Look up Chiang Mai province in a guide or on a map and you’ll see the same Thai place names cropping up over and over again: Doi this, Mae that and so on. So what do they all mean? Some you may well have already guessed at but here goes with a few of the … read the full post

Dates seem to vary slightly according to the source — one of which is here– but our usually reliable man on the ground in Yunnan reports that two Chinese cargo vessels travelling on the Mekong between Jinghong, Yunnan and Chiang Saen, Thailand were hijacked at around midday on October 10. The particularly brutal hijacking took … read the full post

Well, more accurately what we enjoyed visiting most in Lamphun was Wat Chama Devi (or Thewi). Without meaning to be rude, and while being a pleasant-enough spot, the small, sleepy, provincial town of Lamphun isn’t exactly the tourist epicentre of northern Thailand. However in an earlier Mon, Dvaravati period incarnation as Haripunchai it was indeed … read the full post

I had a mate from Siem Reap visit me in Chiang Mai recently. He’s a guide, so knows Angkor Thom, Angkor Wat, Ta Phrom and so on inside out . His first comment on arriving was, “Oh, it’s got a city wall… and a moat, and it’s square shaped is it?!” “Well, yes,” I said. … read the full post

Looking around Chiang Mai’s accommodation offerings it’s clear that for anywhere with pretensions above standard Thai hotel style or backpacker guesthouse chic then Lanna style is flavour of the month — or decade. But what is it? Good question. Historically and culturally Lanna refers to the northern Thai kingdom, founded in Chiang Saen but for … read the full post