Academics
 

Chiang Mai

Lodging

  • Suriwongse Hotel [110 Changklan Rd, Chiang Mai 50100 / Tel: 011-66-53-270-051 / Fax: 011-66-53-270-063 / email: swst@suriwongsehotels.com / web site] Inexpensive hotel with adequate service in great location [across from Night Bazaar].

Dining

  • Galare Food Court [Changlan Road / in Night Bazaar]: Coupon system allows you to sample a wide variety of traditional Thai food at ridiculously cheap prices.
  • Wangkung Leena Seafood Restaurant [149/53 Changlan Road / inside Anusan Market]: excellent seafood in low-key environment. Try the crabs (steamed or in curry sauce) and the butter fish.
  • The Gallery [25-29 Charoenrat Rd / Tel: 053-248-6012]. Wonderful dining along the Ping River. Along the street around the Gallery are a number of other good dining opportunities (try the Good View at 13 Charoenrat Rd) and shops selling antiques, etc. After 7pm you can go to Riverside at 9-11 Charoenrat Rd to hear jazz in this restaurant/bar located in a 100 year old teak house or after 11pm to the Brasserie at 37 Charoenrat Rd for blues and rock.
  • Huen Phen [112 Rachampngka Rd. / Tel: 053-277-103]: Inexpensive Northern Thai and Burmese specialties in delightful setting in the heart of the OId City. Try the Chiang Mai Curry, the Lab (minced meat salad) and the pork with chili paste and tomato with sticky rice.

Sights

  • Temples in the Old City: Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Phra Singh, Wat Chiang Man.
  • Temples Outside of the Old City: Wat Doi Sutep (the most important to visit in Chiang Mai), Wat Susan Dok, Way Chedi Yot.
  • The national museum is small, but contains numerous statues of the Buddha. It also provides a good background to the history of Chiang Mai.

Shopping

  • The Night Bazaar: Opposite the Suriwongse Hotel. Go inside the night bazaar for antiques and other good quality objects. For inexpensive tourist items, check out the numerous stalls outside the market.

Other Things to Try

  • Thai Massage: If you are interested in having a massage, Chiang Mai is the place to do it. The cost is only about B200 for an hour's massage. For traditional Thai Massage try the Old Medicine Hospital [238/8 Thanon Wualai]: open 9am-4pm. Groups can go to Changdaeng Pothiwede [174/7 Changklan Rd /Tel: 053-819-107]: Call ahead to be picked up from your hotel.
  • Drop in for a meditation session at the Raja Yoga Meditation Center [181/52 Soi 2, Superhighway Muu 3 / Tel: 053-218604] at 7pm.
  • If you are interested in learning how to prepare Thai cuisine, you can take an all day cooking class at the Chiang Mai Thai Cookery School [1-3 Thanon Moonmung Nabnian / Tel: 053-206388 / Fax: 053-206387 / email: nabnian@loxinfo.co.th] for about B1000. Since the course is very popular, you should try to book in advance.

Outside of Chiang Mai

  • A full day's elephant trekking expedition with visits to local villages, river rafting and lunch should cost about B800-1000. Most hotels can provide information about this and other day trips from Chiang Mai.
  • It should be possible to rent a van for an entire day (gas included) for about B2,500. The driver will take you anywhere within reason outside of Chiang Mai. There are some interesting ruins to visit at Wiang Kum Kam (most notably Chedi Si Liam) and a dymamic active monastery and temples at Wat Kan Thom (also known as Wat Chang Kham). From there you can go to Lamphun to see Wat Phra That and other interesting temples. On the way back you can travel along the Golden Mile and stop into the numerous factory stores selling everything from expensive jewelry to hill-tribe crafts [Warning: cab drivers receive a commission for each person they bring into these factories, so they may tend to get overly enthusiastic about bringing you to as many as possible].