Exploring Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai - a destination for dental work that would break the bank if you had it done at home, partying backpackers, home to retirees seeking a cheaper life, residential meditation courses, aging western men reliving fatherhood with their much younger Thai wives, digital nomads, trekkers; some of the things I associated with Chiangmai.

And some things I have learned in my wanders since arriving a week ago.

Yes there’s a lot of traffic on the main roads, but the small alleys that criss-cross town are quiet, dusty village lanes and easy to navigate. Plus they sustain thriving neighbourhood micro-economies with many homes also functioning not just as guesthouses, cafes and bars, but also a whole range of small enterprises that cater to the local population; from pet grooming to laundry services, haircuts to scooter repair, take-away food. 

The Old Town was laid out at the end of the thirteenth century. It is very walkable, covering one square mile - almost, but not quite a square, and almost perfectly aligned to the north and south. The City walls no longer exist but the entire Old Town is still surrounded by a moat. There are remains of ancient corner ramparts

There used to be five gates, one in the centre of each wall and an extra one on the south side that was for taking out the dead. Each of these Gates is flanked by reconstructed sections of wall. On Friday a pair of tourists were arrested when they were caught sitting on the wall drinking. 

At this time of year the hourly air pollution index warns constantly that levels are Unhealthy (or look to the horizon – if you can’t see the mountains, pull on a face mask). Today it is around 122 (Unhealthy for those who are Sensitive) and I can just see the hills. A reading of 50 is considered Safe. The other day it was 165. So what has happened? The government ban of burning off came into effect on Saturday. 

It gets hot in the afternoons but nights and mornings are cool and the air is dry. The temperature range today is 17 to 37. I have found a nearby guesthouse that offers use of the pool for a small daily fee. 

Chiang Mai has more than 300 Buddhist temples, and a population of .5 million. 

Five of the temples in the Old Town host drop-in Monk Chat programs, where foreigners get paired up with a young monk and get to ask any questions at all. So why do all the monks have mobile phones and how do they afford them? 

It is the home of Thaksin Shinawatra, the exiled former Prime Minister. With elections coming up in a month, it's pretty hard to walk along any of the busy roads for the proliferation of huge billboards.

 There are 14 National Parks in Chiang Mai region. Nearby Doi Inthanon, the highest peak in Thailand, is actually part of the Himalayas.

There are at least 10 Co-Working spaces around the town and most cafes have fast free wifi. Nimman, the area around Chiang Mai University, is sprouting wine bars, tea houses, galleries and boutiques, spas and salad bars, IT start-up spaces, craft shops, condos and restaurants.  

There's a design resource centre, library and workspace, TCDC, that was set up by the government to support creative industries. It works on a membership model, a bit like a gym, only it offers knowledge and tools to turn original, innovative ideas into real economic returns. 

There are massage parlours everywhere, but the Lila parlours offer something extra – your chance to contribute to a rehabilitation program run by Thai Correctional Services. The well-trained masseuses are ex-inmates. I enjoyed a relaxing and restorative one-hour foot massage for around AUD12 and my masseuse didn't look at all like a drug-dealer or murderer. Other types of massage are readily available, if the sign doesn't actually spell it out the girls outside in make-up, hot pants and high heels are a bit of a give-away.