedroom was where the bar is … Continued
Puak Taem’s Ancient Craft
In the dappled sunlight of Wat Puak Taem, Lan sits cross-legged on a low plastic chair. In front of her is a chunky wooden chopping board on which rests a pile of golden leaves, Lan meditatively embosses each leaf with a decorative mark using a metal stamp and hammer. Lan is one decendent in a long line of brass crafts people living in the Puak Taem area down a soi off Singharat Road, behind Suan … Continued
A River Less Travelled
In his book ‘Slithering South’, awarded by The Nation as the ‘best travel book ever about Thailand’, Steve Van Beek recounts his modest one-man-journey in a canoe navigating 720 miles of river from the Golden Triangle to the Gulf of Thailand, in 1988. Reading this unique tale and meeting in person with the author was the inspiration for one Chiang Mai expat’s own intrepid journey in a self-made 20 … Continued
Opium: Curse or Cure?
The US led ‘war on drugs’ in Southeast Asia has been trying to stamp out opium cultivation since the 1970s. But the UN drug agency records that Laos and Myanmar opium cultivation is rapidly increasing. One alternative to killing the poppies in Laos and Burma that screams out for urgent consideration is the pharmaceutical solution: to harvest the opium as much-needed morphine-based pain-killers. Th … Continued
Editorial
Our editors, over the past twenty odd years, have generated a vast amount of content. Each month we have published at least seven or eight feature articles as well as various columns and reviews. Some we have been proud to have seen published in respectable international media, some we are ashamed to say have been spotted in quite disreputable tabloids. We have created online and offline content. … Continued
International Conference Centre
For the past many months, as I have driven past the upcoming International Convention Centre along the Irrigation Canal Road, my head has been turned to gawp at the dramatic new skyline – virgin mountain views obstructed by goliath Lannaesque buildings – dozens of traversing trucks leaving billowing volumes of dust and lots and lots of men at work. For just as long, I have been writing official, o … Continued
Chiang Mai Icons
When thinking of Chiang Mai, be it as a resident or someone who visits, there are certain iconic places that spring to mind; a night out dancing at Riverside or Warm Up, eating French fries at The Boat or slurping milkshakes accompanied by toast cut up into eighths at Milk Zone. We have taken a nostalgic look at a selection of iconic long standing businesses which are synonymous with Chiang Mai, a … Continued
Clients’Spot
Paak Dang Restaurant Already popular for its spicy noodle soup, Paak Dang has many other qualities worth a look. The restaurant serves a range of Thai and international cuisine so there is something to satisfy everyone’s fancy. Situated in an antique wooden house with original Thai Lanna features on the Ping River this eatery has an undisputable romantic atmosphere, especially at nighttime when th … Continued
City Talk
Finding an old copy of the Chiang Mai Newsletter (Citylife’s old name!). No ads for Boutique Hotels or Spas. Reminds me of a quieter city when there were never traffic jams if you rode a motorbike! Remember seeing people carrying their songteaw fare in their ear…! 01 Rufus Nicholson English, 45, Teacher trainer Driving past my old school, The Sacred Heart College, reminds me of the after-school … Continued
What’s Happening?
ARTS & EXHIBITIONS 3rd – 27th April THE TWO JOURNEYS 2 @ CMU Art Centre The retro exhibited by two artists displaying the ‘Nature and Dhamma’. Opening will be on 3rd April at 6 p.m. 2nd – 27th April COMMERMORATION OF SUPREAM ARTIST @ CMU Art Centre The auspicious occasion of His Majesty the King’s 7th Cycle (84th) birthday anniversary exhibition by national artists in Visual Arts. FAIRS & … Continued
Special Scoop: Panwa Hotel, Phuket
Located on the southeastern tip of Phuket, Cape Panwa Hotel is one of the island’s most renowned hotels. Fronted by a secluded beach and turquoise ocean and surrounded by green hills, the resort occupies a truly inspiring location for a rewarding family holiday. The excellent facilities include a fitness centre, sauna, and swimming pool with adjacent children’s pool, beachside pool, water sports, … Continued
The Life of Wine
Last month we took a little look at a famous Portuguese footballer, erratic driving and tarts. This month, not because I’ve run out of ideas or anything, we are taking a left over the border into the north of Spain and having a quick peek at Rioja. Rioja is fascinating on at least two levels. Firstly it produces some of the finest red wines on the planet, and secondly the name has a ‘j’ where ther … Continued