Dummy monks, too real for comfort.

Three Chiangs and a Phayao

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April 20th 2012
Chiang is an old north Thai language (Lanna, to be precise) word for city. Northern Thailand seems to be full of places called Chiang; we visited at least three, plus a town called Phayao that is presumably awaiting confirmation of Chiang status. It does have a big lake and lack of foreign tourists, so surely deserves a mention here at least. Outside its cities, northern Thailand is a favourite ... read more

Asia » Thailand » Northern Thailand

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A unified Thai kingdom was established in the mid-14th century. Known as Siam until 1939, Thailand is the only Southeast Asian country never to have been taken over by a European power. A bloodless revolution in 1932 led to a constitutional monarchy.... ... read more