Trade Routes, Wars and Tourism: The story of Chinese settlers in Chiang Mai
I began to wonder about the Chinese who live here permanently, wanting to learn more about who they are, what they do and where they came from. After all, there are over two million Thai-Chinese people in Northern Thailand, a region with 11.6 million people, so where did it all begin and what is their story.
Pub Quiz Chiang Mai
Why do we use the term trivia to mean general knowledge? If a question like this piques your interest, then an evening at one of Chiang Mai’s pub quizzes may be for you. Let’s start with a brief look at the history of the pub quiz. Anthropologists have long held that bar-based trivia first emerged as a popular pastime in the North of England in the 1960s. For many months of the year a lack of suns … Continued
Kickflips and Grinds: The arduous journey of Chiang Mai’s skateboarders
“It’s about time that skateboard players are perceived as serious sport players,” said 38 year old Pichai ‘Kob’ Booncoomyou, one of Chiang Mai’s skateboarding pioneers who has spent the past few decades fighting for space and legitimacy for his sport. He began skateboarding at a time when western teens skateboarded from playground to sports arenas, while Thailand, with its potholed pavements and limited access to good skateboards, was still many years, if not decades, from catching up.
Educational Excellence through Philosophy, Environment and Values at Panyaden International School
A long driveway circled by a tunnel of bamboo leads the way towards Panyaden International School. As the tunnel ends, it opens up to reveal a school which looks as though it has grown out of the ground on which it stands. As children of all ages pour out of their school rooms into the arms of adoring parents, their giggles and grins turn the day sunny. Children, from toddler to twelve, were running around barefoot, uniforms askew, some heading to the award-winning bamboo sports hall for after school activities, others to their parents’ vehicles, chattering about their day.
Battling Beetles: A Northern Thai Tradition
This is the time of the year when the sounds of small ridged sticks rubbing against logs of wood used to be heard emanating from back yards throughout the north of Thailand. The familiar sounds would be interspersed with the roar of a crowd and was ubiquitous and easily identified in days past. But times have changed and its gentle echoes and resounding cheers have faded…along with any recognition with, and familiarity of the sounds. But if you know where to look, you may still come across this scene, found only in our small corner of the world: men of all ages squatting on the floor in dirty flip flops, dark heads huddled together, focused on a Lilliputian fight as they jeer and cheer. This is the world of Thai rhinoceros beetle fighting, an ancient Northern Thai tradition.
Delaying Joint and Bone Problems through Integrative Medicine
Degenerative Joint Disease is inevitable. As we grow older, our bodies slowly stop working, and some of the first things that start to struggle are our joints and our bones. In most people, our degeneration happens faster than it should, leaving us feeling older sooner, but this should not be the case.