my CHIANG MAI
SIX RESIDENTS "IN THE KNOW" TELL COLIN HINSHELWOOD WHAT THEY LOVE ABOUT THEIR HOME CITY.
Pictures by BRENT T MADISON
NESTLED AMONG THE MOUNTAINS and jungles of northern Thailand, Chiang Mai is a thriving city of spectacular beauty which still manages to hold on to its unique Lanna culture and rural rsoots. Life here is colourful – from the hill tribe people in their bright traditional costumes to the sweet mangos, rambutans and jackfruit of its bustling markets. Elegantly chic but endlessly cheerful, the city offers visitors a crossroad between modern living and time-honoured village life.
Known as “The Rose of the North”, Chiang Mai is a city where you can lose yourself in the backstreets of the Old City and chance upon some of Southeast Asia’s most beautiful Buddhist temples.
At each corner of the moat, you’ll be bowled over by the spicy aromas of a steaming wok (if not, a speeding tuk-tuk!) used to cook the region’s deliciously distinct cuisine. And that’s to say nothing of its elephant camps, night bazaar and vibrant night-life.
In recent years, Chiang Mai has grown in stature and supports no less than three universities, a thriving tourist trade and finds itself in the envious position as a hub of fashion and the arts. But it is also surrounded by a lush jungle, and no trip to the region is complete without a day trekking in the mountains, discovering the warmth of the local people and the joys of nature.
It’s little wonder that such a fascinating mix of people – both Thai locals and expatriates – have chosen to make the northern capital their home. Here, we meet six “high-flying” locals who reveal some of their favourite haunts and share why they think that the city is so special.
Voice of chiang Mai
If there is one person in the country who could be described as being “quintessentially Chiang Mai”, it must be Soontaree Vechanont, the woman who brought the music of the mountains to Thai homes throughout the Kingdom.
Soontaree’s early years were not easy and, after her father’s death, she strove to help her mother bring up her three younger brothers. These tough times taught her many important lessons, and her heartfelt songs always come straight from her soul, espousing the values of living a simple life.
The talented songstress tasted success in her teens, recording duets with the late Thai pop legend, Jaran Manopetch. And her popularity continues today, with regular appearances at charity concerts flanked by artists such as Surachai from Carawan. However, she will always be a “sao (girl) Chiang Mai” at heart.
“Chiang Mai has a very beautiful culture with a deep taproot. People here are not greedy – they are simply nice, gentle and kind,” says the singer, who now performs nightly at her own restaurant Houn Soontaree Vechanont, on the west bank of the Ping River.
The popular nightspot is ideally located for Soontaree’s favourite national festival, Loy Kratong, where diners can marvel at the floating candles passing downriver under the full moon of a fresh November evening while tucking into a fine meal.
“I often go mountain-biking to Pong Yeng or around Huay Tung Tao lake early in the morning,” she reveals. “The countryside is never more than 10 minutes away, and I love the easy-going lives of the honest hill tribe people such as the Akha and the Karen.”
The Write Way
A native of New Orleans, Joe Cummings first came to Thailand in 1977 and quickly fell in love with the country and its people. He has since chosen to live in Chiang Mai, primarily because it is “convenient for flights, small enough to be tolerable… and a great place to play music,” he adds, with a nod towards his band who get down to some serious rocking on weekends at local reggae bar, Babylon.
As author of the Lonely Planet Guide to Thailand, Joe is regularly hailed by many visitors to the country as “The Guy who wrote The Book”. No surprise then, that he knows all of the city’s secret niches.
He highly recommends the small town of Mae Cheam near Thailand’s tallest peak Doi Inthanon, as an ideal spot to discover “the cool, chilled, old Lanna culture”. Lanna is the region in and around Chiang Mai, as famous for its distinct teak architecture as it is for its traditional culture and art.
“For a hidden gem, I would go for Wat Ton Kwen, south of Hang Dong,” recommends Joe. “It’s the only Buddhist temple in the area where the entire compound has been preserved in its original traditional Lanna layout.”
He adds, “And if you can get up early in the morning, there’s nothing more inspiring than watching all the monks collecting alms in between Wat Suandok and Wat Umong.”
Dynamic Duo
As co-owners of the Chiang Mai Oasis Spa group, Pakin Ploywaen and Toby Allen are definitely “up there” as two of the city’s movers and shakers. In a few short years, the spa business has boomed and the makeshift entrepreneurs can’t seem to stop expanding their trade to meet the demand for first-class pampering. Their business ethos has consistently been to include Chiang Mai itself as a selling point; their resorts mirror Lanna-style wooden housing, and their fragrances and oils are locally produced.
Originally from Sukhothai in central Thailand, Pakin has lived in the north for some 12 years now. “The people are relaxed and easy to talk to,” he says. “The city also has everything we could want – restaurants in the mountains such as the one at Pong Yang Ang Doi Garden Resort with its own valley and waterfalls, and the natural hot springs in Sankampaeng.”
Toby echoes his agreement: “Chiang Mai is small enough so you are never too far from anything, yet big enough that you can find everything you need.”
The duo is pleased with the progress of the city and recall that Chiang Mai was essentially a backpackers’ destination when they first arrived. Since then, three- and four-star hotels have sprung up, and followed, more recently, by the opening of high-end resorts such as The Chedi and Mandarin Oriental Dhari Dhevi.
“Chiang Mai is value for money all around,” they both opine. With a hectic business schedule to maintain, the gents prefer fine-dining to night-life. Their favourite haunts range from the cosy, romantic atmosphere of the Thai restaurant, Hong Taew on Nimmanhaemin Road, to an evening of Spanish tapas and a sheesha pipe at The House.
A Caring Community
“I come from a village in Denmark, so I can relate to Chiang Mai’s quiet lifestyle,” explains Hans Christensen. “I like the intimacy of a small community.”
It all sounds rather like a fairy-tale for this Scandinavian textile designer who opened popular fusion-cuisine restaurant The House near Chiang Mai’s Thapae Gate some three years ago.
As a fashion and homeware exporter, Hans was first drawn to Chiang Mai back in 1997. He was struck by an old French colonial house inside the northeastern corner of the moat. In partnership with Chef Pom, the building was refurbished and redecorated into a chic, candlelit restaurant, and was soon accompanied by Ginger, a trendy fashion and furniture store.
When not dining at his own place, Hans often eats at roadside stalls. He is an aficionado of local Lanna cuisine and finds that Huen Pen on Rachamankha Road caters to his taste buds.
On days off, you will likely find him chilling out at The Chedi or enjoying sundowners at Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai. At night, he’ll meet friends for dinner, drinks and live music at The Good View.
He describes Chiang Mai as having a “trendy upcountry feel”, and delights in driving guests out to the Golden Triangle, Hall of Opium Museum and Chiang Dao.
“Try living with a Karen family in a homestay at Doi Inthanon,” he suggests. “It really is a Shangri-La experience!”
Essential Art
“I like everything that is ancient,” muses Phongphan “Phong” Raunnunchai. “In Chiang Mai, I love the Lanna architecture, the Old City, the beautiful scenery and the ‘Kamoeng’ language (Chiang Mai’s northern dialect).”
Combining the influences of Hindi mythology and Chinese art, Phong had created his own version of “Lanna-style art” – elaborate market scenes from the Middle Ages, smiling Buddhist statues and paintings of various gods from Indian folklore, such as the elephant-headed Ganesh, dancing replete in Lanna costume.
It’s clear that this up-and-coming artist has a strong passion and pride for all things Lanna. Phong has spent years learning its history and arts, even turning his hand to the traditional artform of sword-fighting.
He advises visitors to seek out the lesser-known sites such as Haripunchai, the Pagan-style temple in his hometown of Lamphun, about 30km south of Chiang Mai, or the 500-year old paintings and statues of the seven-spired Wat Jed Yot.
“On Sundays, I go to ‘Walking Street’, the handicrafts market in the city centre at Ratchdamnoen Road. You can find traditional arts and products, and snag some great bargains,” he recommends.
In his free time, Phong gets on his motorcycle and heads north. He’ll make a pit-stop by the rivers of Mae Taeng, and then push on full-throttle up to the laid-back town of Pai, where he can dismount and sit in the shade of the pine trees, looking down over the hills and valleys of his beloved Lanna.
Homeware Heaven
“Standing on tiptoe, looking over the walls of the Old City at the beautiful old homes, the gardens and the teak temples; that is essentially Chiang Mai for me,” says Anglo-French homeware designer, Jennifer Dyson, who has lived in the northern capital for nearly 14 years now. “Time just seems to melt away in Chiang Mai,” she explains. “It flows, as opposed to flies.”
Previously a public relations manager in London, Jennifer now owns and runs Living Space, a boutique that exemplifies the wooden crafts and lacquer ware of the region. Tastefully and colourfully furnished, the store is snugly set within a 65-year-old teak house and is planted right in the middle of the city’s main artery, Thapae Road.
Be it breakfast, lunch, cocktails or dinner, Jennifer can’t sing the praises high enough for the new “hip” hotel in town, The Chedi, where she claims “all worldly cares simply fade away”.
Also high on her list of happening hangouts are D2 Bar and The Palms, a fusion Thai restaurant overlooked by many, which sits slightly out of town on the Doi Saket Road.
An unashamed connoisseur of the good life, this bubbly expat also touts the virtues of her other favourite pastimes: “Enjoy a leisurely lunch at Rachamankha, and then end a glorious day with a sundowner at Tamarind Village. They are within walking distance of each other.”
Like everyone profiled, Jennifer echoes the sentiment that Chiang Mai is a relaxed but cultured city, a meeting of the old and new. Yet, each “high flyer” also doesn’t fail to mention the beauty and serenity of the countryside, an endearing factor in deciding that Chiang Mai truly is one of the world’s great places to live.
Contact Details
Babylon, Ratwithi Road, (tel unavailable); Chiang Mai Oasis Spa, 102 Sirimuangkarajan Road, tel +66 (0)53 815004, www.chiangmaioasis.com; D2 Bar at D2 Hotel, 100 Chang Klan Road, tel +66 (0)53 999999, www.d2hotels.com; Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai, 502 Mae Rim-Samoeng Old Road, tel +66 (0)53 298181, www.fourseasons.com/chiangmai; Ginger /The House, 199 Moonmuang Road, tel +66 (0)53 419011; Huen Pen, 112 Ratchamankha Road, tel +66 (0)53 277103; Hong Taew, 95/17-18 Nimmanhaemin Road, tel +66 (0)53 218333/400039; Houn Soontaree Vechanont, 208 T Patan, tel +66 (0)53 872707-8, www.saochiangmai.com; Living Space, 276-278 Thapae Road, tel +66 (0)53 874299, www.livingspacedesigns.com; Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi, 51/4 Chiang Mai, Sankampaeng Road Moo 1, tel +66 (0)53 888888, www.mandarinoriental.com/chiangmai; Pong Yang Ang Doi Garden Resort, 49/3 Moo 2 Tambon Pongyang, Mae Rim, tel +66 (0)53 879151-3; Rachamankha, 6 Rachamankha 9, tel +66 (0)53 904111, www.rachamankha.com; Tamarind Village, 50/1 Ratchdamnoen Road, tel +66 (0)53 418898-9, www.tamarindvillage.com; The Chedi, 123 Charoenprathet Road, tel +66 (0)53 253333, www.ghmhotels.com; The Good View, 13 Charoenrat Road, tel +66 (0)53 241866, www.goodview.co.th; The Palms, 162/6 Doi Saket Road, tel +66 (0)53 291401/(01) 950-8559
