Chiang Mai
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Published: January 25th 2009
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Welcome to Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai is the second largest city in Thailand.
Things To Do, Things About: Chiang Mai
Re: Photo #1 Chiang Mai (literally: "walled" "new") was founded in 1296 by King Mengrai.
Its seven hundred km north of Bangkok and about 1000 feet above sea level, so
it's a little cooler.
Chiang Mai's a Good Place To: Learn a New Language: I attended a Thai language school last year but because I forgot everything I'm back.
It's not so easy.
Even the animal language is different.
Thai dogs say, "Hong. Hong" instead of "Bow-wow".
Pigs say, "Ut Ut" and cows say "Maw Maw".
Become part of an expat community: Chiang Mai is small enough to bump into people you know everyday.
The Thais are the reason Thailand is referred to as the land of smiles:
They tolerate foreigners pleasantly and are very polite people.
Even at the modern supermarket check-out the cashier makes the wai gesture
(hands put in prayer formation as a sign of respect) to every customer before
ringing up the tab.
Re: Photo #2. Buy a House. New houses are available for 1,179,000 Baht,
prices not seen in
Photo #1: King Mengrai
Respect is still offered at the Three Kings Monument.
Food and drink is offered at smaller memorials in the city. the west for 50 years. There are some ownership
difficulties for foreigners but the agents selling the houses have
learned how to deal with them.
Re: Photo #4. See a recent movie like "Elephant King" or "Soi Cowboy"produced by Tom Waller of Chiang Mai's DeWarrenne Pictures along with an American director.
It can show you a provocative portrait of Chiang Mai and Bangkok.
Witness a curious perspective regarding laws and morality: An Australian who killed an American (see my blog in March 2008)
got sentenced to 4 years in jail. His guilty verdict included "extenuating
circumstances" ie. he was drunk. This sentence was reduced to 2 years
because sentences are commonly halved when the accused confesses.
Another Australian man was just sentenced to 3 years in jail for insulting
the king in a book he wrote years before. He was arrested when he
returned to Thailand from abroad. The Australian government is asking
for a pardon. No response yet.
Re: Photo #8 Drug smuggling can get you the death penalty although for foreigners
it's usually commuted to life imprisonment.
Also, a Canadian woman who killed her American
Photo #2: Buy a House
Houses are available in a new development for 1,179,000 Baht ($40,000 Cdn) boyfriend (see my blog
in March 2008) got three and a half years in jail. Two years for killing him
and one and a half years for carrying a weapon.
See:
&feature=related"> Murder
Re: Photo #5 Meanwhile, alcohol has a prominent position here.
The largest brewery in Thailand was not allowed to register on
the Thai stock exchange and had to register on the Singapore Exchange a
few years ago.
This year they applied again and because of public protest
were refused again. Buddhists don't condone alcohol, although you'd
never guess that when you see all the packed bars.
Alcohol can only be purchased at a store between 11am - 2pm and 5pm - midnight.
So don't think you can pop into a 7-11 on the way to catch an early flight and buy
a bottle of Mekong whiskey.
Re: Photo #6 Get some cosmetic surgery. "Orchiectomy".....castration was crossed out in the advertisement because
a previous front page article of this newspaper (Bangkok Post, March 26, 2008: "Young boys
warned not to seek early castration") criticized doctors performing
removal of genitals of those under 18 years of age. The third sex is commonly tolerated here.
If Photo #3: Become a Mahout
Usually a life style choice, here you can do it in one month. the writing is too small in the sign photos, double click the picture.
Re: Photo #7. Learn Thai cooking. You learn to cook up a number of dishes after
you've gone to the local market as a group and picked up local fresh
vegetables, each of which will be explained to you.
Unfortunately, in some respects, Thailand is still behind the times.
Chiang Mai Night Safari (part of the Zoo), has had over 300 animals die last year due to
incorrect feeding and poor veterinary care. Animals included 46 Rusa deer, 29
giant flying squirrels, 17 Hog deer, 12 Zebras, 3 cheetahs and
1 baby white tiger. Like most Asian cities, it is a night-mare for pedestrians. The sidewalks are clogged with everything
from cars and motorbikes parking there to restaurants using it as their own patio and some shops just
extending their store front over it.
Thailand's newspapers reprint international stories from unbiased sources.
The invasion of Gaza is shown
with its atrocities and random destructions intact. You can watch the Aljazeera news TV station and compare its' quality to that
Photo #4: see a locally made movie
Movie: The Elephant King
Western-Thai collaboration with Chiang Mai as a setting of CNN.
Then again, on TV you often see cigarettes, booze and breasts in a movie being pixellated out
even though the real thing is a stone's throw away.
Also, when it comes to the international press criticizing the Thai government it's a different
story. This month's
Economist magazine is banned because of an article questioning
the treatment of Rohingya Refugees from Burma.
Also, February 4th a tank-top clad Angelina Jolie visited the refugee camps along the Burmese border and she was chastised for her comments
regarding their treatment.
Thailand, is a tropical country, but
on January 16,2009 in Chiang Mai the temperature ranged between 11 - 25°C which is quite cool when you're out of the sun, and dropped further in the higher regions.
Local Thais were wearing sweaters and parkas.
A few people have succumbed to the weather.
I can't complain when I see the Toronto temperature is -12°C
Re: Photo #3 Become a Mahout. Want to add a unique item to that, "List of 100 things to do before I die" ?:
A mahout is a person who drives an elephant.
Since the life span of man and
Photo #6: Get Cosmetic Surgery
Bangkok Post Front Page Advertisement.
Prices in US dollars. elephant are about the same,
this is usually a life time bond.
Re: Photo #9 and #10. Study the minorities of the region. The
Hmong is often in the news. Recruited by the CIA during the Vietnam war, now they are being persecuted especially in Laos. Many have have been transplanted to other countries.
The
TaiYai of the Shan state in Burma have been involved in a war with Burma for decades.
The
Lisu migrated from China into Burma then into Thailand in the 1910's. In 1980's Lisu villages
were widely dependent on opium crops.
In Thailand the hill tribe people like the
Akha have been denied citizenship as a rule. This makes them
prime targets for human trafficking. Also it denies them the affordable health care and education available to Thai citizens.
There are about one million hill tribe people in Thailand.
Learn about Buddhism.
See Buddah's life portrayed in Wats.
Re: Photo #8 Buddhist calendar is dated from the death of Buddah.
Even though Buddha didn't want his image portrayed, as forbidden in Islam and Christianity ("You shall not make for yourself an idol"),
his life story
Become an Ordained Monk
Quick way to enlightenment? Much easier than concentrating on your navel for years. is portrayed in many wats throughout the country.
Or you can make money exporting local products.
Chaleo, who produces the popular stimulant drink Red Bull, is listed as the richest man in Thailand.
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