Thailand - Chiang Mai - Travel Story
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Wats Wats Everywhere!
Seven hundred kilometres north of Bangkok, Thailand’s second city is slightly cooler, less congested, and very tourist-friendly – meaning it is very difficult to get lost, given the city’s design and size. It is also quite cheap relative to Bangkok.
Various styles of Buddhist temples (Wats) are found all over the city as a result of influence from many groups including Lanna Thai, Burmese, Sri Lankan and Mon. There are about as many temples here as there are in Bangkok, but given the smaller area, it makes finding a Wat completely effortless. Within the city, Wat Chedi Liam, completed in 1288, and Wat Chedi Luang, destroyed in the earthquake of 1534, should not be missed. If you spend a day wandering around, you will no doubt see many more that all have slightly unique and different architecture.
In the tourists area, also referred to as the night market, you’ll find a mix of restaurants, travel shops and craft boutiques. Every Sunday, Thanon Tha Phae, a street located north of the night market, shuts down to motorists and becomes a giant street market. The locals set up shop selling paintings and crafts. There were also a number of people from various tribes selling their homemade goods. I actually enjoyed this market more than the night market, as I was able to find all kinds of unique items that I couldn’t find there. It was also quite relaxing since you dealt directly with the artists, or people from that tribe, as opposed to the sales reps. If you walk about fifteen minutes in any direction from here you will find that the number of tourists lessens.
Chiang Mai is a great city, but outside the city limits is where you’ll find many of the region’s treasures. The most spectacular of these is Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, located up on a hill overlooking the city. Apparently, the location of the site was chosen by an elephant. When the special elephant stopped walking, circled, trumpeted and knelt down, he or she had selected the site. You’ll have to tackle about ten kilometres of winding roads, followed by three hundred some odd steps to reach the temple. It’s a rather straightforward trip, and quite fun on a motorbike. I think the best time to visit the area is in the late afternoon, when the bright gold and other colours of the temple are most vivid and when the sun is behind you, making the view of the city that much clearer.
When you enter the temple, or any temple for that matter, there are a few rules that you should follow. Here are the rules that were listed on the Doi Suthep information pamphlet:
Do’s and Don’ts in the temples
Dress politely, do not wear shorts
Show respect in the temple and shrine
Take off your shoes before entering the platform around the Golden Chedi
Keep your head lower than Buddha images and monks
Don’t touch the Buddha images
Always keep clean
In the hours preceding my visit to Doi Suthep, I visited a variety of craft villages and factories. There were twelve designated handicraft villages around Chiang Mai, most of which specialized in one or two crafts. I visited lacquerware, jade, silver, bronze, woodcarving, fabric, cotton, silk and umbrella specialists. If you’re planning on making any craft purchases, I would check out the prices in Chiang Mai around the night market before venturing out of the city. I found that in some places prices were ½ of what they were in town, while other more tourist-oriented places charged on average twice to four times the price! At each stop, however, I was greeted by friendly staff who showed me around the grounds and explained how the crafts were created from start to finish. Once the tour of the factory was over, they always left me alone to wander and never hassled me.
The major museums were also located slightly outside the city. The Tribal Museum was well worth the visit, as it gave a great amount of insight into the lifestyles and cultures of the various tribes that inhabit Northern Thailand. That said, the museum painted a picture of a nice rosy lifestyle, but I got the impression from many people that this was not the case.
The King & Religion
There are two things in Thailand that you should avoid criticizing in public – royalty and religion (Buddhism). You can’t miss the large pictures of King Bhumibol Adulyadej all over Bangkok. In many of these pictures he is seen with a camera around his neck, which represents both the view that the monarchy is quite modern and also his passion for photography. I saw a couple of movies in Chiang Mai, and before they began, we had to stand and watch a brief picture show of the King. Every night all television stations show footage of the royal family attending official functions. One of the three floors of the Tribal museum is also devoted to the King and his visits with various tribes. If you ever see a Thai bill on the ground, don’t step on it, as each bill has a picture of the King on it. This action is, believe it or not, illegal and you could wind up in jail! Why is this King so popular while other monarchies struggle for approval? He represents stability in changing times and has earned the admiration of his people in a way that foreigners cannot fully understand, according to former premier Arnand Panyarachun.
Driving in Thailand
Bus travel in Thailand is relatively safe compared to bus travel in many other Southeast Asian countries, but is still quite a ways off from the safety standards we have in the West.
During my overnight trip from Chiang Mai to Bangkok, I witnessed an accident first hand which was not surprising, but disturbing all the same. As I stepped off the bus for a break I heard a loud bang from across the road. The area was very dark, and it was hard to really see anything. Eventually, people figured out that an accident had taken place. A bus had collided head-on with a car. To make matters worse, the bus (which was full of travelers) actually backed up a bit and then left the scene. When we were able to see the car, all we were able to make out was a pile of scrap metal. Eventually the police and ambulance (station wagon) arrived on the scene, and to ensure that another accident did not occur, one of the officers waved around a flashlight so drivers could see that there were people there.
The two people sitting in the front of the vehicle died on impact, and the two passengers in the back were still alive, but seriously injured. It boggles the mind that the driver of a full bus could just pull away from the scene of an accident. You hear all the time about how crazy the driving is in these parts, but to witness it makes you realize just how far you are from home and from a proper hospital.
Chiang Mai, Thailand - Photo Gallery
