Northern Thailand Cities: Chiang Mai Vs. Chiang Rai Written By Kelly Iverson Chiang Rai is Chiang Mai’s weak competitor in terms of tourism. The lure of Chiang Mai’s laid-back vibe and hipster aura draws in travelers from all over Thailand. Because of this, Chiang Rai oftentimes gets lost in the shuffle. There is something about Chiang Rai, however, that continues to peak the curiosity of…
by Olly Gaspar For many backpackers and travelers in Northern Thailand, a stop in Chiang Rai is often a brief one, either just a stop-over through to Chiang Mai or to see the famous White Temple. My goal is to convince you to skip the typical 1-day city hop and really explore this epic northern gem. A great start is checking out these 3 epic…
There are certain things I look for when I arrive in a new place. I call these my desirability factors. I rate them High, Medium, or Low. I will be adding new desirability factors soon. Walkability: I like living in self-contained neighborhoods. Places where everything I need is walkable from my home. The old town area of Chiang Rai is walkable. But it is a…
Thailand Thai cannabis is world-famous – Thai “sticks” arguably being the best-known of all exports, so-named for the tell-tale red thread which binds the buds together and has spawned so many imitations. In the 1970s and ’80s, Thai cannabis was a common sight for stoners throughout the world, although exports have since declined. Law and international policy Cannabis is prohibited in Thailand under the Narcotics…
Want to live the country life in Thailand? Chiang Rai in Thailand’s far north is a great alternative to Chaing Mai and Bangkok.Life in Chiang Rai really is a breath of fresh air and a complete escape from traffic congestion. Even better, it’s cheap.Read on and you’ll get some of my top tips on: Why you should live in Chiang Rai, What to do in Chiang…
Eat and meet Being a relatively large town with a fair-sized expat community as well as plenty of passing visitors Chiang Rai has a correspondingly wide choice of restaurants, bars and coffee shops. Thai Porchai Khao Soi lies towards the northern end of Jetyod Road and is a standard local cafe in the neon lighting and aluminium table-style serving up an authentic khao soi with…
Mushrooms may be deadly or delicious, beautiful or bland, magical or mundane but one thing’s certain: the fungus among us are anything but anonymous! These 10 strange & beautiful mushrooms span the imagination while spanning the globe when it comes to location. Turkey Tail Mushroom (images via: USI, Medicinal Mushrooms and Bunkycooks) Turkey Tail mushrooms (Trametes versicolor) are common worldwide and often are seen growing in quantity…
As you know Chiangrai is the most northern province in Thailand. It shares a border with two countries, the Lao PDR and Myanmar. Self driving is ideal for travel in this city because it has beautiful scenery and gracious people. Today we will talk about a most beautiful and attractive place . Not many foreign tourists visit this place because it’s quite long a distance…
Woodcarving can be regarded as a characteristic decorative Thai art form. It reflects the fertility and vitality of nature in technique and subject matter. Wood has been primarily used for furniture and religious objects, and thus not so much for creating Buddha statues. Hence, woodcarvers have sought their inspiration primarily in nature and mythology since they have been free of restrictive iconography. Thai Woodcarving Carved wooden facade at…
Thailand is very safe for tourists but from time to time a number of tourists are bothered by the police unintentionally. As appearing in many news articles lately, Bangkok police accelerate random visitor urine tests, searches, interrogations on western tourists and expats. There has been a rapidly increasing policy of harassing western visitors and residents in Bangkok, such individuals are now regularly being stopped by…