Editorial
Last week, I received a phone call from a friend of mine who is an ajarn at Chiang Mai University. “Send someone to the Convention Centre on Nimmanhaemin now! There is about to be a large anti-government protest of white V-for-Vendetta-mask-wearing ajarns,” she squealed with excitement. An hour later, our reporter called to say that there were about two dozen men and women wearing Guy Fawkes-inspi … Continued
Design Idea
Supamit KitjapipatManaging Director of Siripanna Villa Resort and Spa, ChiangMaiThis Thai-run resort has only been open for 2 years, but hasalready gained fame for its friendly, five-star service, with the kind ofgentle and generous style typical of the Lanna region. It has even been namedone of Trip Advisor’s top 25 hotels in Thailand.For managing director Supamit, “the details are importa … Continued
Clients’ Spot
Doo Dee Pub & Restaurant Looking for somewhere to spend a chilled night out with friends? For good food, good tunes, good brews and plenty of space to enjoy it all, don’t miss Doo Dee Pub. A lively neighbourhood favourite located just south of Chiang Mai Gate, Doo Dee far exceeds expectations with a wide range of excellent 100% MSG-free dishes cooked up by a Thai an … Continued
Sjon Hauser: Snake Hunter
It’s 5 a.m. and I’m awake. I’m putting on athletic shorts and sneakers because I forgot to ask what to wear and this is my “who knows?” go-to ensemble for unforeseen, vaguely physical activities. In less than an hour I’ll be speeding through the mountains of Doi Saket behind a 50-something Dutchman on a motorbike. We’ll be hunting for snakes. The Man, the Myth, the Legend Sjon (pronounced like “Sh … Continued
An Inside Look at Creepy (and sometimes crawling) Cuisines
Thailand is home to some very strange foods, including bugs, blood and babies (animal babies, that is). But even the most audacious of eaters may not know the health risks and benefits behind foods that squawk, squirm and scuttle. Here, I’ll take you on a journey through some of Thailand’s most vexing victuals. Taste at your own risk! Credits Wikimedia Commons / Istolethetv Scorpion Not far … Continued
City7: What To Do On a Rainy Day
WHAT TO DO ON A RAINY DAY It’s raining, it’s pouring…the old man is snoring. But you don’t have to! 1.Museum of World Insects and Natural Wonders 72 Nimmanhemin Road, Soi 13 053 211 891 insectmuseum@hotmail.com A crazy, weird and utterly captivating museum cluttered with all sorts of oddities, from a piece of meteorite to a collection of mosquito species named after the museum owners wh … Continued
City Buzz
Eat & Drink Basic Thai Cuisine Situated right off of the busy Rachadamneon Road, Basic Thai Cusine is the perfect place to escape the heat and crowds of the Old City and quell your rumbling tummy at the same time. Step inside and you’ll find a quiet haven for yummy Thai-style breakfast, lunch or dinner. Sophisticated yet inexpensive with plenty of authentic Thai foo … Continued
Special Scoop: The Nimmana Chiang Mai
The Nimana by Keystar A rare opportunity for most: you’ve finally taken the plunge and decided to move to Chiang Mai, a city at the pinnacle of beauty in northern Thailand. But as tourism and business industries flourish, capitalising on property can be an extremely fastidious and nerve-wracking process, especially for those new to Thailand. As luck may have it, you need look no further tha … Continued
Your Say
For those of you with questions regarding Thailand, Thai culture, history, tourism, laws, rules, food, nightlife, sub-culture, dating; generally anything as long as it is relevant, we have a panel of experts who will respond to your enquiries. Email: hilary@chiangmaicitylife.com Fightin’ Words Corruption in Thailand has never been worse. You have so little respect globally that a British TV st … Continued
What’s Happening!
ARTS AND EXHIBITIONS CORNELAGES Now – 28th July @ 116 Art Gallery 089 853 2488 An exquisite paper collage art exhibition by Dutch expat Cornelis Hoek. FLOWER ADMIRER Now – 31st July @ 137 Pillars House 053 247 788 An oil painting exhibition by Nat Posita, displaying both traditional and modern compositions and colours. CONSCIOUS/SUBCONSCIOUS 4th – 28th July @ Chiang Mai University An exhibi … Continued
This is Thailand
For those of you with questions regarding Thailand, Thai culture, history, tourism, laws, rules, food, nightlife, sub-culture, dating; generally anything as long as it is relevant, we have a panel of experts who will respond to your enquiries. Email: hilary@chiangmaicitylife.com Are there any English lending libraries where I can check out books in Chiang Mai? Emma (intern): While there are … Continued
The Price of Ivory
Western countries have seen their fair share of elephant mania. We flock to zoos, caption cute pictures for Facebook, and reminisce over childhoods spent with Disney’s Dumbo and Dr. Seuss’s Horton (or Stampy from the Simpsons if that’s more your thing). But, for all of our excitement over floppy ears and long memories, the Western relationship to this imposing creature is relatively shallow. Eleph … Continued
The Life of Wine
Amazing things to make with old corks and wine bottles Once again this month’s column is a response to an intriguing question: ‘Is there anything useful I can I do with my old wine bottles and corks?’ My initial response would have made for a very short article indeed, so I decided to do a bit of research and quickly found myself in the world of ‘upcycling’. Unlike recycling, which returns … Continued
Snowstorm in Chiang Mai: The Claudia Garcia Story
Savouring the balmy pre-scorch of another Chiang Mai morning, I sat near Tha Pae Gate waiting to meet “the Snowflake” (I know, odd in a climate where sweaty skin sucks clothes to you faster than you can say “sticky rice”), also known as Peruvian filmmaker Claudia Garcia. Prepared to be intimidated and maybe even belittled – in my mind, documentarians are all either 65-year-old British men with bif … Continued
Music Box
Buika – La Noche Mas Larga In recent decades, popular jazz has tended to lean towards the inoffensive, coffee-shop ready kind of music that pleases the ear but never challenges. You may hear Concha Buika’s earlier work in your local Wawee, but her newest effort finds the singer stretching outside the comfort zone of the casual listener, and thus creating her best work yet. The Spanish-born … Continued
Love or something like it
A strange thing happened to me this spring, about a week before I turned 28. For the first time in my life, I started to worry about getting old. Until this year, I always embraced my birthdays, grateful for my years and celebrating them with friends. This year was a particularly great birthday, with drinks at Bar Eve, a surprise party involving homemade cake, a tiara and fire dancing, and a wine … Continued
City Talk
1. Olivia Yerardi, 21Medical Student, AmericanI love going mud sliding down hills. It’s a little harderback home in Colorado because half the time it’s snowing outside, but Thailandis the perfect place to get dirty and go flying down a mud slide! 2. Courtney Winkleman, 22Intern, AmericanThere’s nothing like opening the first page to a new bookI’ve been meaning to read, but never had the tim … Continued
The Transient 20-Somethings
“I still have absolutely no idea what I’m doing with my life,” a good friend of mine, age 20-something, said as we sat sweating it out over 40 baht bowls of spicy curry on a particularly stifling Chiang Mai afternoon. “That scares the shit out of me. But it’s also exciting, I guess. I’m here now, but I have no idea where I’ll be in a year, or even a few months. I could still be here, or I could be … Continued