City Buzz
This new, memorably named bar is discretely positioned down a small path off Nimmanhaemin Soi 1, next to Studio Naenna. Cellar d’Or can’t get much more intimate, with each of its upstairs and downstairs rooms filled with no more than a dozen loungy sofas, giving a salon vibe where people come to meet, discuss, muse and listen to good music over a few drinks. This bar feels as though one is sitting … Continued
What’s Happening?
ARTS & EXHIBITIONS 5th – 31st July LANNA THE CHARM OF THE NORTH @ CMU Art Centre A solo painting exhibition by Jay Surasen on the beauty of nature. The opening will be on 5th July at 6.30 p.m. Throughout July WOODEN TOY DEMONSTRATION @ Chiang Mai City Arts and Cultural Centre 053 217 793 Learn how to create wooden Lanna toys at Lanna Wisdom Room. FAIRS & FESTIVITIES 7th July NIMMAN SHOPPIN … Continued
K-Pat: The Korean expatriate community in Chiang Mai
Thai people love all things Korean: be it the ubiquitous kimchi, the Thai-adapted Korean bbq grills, South Korea’s high tech offerings, and most of all, K-Pop, the highly manufactured boy and girl pop bands which have taken the world by storm. The K-Pop phenomena, along with the popularity of Korean fashion, food, films and TV series, can be lumped under what sociologists describe as the ‘Korean W … Continued
What’s your Poison? Government Clampdown on Teen Drinking
Let’s face it: when was the last time you saw anyone checking for IDs here? But going out one night recently, I brought my ID anyway. I had just turned 20 and, as I have been studying in the US, was excited to have a holiday in a country where I was legal again. And so, as my friends breezed past the bouncers, I took out my wallet and practically pushed my ID into the bouncer’s hand. I knew it was … Continued
K-Yum: Where to go for a taste of Korea in Chiang Mai
Arirang restaurant has been running for twelve years. Apart from the standard Korean barbecue, two recommended dishes are Dol Sot Bi Bimbab, which is rice mixed with vegetables in a stone kettle, and Bulgogi, grilled marinated beef, chicken or pork. Most dishes are not too spicy. The traditional Korean flat metal chopsticks may require a bit of practice. We hear Her Royal Highness, Princess Ribha, … Continued
Agent Orange’s DOW in Trouble with Vietnam over Olympics
It is the world’s biggest sporting event. TV programming in at least 150 countries will provide saturation coverage. Men and women from all races and religions will compete for Olympic glory and gold. Added to the usual extolling of lofty Olympic ideals (long undermined by doping scandals in so many international events) this year the organisers are bragging about the ‘Green Games’. Public relatio … Continued
Tackling Tourism in Chiang Mai
Some visit for a taste of paradise, an adventure, to find themselves or perhaps at the prospect of meeting an Asian sweetheart. Whatever visitors are seeking, Thailand, with its layered charms, multiple attractions and world famous hospitality, has never failed in seducing a diverse range of tourists in the millions. Many expatriates, perhaps even you, came to Thailand for the first time as a tour … Continued
An interview with Kulateep ‘Star’ Chawla of Star Avenue projects
Citylife and CityNews followers are probably already aware of the numerous commercial developments taking place in and around the city. You may have also seen some of the tell_tale muddy building sites accompanied by huge billboards of beautiful people frolicking and smiling in happiness by various roadsides. While many projects are from foreign or Bangkok investors, there are some malls which are … Continued
Brave New Macau
Swashbuckling pirates roaming the South China Sea, ancient Chinese temples wafting pungent incense, priggish Portuguese Padroado reaching across the oceans with their clenched Catholic fists; these are impressions of Macau which endured for nearly 450 years, until the process of the 1999 handover to the Chinese government began. Today, as the Chiang Mai media was settling onto the virgin direct Ai … Continued
Green-ish Gallivanting
Looking for something a bit different to occupy your mind and keep you active this July? If being environmentally conscious is your mantra this month, Citylife has come up with a list of activities for staying green and having fun. From cycling to bird watching, and organic farming to a village homestay in Mae Kampong, with this list you haven’t got any excuse to be sitting on your rear, bored and … Continued
Linking Thai and International Trade
The International Trade Promotion Regional Office in Chaing Mai acts as marketing arm to promote Thai Northern Products and Services to the world market by providing a one-stop service on Thai export promotion with our worldwide network of more than 100 permanent and advisory offices, together with vast and comprehensive range of overseas market development activities namely International Trade Fa … Continued
Clients’ Spot
The opulent Moroccan-styled Sheik Istana Hotel is certainly one of a kind here in Chiang Mai and more special for being on the banks of the Ping River. Its sumptuous Marrakesh Restaurant offers authentic and rare selections from Moroccan, the Mediterranean, Thailand as well as a selection of international cuisine. The Marrakech Restaurant is located next to the swimming pool by the side of the riv … Continued
City Vibes
Artist: Âme Album: Live Rating: German Techno duo Âme are still inspired by the Detroit house vibe that engrossed so many and catapulted dance music forward in the early ‘90s. Rather than choosing to produce dance floor belters to lift them to commercial success, Âme have stuck to the hard-edged Detroit style whilst pushing the genre’s boundaries with flourishes of Electro reminiscent of Kraftwerk … Continued
Community Services
• 01 Informal Northern Thai Group Tuesday, July 17: “Record Production: problems in combining Thai and western instrumentation” A talk by Michael Zager, Visiting Professor, School of Music, Payap University. Tuesday, July 24: A Talk by Ian Baird, Professor of Geography of Southeast Asia, University of Wisconsin at Madison. For further information, please call 053 117 319 or gabaudel@loxinfo.co.th. … Continued
Chiang Mai on WWW
www.north-thailand.org www.north-thailand.org This new web site, though already online, is still in its first phase of development. It is a joint initiative between the Chiang Mai Tourism Business Association, The Office of Tourism and Sports, the Chiang Mai Tour Guide Association, the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the Chiang Mai Thai Hotels Association (upper northern chapter), which aims to … Continued
Your Say
• The Collector Dr. Hans Banziger’s interview shows only one of hundreds, even thousands, of really unique and brilliant people both Thai and expats who live in and around Chiang Mai, but whose low profile means that we often only read about them after they are gone. it was a great pleasure to read of Dr. Banzinger’s research and while I have tried to Google him, I haven’t found that much else on … Continued
The Life of Wine
I’m very excited because this month I’m responding to a request from someone who actually admits to reading my column. Admittedly the request has come from my editor and she has to read what I write, but a request none the less! I think she may be a bit bored of me banging on about wines I’m a fan of, so, unbeknownst to her, she chose a type of plonk of which I am less of a fan: sparkling wines. I … Continued
This is Thailand
1. There’s a mouse in my house! We have a semi-open kitchen and the mouse must scamper over plates etc., is this dangerous to our health? Grace: Rodents can be a real nuisance, and could create some health risks to your family, as well as causing physical damage to your property. Mice and rats can spread disease around food and kitchen equipment, such as the very dangerous salmonella bacteria. The … Continued
The Secret Stash of Trash
I am always surprised…actually, I could stop the sentence there because it sums up how I feel most of the time. But no, in the spirit of artistic integrity, I will continue. I am always baffled why, in such a beautiful country, people just throw their rubbish anywhere. Walking around the canal at night can be an unnerving experience as rats scamper back and forth to the piles of detritus, collec … Continued
Editorial
Along with Queen Elizabeth, my father will also be attending his second London Olympics this month. Young John, at aged 14, cheered the ‘Czech Locomotive’ Emil Zápotek to a 10,000 metre victory from high in the stands at Wembley during the 1948 Olympics. “The crowd was chanting, ‘Zápotek Zápotek Zápotek’, it was electrifying, but I hadn’t got my first pair of glasses yet, so I saw nothing!” he wis … Continued