City Buzz

What’s for Lunch  Tired of noodle soup?  Check out these brand new eateries. My Secret Cafe The best things in life are worth waiting for… or spending a little time seeking out… or just calling to ask for directions. This new and cutely-named bakery and cafe is a bit hidden, but totally worth the journey, with many happy returns guaranteed. Tucked into the middle of an orchard oasis off a grav … Continued

City News

CityNews, Chiang Mai’s first daily-updated English language online news site brought you the city’s biggest news events last month, as well as some hard-hitting feature stories that we hope you enjoyed. So, what happened in Chiang Mai last month? The pollution is on everyone’s lips…and nasal cavities, and eyes, and lungs, and hair… In short, the city’s dreams never came true and in spite of all … Continued

Music Box

Bombino – Nomad Guitarist, singer and songwriter Omara ‘Bombino’ Moctar is a member of a Taureg tribe, a nomadic people found throughout Saharan Africa. After growing up in Niger, Algeria and Libya, then working as a herder in Tripoli, he began honing his craft by playing with local bands and watching videos of Jimi Hendrix and Mark Knopfler. His desert blues music earned him notoriety in the regi … Continued

This is Thailand

For those of you with questions regarding Thailand, Thai culture, history, tourism, laws, rules, food, nightlife, subcultures, dating; generally anything as long as it is relevant, we have a panel of experts ready to respond to all your enquiries. Email: hilary@chiangmaicitylife.com 1. What is that horrid buzzing sound I’m suddenly hearing everywhere I go?  Melissa (intern): That buzzing sound you … Continued

The Life of Wine

A huge thank you to everyone who took some time out from what, I’m sure, were some extremely hectic schedules to participate in my wine survey last month. The importance of a good survey can never be overestimated, I’m sure you will agree, and an opinion poll about wine, even less so. I had hoped to spend most of Citylife’s office-moving-budget on getting whoever so assiduously runs polls for the … Continued

Your Say

• Reader’s Retort  I found myself taken aback by the letter from Mr. Terry Reardon [Your Say, March 2013], who condemned Citylife’s recent trend toward covering more ‘social issues’. I had to read Mr. Reardon’s letter several times to make sure I had understood him. It’s not often that you find a reader clamoring for more fluff and less substance in a magazine. Having written for expat publication … Continued

Clients’s Spot

DINE IN STYLE Special occasion? In the mood for something a bit more upscale? Don’t miss these posh spots. El Patio Aptly named, this sophisticated little wine bar will transport you to the courtyard of an Andalusian tavern, where hot summer nights are accompanied by a chilled glass of tinto de verano, notes of guitar drift in the breeze and the proprietor’s home-cured jamon is served tapas style. … Continued

City 7: Wine Buffets in Chiang Mai

Wine Buffets in Chiang Mai Wine is all the rage these days as this previous luxury is becoming more and more affordable throughout Chiang Mai. This month, we show you where the nectar of the gods flows freely… and cheaply. Just don’t blame us for the hangover. 1. Ka-fe-vi-no  Defying the old adage about location, this wine bar and restaurant in San Sai Noi is hugely popular for its great internati … Continued

Team Songkran!

For some, Songkran is a once in a lifetime experience; for others Songkran is a please-make-this-just-a once in a lifetime experience. As has been the case for many years, thousands of you will be heading out of dodge to avoid the mayhem, grid-locked traffic, brown klong water soaked clothes and the general revelry that chokes and soaks the city annually. But there will also be thousands who are a … Continued

Special Scoop: Mix Restaurant

Mix lives up to its name. This bold restaurant takes cuisine by the horns and mixes up food from different cultures, countries, and at times even courses, to create a unique menu that screams Mix. Colours clash and complement in a kaleidoscope of creativity; starters are enhanced into mains, elements of desserts are fused into appetisers and soups are deconstructed into entre’es. One is never quit … Continued

Vientiane, Laos: How to Turn Your Visa Run into a Mini Vacation

Visa runs don’t have to suck. Sure, the smelly minibus ride is torture, but that’s why god invented Valium. Here are some tips to keep things simple: Make sure you have several passport photos, your Thai departure card and at least three blank pages in your passport prior to crossing the Friendship Bridge (that Lao visa is a real space hog), and bring both Thai baht and American dollars for the be … Continued

Design Ideas

City Talk

01 Na Waves, 23 Student Teacher, Thai I beat the heat in April by slowing down, dressing simply and avoiding strenuous activity.  I also make sure to drink lots of water, even if I’m not thirsty.  Drinking water keeps your body cool. 02 Martin Talbot, 25 Teacher, British To stay cool this summer I plan to either live in the snow dome at the Chiang Mai Zoo…or move back to England. 03 Aun Dechaboon, … Continued

City Events

Kiss with a Fist: A Look at Thailand’s Domestic Violence Act

The first time I came by domestic violence in Chiang Mai was the first day I came to Citylife. I was starting my internship at the magazine, and stupidly, perhaps in all the preparations and nervousness of any first day, I forgot my laptop. So the staff coordinator set me up at the desk of the receptionist who was absent that day. “Do you know when she will be back?” I asked. “Not sure,” she repli … Continued

Rules of the Game: An Interview with Chiang Mai FC Star Toure Ousmane Kader

Toure Ousmane Kader is the famous 23-year-old midfielder who scored seven goals for the Chiang Mai FC last season.  Coming from the Ivory Coast, he’s one of only four foreigners playing on the team, and he already has a world of experience playing football in various clubs abroad.  A month into the new season, Citylife decided to pay him a visit at the Lanna Tigers Academy. Citylife: What did you … Continued

Further to Fly: Todd ‘Tongdee’ Lavelle and the Lanna World Festival

“I was an ugly kid,” Todd ‘Tongdee’ Lavelle told me, sipping on a glass of fruit juice. “My brother used to say I abused the privilege of being ugly.” Lavelle grew up in Scranton, Pennsylvania, where he was one of six biological offspring in a family that included 40 foster kids and a deaf autistic sister named Kelly whom he cites as his greatest creative inspiration. His father, a German-American … Continued

Love or Something Like It

When I was five years old, I decided that I was going to grow up to be a writer and travel the world. A few years later, I amended that dream: I would become a writer, move overseas, meet the love of my life and begin the greatest romance in history. This vision for my life got me through a lot of dateless Friday nights in my adolescence; through the grueling months leading up to prom spent wonder … Continued

Of Magic and Men

Susan Conway didn’t know what to make of it. There she was, sitting cross-legged on the floor, while a man in just a small loincloth performed a dance and mime in front of her. He had two swords in his hands. One of them he pressed against his skin, trying to stab himself, but to no avail. It wouldn’t penetrate him, or even leave a mark. His skin was invincible to all harms and ills, or so he said … Continued

Editorial

Two steps forward and one step back virtually demands the popping of a champagne cork in situations where one step forward and two steps back are the norm. I am talking about combating the Big Brothers here in Thailand. The authorities’ many and frequent failings range from the benignly incompetent to the scandalously corrupt, and it is so easy – so much so that according to an ABAC poll, 76% of T … Continued