Chiang Rai As A Tourist Location

[DonaldBattles]

As long as there is no promotion by TAT for tourism you can't expect good farang restaurants.

Many farangs open a place and soon it becomes Farang-Isan Food as it is turned over to the Thai Family to operate. Try to get a decent meal in Chiang Rai to your national standards and you will be disappointed. For the small number of farangs that live in Chiang Rai many are living on small fixed incomes in the village with their 10 member Thai family and there is nothing left except a few 35 Baht Chang beers during the month. There several farangs that are well enough to do but not enough to support a good restaurant.

The government could promote SME manufacturing facilities and subsidize freight costs to ship products to Bangkok for export over seas. As a rice economy Chiang Rai can not go much further. This would slow the flow of young people to Bangkok. Tourism promotion would also be a big boost.

[sceadugenga]

I think it's more a case of people eating at home if they're not on holiday.

We rarely eat out unless we have visitors, then we go to a local Thai place. If I eat in a Chiang Rai restaurant it's usually for lunch, which is of course a different meal to dinner. I usually have a burger or fish and chips or if I feel like a drive out to Doi Hang, something Mexican. Subsequently I'd rarely spend more than 200 baht, including a Coke, which is not what the restaurant trade is looking for.

It's not that we're Cheap Charlie's; Chiang Rai just doesn't have the local Farang population for specialty international restaurants, and lets face it, most tourist want to sample local food.

[Nio]

What does this post have to do with the title of your post?

Just because a location in Thailand does not have any farang restaurants does not mean it is not a good Tourist location.

Wat Rong Khun is famous and attracts 10,000's of tourist.

There is a nice museum for King Naresuem

The drive from Chiang Rai up to Mai Sai is beautiful

You are also quite close to the Golden Triangle

These are the things that make this a tourist location, not farang food

If you need farang food at every stop, what are you doing in Thailand?

The idea of visiting new places is to try their food and experience their culture

Not complain because there is no farang food

Edited November 16, 2009 by Nio

[lukamar]

I sympathize with Don. I spent 35 years in the hotel/tourist/foodservice industry, in Canada, and it's a hard way to make a living. When things work out well it's very rewarding but for the hours you put in the payout is lousy.

When we lived in Chiang Mai we never cooked a meal other than a MaMa snack. When in Phayao we never go out it's a mater of convenience and just relaxing at home.

About 5-6 years ago we wanted to start a boutique resort in Phayao to cater to higher end International tourists but once we really looked into it we decided that it was just too much of a gamble, too much red tape, not much qualified local labor and no support from the government. Just type Phayao in Google sometime you are lucky to find a map let alone accommodations.

While Chiang Rai has lots to offer, it's like Chiang Mai was 15 years . It's going to be some time, especially with the present Bangkok Southern leaning political climate, before the North is developed. There are lots of things that could be done but won't be as the political shift is back to Bangkok the center of the Elitist universe.

[bifftastic]

I'm coming to Chiang Rai in January and have spoken to a few people who have been there already and it's precisely because it's not a tourist destination like Phuket or Koh Samui that I and the people I spoke to want to visit.

As residents you will be more aware of the development needs of your area and, as is the same for many provincial areas in many countries, there must be a 'talent drain' to the larger cities and more prosperous areas which would almost certainly need to be addressed for a number of very valid reasons.

But as far as food goes, I can eat farang food every day here, if you had 100 farang restaurants I wouldn't go in one of them. OK a pie and mash shop with real licker I would frequent, but those are dying off in London anyway!

I'd be interested to know about the expat population in and around Chiang Rai, are you mainly all in the city itself or spread out around the countryside? It strikes me that the countryside must be so beautiful I would imagine you are all a bit spread out, which again would create problems for anyone catering specifically for your needs.

[harrry]

Are we to assume there are NO good foreign resturants in Chiang Mai. I had assumed there was one which has a name somethinglike your firstname or doesit require TOT support?

[svenivan]

Well Don, I live 15 km East of CR and when I come to town, do my business and want a meal after, I do not want to go another 10-15 km west of town for that.

I often have a good, actually, a very good meal farangstyle in Chiang Rai Corner/Rico´s Beach Bar. And I also see many of my friends there at the same time.

Don, your place is too far out and on the wrong side of CR for me!

[lannaman]

Why go out to eat or buy Farang food?We live in a country with the most delicious, wholesome and inexpensive food on the planet - THAI FOOD

WHEN IN ROME -------

Edited November 18, 2009 by lannaman

[KarenBravo]

We live in a country with the most delicious, wholesome and inexpensive food on the planet

Yeah......that MSG certainly brings out the flavour..........

[sceadugenga]

Why go out to eat or buy Farang food?We live in a country with the most delicious, wholesome and inexpensive food on the planet - THAI FOOD

WHEN IN ROME -------

There's only be Chinese restaurants in China if everyone thought like that lannaman.

And what about those Poms who insist on their Marmite when out of England? I'm sure some kee kwai would taste as good.

[skybluestu]

Why go out to eat or buy Farang food?We live in a country with the most delicious, wholesome and inexpensive food on the planet - THAI FOOD

WHEN IN ROME -------

There's only be Chinese restaurants in China if everyone thought like that lannaman.

And what about those Poms who insist on their Marmite when out of England? I'm sure some kee kwai would taste as good.

kee kwai is similar to the convicts favourite spread, Vegemite. kee chang is the Marmite alternative.

[sceadugenga]

Not so much of the convict stuff, I'm a South Australian, the free settler state.

[zzaa09]

Excuse me as coming across provincial, but as a short-time traveller or tourist type {3-4 week holiday}, wouldn't one want to go out of their way to sample local cuisines and such? Why the insistence to chase down and harbour one's native foodstuffs, when you could do that at home...??

[OneeyedJohn]

If I want good farang food I just wait for an invite to Sven's house.

[Kitsch22]

In 20 years I have never once felt the need on the basis of my own personal tastes to go out looking for a "good farang restaurant" in Jangwad Chiang Rai. The only times when I have needed commercially pre-prepared farang food have been either when hosting farang guests who cannot handle the local Thai cuisine or alternatively to meet the clamorous demands of one or more of the local kids when I am treating them as a consequence of birthdays, outstanding performance at school or some similar achievement. In the latter case, sadly, in descending order of stridency they demand KFC, Pizza (they do not really know nor care about the difference between Hut and Company) and Swensen's, none of which really qualifies as "good farang". Once upon a time under popular pressure I took a bunch of them to McDonalds in Chiang Mai where they immediately pronounced the fare to be Bor Lum (no good taste) and none of them has ever asked to go to McDonalds again.

For those farang visitors who would have been better off staying at home, I have usually ended up taking them to restaurants in a midmarket or upmarket hotel. The restaurant at the Wiang Inn has met with praise on those occasions as has the food at the Anantara (? used to be the Meridien Ban Boran) up towards the Golden Triangle.

Very occasionally I get a hankering for a decent full English breakfast and then, I am pleased to say, Ee Kaae is well able to deliver the goods. That said, I have heard that Don's is capable of providing a quality real (or ersatz) English sausage. I have been meaning (in a half-arsed sort of a way) to visit both Don's and Rico's ever since I became aware of their existence. The fact that I had never got round to it I take as an encouraging indication that I may perhaps have the balance of my life here about right. Nevertheless, this thread has got me thinking about British bangers and, because I have to go to Chiang Rai town sometime in the next few days anyway (a 50km drive each way, and so not to be undertaken lightly or without good reason), perhaps I shall make the effort to visit, always assuming that I can find Don's or, failing that, Rico's. Now I think about it, does Don also do UK-style back bacon, as opposed to the streaky variety usually encountered around here?

[sceadugenga]

Excuse me as coming across provincial, but as a short-time traveller or tourist type {3-4 week holiday}, wouldn't one want to go out of their way to sample local cuisines and such? Why the insistence to chase down and harbour one's native foodstuffs, when you could do that at home...??

Or pack some Marmite sandwiches...

[Limbo]

If I want good farang food I just wait for an invite to Sven's house.

Yes OJ, I understand exactly what you mean: That Famous Swedish Touch!

Sven should cook more often! It is centuries ago I had a genuine Jansons Frestelse!

As far as I know there is only one public place in town where you also can experience this Swedish flavour, more precisely in the Treehouse, the half-open retaurant on the corner opposite the Wat Klang Wiang, the last crossing before the police station (it opens late afternoon). The ladies who are cooking were strongly influenced by their former chef, a Thai gentleman who learned his craft in Sweden.

There you will not only be able to order an original Karl-Gustav steak, but any other kind of 'plank-steak', may it be beef, pork, salmon or ostrich. Served on, what else, a plank with a meandering line of mashed potatoe and some 'nouvelle cuisine' style representation of the green and healthy.

Really excellent quality, hardly anything above 150 Baht, and you are served by very good English speaking, polite and efficient staff. A nice open light ambience, esthetic, fresh, clean, whatever you want to add, add it!

At the same time this restaurant is the secret tip for pizza! Don't ask questions, try it!

Opposite this restaurant is a little delicatessen with a perfectly balanced assortiment of German sausages, Swiss cheese and other similar dangerous eatables.

Avoid it, because it serves a very good spaghetti, lasagna, goulash, meatballs and similar explosives as well (take away also). We don't even speak about the German Weizen beers! Some say that its bread (from a wellknown German bakery in Chiang Mai, you need saw to cut it, for the Pumpernickel even an axe) is even better than the one of Tourist Inn, the longtime champion of Chiang Rai.

On the shelves of the Swiss axe between Chiang Rai Corner and Chiang Rai Delicatessen you will also find the pastries and pies of the one and only UK chef of our town (he still refuses to put salt in his products, this pert Briton!).

Two days ago I had an excellent pork steak and my princess a not less excellent salmon steak at beautiful Kharika, Coffee, Bakery & Steak, the new neo-classical style restaurant on Thanon Sakai, the road from Den Ha to Pattaya Noi (opposite the army barracks, after five hundred meters at your left).

Together with Family House (my topper), Treehouse, Steak Lovers, this Khairika is one of the modern Chiang Rai restaurants with western food run by Thai owners and Thai cooks.

I have to exclude outstanding places as The Meridien with its Australian chef and The Phowadol with its Phillipine chef, but I am not convinced that foreign management is the best guarantee for quality concerning western food anymore.

Some people like the American touch to European food (MacDonalds, Pizza-Company, The-Fatter-More-Thus-Better-Restaurants), but I am very curious to see what Thai cooks will add to European dishes.

Thais are great cooks by nature and I am convinced that they are able to add a dimension to European food that will make it better than it ever was before.

The only thing I hope (and actually also expect) is that they will do it from their own perfectly subtile Thai culinair perspective and not from the fast-fat-and-much food perspective.

I think that there are hardly any other than Thai chefs that could embroider on the theme of the 'nouvelle cuisine': creativity and excellence, leading to new dimensions in exquisity.

Long live the symbiosis between the European and Thai kitchen!

Limbo

[dindong]

The western style buffet at Rimkok hotel is very good value for money and has a good selection of western and Thai food.

I like to go there at least once a month to chill out on farang food.

Edited November 19, 2009 by dindong

[lannaman]

Why go out to eat or buy Farang food?We live in a country with the most delicious, wholesome and inexpensive food on the planet - THAI FOOD

WHEN IN ROME -------

There's only be Chinese restaurants in China if everyone thought like that lannaman.

And what about those Poms who insist on their Marmite when out of England? I'm sure some kee kwai would taste as good.

555 yes thank you, you did save me once. Anyone ever seen marmite in LOS, it would save many a flight back to Blighty to get replenished.

[BugJackBaron]

Not sure what it is like now but the one time I did go Chiang Ria about three years ago I had a great goat meat meal in an Italian restaurant in the centre of Chinag Rai. Mind you, there were plenty of tourists at that time.

Chiang Mai had plenty of Farang style restaurants too - sometimes with better quality and usually cheaper than those in Bangkok Hopefully, this hasn't changed...

Edited November 19, 2009 by BugJackBaron

[getgoin]

I'm going to have to guess that you are talking about your shop and restaurant in Chiang Rai. Why else would you bring it up?

There are plenty of Expats living in Chiang Rai looking for a good place to go. Tourists are not driving out of town to go to Don's. If that is the case, and you want tourists, you should get a shop near the Chiang Rai Night Bazaar. They will not travel out of the 3 Kilometer circle.

I have not been to your shop so I can not comment on it but I can tell you about the Expats. They want it cheap and they want it good. They want the cheapest food and beer that you can sell and they want you to run a 50-60% PC.

Now, seasonal bar-b-ques might bring in a few folk but if you really want the customers, give good family value (a lot of families in CR) and make it so cheap that it is almost as cheap to eat at Don's as it is to eat at home.

People want to go out to eat. Give them a reason.

This advise is free.

G

Edited November 20, 2009 by getgoin

[cmjantje]

Why go out to eat or buy Farang food?We live in a country with the most delicious, wholesome and inexpensive food on the planet - THAI FOOD

WHEN IN ROME -------

There's only be Chinese restaurants in China if everyone thought like that lannaman.

And what about those Poms who insist on their Marmite when out of England? I'm sure some kee kwai would taste as good.

555 yes thank you, you did save me once. Anyone ever seen marmite in LOS, it would save many a flight back to Blighty to get replenished.

Rimping in CM for sure

[villagefarang]

Donny B.

If you were perhaps musing as to why your place is not a roaring success with all the farang citizens of the Rai beating a path to your door, might I offer a word, "location". Your location sucks.

The ambiance is a little lacking as well, if you are indeed striving to attract those "several farangs that are well enough to do…to support a good restaurant".

As with myself, there might be enough curiosity to manage one trip to see what all the fuss is about, but not enough substance to make the long trek again. I can't imaging a tourist even finding your place. It is hard enough for a resident.

As it is, I'm not sure what TAT can do for you.

[getgoin]

There are no tourists in Chiang Mai or at least there are a lot less than last year and last year was down from the year before.

I would concentrate on the Thai market. When in Rome...

[Zephyr750C]

I think it's more a case of people eating at home if they're not on holiday.

We rarely eat out unless we have visitors, then we go to a local Thai place. If I eat in a Chiang Rai restaurant it's usually for lunch, which is of course a different meal to dinner. I usually have a burger or fish and chips or if I feel like a drive out to Doi Hang, something Mexican. Subsequently I'd rarely spend more than 200 baht, including a Coke, which is not what the restaurant trade is looking for.

It's not that we're Cheap Charlie's; Chiang Rai just doesn't have the local Farang population for specialty international restaurants, and lets face it, most tourist want to sample local food.

I agree with you, when I'm visiting a foreign country as a tourist I want to experience the local culture and food. Othervise I should save the time and money and stay home.

When I visit Thailand I want to meet Thai people (they are very nice), eat Thai food (I love it) and enjoy Thai culture and nature (very beautiful). I prefere Chiang Rai before Phuket or Pattaya.

If I want to eat Swedish food (yes, I'm a Swede), see foreigners, drunken swedes and beautiful nature I should stay home and save the 75000 Bath that the flight ticket cost (ok, in May or September flight ticket cost about 24500 Baht). In Thailand the majority of the restaurants serve Thai food (of course) and a few serve international food. In Sweden the majority of restaurants serve swedish food and a few restaurants serve Thai or international food. That's no rocket science ;-) .

But I understand the problem if some people can't handle the spicy Thai food and need some food that is gentle to their stomach. But not all Thai food is very spicy and in general I think Thai food is very healthy and very good. I don't know if all of this make some sence, I've been working overtime for 12 days in a row and now I've 2 days off from work. And yes, I've had a few beers ;-)

Take care, all of you

[Ulysses G.]

Why go out to eat or buy Farang food?We live in a country with the most delicious, wholesome and inexpensive food on the planet - THAI FOOD

WHEN IN ROME -------

That may be your opinion, but many people do not agree. I am not crazy about Thai food and a lot of other people feel the same way. I eat some every day because it is so cheap and convienient, but that is plenty.

I MUCH prefer Vietnamese which is cheaper and healthier than Thai food and has some nice Western touches like good bread, omelets and coffee.

When I lived in Vietnam, I did not want to eat Vietnamese 3 times a day and the same In Japan - even though Japanese might be my favorite.

Whe I lived in San Francisco, I had Mexican or Chinese almost every day as well as other wonderful cuisines.

Why limit yourself to eating only one kind of food when there are so many good ones?

Edited November 21, 2009 by Ulysses G.

[Limbo]

When I lived in Vietnam, I did not want to eat Vietnamese 3 times a day ....

Why limit yourself to eating only one kind of food when there are so many good ones?

The Vietnamese restaurant in Ban Hongli is very good. It's basic, simple, but not without

reason enormous popular.

The food feels very light, but is really substantial at the same time.

A menue with pictures and fast service.

It is the same Vietnamese restaurant, at least it has the same owner, as the one formerly

on Sangkong Noi.

It is on the road from Den Ha to Pattaya Noi (Thanon Nakai?). Where the military base at the

right side of the road ends, it's time to brake, because it is hardly hundred meters after that,

also at the right side in the soft curve of the road. It is not very good visible as there is a row

of big plants in front of it.

It closes about 8 in the evening if the last customer leaves.

Limbo

[jc14all]

We live in a country with the most delicious, wholesome and inexpensive food on the planet

Yeah......that MSG certainly brings out the flavour..........

Good enough reason for me to have a home cooked meal. I hate what MSG does to me...bigtime headache. If farang resturants exclude the MSG at the customer's request then it is worth eating out in any city or village in Thailand.