It is hard to give an overview of the Chiang Mai a la Carte blogs. There is a very wide range of subjects. Many of the blogs are about Chiang Mai history but there are also many about Buddhist temples. Frans Betgem has written all the blogs for this website. Some of the blogs are very special to him such as the ones about the temples Wat Chedi Luang and Wat Phra Singh in Chiang Mai. He keeps on adding content to these blogs.
Some Chiang Mai a la Carte Blogs are continuously under construction. Wat Pha Lat, the temple on the trail, has become more popular and has been under construction itself for a long time. This wonderful temple has been neglected for many years but has now become a very popular tourist attraction on Doi Suthep. The abbot is very active so the temple attracts many donations for Thai Buddhists.
Frans has written a number of Chiang Mai a la Carte blogs about the history of the teak industry in North Thailand. These cover subjects such as the Louis T.Leonowens House in Lampang and the Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation. Other interesting blogs are about the East Asiatic Company and the Burmese teak trader Luang Yonakarn Phichit. More blogs are to follow! We are not done yet. Frans wants to publish at least one blog per month.
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 […]
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 […]
The Old Chiang Mai Cultural Center Table of Contents The Old Chiang Mai Cultural Center The Old Chiang Mai Cultural Center (OCCC) is a Living Heritage of Chiang Mai. For almost 50 years this venue has showcased Lanna and hilltribe culture to visitors from all over the world. When the OCCC opened in early 1971 […]
The Saturday Buffalo Market of San Patong San Patong Buffalo Market The San Patong Buffalo Market is an open-air market that takes place every Saturday morning just south of San Patong town. San Patong (sometimes spelled San Pa Tong) is about 20km south of Chiang Mai. To reach the large area where this market takes […]
Lampang: the Louis Leonowens House Table of Contents The Louis Leonowens House in Lampang The Louis Leonowens House is the former residence of Louis T. Leonowens and the office of the Louis T.Leonowens company. “Baan Louis”, as it is known locally, is in the “forestry” neighborhood of Lampang. The location is not far from the […]
The Chiang Mai Songkran Festival Table of Contents The Chiang Mai Songkran Festival The Chiang Mai Songkran festival in Thailand is the traditional Buddhist New Year. April 13 is the official New Years Day. It is the biggest festival in the country. The word “Songkran” comes from the Sanskrit word saṃkrānti, which means transformation or change. Songkran is celebrated nationwide although […]
The Lamphun Lamyai Festival A feast of delicious fruit The Lamphun Lamyai Festival is an annual event that takes place in the town Lamphun, the capital of the province of the same name. This festival is also known as the Longan Fair or festival Lamyai is the Thai name for longan. Lamphun is the center of […]
A mysterious wooden house on stilts A Muslim trader called Ch’un Chowng-lin aka Zheng Chong Ling built the Wongluekiat House around 1909. This wooden house on stilts is opposite the Ban Ho Mosque, which is on Charoenprathat Road Soi 1.This is the location of the popular Friday morning Yunnan market. Most Chiang Mai residents have […]