Where to Stay in Chiang Mai
The eternal question: Where to stay in Chiang Mai? There are several places in Chiang Mai that I recommend without hesitation. Fancy Condos? Says Chiang Mai author Jeff J. Brown, “If you have the income, New Concept Condos are fabulous. Two bedroom condos are 40,000 Baht per month. We come to swim in the movie set pool. There’s […]
Safety and Danger in Thailand
REMEMBER! THAILAND IS NOT DISNEYLAND. NOBODY HAS EVER HEARD OF ‘SAFETY FIRST’ SO YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOURSELF. A 25 year old Canadian was riding a zipline at Flight of the Gibbon in Chiang Mai on Saturday when his safety harness broke and he plummeted 50 meters to the ground. He was pronounced dead at the scene. […]
Snakes in Thailand
Snakes in Thailand: Dangerous and Timid Vern Lovic, Thailand’s snake expert, wrote me this explanation of his new book, Keep Snakes Out!: Probably no other animal that is frequently found in a home scares people as much as snakes! Here in Thailand, we have a serious snake problem. Recently my friend confronted a king cobra climbing his front door. […]
Chiang Mai Cost of Living
Chiang Mai Cost of Living An Aussie, Michelle Hammond, writes that living in Chiang Mai saves her $23,994 a year: “Before moving here, I knew Chiang Mai offered low-cost living and that the savings I’d make would mean I’d be in for a nice lifestyle upgrade. But I didn’t realise just how good the value was. Now I’m […]
Yoga in Chiang Mai
Yoga in Chiang Mai has a long history. When I moved to Chiang Mai I was delighted to find a hotbed of yoga teachers and students from around the world. I’d taken classes with maybe 100 yoga teachers over 45 years and had come to appreciate the difference a good teacher makes to each class, […]
Landlords in Thailand
Have You Heard the Thai Saying about Landlords in Thailand? “Thai landlords will suck blood from a turd”. Pungent and, as I learned last week, to the point. A dear friend (not a client) who labored long and hard to make his Thai restaurant a success (#1 on TripAdvisor – hard to pull off) was recently […]
Chiang Mai Rentals, Sublets
Here are the Chiang Mai rentals, sublets for July, 2018. Even if you’re not yet planning a move, it provides you with real estate values in Chiang Mai. These are real houses in Chiang Mai with real prices and you can check them out with Google Street View. Or just email for the address… Chiang Mai Rentals, Sublets Sublet 3 Bdrm […]
Best Books About Thailand
Here are the best books about Thailand to delight and distract you: A History of Southeast Asia: Critical Crossroads Southeast Asia can fall between the two stools of China and India, overlooked or viewed merely as a reflection of either or both of these two major historical, political and commercial entities. It is, says Anthony Reid […]
Chiang Mai UNESCO Site?
Chiang Mai a UNESCO Site? Chiang Mai’s 800-year-old, moated Old City has begun to consider applying for UNESCO World Heritage listing as a registered UNESCO Site. Chiang Mai University’s Faculty of Fine Arts will host a seminar “Chiang Mai and the Road to UNESCO World Heritage Listing ” in Bangkok on 13 September to share opinions […]
Understanding Thai Temples
If you want to understand Thai Temples, here are some easily recognized features to get you started: The Thai word for temple is wat. When you are giving or receiving directions, Thais usually refer to the nearest wat since the neighborhood wat’s location will be familiar to everyone. That’s how central they are to Thai life. Temples […]
Thai Monks Chant The Buddha’s Wholesome Victories
Thai monks chant The Buddha’s Wholesome Victories Creating a form, thousand-armed, each with a weapon, Mara on the elephant Grimekhala roared frightfully with his soldiers. The Lord of Munis conquered him by means of Dhamma-giving and so-on: By the power of this may you be of wholesome victories. More than Mara making war all night […]
Embassies in Chiang Mai Thailand
Register Online with Your Embassy in Chiang Mai One of the smartest things you can do is to register online with your embassy in case of emergency or overseas crisis. Click Here for Instructions that are specific to your passport country language. Australian Advice Thailand – High Degree of Caution (12th August) British Foreign Travel Advice: Thailand (12th August) Embassy of Ireland 12th Floor, 208 Wireless Road Lumpini, Pathumwan Bangkok 10330 […]
Volunteer in Chiang Mai
If you have the urge to volunteer in Chiang Mai, here’s a complete guide to Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand and Burmese opportunities. But before you do, a few words of advice: To enter Thailand with the purpose of doing volunteer work you must have a Non-Immigrant O Visa. Here’s what you’ll need to apply at […]
Keith’s Chiang Mai Apartment
Keith’s Chiang Mai Apartment When clients ask about apartments in Chiang Mai I recommend visiting Hillside 3 as a reference. It’s affordable and in a handy location. Once you’ve done that, here are some helpful apartment renting sites: Chiang Mai Open Realty Perfect Homes Buy Rent Chiang Mai Realtor Chiang Mai Parker’s Chiang Mai Properties Keith […]
Find a Mate in Thailand
Want to find a mate in Thailand? A French client recently wrote to ask about a very promising relationship he’s commenced with a Thai woman. He concluded his letter with the question, “Are there any major pitfalls I should be looking for?” Here’s my answer: Dear Francois, In addition to the pitfalls inherent in all relationships, you […]