Fah Thai Magazine March/April 2018 - Infight Magazine of Bangkok Airways

HAPPENINGS
THAILAND CHIANG MAI
THAILAND CHIANG RAI
One way to celebrate Songkran
in its most traditional form is a
good dousing of water and even
more non-stop fun where it all
began – Chiang Mai. The Water
Festival actually marks the Thai
New Year and it is the longest and
most anticipated public holiday
in Thailand. This year, official
celebrations in Chiang Mai starts
from April 12 to April 15. Following
ancient traditions, there will
be religious ceremonies held to
auspiciously mark the beginning
SPOTLIGHT
Mother of All Songkran
of the New Year. The first day will
feature a long parade with Phra Singh,
one of Thailand’s most sacred Buddha
statues and a chance for everyone
to join in the bathing ritual of the
sacred statues.
People in traditional costumes
will perform cultural dances during
the procession. The province will
also hold a beauty contest for Miss
Songkran and the other for Mister
Songkran. On the streets, foreign
visitors must be prepared for a “warm
welcome” from the hosts, who will
greet them with water pistols or
buckets full of water. Traffic will
come to a standstill as part of the
festival charm, with many roads
crammed with people celebrating and
visitors are encouraged to explore as
many fun spots as possible.
Chiang Mai Municipal, +66 (0) 53 359 365
MISTY ON DOI PHA MEE
Doi Pha Mee village, literally
means “Bear mountain,” – a
former opium plantation in Chiang
Rai turned coffee growing area.
Coffee produced by the Akha hill
tribespeople is more than just a
commodity; it’s also an expression
of love and care from the late King
Bhumibol who worked hard to
transform the community. Now
the Akha tribespeople have also
developed a community-based
tourism programme, allowing
tourists to catch a glimpse of their
daily lives through various activities.
Visitors can join the local people
in planting fruits and vegetables,
picking and roasting home-grown
coffee, weaving and embroidering
indigenous clothing or sample their
freshly-brewed Arabica coffee.
The community still observes old
traditions and one of the must-see
attractions on the mountain is the
wooden giant swing. Men in the
village would remove the wooden
seat and swing as high as they
could to prove their manhood. In
addition, it is the focal point of the
Akha new year. Tourists can also
hop on the swing; it’s actually a
pretty safe activity. Those interested
in absorbing the environment a
bit longer can stay a night or two
on the highlands, where there are
various homestay accommodations.
Alternatively, the tourists can also
erect tents in areas designated for
camping. The spot uniquely offers
a great view of three countries –
Thailand’s Mae Sai district, Tachileik
in Myanmar and Laos. It’s an
unforgettable sight as Doi Pha Mee
greets visitors with mornings mists
and a scenery that’s serene and
beautiful. tourismthailand.org/chiangrai,
+66 (0) 53 717 433,
+66 (0) 53 744 674-5
GET TO KNOW LOANG HIM KAO
Add smart purchases to your Chiang Mai trip with clothing and textiles
ranging from tie-dyed items to creations with elaborate embroidery done by
the Mon people. Known as the Loang Him Kao community, you can now visit
and support their creations of handmade items.
Loang Him Kao also offers various workshops for everyone to participate,
such as ones on traditional Lanna cooking, crafting earrings from “teen jok”
fabric, and learning the art of dyeing in the Japanese Shibori style. For those
wanting to learn more about the community and their projects, a local guide
is available at 500 baht per visit. facebook.com/Loanghimkao,
+66 (0) 85 037 5252
AN ARTS VENUE
PAST AND FUTURE
A must-visit for those wanting to learn
more about Chiang Mai, now that the
Chiang Mai City Arts and Culture Centre
has just finished renovations; recently
unveiling 15 multi-media permanent
exhibition rooms. The centre is home to
interesting Lanna arts and exhibitions
with comprehensive history and traditions
of the northern region.
The centre introduced 15 permanent
exhibition rooms under the “Discover
the Origins of Chiang Mai’s Identity”
theme. The presentations are spectacular
with usage of new media like video,
software, models and graphic boards and
comprehensive descriptions. Do carve
out some time, it is worth spending an
hour or more at the centre. Tickets cost
90 baht. Open Tuesday to Sunday from
8.30am to 5pm, cmocity.com,
+66 (0) 53 217 793
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