Start of the samlor tour of USAC Table of Contents The Chiang Mai update of October 2021 I have decided to make a personal email to update you on the reopening of Chiang Mai in October and the situation on the ground. This is not a mass email campaign. I have selected a small number […]
Author Archives: Frans Betgem
Wat Phrathat Doi Kham Table of Contents The history of Wat Phra That Doi Kham Not much is known about the history of the temple but it seems to date back to the 7th century which predates the foundation of Chiang Mai (1296) by hundreds of years. Wat Phra That Doi Kham is a very […]
Table of Contents Sukhothai, a UNESCO World Heritage Site Cycling in the Sukhothai Historical Park has always been a popular activity for visitors to this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Sukhothai was Thailand’s first capital and flourished from the mid-13th century to the late 14th century. Thai people regard Sukhothai as the cradle of their civilization. […]
Introduction to Coffee in Thailand When I visited for the first time in 1987 there was no coffee culture in Chiang Mai and Thailand. In guesthouses and hotels, there was only Nescafé instant coffee. This is a brand from the Swiss company Nestlé. People regard it not as real coffee and rather as substandard. I […]
Table of Contents The Terracotta Garden at Lamphun The Terracotta Garden at Lamphun is a coffeeshop annex restaurant on a very large compound containing terracotta statues and structures. It is about 7km from Lamphun, not far from the Ping River. I have passed the garden numerous times on my bicycle rides but never noticed it […]
Table of Contents The Luang Yo House on the compound of the Diamond Hotel in 2020 Luang Yonakarn Phichit, a Burmese merchant in Chiang Mai Luang Yonakarn Phichit (1845-1927) was a Burmese merchant and nobleman from Moulmein. His original name was Mong Panyo or U Panyo.In the early 20th century he was one of the […]
Wat Ket Karaam: introduction Wat Ket Karaam (วัดเกตการาม) is a temple on the east side of the Ping River in the Wat Ket neighborhood. The temple is also known as Wat Sa Ket. The name of the temple is often spelled as Wat Gate Karaam or Wat Ket Karam. According to information at the temple, […]
Wat Ku Tao, the “Leaning Tower” The “Leaning Tower” of Wat Ku Tao This temple is a couple of km west of Chiang Saen, just off road no. 1016. Wat Ku Tao (วัดกู่เต้า) is not visible from the road. There is a cluster on the left side of the road, just after the intersection with […]
Introduction to the Temples of Chiang Rai As I wrote Chiang Rai has an interesting variety of old and new temples. If you do some research into the history of Chiang Rai, the old temples come to life and all have an interesting story. Temples such as Wat Rong Khun, the Blue Temple, and Wat […]
Say it with flowers in Chiang Mai The Chiang Mai Flower Festival takes place during the first weekend of February at the end of the cool season. In 2022 this will be the weekend of 5 and 6 February. Usually, the opening takes place on the Friday before the weekend. We have good hope that […]