City Buzz
This restaurant sits in a 150 year old Burmese-Lanna colonial style teak house, and before you doze off at the thought of yet another traditional restaurant, don’t, this is a lovely venue with very decent food. The owner’s ancestors were Burmese so they have combined Burmese, Thai and northern Thai cooking styles and ingredients to create their menu. Rattan fans are placed on tables giving an old … Continued
Your Say
+ Mom Rage You don’t have an unbiased bone in your body. I will say it again. You are corrupt, self-serving, and weak. You use your magazine to promote friends and hurt people who are not as ‘beautiful’ as you and your pals. Only the kiss-ass suck-up people who flatter you seem to make it into your magazine. And now I see you work with Lonely Planet. Disgusting. As one poster noted about the Arche … Continued
Chiang Mai on WWW
www.chiangmaicitynews.com www.chiangmaicitynews.com Oh yeah, Chiang Mai has been waiting for this. The brightest, funniest, best-est news site Chiang Mai has ever seen. Daily news is updated, from crimes to politics, environment to where to shop for dresses, CityNews has it all. Look out for the op-eds where writers from our staff, as well as established critics and writers fr … Continued
City Vibes
Artist: Rustie Album: Essential Mix Rating: Releasing material on the UK’s highly acclaimed Warp imprint, Rustie’s style is largely a response to the minimalism of contemporary dance music. Consisting of hyper-driven synths, reverberating bass and cataclysmic rhythms, this is eye-popping music that is engaging and unrelenting. Rustie’s Essential Mix delivers the maximalist sound that one would exp … Continued
This is Thailand
1. I am trying to learn Thai in my spare time, but can’t afford classes; do you know of any good free resources? Grace: Yes, there are plenty of language resources online available for free, you could also supplement them with a few simple books which are easy to come across and fairly cheap. I recommend www.womenlearnthai.com, the full name of the site is ‘Women Learning Thai…and some men too’, s … Continued
Community Services
01 Informal Northern Thai Group Tuesday, 19th June: Creating a Temple Museum” by Supachai Sittilert For further information, please call 053 117 319 or gabaudel@loxinfo.co.th. 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 please call Earl 086 194 6300, Peter 087 145 9655. 03 Alcholics An … Continued
The Life of Wine
Although Malbec originates from France, let’s hop in a boat, fit the oars to the rowlocks, pull out a sextant, read a book explaining longitude and head off for South America. We are doing this because in wine terms, Malbec and Argentina have become virtually synonymous and nowhere on the planet does it better. Although Malbec has been grown in South America for well over a century, the astonishin … Continued
What’s Happening?
ARTS & EXHIBITIONS 8th – 28th June EXHIBITION OF ART AND RESEARCH @ CMU Art Centre On the occasion of the celebration of the 30th anniversary of Faculty of Fine Arts, Chiang Mai University, there will be an exhibition of art and research by staff members and students. Throughout June LANNA TOYS @ Chiang Mai City Arts & Culture Centre www.cmocity.com Toy demonstrations and how to mak … Continued
Protection Racket
I tried to get out of the way, I really did. Alas, not fast enough and the little green sphere hit my back with a ‘thwack’. The initial sting was quickly followed by a burning sensation, radiating outwards from the point of impact. I stood in the middle of the court, sweating profusely and gasping for air. I looked at Mrs. D who was dry, lithe and ready to go. “Ha! Another one off the wall. My poi … Continued
Clients’ Spot
Tooth Teeth Toy products are totally novel and unique to the world of design, interior decoration and dentistry. Created by a dentist with an artistic passion, the products are all correspondingly themed around teeth. Tooth Teeth Toy produce stools in the shape of individual molar teeth. Stools come made from fibre glass in a range of matte or gloss finishes, in colours such as black, white, yello … Continued
Editorial
My mum doesn’t drive anymore; this should send a shudder of relief through you all. Mum is one of those endearing, yet confounding, elderly Thai ladies who meander when behind the wheel. I have been known to attempt to squeeze my not inconsiderable frame into the foot space as she stops in the middle of Nimmanhaemin to admire a particularly full-blossomed road-side shrubbery. I have also blushed w … Continued
CityNews in Citylife
Rumours have been circulating for some time about what is going to happen to the old Amari Rincome at the corner of Nimmanhaemin and Huay Kaew roads. For forty years the Rincome was one of the most beloved Chiang Mai hotels and a city landmark – never pretty, but a landmark nonetheless. Times have changed and even old Rincome has to change with them. Marc Dumur, Honorary Swiss Consul and former GM … Continued
Special Scoop: Absolute Care Clinic
This treatment tightens, lifts and restores skin. The PDO [Polydioxolane] Thread Rejuvenation treatment was originally developed by surgeons to bind together consecutive tissue or sew blood vessels in the body. As the name suggest the treatment uses tiny threads to lift the skin. Over time the body produces collagen around the threads, which helps support the new elevated position of the skin. Aft … Continued
Chiang Mai Adventure Land
Laughter is a great tonic. Doing something out of your comfort zone can also give you an exhilarating thrill. Chiang Mai has an abundance of nature adventures from zip lining above canopies to abseiling down cliff faces, but if you want a bit of man-made mayhem, then Chiang Mai Adventure Land is here to blow away those cobwebs and revitalise your mind and body. After extensive planning, designing, … Continued
No, it’s Not a Piano School
This mighty edifice, on the right side of the road past the 700 Year stadium, has been much cause for speculation. So, we are here to tell you that it is the new Institute of Child Development and is designed in the shape of a grand piano. “It symbolises what we stand for,” says Dr. Samai Sirithongthaworn, the Director of Rajanagarindra Institute of Child Development (RCID), who came up with idea … Continued
Vampire Moths, Dastardly Orchids and Tear Sipping Bees: Dr. Hans Bänziger’s fascinating finds
Upon first sighting, Dr. Hans Bänziger appears frail, with his svelte and slightly gaunt build. But all that first impression nonsense is dispensed with at the crushing moment of the firm grip of his handshake. This wiry 71 year old Swiss entomologist is no wilting scientist. In fact, he has spent the better part of the past fifty years trekking the north of Thailand’s mountains and climbing its t … Continued
Roll Up Roll Up for the Greatest Show on Earth…
Chiang Mai’s expat community is one that never fails to surprise in its depth and diversity. Jim Rose is one of the latest editions to this vibrant pocket of global nomads. When we were first told that Jim Rose lived here, a quick Google search offered up dozens of links to pages with Jim Rose hanging out, doing gigs, walking the carpet and being profiled with rock stars, talk show hosts and Holly … Continued
Delinquent and Derailed: how the juvenile detention centre is working to build a brighter future for youths
Set on 80 rai of land dotted with large rain and banyan trees in the back lanes of Mae Rim is the Chiang Mai Juvenile Detention Centre which houses 107 juvenile delinquents. Most of these youths – 98 boys and 9 girls – are in their late teens, though there are a couple as young as 13, and the great majority of them are there because of drugs. Citylife was invited by Sangla Intajak, a Royal appoint … Continued
Are you having a Laugh?
Laughter is no laughing matter! Well, it is, but it also offers serious physical, cognitive, emotional and social benefits…though we don’t need any boffin to tell us laughing is fun. Research has shown that there are numerous health benefits to having a good chortle, chuckle, giggle, guffaw, snigger, or snort. Whatever you like to call it, it’s all good. Laughter is said to help with over two do … Continued
Off the Wall
Off The Wall Citylife’s photo editor, Boontawee Russameenin, meets up with some Off the Wall characters here in Chiang Mai. Absolute freaks or simply fabulous? Phawat C. (male name) Natty Love Garden (female name) Phawat works as a gardener by day, and as a dancing show girl by night, under the name of Natty Love Garden. His motivation to dress as a female came from the fact that he can pull it of … Continued
Swiss in the City
Swiss Lanna Society Nestled in the north of Thailand’s many valleys, and perched atop its numerous mountains, reside an astonishing number of Swiss people. By general reckoning, the numbers of expatriates registered in any embassy or consulate is about half of the actual number of those in residence, or seasonal residence. There are, incredibly, 600 registered Swiss expatriates in the north of Tha … Continued