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Lanna Thai Coffee Hub: Behind the exponential growth of our coffee industry

It was just over a generation ago when the mountains of the north of Thailand were peppered with opium fields. The efforts to eradicate opium growth by not just Thai, but international groups, have shaped much of the growth and development of the region.

Chiang Mai is a UNESCO Creative City…Now What?

Chiang Mai has a spring to its step now that the high season has arrived along with the (slightly) cooler weather. With the year-long period of mourning for our beloved late King over, we are beginning and tentatively, looking towards the future. So there could be no better time for our city to receive the designation as a UNESCO Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art, which was announced on the 31st October 2017 by Director-General, Irina Bokova. We are now one of 116 cities in 54 countries labeled a Creative City with the aim to “create a network at the frontline of UNESCO’s efforts to foster innovation and creativity as key drivers for a more sustainable and inclusive urban development”.

Writer’s Block

It is that terrible time of the month for me called ‘deadline’, and, once again, I have nothing. Dreadful word deadline, because it’s, well, got the word dead in it. Dead is never particularly positive. Deadbeat, deadlock, deadwood.

Your Essential Christmas Checklist for Chiang Mai

Christmas in the tropics can be an odd experience for many people used to snowy window ledges, steaming mulled wine, last minute Christmas shopping in the cold and constant in-your-face Christmas songs and décor. So this year we help you to get into the Christmas spirit with all things Christmassy in Chiang Mai so that you are not rushing around on Christmas morning begging for spare crackers from your friends. Whether it’s where to find the perfectly festive wrapping paper, ideas for stocking fillers, where to get a turkey, who makes the best chestnut puree or where to get a Christmas tree…we’ve got you.

The Rider’s Club Experience

Lovers of bikes will know that while the thrill of the sport is in the riding of the bike itself, the moment of purchase of a new bike comes pretty close!

What you can find in Mae Rim Plaza

Our office is half way from town to Mae Rim and we have been having a ball discovering new places to explore. Our latest favourite place is Mae Rim Plaza, packed with splendid shops and services, a delicious range of food options and much more.

Education for the 21st Century: How Prem is using the world as a classroom

One of Thailand’s most beautiful school campuses is a portrait in serenity – teachers cycling down shaded paths wending their way lazily through school buildings, play grounds, sports halls and flower gardens. The odd butterfly flutters between lotuses blooming in fountained ponds and tropical trees swaying in the early winter breeze, the occasional sounds of laughter spilling out of classrooms.

His Majesty’s Legacy: a little known revolutionising pump

The Visionary, a book by a project called Fulfilling Father’s Legacy, revealed that there were a total of 4,685 projects under the royal initiative throughout the 70 years of King Rama IX’s reign. Over 2,000 of those projects involved the management of water.

Chiang Mai Coco: Northern Thailand’s Hidden Chocolate Farms

When I arrived at the lab, the smell of chocolate filled my nostrils and my blood pressure grew, anticipating that next coco hit. A machine whirred in the corner and pure 100% chocolate was churning away — conching is the official term — and I couldn’t help but just stare at the silky dark chocolaty mass as I anticipated my first taste.

Food for Fun

If you love food, whether it’s cooking it, eating it or nibbling it while enjoying a good pint, we have a few new places to recommend to you.

Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks

Unknown to most residents of Chiang Mai, the 1981 backpacking adventures of an unassuming young Englishman hailing from Prestbury, Cheshire would go on to immortalise our fair province as part of a worldwide publishing phenomenon and international ‘playground craze’ of the early-to-mid-1980s.

Love Foundation

December 1st is World Aids Day and Citylife is pleased to say that we will be donating part of our fundraising this year from the Citylife Garden Fair event to the Love Foundation in support of their efforts to help raise awareness about AIDS and offer support for those affected.

Vintage Toys for Old Boys

Troops of perfect condition Tetsujin 28 robots line the walls as original Japanese versions of Power Rangers sit in corners — some caught in a permanent state of mid-transformation, just like the cartoons. This bizarre shop is the only place in Chiang Mai that both collectors and toy enthusiasts can now come and experience some of the region’s rarest toys.

Push Yourself at Chiang Mai Gyms

Get sweaty and juiced up on adrenaline as you visit one of these gyms in Chiang Mai. Whether you are looking for some cardio, endurance or just to lift something heavy, we’ve got you covered.

Editorial: December 2017

Chiang Mai is metastasising. The city is expanding in all directions and the population is bursting at the city-seams. Our industries are spouting noxious fumes and our investors are building towering condos. Our roads are congested and congealed and our cityscape is morphing into something unrecognisable. For the first time we are facing urban issues and challenges that are common to many cities around the world — traffic, pollution, waste, lack of resource management…the list goes on.

Beat Obesity with Absolute Solutions

Obesity may not have been an obvious health concern for Thai people in the past, but with a growing (in all senses of the word) population, it has become obvious that there is a need to start paying attention to it.

Häfele

Häfele is an international company providing hardware and fittings for kitchens, homes, bathrooms and offices. With stores across the globe, they have grown over the last century to join the ranks of the world’s premium brands, known for the high quality and exacting standards of each and every product they offer.

More From Citylife

Tourism declines in Chiang Mai, authorities prepare new campaign

Fri 5th Sep

The number of tourists in Chiang Mai has declined. From April to June 2025, the number of Chinese tourists dropped by over 30 percent, raising serious concerns within the local tourism sector. Phatthanong Na Chiang Mai, Deputy Governor for Asia and South Pacific Marketing at the Tourism Authority of Thailand, stated that approximately 6.7 million tourists visited Chiang Mai in the first six months … Continued

Artistry in bloom at Anantara Chiang Mai Resort

Fri 5th Sep

As one of the Lanna capital’s most beautiful hotels – with tranquil lawns that front the Mae Ping River, Zen courtyards, and a magnificent teak mansion that once served as the British consulate – Anantara Chiang Mai Resort is the perfect stage for artistry. On 6 and 13 September, music scholars and students from Prem International School will serenade guests at The Verandah at 1921 House. Highligh … Continued

All hands on deck to rebuild Ban Pang Ung village

Fri 5th Sep

The cleanup of residents’ homes and the entire waterway at Ban Pang Ung in Mae Chaem, after the recent flood and landslide, has made progress. Forty households in disaster-prone areas have requested relocation. The Forest Resource Management Office No. 1, Provincial Office of Natural Resources and Environment Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai Irrigation Office, Chiang Mai Department of Public Works and Town … Continued

Mandarin ducks, coy fish and Pygmy goats now added to the flock

Wed 3rd Sep

Following the success of the geese at the moat and the swans at PAO’s park, the PAO has now added ten pairs of mandarin ducks to the park. The ducks were donated by Pa Miang Sub-district in Doi Saket. Not only that the Zoo Aquarium has now donated 100 coy fish to the same lake as the mandarin ducks, in hopes of pleasing the public even further.  As to the Pygmy goats also added to the park by the … Continued

Pioneering soy bean research by Chiang Mai University picked up by anti-ageing industry  

Wed 3rd Sep

Regional Science Park North, Chiang Mai University held a press conference to announce the licensing of its soy extract tablet and skin cream to Winona International Co., Ltd. The university also signed an MOU with the company to enhance research and development of health innovations for practical use in industry and society. Assoc. Prof. Supanimit Teekachunhatean, M.D., Ph.D., Head of the Clinica … Continued

90% of 13,698 votes say yes to the geese staying in the moat 

Mon 1st Sep

After a poll which ran for 48 hours saw 13,698 people from all over Chiang Mai and beyond vote on whether or not to keep the ten geese on the moat, following a week long experiment to house the geese moatside while they spent their days eating the overgrown duckweed, 90% said yes. As the city waited for the results of the poll, the geese have been taken away for a health check, vaccination and mic … Continued

Rescue helicopters and personnel descend to help Ban Pang Ung flood victims 

Mon 1st Sep

A flash flood and landslide occurred in Ban Pang Ung in Mae Chaem District, resulting in the deaths is currently seven people. Rescue teams continue to search for two missing 5-year-old boys. The search for the remaining two missing used a backhoe from the Chiang Mai Provincial Administrative Organization to excavate the area where the bodies were previously found. The Department of Disaster Preve … Continued

Mother seeks justice after son dies in cow-related road accident

Mon 1st Sep

Kalong Sukjui, a 56-year-old woman, is calling for accountability after her 21-year-old son was killed in a car accident involving a cow. The incident occurred when a cow suddenly ran in front of his motorcycle, causing him to fall and be struck by another vehicle. The accident happened on the Chiang Mai – Hang Dong Outer Ring Road 3, opposite the PTT gas station, at around 7.20 pm on August 26, 2 … Continued

The largest international book fair in Northern Thailand runs from 29th August – 7th September 2025 at Chiang Mai Hall, Central Chiang Mai Airport

Sat 30th Aug

Plan for Kids Co., Ltd., a leading publisher and distributor of children’s books and learning resources for families, together with Big Bad Wolf Books, the renowned international book fair organiser with a track record of hosting events across 34 cities in 13 countries, and Central Chiang Mai Airport, proudly present the “International Book Sale Featuring Big Bad Wolf 2025.” Book lovers across Chi … Continued

Monks pulled across raging river to attend funeral of flood victims in Mae Chaem 

Sat 30th Aug

Residents of Pang Oong Village in Mae Chaem District, released images showing images of a recent landslide, carrying earth and uprooted trees, which surged down into the village without warning. It has now been three days since the devastating flash floods and resulting landslides struck the area, claiming six lives. As of today, rescue teams from multiple agencies, together with local villagers a … Continued

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