The best vegetarian guide for Chiang Mai is made by Ath (Phongsathon Kitchawet), who is a webdesigner, artist, photographer, writer and idealist.
When Ath moved to Chiang Mai in 2000, he found the Vegetarian Restaurant Guide to Chiang Mai, Thailand map by David Freyer (15 March 2000). This map showed 39 vegetarian restaurants and 8 veggie-friendly restaurants, giving a total of 47 restaurants.
Chiang Mai Municipal city’s area is 40.216 square kilometer, so in 2000 the average was almost one restaurant per square kilometer…true heaven for vegetarians like myself.
Chiang Mai definitely has the most vegetarian restaurants in Thailand.
Surveying in September 2007 by Ath, there were more than 28 vegetarian restaurants in Chiang Mai City Municipality area. Less than 2000 because of closure or change from vegetarian to vegetarian-friendly (also meat) restaurant.
However, the Chiang Mai vegetarian scene is still vibrant, with more than 18 new vegetarian restaurants opening since 2000 (half the restaurants currently open) and the average is 1 restaurant per 1.43 km2, which is still high.
Chiang Mai’s broad cultural mix also plays a large role with Thai, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Indian, Muslim and western influences evident in Chiang Mai’s vegetarian restaurants.
Local culture seems to be less of an influence with some notable exceptions. The famous Northern Thai monk Khruba Sriwichai became a vegetarian in 1903. However this seems to have had only a limited effect on local people.
Even though there are more vegetarian restaurants in Chiang Mai than other Thai cities there is still only 1 vegetarian restaurant for every 5,356 people in the municipal area (population of 149,959, March 2006).When you consider the social, ethical and environmental factors, this is still very few.
Besides all of this very interesting information that Ath could give me, the website also has Thai language learning (with audio), a great map of vegetarian restaurants, and sight seeing information for Chiang Mai etc.
To visit the website – go to: http://www.geocities.com/chiangmaivegetarian/indexeng.htm
Your site has just been added to Thai-Stars.com.
It is now listed and participating in the election of the “best websites about Thailandâ€.
Vote for your site to boost it’s ranking!
Hi, I got here today thru surfing Theta Healing. And I was more than happy to found you here becos Chiang Mai is my paradise homeland and I travelled there frequently until the last 2 years. I ‘m planning to come again this June and wonder you girls are still doing the Theta Healing course or any other interested Holistic Course you may come across during your trips?
Have fun….in Chiang Mai
Dear Nicki,
Thank you so much for your email.
Signe Fjord who taught me will be back here in January to teach a course. Her website is: http://www.signefjord.dk/eng/
Otherwise I can also recommend the Wat Suandok meditation course which is also great.
Good luck with it and please feel free to leave a comment if you find anything you would like to recommend.
Best wishes,
Tina
What is this??? You are talking about vegetarian food but your plate is full of chicken and sausage (Pork). Will miss you guys for sure.
Darling. It’s all meat substitute. Sausages made by soya and very yummi.
Also you must get a really great (and cheap!) falafel near at Cafe Tropico near Julies guesthouse in Chiang Mai. They also have frozen smoothies made without ice.