Blogs from Chiang Rai, North-West Thailand, Thailand, Asia

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Asia » Thailand » North-West Thailand » Chiang Rai February 9th 2023

I‘d researched the best way to get to Chiang Rai and it seemed that was to use Greenbus, a 3-4 hour journey, depending on which class you choose. I pushed the boat out and booked the VIP one. The company website was a pain in the neck all round and I should have just paid a tiny bit more and done it through 12GoAsia. It was mostly in Thai but somehow I managed to book, pay and choose a front row seat. I must have printed it off then and there (just as well, if you don’t it disappears and you cannot find it anywhere) and it didn’t look much like a ticket although it had some QR codes on it. I assumed I’d have to go to the counter and get a proper ticket on ... read more
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This was my ticket
Wall in front of me!

Asia » Thailand » North-West Thailand » Chiang Rai November 18th 2021

So, we left Chiang Rai this morning. We stopped at a roadside stall on the way out of town for something to eat. We got a couple of black buns with gold stripes for the road because they looked interesting. Shortly after that we arrived at the white temple, Wat Rong Khun. This is a strange place. On the one hand, it's a Buddhist temple with lots of statues of buddha & such. On the other hand it felt to me like plastic. Disneyland. Something fake made for tourists. At least that's the feel I got, but it turns out that the temple itself was closed for renovations and we could only walk around the grounds. I'll give you an idea of the 'fake' feeling I got: the entrance to the temple itself is over a ... read more
Wat Rong Khun White Temple
Wat Rong Khun White Temple
Suwirun tea plantation

Asia » Thailand » North-West Thailand » Chiang Rai April 10th 2019

I arrived in Chiang Rai in the evening. I forgot to make a screenshot of the hostels and outside I don't have internet, so I had to walk around and look for a place to stay. Ofcourse the hostels on the mainroad are the most expensive ones, so I took a road that led me away from it. It was a bit dark there and I wasn't sure if I would find anything, but then I saw a sign. When I walked closer, it seemed like a normal house and the lights were off, but it was the only entrance and the sign sure said it was a hostel. When I walked past the house I saw the reception. The person behind the desk was super friendly. When I left my stuff in the room I ... read more
Blue temple
Fried rice
White temple

Asia » Thailand » North-West Thailand » Chiang Rai January 12th 2019

Jan 12th, On the 12th, we went to a city on a hill known as Doi Tung. Here, we toured the “Princess Mother’s” residency and a beautiful flow garden. While in the garden, we ran into three women playing an instrument and singing along to the tune of Amazing Grace. Our group was so excited to see something other than people bowing down and praying to Buddha, and we all decided to sing along. It was a pretty special moment. In the same area, there was a ton of shopping and something called the Hall of Inspiration. It talks about how the King’s wife changed the land from a place to grow opium and foster opioid addiction into an agricultural dream full of employment opportunity and newfound wealth. When we were in the garden, a Thai ... read more
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Asia » Thailand » North-West Thailand » Chiang Rai January 11th 2019

Jan 11th, This morning we learned all about the community in which we are staying. I wish I had time to go into more detail, but I’ll just say that it was one of the most interesting things to learn about how the community functions. It is so different than what we are used to in America, but yet everything and everyone works together so well to create a fully functioning community that is not reliant on technology, wealth, or individuality. Everyone works together to a make things run so smoothly, even though it looks so different than anything you would see in the US. We focused on community nursing while we were living in the Chiang Saen community, and I learned the benefit of mapping out the community you are practicing nursing in. It really ... read more
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Asia » Thailand » North-West Thailand » Chiang Rai November 27th 2018

Chiang Rai is was originally a capital of the Lanna kingdom (I believe before Chiang Mai), super close to the Golden Triangle (border of Thailand/Myanmar/Laos and historical opium territory), but is known today for a range of modern/very artistic temples. The White Temple (Wat Rong Khun) was built by a local artist opening in 1997 - it is beautiful and a bit insane, in an overall Buddhist style but with a range of modern influences and stunning paintings inside. The Blue Temple (Wat Rong Suea Ten - the spot where tigers used to jump over the river) recently opened, built by a disciple of the artist of the White Temple - there are definite similarities, they're both amazing to look through, with enough detail to occupy you for quite awhile if you can navigate the crowds. ... read more
Hot springs
Cooking in the hot springs
Hot springs

Asia » Thailand » North-West Thailand » Chiang Rai July 16th 2018

Today was our earliest non-travel day in Chiang Mai. We had signed up for a day-long tour of multiple attractions in the area. The tour had planned stops at a hot spring, the White Temple (Wat Rong Khun), Golden Triangle, and a Long-Neck village. The bus showed up at 7:30 for an early start to the day. The hot spring was not what we had imagined. The spring was a couple of concrete pools where people could soak their feet. Kristy took a brief soak while Brad abstained. Surrounding the pools were many shops and vendors with typical Thai market goods along with some silver jewelry. The hot spring area was more touristy than we liked and proved to be a harbinger of the day. The drive to the White Temple was long and arduous. Our ... read more
White Temple Hell
Boat to Laos
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Asia » Thailand » North-West Thailand » Chiang Rai April 29th 2018

As I sit here, sipping on my lemon ice tea and enjoying my cinnamon scroll I am left to think; am I still in Asia? Of course, I am. I'm in Chiang Rai and have 4 hours to kill before I jump on a bus to Chaing Mai and since I have all my bags with me, the thought of sight seeing just didn't appeal. Instead I thought to tease you all with another blog post on how I promise to write more on my trip but I think we all know that won't happen. I set the expectations way too high and now we are all left feeling a bit ripped off. This trip has been life changing and I don't really want it to end but, on the other hand, my whole life has ... read more

Asia » Thailand » North-West Thailand » Chiang Rai November 10th 2017

Today was a long travel day with several stops along the way. We left our resort hotel at 7 AM after a 5:30 wake up call. If this is vacation I must be missing something. Anyway, our fist stop was the White Temple. Unlike all the other temples we have and will visit this one is not old. In fact it is only 65% complete and the designer is still alive and working on it. It is not like any temple we have seen, it is more abstract and is a depiction of the soul F the dead leaving hell and rising up to heaven. It is a little bizzare arre to say the least. You first enter over a bridge where the souls are clamoring to rise up. You only see their hands and what ... read more
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Asia » Thailand » North-West Thailand » Chiang Rai November 8th 2017

I landed at Chiang Rai Airport on the evening of November 6th, after a day of long connections and delayed flights. I took Bangkok Airways - who market themselves as "Asia’s Boutique Airline" - from Bangkok to Chiang Rai. They certainly live up to this name, with low fares, no hidden extras (checked bags, seat selection, meals are all free) and a lounge stocked with food and drinks for all passengers - you read that correctly - to enjoy. They served a hot meal on a 60 minute flight. You have to wonder how they make money. On the flight, there was a group of young Korean men wearing the same salmon pink blazers. Nobody paid special attention to them on the flight, but at baggage claim there were screaming teenagers waving Thai and South Korean ... read more
Baan Dam
Baan Dam
Wat Rong Khun




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