Boonserm Satrabhaya passed away on August 16th at 88 years of age. He had been hospitalised for a month and passed away peacefully. Uncle Boonserm’s photos are iconic and if you have never heard of him, you would have seen his images all over the city, printed on boutique hotel and restaurant walls, sold as post cards and also in the pages of Citylife magazine repeatedly over the years.

Short-term care for children was clearly a need yet to be met, for surely Nam Fon was not the first student in the history of Thailand to have this experience. But, what could we do about it? Fast forward five years to 2016 when our former team came together with the idea to find families who could provide short-term foster care for children in crisis situations and continue to support the family by providing a family strengthening program after reunification.

By all accounts, the Citylife Garden Fair 2018 was a great success and we look forward to many more years of this event to come. Thank you very much to all of you who helped, who worked, who donated, who bid, who came, and who were a part of it all. ***Booth Booking Now Closed*** ***Please contact wichuda@chiangmaicitylife.com for more information*** Book your stall now! Suggest a charity for our donations (last year we raised over 400,000 for three charities). And donate deep! We are asking you to donate anything we can use in our auction or tombola, all proceeds will go to charity. This will be a fun and fantastic day out and we can’t wait to see you all again.

Most residents of Chiang Mai have noticed the imposing new hotel opposite Maya shopping mall, and heard of the glorious replica Lanna kingdom called the Dhara Dhevi, but not so many of us have visited either property. After all expats are used to cheap Chiang Mai prices, and luxury five star hotels will surely cost a lot of Baht, bringing up the immediate thought of ‘will splurging be worth it’? In short, yes.

Citylife heads out into town with 300 baht to see how far that can take us using Uber to get around town! For new users, use the code CMCITYLIFE to get 75 baht off your first two rides!

Monkeypod Asia is Chiang Mai’s leading professional wholesale buying and sourcing agent, specialised in wooden furniture, wood carvings, and handicraft exports in Northern Thailand. With years of experience in the local market, Monkeypod Asia can source almost any product you are looking for within their specifications which focus on selective suppliers who produce products of high quality and unique styles.

Mahabharata Chapter I, depicting fights of various gods, was initiated in Cambodia in 2013, and is gaining popularity and excitement from audiences across Asia. The Indian epic has continued to create chapters – Chapters II, II.5 and III – and have toured in many Asian countries including Vietnam, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, China, Philippines and Japan, to much acclaim. In 2017, the story of the great battle will finally conclude its fourth chapter, entitled ‘War Was Over’, right here in Chiang Mai.

มีไม่กี่คำทักทายที่จะมีเสน่ห์เหมือนกับคำว่า “สวัสดีเจ้า” คำทักทายที่พูดเป็นจังหวะโดยใช้ภาษาคำเมืองซึ่งมาพร้อมกับการไหว้อย่างนอบน้อมจากหญิงสาวชาวล้านนา สำหรับผู้ที่มาเยี่ยมเยือนจังหวัดเชียงใหม่นี่อาจจะเป็นขอบเขตของคำศัพท์และความรู้ในภาษาคำเมืองเพียงอย่างเดียว แต่ในความเป็นจริงแล้วนั้นยังมีความเข้าใจผิดเกี่ยวกับคำเมืองอยู่ คำเมืองถูกเข้าใจผิดว่าเป็นเพียงสำเนียงทางภาคเหนือของภาษาไทยกลาง ทั้งที่ความเป็นจริงแล้วนั้นคำเมืองเป็นอีกภาษาหนึ่งที่มีความอุดมสมบูรณ์อย่างมากด้วยภาษาเขียนที่เป็นเอกลักษณ์ของตนเองและได้ถูกนำมาใช้โดยชาวไทยภาคเหนือรวมถึงชาวลาวประมาณหกล้านคนในยุคปัจจุบันนี้ อย่างไรก็ตามถึงแม้ว่าจะมีจำนวนผู้ใช้มากมายแต่คำเมืองถูกจัดเป็นอีกภาษาหนึ่งที่อยู่ภายใต้การคุมคามของการสูญหายเนื่องจากการใช้ที่น้อยลงจากคนยุคใหม่

Good food is no longer just for the early birds! You no longer have to decide between sleeping in or going hungry! Homemade Market is now offering delivery straight to your door. Delivery to popular area like the Old City is 50 baht and 60 baht for Nimman.

As we took off, wind slapping my face and churning my hair, I thought to myself, “This is just like a regular plane”. But the moment the wheels lifted off terra firma, I felt this deep sense of exhilaration no plain plane could have ever given me.

To those who flirt between the beach and the mountains, Celebrity Ink™ maybe a name you have already heard of. With an outstanding fan base locally and overseas, this unique tattoo studio has, over the last decade, developed its name and its reputation as being one of Thailand’s most professional and artistic tattoo studio you can visit.

I stepped into the festival expecting a witchcraft of atmospheres. Rituals, sorcerers, spells being chanted, rain dancers, and vials of buffalo blood being passed around to be drunk by all. I expected a supernatural presence to reveal itself, to cause a ruckus. I prepared myself for the possibly that magic may exist. It was all very thrilling. Of course, I had misjudged the situation. In reality, the event was much more down to earth than my senses had prepared me for.

It was an early rise for Citylife on an otherwise slightly misty morning last week. The sun was just starting to bring back colour to the skies as large clouds blanketed the mountains and surrounding farmland. On a grassy plain at the Horizon Village & Resort, a small team of men in jumpsuits began rolling out a large canvas balloon as people began to arrive, still half asleep but excited to soon by flying high in the air, with only the wind to guide us.

Girls Rock Asia การประกวดที่มุ่งเฟ้นหาสุดยอดวงดนตรีร็อคหญิงล้วน ที่แรกและที่เดียวในภูมิภาคเอเชีย ประกาศรับสมัครวงดนตรีหญิง เพื่อเข้าร่วมประกวดและชิงเงินรางวัล 10,000 เหรียญสหรัฐ (หรือประมาณ 350,000 บาท)

Girls Rock Asia, the region’s first and only competition dedicated to finding the best all-female rock bands, has officially announced its call for bands to participate for a grand prize of US$10,000.

Ninyo Ausmkiez is a familiar face around some of Chiang Mai’s hippest party places; from Warm Up Cafe to Hip Hop parties around the city, but now his presence has moved up onto centre stage with the release of his first single, Goo Farang, where he raps hard about the common misconceptions people make about him, even after all these years living in his second home, Thailand.

During the month of February, over 1500 school leaders all across the world were signing up to participate in the Shadow a Student Challenge. The purpose of the day was for global educators to immerse themselves in a student’s school experience, and to spend an entire day getting to know their students better.

Mon Art Du Style, which means ‘my art of style’ in French, is a pun play of Thai meaning ‘look at art, see style’, which captures just some of the many threads visitors of the museum can follow.

Le Meridien Chiang Mai invites you all to join in this month’s biggest and best pool party this June 17.

Make a booking on www.BeNeat.co and get 20% off with their first-try promotion.

As I peered at the strange meat-like fruit on my lap, I knew I had to do it. After slowly peeling back the clingfilm on the plate in my lap, the pungent smell of durian infiltrated my nostrils. I took a deep breath, and thought “how bad could it be?”, and took a bite.

Nestled in a lush green mountain away from the chaos of Chiang Mai’s city streets lies Wat Pha Lat, a jungle temple paradise. Jungle temples, as opposed to community temples that are found in the city, serve primarily as a calm place for monks to live and meditate. With old stone buildings, intricate carvings and statues, and plenty of breathtaking places to meditate, it’s clear why people claim Wat Pha Lat is a hidden gem in Chiang Mai.

I’m currently living in Rotterdam, but I can’t help but think of Chiang Mai on this cold, gloomy day. When I first moved to Rotterdam in 2014, it reminded me a lot of Chiang Mai. They are both “second cities.” They both pride themselves of bringing old and new together in a unique fusion of style. Rotterdam’s architecture is an interesting mix between pre- and post-World War II, while Chiang Mai has historical landmarks like Thapae Gate along with modern-looking buildings like Maya and Central Festival.

Flying through tree canopies at hundreds of metres above the ground on a hot Thai summer’s day is not everybody’s cup of tea. In fact, it was downright terrifying for me. I have always been scared of heights and combine that with the number of articles I have published as deputy editor of Citylife about zipline accidents, I was hoping to ask for hazard pay before tempting this feat. But after Jungle Flight and Tripzii, who have now teamed up to provide jungle adventures bookable by a the click of a button, invited me to sample their services, I couldn’t miss the chance to finally give zipline a go.

In the last 10 years, solo female travelers have become a common phenomenon, and Southeast Asia is a hub for many of these sojourners. Backpacker Business by Nikki Scott is a sensational story about a 23-year-old girl living and traveling alone throughout Southeast Asia. Hailing from a small town in northern England, she decided to drop everything and live the life of a wanderer.

This year was our most successful Garden Fair yet! Thank you to everyone who made it happen, from our favourite clients who donated the most amazing prizes to businesses opening stalls, donating vouchers and to all of our readers, their friends and families who attended the event. Thousands of you came and enjoyed a brilliant day out, donating more money than we have ever received before. On behalf of the Garden Fair Volunteer Committee and our three beneficiaries, Citylife would like to thank you all for every generous offer and donation made. The organisation costs were covered by 220 booths who paid a donation to set up at the fair, so every last penny donated by you all, in whatever form, will be donated to our beneficiaries.

Moon Muang Road is Chiang Mai’s gentler, kinder and move sober version of the famed Khao San Road in Bangkok. For decades the labyrinth of sois meandering off Moon Muang Road which runs along the Eastern moat of the city, has been a haven for backpackers looking to take in local culture on a shoestring. Flanked by guesthouses, second hand bookshops and mum and pop shops, Moon Muang’s sois stretch the length of the moat at around a mile long, with its nearly dozen sois running branching out into a web of soilets, perfect for strolling and taking in the gentler pace of the city. Best explored on foot, I decided to take a few days to get to know this part of the city which I don’t normally ever visit, as parking can be problematic and there are few goods and services targeted at local residents.

Miltos Yerolemou or Syrio Forel, the first sword of Bravos in the hit series Game of Thrones, invited me to join him in a masterclass in Water Dancing to raise money for a UK based charity called ‘Mind’. Needless to say, I was going and nobody could stop me.

Thailand’s global reputation isn’t great when it comes to environmentalism. Illegal logging is a particular problem, as is development on formerly pristine habitat. However, there is good news! The attitudes of ordinary Thai people – as well as that of late, great monarch King Bhumibol – are staunchly pro-environment. And often, where the people lead, the nation as a whole follows.

Let’s face it. The opera scene in Chiang Mai is relatively hard to come by. Aside from the 2nd Chiang Mai Ginastera International Music Festival coming this autumn, opportunities to hear and see live performance of classical music and operatic excellence are hard to come by. Lucky for us, there is something in the interim, with Fun, a vocal performance student at Payap University, who is giving new life to the local musical scene.

This Sunday, 2nd April will be the first day of the annual cricket sixes tournament held at the Chiengmai Gymkhana Club. This will be the 30th year of the tournament which sees around 30 teams come from all over the world to play in a week-long tournament. Held between the northern and southern hemisphere cricket seasons, the Chiang Mai Sixes sees around 300 players annually.

We last sat down with screenwriter and Chiang Mai resident Don Linder, 67, in July 2014. A New York City native who came to Chiang Mai about seven years ago, Linder first got to Thailand in 2001 to work as the Academic Director of the AUA Language Institute. Prior to his arrival in Thailand, Linder travelled extensively, taught creative writing to students around the world, wrote programmes for Japanese cable TV, and had done some documentary work, as well. Although he had taught screenwriting courses before, it wasn’t until later that he wrote his own original screenplay, which became an international hit: The Last Executioner.

Enjoy the best rock bands which are Dezember, Songkarn The Voice, Pond The Voice, Knight The Voice & The Black Hawk Band, Lords Of Rock, Ghost Band and Kord Yim in a totally different style.

The sanitation needs of society’s marginalised often go overlooked, but the Foundation to Encourage the Potential of Disabled Persons (FEPDP) is stepping in to change that. The Chiang Mai-based group has recently launched initiatives to overhaul the toilet facilities of people living with disabilities.

Westerners coming to Thailand are often shocked by the animals they find here. We have stray dogs and cats roaming the streets, exotic animals sold openly in markets, and the dog meat trade continues to raise Western eyebrows (despite Western tourists driving the industry in many parts of the world) From the outside, and with a culturally relativist hat on, this all makes Thailand look less than caring about it’s animals. In fact, nothing could be further than the truth – as the rise in pet popularity in Chiang Mai testifies.