Thailand is very diverse in terms of the ethnic groups living here. Besides all the falang (foreigners) living here, the country has more than 30 ethnic groups varying in history, language, religion, appearance, and patterns of livelihood. However, the Thai, akin to the Lao of Laos, the Shan of Myanmar (Burma prior to June 1989), and the Thai groupings of southern China , comprise about 75% of the total population of Thailand . The several branches of Thai are united by a common language.
Last Friday, September 7th, I attended an event called "Festival of Colors: A Celebration of Thailand’s Indigenous Peoples" at Chiang Mai University Art Museum (corner of Nimmenhaemin and Suthep Rd. ) The event included cultural performances, concerts, films, games, sports, food, art, and handicrafts from 15 of Thailand ‘s ethnic groups. There was furthermore a very nice (photo) Tribal Citizens Exhibition: Have we achieved equal rights or not?
This video shows you the amazing Wat Umong temple in Chiang Mai.
Scenery: Peaceful land with lots of trees and shade on a hot day. You can feed the fish, turtles, and ducks in a large pond. The Wat is famous for its ancient tunnels and large stupa. Other attractions include a Buddha field of broken sculptures, a fasting Bodhisattva, a spiritual theatre of paintings, reproductions of ancient Buddhist sculptures from India, and a library-museum.
History: The monastery at Wat Umong is one of the oldest in Chiang Mai, dating back to 1300 A.D. The fable goes that a king built the brick-lined tunnels for an eccentric monk named Thera Jan. Once upon a time there were paintings decorated on the wall which dated back to about 1380. You can enter the tunnels to see the small shrines inside (a flashlight is useful). The adjoining stupa was constructed about 1520 over an earlier stupa (1400-1550). The monastery was eventually abandoned, though Japanese troops were said to have a stronghold here during World War 2. Since 1948, the Thai prince Jao Chun Sirorot has been active in rebuilding and reestablishing the monastery. In 1949 he invited Buddhadasa Bhikkhu (founder of Suan Mokkh in southern Thailand) to come and live in the monastery. Obligations kept Buddhadasa Bhikkhu from coming and instead he sent Ajahn Pannananda and other monks to help set up and run Wat Umong.
Getting there: Wat Umong is located 3.5 km west of Chiang Mai. From Suandok Gate (the West gate of the old city) you drive up Suthep road (approximately 2, 5 km West) and cross Canal road. About half a kilometer after Canal road, there is a sign on your left hand side which leads you to Wat Umong. From here follow the signs south 1 km to the Wat. The easiest way is by tuk-tuk, scooter or bicycle.
One of the great ways to exercise in Chiang Mai is swimming. Most of the year you can swim both in the daytime and in the evening – it is always warm and all the swimming pools I know of are outside. The only time of the year that you may prefer only to swim during the day is the winter (from November to February) when the air temperature may drop to 15 degrees in the evening.
Even for a working woman like myself, I still feel as if I am on holiday all year long when I go to my favorite pool twice a week to swim. The picture below feature my favorite swimming pool. Thomas and I swim here together. It is the pool on the 7th floor in the Lotus Hotel in Central Kad Suen Kaew on Huay Kaew road. The swimming pool which is open from 9-21 costs 100 baht to use per time and with that comes a clean towel (not sour like most laundry in the rainy season they must have the only hot water washing machine in Chiang Mai 🙂 ). In the weekends we like to spend time sunbathing here as well and if you hide yourself you can even sunbath without a top (Scandinavian style).
Another pool you might want to consider is the Olympic size pool in the 700 Years Stadium. The entrance fee is 50 baht, but you have to remember your own towel and padlock for the safe. Be warned that the showers and toilets are a bit dirty. To get to the stadium you drive north on the Canal road for about 4 kilometers (from Huay Kaew road). It is on your left-hand side. The opening hours are 9-20.
A third option is the Duangtawan Hotel (although more expensive). The hotel has a sauna and a big L-shaped pool. The cost for using the pool for one day is 200 baht, but monthly and yearly memberships are also available. The Duangtawan hotel is located on Loi Kroh road just off the night Bazaar..
A cheaper option is the swimming pool at Hillside Plaza and Condo on Huay Kaew road. The pool is fairly small and not really suitable for laps, but it is nice to sunbath there (although topless is not accepted). The entrance fee is 50 baht which includes free refill of ice cold water
Hence you don’t need to stay in an expensive hotel in Chiang Mai to have access to a swimming pool. It’s perfectly affordable and accessible without paying a lot for accommodation. Enjoy 🙂
The Burmese restaurant on Nimmenhaemin (across from soi 13) it one of our favorite restaurants in Chiang Mai. Not only is it very cheap with dishes ranging from 20-30 baht (0.60 $ – 1$), it is also very tasty food. The cuisine of Burma has been influenced by Chinese and Indian cooking, but it also has its own distinct flavor. The staple food is rice (htamin) served with mild curries (hin) made with vegetables, chicken, fish or seafood. Being a vegetarian I am not much in favor of the fish or chicken but the salads they serve are divine.
“Salad” is perhaps a misleading term for such intricate concoctions as these, full of sharp, contrasting flavors and varied textures. Green Tea Leaf Salad, made from fermented tea leaf, garlic, tomatoes, onion, and broad beans, is a smoky, utterly delicious and addictive dish. The menu in this restaurant is long but the dishes available few. However, they are all delicious. Besides the curries and tea leaf salad, they have tomato salad, fried egg salad, pennyworth salad, tamarind leaf salad, mango salad and bean soup.
The interior is nothing to write home about: brightly lit room with florescent lights and about seven tables. So it may not be the interior for a romantic dinner but then again it’s the company that matters isn’t it? 🙂
The picture below is taken outside the restaurant.
On Tuesday, August 28, 2007 Greenpeace dumped eleven tones of papayas outside the Thai Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry in protest at the agency’s move to lift a ban on open-field trials of genetically-modified crops.
Although Greenpeace is a common sight in Bangkok, I really doubt that most Thai people in general have any idea of what they are talking about, especially in regard to genetically-modified organisms (GMOs). GMOs refer to plants and animals that have received small amounts of genetic material from another organism, usually to give them resistance to disease or insects or to give them another desirable trait, such as the ability to live in areas with little water.
The problem about GMOs is that they are new and not fully tested, so bad things could happen that we can’t foresee. GMOs can be harmful to environment, killing off necessary insects, contaminating plants and animals, or even accidentally creating whole new and dangerous species. Partly because of such potential dangers, many countries have banned the import of products containing transgenic components. Since Thailand exports large amounts of agricultural products, GMOS could be a significant threat to its economy. In addition, GMO seeds are typically patented by large foreign multi-national companies, giving them a huge incentive to try to have them introduced around the world. (All these contentions, incidentally, are hotly disputed by GMO proponents.)
Nevertheless, GM foods, including GM papaya, have been approved by governments in countries like the United States and Canada.
However, arranging a protest in Thailand is not simple when people don’t understand the issue at stake and are hungry at the same time. The Greenpeace demonstration was met with an unexpected reaction from a crowd of onlookers. Passers-by took matters, and tones of papayas dumped by Greenpeace, into their own hands, and ran off. Many passers-by, who mostly knew nothing about transgenic fruit, said they did not care about any health risks. They were just thinking about how hungry they were. Bangkok Post reports about a man who was waiting in traffic for the lights to go green near the ministry and then leapt out of his car and joined the feast. ”I’m not scared of GM papayas. Rather, I’m scared I won’t have any to eat,” said Ubon Ratchathani villager Ampon Tantima, 31, before rushing back to his car with the free fruit.
Naturally I support Greenpeace’ protest against GMO, but I think that a campaign should be aimed at a bottom-up approach. First you provide the general population with knowledge and then you try to influence politicians. Without the knowledge of the common people the support will only come from a small intellectual minority and this may not be enough to change the decisions made at the governmental level.
If there is one thing Thailand is famous for it is definitely their massage parlours both erotic and non-erotic. Now I have never had an erotic massage (Thomas might – but I am sure he would not admit it) but I have enjoyed Thai massage many times. Thai massage is bodywork that is performed on a mat/futon on the floor. No oils are used, as it is performed over loose-fitting clothing, usually provided by the massage parlor. During the massage you are placed into numerous Yoga stretches that flow into one another, the masseuse (usually a woman) kneads and compresses the muscles, while intermittently applying acupressure. You are suppose to be completely relaxed while receiving a massage but that can honestly be a bit difficult sometimes when the pressure on the muscles is too hard. Then you will swiftly have to say "bao bao" which means "soft" in Thai. I usually do that every time in the beginning when I receive a massage – that saves me from saying it after it hurts too much.
My favorite massage parlor in Chiang Mai is located next to Wat Umong (please see directions in the blog A visit to Wat Umong (forest temple), Chiang Mai). When approaching Wat Umong you will see a big yellow sign on your right hand side saying "99". This means that the Thai massage costs 99 baht for one hour and is basically as cheap as you can find it in Chiang Mai. The house itself is open in the front and the roof is made from leaves which helps make the atmosphere very relaxed. There are always around 12 ladies working in this massage parlor, but in the weekend you might have to wait a little while to get a massage as the place is very popular among the Thai residents of Chiang Mai.
Thomas and I enjoy going there on the weekends when we are not working and usually get one and a half hour massage at a time enough to make you completely tranquil and forget about any stress you may have had during the week. It is definitely worth a try!
