https://www.scmp.com/rss/142104/feed Ron Emmons is a British writer and photographer based in Thailand, and the author of Teak Lord, a novel set in and around Chiang Mai during the late 19th-century teak boom. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Some of the most distinctive and unforgettable sights of Thailand are the dollhouse-sized buildings, frequently draped in garlands, that stand on pillars in the gardens of homes or in the grounds of public buildings. Their form varies from simple, stilted representations of Thai houses to elaborate temple buildings, reflecting the status of the owner. They are common, but spirit houses are a little understood aspect of Thai culture. Thais believe that physical ownership of land is not enough to... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3273205/what-are-thailands-colourful-spirit-houses-and-how-are-they-set-bangkoks-famous-erawan-shrine-humble?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3273205/what-are-thailands-colourful-spirit-houses-and-how-are-they-set-bangkoks-famous-erawan-shrine-humble?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Aug 2024 05:15:08 +0000 Northern Thailand was once part of the Kingdom of Lanna – the name meaning “a million rice fields” – which, in its heyday between the 14th and 16th centuries, extended to parts of modern-day Laos, China and Myanmar. Chiang Mai became the capital of this kingdom in 1296, but for a decade before that, King Mangrai ruled his domain from Wiang Kum Kam, 5km to the south of the city. The region around Wiang Kum Kam was prone to flooding and after just five years, Mangrai began moving his base north to... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3270593/thailands-lost-kingdom-suburban-chiang-mai-where-ancient-temples-sit-beside-houses?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3270593/thailands-lost-kingdom-suburban-chiang-mai-where-ancient-temples-sit-beside-houses?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Jul 2024 08:19:08 +0000 Phrae, around 550km (342 miles) north of Bangkok and 200km southeast of Chiang Mai, is a town seemingly lost in time, and almost completely ignored by tourists. This is good news for anyone eager for a taste of Thai heritage, as Phrae (population about 15,000) was once at the heart of a booming teak trade, and still boasts some of the finest examples of teak architecture in the country. Phrae’s attractions include tranquil temple compounds, bustling fresh markets and workshops in which mo hom... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3253242/thailands-tourist-free-teak-town-phrae-how-its-ornately-carved-wooden-buildings-tell-story-place?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3253242/thailands-tourist-free-teak-town-phrae-how-its-ornately-carved-wooden-buildings-tell-story-place?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Feb 2024 04:15:11 +0000 For anyone in need of a little enlightenment, a half-day tour that takes in four temples on a 6km (3.7 mile) route leading west from the centre of Chiang Mai to the foothills of Doi Suthep, the guardian mountain of the northern Thai city, might be just the ticket. This self-guided tour – by bicycle, motorbike, or car and driver – is best done in the morning, as the afternoon heat can be oppressive. And remember to dress respectfully, meaning no exposed shoulders or midriffs. 1. Wat Phra Singh At... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3238657/4-temples-visit-chiang-mai-thailand-mindfulness-some-serious-meditation-history-and-hopefully?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3238657/4-temples-visit-chiang-mai-thailand-mindfulness-some-serious-meditation-history-and-hopefully?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Oct 2023 10:15:16 +0000 When Chairat Usavangkul opened the Ping Nakara hotel in Chiang Mai, he marked the occasion by writing a book explaining the inspiration for its design. The result was Lanna Colonial: A Return to Elegance, a beautifully illustrated volume that delves into local history to reveal a fusion of architectural styles. In doing so, Chairat coined a term that is heard increasingly to describe new hotels and resorts in northern Thailand that adopt a historical theme. “Before Chiang Mai became a part of... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/leisure/article/3203097/what-lanna-architecture-ping-nakara-chiang-mai-thailand-exemplifies-historical-style-more-northern?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/leisure/article/3203097/what-lanna-architecture-ping-nakara-chiang-mai-thailand-exemplifies-historical-style-more-northern?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Dec 2022 05:14:57 +0000 Rice (Oryza sativa) is an amazing plant. It is the world’s most-grown crop for human consumption – over 750 million metric tonnes of the grain was produced in 2020 – with more than 90 per cent of it cultivated in Asia. It is eaten daily by more than half of the world’s population, and provides more than a fifth of the calories consumed by humans. Thailand is the second-biggest exporter of rice after India, accounting for 13 per cent of world exports in 2021, and more than half of the country’s... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3190341/weather-and-rice-goddess-are-central-thai-farmers-lives?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3190341/weather-and-rice-goddess-are-central-thai-farmers-lives?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Aug 2022 04:45:16 +0000 If you have ever eaten longans, you’ll know how easily the skin peels away and how readily the sweet and succulent flesh slips off the shiny seed. Longans (lamyai in Thai) are grown mostly in southern China, north Vietnam and north Thailand. In Thailand, the tiny town of Lamphun (pronounced “lam-poon”), just south of Chiang Mai, is the epicentre of longan fever during July and August, when the fruit is in season. The fever reaches its height during the Lamphun Longan Festival, which this year... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3187267/full-health-benefits-longan-most-popular-fruit-northern?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3187267/full-health-benefits-longan-most-popular-fruit-northern?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Aug 2022 10:15:22 +0000 Few plants are as controversial as cannabis, which has been deified and demonised throughout human history. And few places in Asia are as enthusiastic about the tourism potential of cannabis as Chiang Mai, Thailand. The drug derived from the cannabis plant goes by many names – among them marijuana, weed, hemp, grass, dope, pot, Mary Jane, herb, bhang, 420 (April 20 is World Cannabis Day) and ganja. However, these days you’re more likely to see or hear references to CBD (cannabidiol), a compound... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3180179/cannabis-culture-blossoms-chiang-mai-thailand-drinks-food?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3180179/cannabis-culture-blossoms-chiang-mai-thailand-drinks-food?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Jun 2022 03:45:19 +0000 Like many cities in Southeast Asia that rely heavily on tourism, Chiang Mai, in northern Thailand, has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. With no international tourists having arrived for 18 months, most small tourism-related companies have simply gone out of business. Occupancy in 40 Chiang Mai hotels surveyed by the Northern Chapter of the Thai Hotels Association has been less than 10 per cent throughout 2021, according to its president, La-iad Bungsrithong, and more than 70 per cent... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3141048/new-five-star-hotel-chiang-mai-thailand-first-pandemic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3141048/new-five-star-hotel-chiang-mai-thailand-first-pandemic?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Jul 2021 23:15:19 +0000 By one measure, Chiang Mai, Thailand’s northern capital, has not suffered badly from the Covid-19 pandemic, with only a handful of cases and a single death in the province. Yet on the economic level, the lack of international visitors has crippled tourist-related businesses such as restaurants, hotels, bars, elephant camps and massage teachers. “It’s a disaster,” says Ratana Jaikusol, owner of Ratana’s Kitchen, on Tha Pae Road, Chiang Mai’s main street. “[At this time of year] these tables are... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3121542/worlds-friendliest-city-chiang-mai-suffering-covid-19?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3121542/worlds-friendliest-city-chiang-mai-suffering-covid-19?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Feb 2021 08:45:06 +0000 For new arrivals to Madagascar, negotiating the capital, Tana, provides something of a challenge. The island nation, with its cute lemurs, colourful chameleons and bizarre baobab trees, is unlike anywhere else on Earth, so it’s little surprise to find that its capital is as crazy as the rest of the country. It’s called Antananarivo (“the city of one thousand”) but that’s a bit of a mouthful even for the locals, so everyone calls it Tana. The strangeness begins on arrival at Ivato International... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/2004704/madagascars-capital-strange-brew-quirkiness-crowds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/2004704/madagascars-capital-strange-brew-quirkiness-crowds?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Aug 2016 03:01:41 +0000 For five days each July, the normally sedate English town of Henley-on-Thames overflows with crowds of rowers and socialites living it up at the Royal Regatta. 'Three cheers for Cambridge: hip, hip, hooray!' 'Three cheers for Princeton: hip, hip, hooray!' At the end of a gruelling race, the rowers of competing teams congratulate their opponents, demonstrating what the Henley Royal Regatta is all about - being a good sport. For more than a century, the event has played a vital part in the... https://www.scmp.com/article/643405/hooray-henley?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/643405/hooray-henley?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Jun 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Like every Thai city during mid-April, Chiang Mai hosts two types of the water-splashing festival - the traditional and the modern. Songkran, the 'water-throwing festival', is Thailand's most important celebration and takes place from April 13 to 15 each year. It marks the traditional Thai New Year and is at a time when temperatures hover around 40 degrees Celsius. The practice of splashing water helps to beat the heat but, as first-time participants quickly find out, there is... https://www.scmp.com/article/631754/wet-wet-wet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/631754/wet-wet-wet?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Mar 2008 16:00:00 +0000 VIETNAM HAS thousands of kilometres of coastline and should be a beach bum's dream. But pristine stretches of the country's shoreline remain unknown to tourists, due to a lack of facilities. Most people seeking sand in Vietnam head for the bustle of Nha Trang or Mui Ne, an enclave of upmarket resorts near Phan Thiet, a few hours' drive from Ho Chi Minh City. However, Phu Quoc Island in the southwest, between the Mekong Delta and Cambodia, is starting to make its name as an idyllic beach... https://www.scmp.com/article/444771/place-sun?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/444771/place-sun?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000