Little known parts of Chiang Mai

[wicketkeeper]

A young couple living in Singapore will visit me at the end of January for 3 or 4 days. They like "to get under the skin of places and want to see the true side of Chiang Mai, not just the touristy bits". Please suggest sights and destinations in and around Chiang Mai or slightly further afield, they might enjoy. All ideas gratefully received with thanks.   

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Moved to Chiang Mai forum

[zeichen]

There are some really nice slums they could visit. Maybe some underground gambling dens. I really don't know what you mean by the "true side of CM".  Do you mean working long hours and then getting drunk at bamboo tiki bars?  Do you mean going to skin whitening clinics and getting your braces done even with straight teeth? Do you mean eating at Sizzler, or Shabu Shabu?  Betting on Chicken fights?

 

Most things that are worth seeing eventually become tourist attractions. Thai tourists tend to go to the botanical garden, wiangkum kahn and Wat Umong. But they are still somewhat touristy.

 

Everything that was a hidden gem has now been included in every chinese tourist package so there really aren't any special places that aren't full blown tourist traps now.  One of my families favorite northern rest. now has lines around the corner for lunch.  Before only Thais ate there, maybe 2-3 foreigners a day. Now its loaded with Chinese tour groups.  Great for their business bad for us locals.

 

I like the caves and waterfalls up near Chiangdao. 

[FolkGuitar]

There are two reasons why venues become 'touristy.'

A. It's interesting, relaxing, or beautiful

B. There is bus parking and souvenir shopping.

During our first week in Chiang Mai, and having taken 3 different 'tours' in and around the city, my wife and I decided to go walking through the parts of the city that the tour guides didn't take us to. We discovered quickly WHY they didn't. Walking down small sois and seeing people's laundry hanging on lines, walking down roads with nothing but industrial fences blocking off any view at all, and spending hours looking at nondescript buildings, houses, and empty lots really was not very interesting. 

Sure, there are some little golden nuggets hidden away from the tour routes. But just as soon as they are discovered, the tour companies find them as well. You might know one place like this now. Check it out next year and see what it's like.

Although we love riding motorcycles on the lesser-used roads through the mountains, when we arrive at a temple or a waterfall, there are always other people there... because they are interesting, relaxing, or beautiful.

[sfokevin]

The little known but quintessential night out in Chiang Mai would be  Tuesday evenings at Kad Suan Kaew food court... arrive early at 6:30 to get a good seat... order a tower of Chang beer (tell your friends that means elephant to impress them)... and get some 35 baht Somtom from the lady at stall #4 (since it's their first time tell her to leave out the klong kritters)... and a main course of your choice (just don't get any Indian food from the guy upstairs if you want your friend to be able to travel in the morning)... It should be 7pm by now at ELVIS begins his 2 hour set!... Enjoy... 

Edited December 31, 2016 by sfokevin

[just_Elaine]

Oh, Elvis is still there?  I've only seen the Thai singer, Koy, and the Band.  I like the Muu Namtok at that somtom stall.

 

There used to be a place called Sudsanan that had food and local people performing, but that has moved.  It is the New Sudsanan and it is on Canal Road.  We haven't been, but we used to go to Sudsanan on occasion.  It was very local.

 

I would also suggest one of the various Khao Soy places.  The one in Faham was the one a local took me -- I cannot remember the name.

 

Also, go to market and pick up various nampriks (nam prik ong is local) and pork skins.  Oh and if you are at the Maehia market pick up some Sai Oua.

 

Other than that, the various Wats around town are very nice and may or may not be crowded, but make for a nice walk around town.

 

 

[elektrified]

Take them to the soi that Art in Paradise is on (corner of Chang Klan), where they can see a full-scale toxic waste dump the size of 5 or more? Olympic size swimming pools right in the heart of the city. There is even a boat ramp kind of thing where you can back down to be right in the stagnant water (also very convenient should a child need to run after his/her ball). You can see the hundreds of 15 liter plastic bottles laying around where people have dumped god knows what in to the dump. I wouldn't be surprised if there were bodies dumped in there too. This is directly behind Art in Paradise and the Empress Hotel. I just discovered this about a week ago while looking for a parking spot and couldn't understand why nobody parked on the side of the street closest to Art in Paradise. When I opened the door I thought I would pass out from the stench!

 

On a serious note, has anyone seen this and knows what it is??? There are huge rusty steel braces of some sort reinforcing this pit to the walls behind the hotel. It's an environmental disaster and dangerous as hell!

[Rhys]

That place that makes killer  burritos...is the first start.  A local mom and pop coffee shop...

 

A drive in the country and a village...  places off the path of interest....then back to the mall.

[Bill97]

That place that makes killer  burritos...is the first start.  

Right, when friends come to visit me in Cabo in Baja the first thing I do is take them out for Thai food.

[sfokevin]

Yes! Elaine Elvis is alive and well... NancyL will be along shortly to confirm - but I think she has been banned from the food court on nights he performs 

 

 

[2020]

Go hang about Chiang Mai gate market from about 6am for an hour or two and just watch how the locals go about their business, especially giving alms to the countless monks. Then head to the channel 7 tower and walk up the track (alleged original path?) to the first temple, or if they are mobile enough, all the way to the top. Take some time to observe the hoards and enjoy some food or some drinks before descending. Take a camera for both places.

[2020]

Just now, 2020 said:

Go hang about Chiang Mai gate market from about 6am for an hour or two and just watch how the locals go about their business, especially giving alms to the countless monks. Then head to the channel 7 tower and walk up the track (alleged original path?) to the first temple, or if they are mobile enough, all the way to the top. Take some time to observe the hoards and enjoy some food or some drinks before descending. Take a camera for both places.

 

Oh, and visit the Gymkhana Club in the late afternoon for a relaxing drink/ snack/ meal.

[Donnyboy]

stay away from the Hot springs atm, apparently its packed full

[dave2]

re

 

Yes! Elaine Elvis is alive and well... NancyL will be along shortly to confirm - but I think she has been banned from the food court on nights he performs

 

thats probably coz she sings wooden heart better than he does :)

 

just joshin nancy ... happy new year :)

 

dave2 

 

 

[elektrified]

9 hours ago, sfokevin said:

The little known but quintessential night out in Chiang Mai would be  Tuesday evenings at Kad Suan Kaew food court... arrive early at 6:30 to get a good seat... order a tower of Chang beer (tell your friends that means elephant to impress them)... and get some 35 baht Somtom from the lady at stall #4 (since it's their first time tell her to leave out the klong kritters)... and a main course of your choice (just don't get any Indian food from the guy upstairs if you want your friend to be able to travel in the morning)... It should be 7pm by now at ELVIS begins his 2 hour set!... Enjoy... 

They have had the contract there for something like 12-15 years. Some members come/go/are replaced, but at least one has been there 10 years. Very nice people.

[chuang]

There are many true sides of Chiangmai.. Here are just two... share few bottles of Kao Lao with the locals through the night and wake up 5am for merit making. Sai Bah.

Sent from my Redmi 3S using Thaivisa Connect mobile app

[NancyL]

I don't think Elvis is at KSK on Tuesday evenings.  Def Thursday and Friday evenings.  Does a half hour set starting at 6 pm, so if you wait until 6:30 pm to come, you'll miss him.  Every so often the CEC crowd takes over the Blue Food court to check out if we can still do The Twist and Jitterbug without throwing out our hip replacements.  

[Trujillo]

The Hell Temple. 

[Paul944]

Coffee at Baan Kang Wat. A hipster area. Or Bannok coffee, also a hip place. Visit a strawberry farm. If you like a drive into the hills , Napa Phupa. I did only see thai tourists there.

[just_Elaine]

5 hours ago, NancyL said:

I don't think Elvis is at KSK on Tuesday evenings.  Def Thursday and Friday evenings.  Does a half hour set starting at 6 pm, so if you wait until 6:30 pm to come, you'll miss him.  Every so often the CEC crowd takes over the Blue Food court to check out if we can still do The Twist and Jitterbug without throwing out our hip replacements.  

Thanks.  I will need to go out of my way to get over there at the right time!

[DSJPC]

Doi Saket temple and town, lunch or dinner at Country Cabin Restaurant, the dam in Doi Saket (have lunch there overlooking the lake), trip around Doi Suthep to Samoeng, Wat Umong (feed the fish and ducks), etc.....

[Jeffkp]

I have a Thai friend who roams the country side and seems to know everyone. I've gone on several day trips with him and it's been a blast. I've been swimming in some of the mountain rivers, smaller pretty temples including the Hell Temple (http://www.thebohemianblog.com/2013/06/wang-saen-suk-hell-garden-thailand.html). Been to some strange food markets (selling insects and bird intestines). Visited a hill tribe house and drank beer at the home of one of his friends.

On all these trips I never saw another farang.

If you have a Thai friend like this, they can have some great experiences. Tour guides are programmed to take you to tourist places.

[orientalist]

Wat Phra That Si Chom Thong is worth a visit. Very beautiful interior. About 1 hour from Chang Pheuak by song-taew.

[SiSePuede419]

On 12/30/2016 at 11:07 PM, Bill97 said:

Right, when friends come to visit me in Cabo in Baja the first thing I do is take them out for Thai food.

I know, I'm from Mexico and I made the mistake of buying a "burrito" once, 555.

 

The "Mexican" food in Thailand is for Australians and Brits who have never ate good Mexican food before (Never been to Mexico, the American Southwest) and can't tell the difference ?

[Saan]

Take them to Wiang Kum Kam which was King Mengrai's original capital before flooding forced him to move to CM's present site. They can see the ruins from a horse drawn carriage or ride bicycles.

[aslimversgwm]

Mon Cham is well worth a visit for breathtaking mountain views  and fresh air to match. Little known to farang but popular with Thais. Take the road to Mae Sa from Mae Rim and take a right  a few kilometers past the Queen Sirikit Botanical Gardens - also worth a visit and little visited by farang, but quite stunning in its own right - and it now has a canopy walkway!

 

[sfokevin]

^^^ A couple pointers about Mon Cham... 1. Do not go on a weekend it is very narrow road and as said popular with the Thais... 2. Avoid the traffic on the road to Mae Sa... from Mae Rim take a small road a little further north and skirt up to Mon Cham the back way... best way to describe the way further is to give you the following link to a wonderful waterfall on the road I describe... check it out on the way!

 

น้ำตกตาดหมอก แม่แรม เชียงใหม่
https://goo.gl/maps/eoY5YzzvEMS2

 

 

[johnnysunshine]

Clay-Studio-Coffee-In-The-Garden is amazing place to take your friends and is near Chiang Mai Gate!

[lkn]

On 12/30/2016 at 11:12 AM, wicketkeeper said:

Please suggest sights and destinations in and around Chiang Mai or slightly further afield, they might enjoy

 

How about showing them what you like about Chiang Mai?

 

I like the wide selection of fruit, so I may e.g. eat at a good restaurant near the Muang Mai market, then afterward go to the market to show the fruits available, the “culture”, and buy anything that my guests have not tasted (that I can vouch for).

 

Another thing is snacks, if I am lucky we’ll pass vendors on the street, but going to the Thanin market is a sure bet, and there are also a lot of other nice delicacies there, afterward I may take people to one of the restaurants in the area and walking around in that area and explain the things we see. For someone coming to Thailand for the first time, there is a lot of interesting things to show them just walking around.

 

And I don’t discount the touristy stuff, for example going to the Thai Silk Village, they have a nice “museum” showing all the steps in making silk, having live silkworms, cocoons, showing how they extract the thread, dye it, etc. I tend to combine this with lunch at the Grand Lanna at Dhara Dhevi, which is upscale, but definitely worth a visit.

 

For a more typical Thai lunch with friends, I take people to one of the waterfalls or the Huay Tung Tao lake, where you can have a picnic.

 

I am also not shy about going into one of the temples and show how the locals make merit. For example one of the temples near the river have various sea creatures that you can buy and set free. Generally not a big fan of this ritual (of capturing animals to set them free), but I’m less judging about sea creatures (compared to birds).

 

Other things that might be interesting to visit is the clothes market out near the university, or if they are here during the weekend, go to one of the good restaurants in the Nimmehaemin area (e.g. Mix Restaurant) and walk back passing through some of the clubs to see how the young Thais are having fun (and dressing up).

 

Another thing is to try and figure out what your guests actually like. I had one person stay with me who was mostly interested in going where the university students were, and another one who was very interested in handicrafts and wanted to visit potteries, wood shops, and the furniture districts like Baan Tawai and Baan Ma, and yet another wanted to explore the surrounding nature, go white water rafting, etc.

 

Personally the most “native” experience I have had here was overnighting in a hilltribe village, but this is something you can only do through Thai friends or the better guides. Do not be fooled by the hilltribe villages advertised.

Edited January 3, 2017 by lkn

[lordblackader]

14 hours ago, lkn said:

 

 

I am also not shy about going into one of the temples and show how the locals make merit. For example one of the temples near the river have various sea creatures that you can buy and set free. Generally not a big fan of this ritual (of capturing animals to set them free), but I’m less judging about sea creatures (compared to birds).

 

 

Wat Chai Mong Kon, Charaeonprathet Road Chang Klan, nearly next door to the Anantara not far South from the Iron Bridge. 

 

Great place to visit and you rarely see tourists there but it is very popular with the locals.