Northern Thailand

The northern regions of Thailand – Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lampang – are distinctly different to other parts of the country in many respects. Different cultural heritages, coupled with mountainous landscapes, created a history of minor and major Kingdoms dominated by different ethnic groups over many centuries. Population migrations, especially hill tribes from Myanmar, Laos, Yunnan and as far away as Nepal and Tibet – these have coloured in the population picture and brought astonishing ethnic diversity.

Whilst Thai is the official language everywhere, in northern Thailand there is a significant regional dialect difference – enough to create minor communication issues with Thai people from the south for example. The analogy is perhaps a little like an English Londoner trying to communicate with a Scot from Glasgow… pronunciation and words in common use are different to the point where its barely possible to tell its the same language!

Northern Thai food is equally diverse, with many dishes not found anywhere else in Thailand.

Chiang Mai

Thailand’s 2nd largest city with a population that no one seems to agree on! Somewhere between 400,000 and 1.5 million live in Chiang Mai, depending on where you draw the boundary lines. A couple of years ago, Chiang Mai was voted in at 5th in a survey of the world’s best cities to live in! Situated in the Ping River Valley, and surrounded by mountains, its a superb base from which to explore the north of Thailand.

The heart of town is the Old City, contained within a square moat some 2kms by 2kms.  Dating back hundreds of years, the original city walls are still evident, particularly at each corner of the moat. The city has an international airport, and every conceivable amenity. Less expensive than Bangkok, more conservative than Pattaya, its a fascinating city with lots of hidden corners.

Chiang Rai

190 kms north of Chiang Mai, the smaller city of Chiang Rai is located in the heart of the Golden Triangle region or northern Thailand. Famous locations from the opium era, such as Doi Mae Salong, are now tame towns where tea (cha) is the predominant crop!

Lampang

70 kms south-east of Chiang Mai, Lampang offers a slower, more sedate pace – encapsulated in its preponderance of horse-drawn carriage alternatives to the noisy tuk tuks of other, busier places.

Mae Sai

An hour’s bus ride north of Chiang Rai is the village of Mai Sai on the border into Myanmar (formerly known as Burma). Mai Sai is the most common border crossing for tourists from Chiang Mai who want to extend their travel visas. Mai Sai is a busy village with bargain prices on many goods. People from Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai often travel to Mai Sai to shop on both sides of the border. A small stream separates the two countries: Thailand and Myanmar.