Christmas Trees

[chiangmaiexpat]

Yesterday when I came home from jogging, I saw my first Christmas tree. Or so I thought. What was special about this tree was that it didn't stand in front of a shopping mall, but in the private garden of a rural Thai house. I thought, oh that's nice, appreciating Christmas and all that, the owner is probably cosmopolitan, must have travelled abroad. Upon closer inspection, it turned out that my eyes (and the evening twilight) had fooled me. The dark silhouette to which the fairy lights were attached turned out to be a spirit house with a perfectly triangular shape. Oh well, Thai-style "kismat" then... The real nature of the object not diminish my aesthetic enjoyment. That's when I realised I've probably been too long in Thailand. I remember that programmable light-chains beeping "Jingle Bells" appeared at least a little tacky to me when I first set foot on Thai soil. Talk about cultural adaptation.

If anyone is interested in "real" Christmas trees (the ones made from polyester) Rimping has it. There's a 4-meter monster polyester tree in front of the Rimping Sansai branch which can be had for the minor fee of 45,000 THB. I bet it would look great with recyclable Santa Claus plastic stickers. An electrical glow-in-the-dark mock chimney would also help tremendously with the Christmas spirit, or perhaps a USB flash drive with programmable charols. I'm not making this up. Some people are probably quite desperate to replicate Western Christmas atmosphere in the tropics. I mean, these items do find buyers. So what do you do for Christmas?

Cheers, CMX

[gotlost]

NOTHING

[JuniorExPat]

May I be the first to wish you "Bah Humbug"!

JxP

[zippydedodah]

easy for you to say, bah humbug.

my thai wife lived with me in USA for 6 yrs and my older children (who are extemely event oriented, shall we say), totally immersed her in the "spirit of giving" and christmas trees. We went out every year and chopped our own.

she is having fits at not being able to get even a fake one here at a good price that even resembles a nice tree. Those things at Carrefour and Rimping are a joke and a rip off....

where do you find a douglas fir in thailand?

[gotlost]

easy for you to say, bah humbug.

my thai wife lived with me in USA for 6 yrs and my older children (who are extemely event oriented, shall we say), totally immersed her in the "spirit of giving" and christmas trees. We went out every year and chopped our own.

she is having fits at not being able to get even a fake one here at a good price that even resembles a nice tree. Those things at Carrefour and Rimping are a joke and a rip off....

where do you find a douglas fir in thailand?

Doi Intanon

[zippydedodah]

can we decorate one? and put presents under it?

I have friends with coffee farms with some altitude, never thought about it but maybe they could supplement their income by growing a few rai of "chop your own" trees for homesick/christmas sick falangs

[mcgriffith]

Ah, the Thai people love to celebrate. Right now, I have 3 or 4 full fledged parties going on about me. Friday night, King's Birthday, etc.

Don't really see anything wrong with the adoption of Christmas here.

After all, there are Christian Thais. I have a Canadian friend married to a Thai lady who is Roman Catholic.

It's just another excuse for yet another party. God Bless Thailand.

[Jonathanpattaya]

Ah, the Thai people love to celebrate. Right now, I have 3 or 4 full fledged parties going on about me. Friday night, King's Birthday, etc.

Don't really see anything wrong with the adoption of Christmas here.

After all, there are Christian Thais. I have a Canadian friend married to a Thai lady who is Roman Catholic.

It's just another excuse for yet another party. God Bless Thailand.

I quite agree.

Besides, Christmas has lost its' Christian meaning for most people anyway.

[kast]

A good place to look for decent quality artificial Christmas trees is the Chiang Mai Plastic store at the Warorot Market.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

1. Go To Kham Thiang plant market

2. Purchase a Norfolk Island Pine Tree. (Not really a pine tree, but it's close enough and they do really well in the warm climate)

3. Plant & decorate. They grow really REALLY big though.

It may not be a real pine tree, but it sure is a lot realler than a piece of green plastic!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Araucaria_heterophylla

http://www.extension.iastate.edu/newsrel/2...02/nov0226.html

If you keep it in a pot it stays small; means you can move it indoors. (Though they like sun)

[JuniorExPat]

easy for you to say, bah humbug.

my thai wife lived with me in USA for 6 yrs and my older children (who are extemely event oriented, shall we say), totally immersed her in the "spirit of giving" and christmas trees. We went out every year and chopped our own.

she is having fits at not being able to get even a fake one here at a good price that even resembles a nice tree. Those things at Carrefour and Rimping are a joke and a rip off....

where do you find a douglas fir in thailand?

The Bah Humbug was really at the OP's last para. With four children and a troop of nephews and nieces the Bah Humbug option is not open to me; presents are still presents be they under a plastic tree or the genuine article! Christmas only really has any meaning or fun if you have children, Christianity or both.

Good luck finding a fir to fell.

JxP

[sceadugenga]

There's a row of smallish conifers on the median strip going into Mae Sai. Might be advisable to make a midnight raid though.

Edited December 5, 2009 by sceadugenga