Guest House | Travel and Life in Thailand

A Right Royal Market

Oct 202008

There was a sense of eager anticipation amongst many of the Thais on the Sunday Market yesterday, after an announcement on the public address system that a member of the Royal family would be visiting the Market.

Ahead of the visit came some very efficient looking Royal Guard with huge Alsatian sniffer dogs checking the whole street.

Then came an unidentified member of the Royal Family, surrounded by Royal Guard, taking a slow stroll down the Market stalls. I did attempt to get a photo and immediately got a plain clothes member of the guard, very politely telling me, “no photos please”.

It appeared to be extremely busy last night, although foreign tourist numbers were low. The Sunday Market is always very popular with the locals.

Our Takeaway stall did mildly better than last week, but still suffering from its slightly hidden location. Plans are afoot to move into the main street near to the front of the Brick Road Cafe & Guest House next week.

Today’s photo features Nook at his family stall selling delicious Japanese style filled rice flour buns. They are out front of our cafe every week.

The Lonely Planet

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Oct 182008

So many times it has been suggested that we should be in The Lonely Planet. My first response is that we’ve only been open for a year and 4 months. My second response is that I really don’t want to be in The Lonely Planet.

All due respect to The Lonely Planet, I think its a great book and can be an invaluable tool when traveling.

But we are a small business with just the six rooms, and I quite like being a place that people trip over.
Its also nice that if someone walks in off the street there’s a good chance we will have a room for them.

Kudos aside, I worry that getting in The Lonely Planet would bring the possibility of being booked solid for months ahead, no spare rooms and no free space for me and Somboon.

While I’m on the subject, a little suggestion for possessors of the famed guide, please use it as a guide and not a Bible.

All too often we see people with their Lonely Planet Guide to Chiang Mai in their hand refusing to go anywhere unless it is in the book.

Do that and you miss out on one of the great joys of travel….finding places for yourself.

Believe me, some of the best places are not in The Lonely Planet.

Parade on Ratchadamnoen Rd, from Thapae Gate to Wat Phra Singh

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Oct 172008

Many years ago I used to curse the Salvation Army Band that would wake me early every Sunday morning playing outside my house.

Somehow the parades that often come past our Cafe give me no annoyance at all. Indeed they seem to give me a boost and enthusiasm for the day. I had just opened the doors at 7.30 in readiness for the staffs arrival at 8 when Wispa, house dog, started running around getting all excited and in the distance I heard the sound of drums approaching.

It was only a small parade, Marching Band, a group of school children and some ladies with traditional umbrellas.

Not sure what it was for, probably still the ending of Buddhist lent, but a refreshing start to the day:)

Loi Kroh Hangover

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Oct 162008

One of the popular places to go in the evenings in Chiang Mai is Loi Kroh Road, which leads from the moat road, south of Thapae gate, to Changklan Road where you will find the Night Bazaar.

Loi Kroh is popular for its many bars, many with pool tables and equally as many with many Thai girls waiting to make your acquaintance.

Not actually my taste but Boon had been told that there was a fairly new establishment in Loi Kroh that may be a new place to visit on our rare nights out.

So, with our street being super quiet last night and Boon still on his week off from his job at Relax and Enjoy Massage, we decided to close early and go and look for this place.

We rode up Loi Kroh about 4 times before coming to the conclusion that the only place that fitted the bill was not a bar but a massage shop. Geared up for a night out by then, we ended up at an old haunt where a couple of Boons workmates joined us later before going on to a Thai cafe off Changklan Rd to watch the international football.

Its now 2 in the afternoon and my hangover has almost gone.

Getting Rooms Ready for Mothers Day

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Oct 152008

Ha ha , i know it its no where near Mothers Day , but my Mother is arriving next week, along with my sister Theresa, Niece Joanne, and her two kids Jamie and Sophie.

Once I got the morning Market run out of the way, it was time to run around sorting out Air tickets for them all to travel up from Bangkok.

( i visit Muang Mai market, Chiang Mai..just about every single day and love it….look out for an upcoming feature..The Brick Road Market Run),

Their UK travel agent tried to charge them 100 pounds each … i got them for 40!!

Getting the Rooms ready? well as a guest house our rooms are always ready… just a good excuse to get rooms in the title

Well its still low season and I want as many of you room hunters out their to cotton on to the fact that we are not just a great eatery, but have spacious rooms available at some of the most reasonable room rates in Chiang Mai.

Ok got to e mail my Mum, let her know that her flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai is all booked with Air Asia.

Back live at last!!!

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Oct 142008

Its been a long time coming but at long last we’ve over come the hurdles that were preventing us updating the site. Not only that but due to assistance from our good friend Ally the whole site is much improved and easier to use.

This gives me,(john), new enthusiasm to create a “one stop information post” for all those thinking of visiting Chiang Mai, so keep looking in as the new look site grows.

We decided to reconstruct live so some previous postings have yet to re appear.

For those of you that have already visited our humble abode and have been hoping to spot yourself on our facebook, it will be back up and up-to-date very soon.

Upcoming events;…..bit short notice but tomorrow is Pa Ya Nak festival time in Nong Khai, where you can witness the Dancing Fireballs that spring from the Mekon River defying explanation. Having witnessed the phenomena two years ago I highly recommend this event for a visit if possible.

Otherwise, start preparing for Loi Kratong, this year around 8,9,10 of November. I will get an exact dating on that over the next couple of days. for details of the event check our Loi Kratong feature

Another more immediate event, is Aok Punsaa. This markes the end of the rainy season when Buddhist Monks are once again allowed to roam freely from their Temples, their movements having been restricted for the last three months due to ancient law made to protect the rice fields.

If you are up early enough you will see many locals on the streets giving to Monks on their Alms rounds.

This Blog will now be updated daily, with any useful information that comes to hand and very likely useless trivia too boot.

My big message at the moment is, that despite apparent political turmoil, and threats of War over border disputes with Cambodia, Life goes on as normal here in Chiang Mai, so don’t let the news put you off coming.

Loi Kratong Festival

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Oct 102008

Loi Kratong…an age old Thai festival,where the Thai people pay respects to the spirits of the water at the end of the rainy season and place beautiful decorative floating ‘baskets’, adorned most often with intricate flower designs, incense sticks and a candle, onto the nearest waterway in a symbolic gesture to float away that years sins, and send up paper lanterns into the night sky for good luck.

Well that’s the gist of the original festival. These days in Chiang Mai , as with many of the festivals, it appears to be an opportunity to throw off the usual Thai reserve and go crazy for an evening.

After all, Loi Kratong translates into “Make your own mind up”.

Maybe that’s a little unfair. Many , many Thais do their best to perform the ceremony in a quiet respectful manner. And the parade clearly involves a lot of hard work and dedication and is quite wonderful.

To see the night sky fill with a new set of stars for the evening, as thousands of lanterns are sent up is also a wonder to behold.

But for me the noise of thousands more fireworks going off and often being thrown carelessly around in the midst of thronging crowds somehow brings quite a downer onto what should be a very spiritual event.

Enough of the stick in the madness. If you can handle dodging firecrackers , often thrown in the direction of ‘farang’ by Thai youths testing your reaction, and don’t mind giving your ear drums a battering for the evening, it is one of those ‘must do events’ and great party atmosphere.

You can view more photographs like these in our Photobucket.com albums

Buak Hard Park- Chiang Mai

Streets of Chiang Mai 1 Response »

Oct 102008

Situated at the bottom left hand corner of Chiang Mai Old Town, this is a great place to visit if you want time to relax away from the shops and tourist areas, without going too far.

Relax by the water; get some food; have a massage; maybe play badminton; or join the many ‘walkers’ on the path that circuits the park.

You might like to feed the pigeons or the fish; there is as much or as little to do as you please in this wonderful public park.

It is also often used as a venue for activities during such events as The Flower Festival, (in February).

And there is a large concreted sports area, where you will often see the traditional Thai game of Ta Kaw being played.

You can view more photographs like these in our Photobucket.com albums

Song Kran 2007

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Oct 042008

It is said that many farang give Thailand a miss in April because of the extreme summer temperatures, and as my first April here began, I could understand why. But just as it was becoming unbearable, along came Song Kran.

It means ‘ to pass’ or ‘move forward’ and is the celebration of the Thai New Year.

Traditionally it is a time where Thai people would put on their best clothes and in a very polite and respectful way, splash water onto the faces of friends and relatives.

Come to Chiang Mai and you will witness the fact that it has ‘progressed’ into a free for all mass water fight that goes on for 3 days officially.

I have to confess to being in two minds over this festival as it is now. Being a bit of a traditionalist, a big part of me would like to witness a more authentic and reverent version of this celebration.

But, as there is clearly little hope of that in Chiang Mai, I for one allowed the child in me to come out, and got stuck in, spending 3 days at moat side, throwing buckets of water at the passing traffic, and 1 day driving round with my motorcycle and sidecart on the receiving end of the roadside throwers and returning fire from the bucket in my sidecart.

It certainly isn’t for the faint hearted, as water flies in all directions, from buckets, water pistols,(many very big pump actioned long distance squirters), and the occasional hose pipe.

And look out for the guys with blocks of ice in their buckets!

if you are in the area you are fair game.

do look out for the occasional flying ice-cube…i got one on the head and they bloody hurt!

there were rumours of acid water being used by some idiots and I did feel the occasional light burning sensation.

be on the look out for alcohol fueled hotspots. we were lucky enough to miss it but the news did show quite a violent fracas between two groups of stick weilding Thais.

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