A Curmudgeon Abroad

Dour, 電通-controlled, family-centric Belgian Neocolonialism, enthusiastically jaded observations, support for state-owned neoliberalist media and occasional rants from the twisted mind of a privileged middle-class expatriate atheist Crypto Jew and とてもくだらないひと projecting some leftist ideals with my ridicule of Tucker Carlson, all while taking America's blood money and cashing out that pension and TSP (from The Blogs Formerly Known As Sponge Bear and Kaminoge 物語) *see disclaimer below

Tuesday, March 3, 2026

Thaied up during the Lunar New Year holiday - Days 1 and 2

วัดเจดีย์หลวงวรวิหาร

Regular readers of this blog know quite well I'm a Japanophile, or as one Guillermo H. Sanchez on Facebook so eloquently puts it:

My ~~Japanese obsession~~ interest in Japan has been ongoing since the mid-1980s, and I'm tantalizingly close to reaching my goal of visiting all 47 of the country's prefectures. What many of you might not know is that my original intention in the late 1980s was to take a couple of gap years between graduating from college and becoming an adult. The plan was to spend the first year in Japan (Tōkyō 東京), then the following year in Thailand (Bangkok กรุงเทพมหานคร). What happened when reality was done with me was that I got (too) comfortable in Japan, having found a better paying job than my first teaching gig, moving into my own apartment after a rough experience in a shared pad and starting a serious romantic relationship (regrets, I've had a few...). I genuinely liked the country, fascinated with its culture and history to the extent that during holidays I would travel domestically, while many of my gaijin friends and colleagues would go to destinations such as...Thailand (I recall one disgusting coworker in particular who would come back and brag about how many bar girls he had paid to bang during his stays). It was only in 2015 that I finally, finally made it to old Siam, and I wasn't disappointed as my family and I visited Bangkok, Ayutthaya and Ko Samui*. Since then I've wanted to return, but my wife has been less than enthusiastic. I had originally suggested the two of us go to Thailand at the beginning of February this year, but after some lengthy negotiations with Shu-E, it was agreed that we would use that time to visit Zhangjiajie 张家界 and Fenghuang 凤凰 (which you can read about in the most recent series of blog posts), and instead utilize the long Presidents Day/Lunar New Year break in the middle of the same month to escape the crowds in China by visiting Chiang Mai, the second largest city in Thailand.

Which is why on Valentine's Day we flew direct from Guangzhou 广州 to Chiang Mai, a nearly 3½-hour-long flight. I had made transport arrangements beforehand with our hotel, and a driver was waiting to take us to our lodgings. After checking in and unpacking we headed across the street to the busy Anusarn Market. I celebrated our first evening back in Thailand with a Leo, my favorite among the three main Thai brews, namely because it's the least available overseas compared to Chang or Singha:

For our first meal Shu-E ordered crab while I had garlic pork and rice:

The market was huge, with numerous stalls selling clothing and souvenirs in addition to the many food stands. There's even a ladyboy cabaret but we demurred:

The Dusit Princess Chiang Mai was our home for the four nights we were in Chang Mai. It's apparently been around for a while as it's listed in my 1988 Frommer's Touring Guide to Thailand, which I had brought with me on my first trip to Japan in 1989 but which of course I never used (I bought a copy online a little while ago, part of a small hobby whereby I'm collecting certain out of print guidebooks, perhaps the subject for a geeky blog post one of these days). Our room was comfortable, the breakfast buffet had some good options, there was a decent swimming pool and the location was convenient for most of the sights in town:

Relaxing in our room after dinner and watching some Muay Thai boxing on TV. This match involved two farang fighters, one from Ireland, the other Iranian:

Setting off the next morning (a Sunday) to explore a bit of the city on foot. Our walk took us past this shop selling Muay Thai equipment, one of many we would see during our stay. Later that day we would stroll by an outdoor gym where several foreign Muay Thai fighters were sparring:

San Phra Phum spirit houses are a common sight on Thai streets:

Another frequently encountered business is tailoring. More than one shop was offering this cannabis-themed suit - they only time I could wear one to the office would be on my last day before retirement. As a federal government worker I can't consume cannabis products even though in the U.S. marijuana is now legal in 24 states, two territories and the District of Columbia - it's still listed as a Schedule 1 drug under the Controlled Substances Act. Cannabis shops are everywhere in Chiang Mai and even my Taiwanese wife became familiar with the smell, the result of weed being decriminalized in 2022. However, there appears to be a backlash developing that could result in use of the drug becoming more restricted again:

The Lost Book Shop, an interesting secondhand nook with a number of Thailand-related titles available, though in the end I didn't buy anything...here:

Another frequent sight in this devoutly Buddhist society is the chedi, an alternative term for Buddhist stupas in Thailand:

The above chedi was located on a street corner, as we turned to reach our first stop of the day, the large Buddhist temple complex of Wat Chedi Luang:

Ton Yang Na or Chiang Mai Landmark Tree is a rubber tree planted in 1800 (or 2343 according to the traditional Thai calendar). Legend has it the tree will stand as long as Chiang Mai continues to prosper:

The one building onsite that barred entry to women was the Pillar of Indra, which shelters the city's historic foundation pillar. The colorful interior murals depict foundation legends of the pillar and of Wat Chedi Luang. At least I could go in to have a look:

The main hall, which Shu-E could enter:

What makes Wat Chedi Luang stand out (and which brings in the visitors) is the enormous memorial tower, which was built in 1421 to house the ashes of the 14th-century ruler Kue Na. The tower originally stood 90 meters/295 feet high but an earthquake in 1545 reduced its height to a still-impressive 60 meters/197 feet. The original structure was erected in faded pink brick and covered in bronze plates and gold leaf, which is a challenge to imagine in its present condition:

Located around the tower are several small sub-temples:

Here and at several other sights we visited were signs admonishing visitors to dress appropriately. On those days when I knew we would be stopping at temples I made sure to wear long pants. We would see many foreign tourists being made to cover themselves up before being allowed inside temple grounds. The ignorance of so many farang who couldn't be bothered to do any research before traveling to Thailand allowed me to feel smugly superior throughout our stay:

From Wat Chedi Luang my wife and I continued along the road to the Three Kings Monument in front of an arts and cultural center. The monument depicts King Mengrai, the founder of the Lanna kingdom, an independent state in northern Thailand that existed between the 13th and18th centuries, discussing the layout of the kingdom's capital city (Chiang Mai) with his allies Ramkhamhaeng of Sukhothai and Ngam Muang of Phayao:

Nearby was a portrait of the modern-day ruler King Vajiralongkorn and his wife Suthida. The monarchy is held in high regards in Thailand, and lèje-majesté laws are notoriously strict:

Across the road from the monument stands the Lanna Folklife Centre. A former courthouse built in 1835 showcases exhibits on the region's Lanna culture and traditions, as well as providing a bit of air-conditioned relief for my wife:

Shu-E was amused to see the person who sold us our entry tickets was a ladyboy. We spent time leisurely perusing the various exhibits:

The Marquetry Buddha Footprint:

A fine example of yantra cloth:

A stucco sculpture of a Buddhist image:

In a room devoted to traditional dance and music I made a brief video under the premise that hearing is better than reading or seeing:

Phra Bot is an image or story of the Buddha drawn on fabric:

Examples of Phra Chao Mai:

Ceramics:

Put that in your Lanna pipe and smoke it:

It was approaching lunchtime while were in the museum:

An interesting courtship custom:

Examples of lacquerware:

Finishing up at the Lanna Folklife Center it was time to have lunch, which we did at the Chiangmai Restaurant, located a few minutes' walk from the museum. It was there I had my first Thai iced tea...:

...and Pad Thai of our visit:

Next door was the Chiang Mai Go Club. I went out to take some photos for our daughter, who has been playing the abstract strategy board game since she was a kindergarten pupil (she was first inspired by watching the Japanese anime Hikaru no Go ヒカルの碁 on TV in Taiwan):

There are many temples to see on the streets of Chiang Mai...:

...but the one we sought out following lunch was Wat Chiang Man. The oldest in Chiang Mai, it was built under the orders of King Mengrai in 1297, on the sight where the ruler pitched camp:

Chedi Chang Lam, the "Elephant Chedi", is the oldest structure within the temple complex:

Inside the main hall:

In a smaller building nearby can be seen (sort of) two small Buddha images. What you can barely make out on the left in the photo below is the Phra Sila, a marble bas-relief reputed to have been carved in north India in the 6th century BCE, while to the right is the Phra Setangamai (Crystal Buddha), the origins of which allegedly date back to the 2nd century BCE. The latter image is known for its rainmaking powers and is carried through the streets during the annual Songkran festival:

The two of us passed by several guesthouses during the half-hour walk back to our hotel:

Another common sight on the city streets:

Back in our room and teasing Amber with a can of Est Cola, which we discovered during our first visit nearly eleven years ago:

At that time we debated the pronunciation of the name, with me insisting it should be said like the way it's written (like "best" without the "b" sound), while my then nine-year-old daughter maintained each letter should be stated separately. I think this commercial settles the matter:

Following a dip in the hotel pool and a pair of gin and tonics (Shu-E stayed in the room and I couldn't let the two-for-one happy hour special go to waste), we headed back out as the sun was setting:

The expat bars were also starting to come to life:

A moat separates the old town (where most of the noteworthy temples are located) from the new town center:

Our destination was the Sunday Walking Street. Chiang Mai was busy throughout our stay but venturing onto this street was the only time it could be described as "absolutely packed". Which was a touch ironic as one reason for visiting Thailand at this time was to escape China's massive Lunar New Year crowds. And while there many Chinese who followed us to Chiang Mai they were outnumbered by visitors from other countries, especially those from Europe judging from all the languages being heard while we were out and about:

We tried to find a table on the grounds of Wat Muen Lan but all the seats were taken...:

...so instead of buying something to eat from one of the many food stalls, we gave up and found a restaurant on the walk back to hotel. Shu-E found it all a little tiring:

It might not appear to be the case in the photo but I was pleased to be served some local craft beer (a nice break from the Chang/Leo/Singha triumvirate). The restaurant (the name of which I can't recall) had many Western dishes on its menu but I was in the mood for a Thai-style curry (though without the Thai level of spiciness). A history lesson - the two most painfully spicy dishes I've ever had were at a Thai restaurant in Tokyo, and during our stay on Ko Samui island in 2015: