Chiang Mai half marathon

The organisation aims to train local law students/lawyers to provide advice to marginalised groups in northern Thailand, such as hill-tribe groups, migrant workers, people living with HIV/AIDs. It also operates across Southeast Asia, in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia as well.
It's an excellent initiative and you can help raise their profile and presumably contribute something to their coffers by participating in the event. Time is 05:30 to 08:30 (certainly shouldn't be too hot at that time of day) and it takes place at Sankamphaeng in the suburbs of Chiang Mai. Transport can be arranged and full details can be found at this site or you can make contact via the following Facebook page.

Ying, our Shan nanny, with our daughter preparing for a Songkran outing.

Since we don't have any marathon photos to hand and the ed suggested we think laterally instead, here's a photo of our nanny, who is someone who could do with such legal advice. Ying is a Burmese refugee so her existence in Chiang Mai is a constant struggle with Thai bureaucracy and the archaic and often absurd Thai legal system. Having arrived in northern Thailand on foot, fleeing the clutches of Burmese soldiers and Shan State Army recruitment officers, she gave birth to a daughter on Thai soil some 14 years ago. However being an uneducated Shan farmer and unaware of Thai legal niceties (and with certainly plenty of other problems to cope with), the birth was unfortunately not registered at the time. So despite her daughter now speaking only Thai and having only ever lived in Thailand, she is still refused Thai citizenship -- as a very bright 14 year old she is officially stateless. This is a deplorable but sadly very common state of affairs.
We watched Ying cheering the Thai women's volleyball team on TV yesterday -- this despite the team representing a country that, although she has lived some 15 years in Chiang Mai, bans her from leaving the province without special written permission and forces her to sign in at the border village she first arrived in every three months. It's not quite house arrest but certainly "provincial arrest" and an equally deplorable state of affairs.
So if you'd like to help people like Ying sort out their situations -- run for it!

Chiang Mai scams?

Some of our other regional Travelfish.org blogs have been busy of late giving you the rundown on popular and prevalent scams in their respective patches  so we thought we'd do the same for Chiang Mai.. the only problem is we can't find any!

Scam-free town? We'll find one somewhere...

Many scams in other cities involve transport so that ought to be a good place to look... Jewellery or tailor shop scams a la Bangkok? Nope, not here, and we've never heard of a tuk-tuk offering a 10 baht ride to Sankamphaeng on the off chance you'll buy a parasol.
The old  "no it's closed, let me take you somewhere else" routine may have happened but I've never heard of it personally. "My meter's broken" -- Chiang Mai taxis don't use meters anyway (see previous transport post), while the Phuket "you've damaged my jet ski, that'll cost you!" trick falls flat where there are not a lot of jet skis, as in Chiang Mai. Rip-offs in the style of having to bargain for the price of a bottle of water as you may need to do in Saigon -- nope, not that either.

"I'll give you 10 baht for it, but that's my bottom price."

We've heard rumours of one-offs in our many years in Chiang Mai: an idiot backpacker buying grass from a tuk tuk driver only to find the cops banging on his door 10 minutes later (that was about 10 years ago) and the "someone put something in my drink in Loi Kroh Road" line -- yes, it's called alcohol -- but nothing that can be classified as a regular scam.
Yes, there's a two-tiered entrance fee system in operation at many spots, but what's new, and you're going to get that in many places.
A worst case scenario transport-wise is that you'll be overcharged a bit, but bear in mind a Thai tourist from Bangkok or even local residents are also occasionally overcharged. Wouldn't want to tar them all with the same brush but many Chiang Mai tuk tuk drivers do have a tendency to overvalue their services and even after 15 years in the city we still frequently have to bargain and always double check the agreed on price.
As in most other places they're banking on the fact you don't know what the correct fare should be, so after having checked with a bunch of drivers that we know it may be of use to note the following standard tuk tuk fees. (All fares are from Tha Pae Gate.) And please note, if you are reading this in say 2015, prices are likely to have risen by then.
Short distances e.g. Night Bazaar, Central Huay Keow = 60 baht
Railway station or Arcade bus station = 80 baht
Airport or immigration = 100 baht
The following longer destinations include waiting time and return:
Wiang Khum Kham or Sankamphaeng = 300 baht
Mae Sa = 400 baht
Hang Dong = 500 baht
Note you can add on a 20 baht night fee supplement. If they don't agree then hail another -- there's always plenty about.

Prices courtesy of Neung -- English spoken and he's on (089) 051 1437.

Red songthaews (a kind of bus-taxi) have a flat fare around town of 20 baht per person and if you hire them privately for more distant destinations expect to pay slightly more than equivalent tuk tuk fares. (See further songthaew details in earlier post.)

Chiang Mai Sunday Walking Street market

There isn’t actually an official 'walking street’ in Chiang Mai, but every Sunday the whole length of Ratchadamnoen and Pra Singh Roads, the old city’s principal east/west axis (see map), plus several side streets, are closed to traffic and become one long street bazaar, stretching all the way from Wat Pra Singh down to and including Tha Pae Gate. (That’s well over a kilometre, plus it seems to get longer by around 25 metres every week.)

Hilltribe-esque bric-a-brac

The market kicks off late afternoon and goes on until late evening, but come 18:00 or 19:00 it starts to get seriously busy, so it's worth turning up early for. Note also 1.2 km of dawdling browsers, buskers, lost tourists, and donation-seeking Thai girl guides can be totally exhausting. Mostly handicrafts, bric-a-brac and clothes are on sale, but there is nonetheless quite a range to be perused, and some excellent artwork can be found.

Paintings for sale

Food-wise you'll find the usual range of Thai snacks and drinks, and for sit down fare it’s fun to pop into one of the temple courts that line the street and become al fresco eating areas for the evening. Think food courts with Buddhist décor – you select dishes from vendors and sit on mats to eat them. (Plenty of cafes, coffee shops and bars line the streets if you need sustenance but don’t want to sit on the floor.)

Walking street vendors

The lack of vehicles and range of items on sale make this a far more browser-friendly, and indeed picturesque, market than the night bazaar. But if it’s Chang Beer T-shirts or pirated DVDs you’re after, this is not the place to go. And by the way it’s called the Sunday market, okay?!

Chiang Mai's Saturday Walking Street market

Although Chiang Mai's Saturday Walking Street Market started up around the same period as the Sunday one, for some reason it's never really caught on in the same way.

Wualai Rd Market

The Sunday one down Ratchadamnoen Rd is laid out right through the centre of the old town, within spitting distance of most hotels and guesthouses and connecting two of the town's focal points, Wat Pra Sing and Tha Pae Gate. But the Saturday one's not too far either: Starting at the southern moat opposite the old town, the market stretches the length of Wualai Rd (pronounced Wolai, see map -- the market is more often known to locals as Wualai Market). It meets up with Thipanet Rd, so it's just a 10-minute walk from Tha Pae.

This part's even carpeted!

Wualai is certainly considerably smaller than the Sunday Market, but a lot less busy as well and with a much more chilled out feel to it. You'll find pretty much the same stuff for sale -- most vendors do both markets --  except only one or two stalls sell hilltribe bags, for instance rather than 22 like at Ratchadamnoen. Because fewer visitors are browser, you may also be able to pick up items a bit cheaper too.
Wualai Rd is a lot less built up than Ratchadamnoen, but there are still a few cafes to take breaks at and you'll even see some nice old teak buildings that aren't done up as coffee shops or boutique guesthouses. (Wualai Rd is the old silver-making district of Chiang Mai and you'll still see a few traditional silver workshops around.) As per the Sunday version you'll find plenty of tasty street food but Wualai even has a little night/food market set up around the Soi 3 section, which is a very welcome addition.

Paintings for sale

Stallholders begin spreading their wares out around 16:30 and start folding up from 10 onwards. While the market's not so popular and it is smaller, it can still get pretty busy mid-evening, so it's still worth turning up early.
Overall, if we had to choose between the two, we'd go shopping (and eating) at the Saturday Walking Street, but do check out both if you've time.

The Chiang Mai soi tours: Ratchamanka Soi 2

Any expat or visitor to Chiang Mai will quickly become familiar with the town’s main drags. You’ll have strolled along Ratchadamnoen running through the centre of the old town, tuk-tuked down Tha Pae Rd on your way to or from the night bazaar and of course eaten, drank, hired a motorbike and bought a Bangkok Post on Moonmuang running alongside the eastern moat. (See map).
But what about all the narrow side alleys leading off in every direction into the old town, or into the maze of winding lanes between the night bazaar and the moat?  Some are so narrow you can't get a tuk tuk down them and some you can walk right past without even noticing they’re there; we’ve been here for more than 10 years and admit there are plenty such alleys we’ve not yet tried ourselves.
Called sois in Thai, they’re named and numbered according to the principal road they lead off, with odd and even numbers on either side of the road. Walking down Ratchadamnoen Rd, for instance, you’ll come across Ratchadamnoen Soi 1 on your right, Ratchadamnoen Soi 2 on your left and so on.
Most guesthouses in Chiang Mai are located down these sois so you’ll be familiar with the one your accommodation’s on, but hidden down many of the other narrow lanes you’ll find some of the town’s best bars, restaurants and coffee shops.
We’re going to have a series of posts that see us bravely head off into the heart of this labyrinth to see what we can find. Obviously we’ll need some sustenance on the expedition, so any interesting refreshment stops will be duly noted for you.
We’re going to kick off with Ratchamanka Soi 2 for three reasons:
1. It’s nice and short so won’t have to walk too far;
2. It has lots of interesting stuff; and
3. Got to start somewhere!

Oh and reason number 4: It has a nice street sign

The soi leads between Moonmuang Rd on the old town side of the moat and Ratchamanka Rd, and is the only one of the numerous sois leading into the old town from the east that is at an angle rather than 90 degrees to Moonmuang. A good landmark is the well known and conspicuous Cozy Corner or John Place pub located on the Moonmuang corner of the alley – popular and not a bad spot for a drink and mingle but we won’t dally too long since it is very close to the busy road and there’s more further on. (Strangely enough it’s a fact that the noise does actually decrease in direct proportion to the number of Changs you consume.)
Those with a sweet tooth may get distracted by the rather distracting Café De Naga on the opposite corner of the soi – usual coffee suspects and a very good bakery if you fancy a slice of cheesecake or a loaf of good bread for a picnic on Doi Suthep. The café is part of the very chic De Naga Hotel situated next door, and the hotel also has a chic but not outrageously expensive Thai restaurant inside.

Café De Free WiFi

Immediately past the hotel entrance is the excellent Pizzeria Da Roberto run by a genuine Italian (Roberto) and his Thai wife. Friendly couple and though the menu is simple the pizzas are pretty good and certainly inexpensive, so a good choice if you’re getting riced-out. Indeed as you’ll see most spots in this soi are run by expats with Thai partners so it makes for a good destination if you fancy genuine Western food for a change, though usually decent Thai options are on their menus too.
A couple of doors down is the interesting Funan Bistrot – Chiang Mai’s only French-run creperie, so useful if you’re also pizza-d out as well.  The newly refurbished décor is good and the small terrace is a relatively quiet and pleasant spot to sit, with traffic on the soi being light.  Sweet and savoury crepes plus a few more consistent dishes of the day are on offer with a full bar menu.
Next door is Escape (Bar). Primarily an expat gathering place, tourists are welcomed (more than you can say for all Chiang Mai expat pubs), so this is a good place to meet folks and get local info, with meetings orchestrated by Ozzie innkeeper Steve, whose wife Nut knocks up one of the best full English’s in town as well as the usual range of pub grub and Thai classics. Cheap, fun and open all day.

No escape

Continuing our League of Nations tour next up is the Franco/Thai owned Cote Jardin Restaurant. Chiang Mai’s sizeable Francophile community means the town is now generously sprinkled with French eateries – many of them very good – but to our mind this one is the all-round best deal. Nice garden setting, good service, reasonable prices and excellent classic French dishes all with chef Marco’s thoughtful attention to detail. (Evenings only, closed Sundays and good idea to book.)

Cote Jardin

Further on up the road is Cool Place Café which isn't the liveliest bar in town but does have very friendly service and a seriously cheap happy hour. And that’s a wrap for Ratchamanka Soi 2!
Café De Naga
Ratchamanka Soi 2
Ristorante Italiano, Pizzeria Da Roberto
21/1 Ratchamanka Soi 2
T: (086) 915 9467
Evenings only
Funan Bistrot
Ratchamanka Soi 2
T: (084) 803 7859
funancnx@gmail.com
The Escape
19/1 Ratchamanka Soi 2
T: (082) 891 7558
Cote Jardin
15/1 Ratchamanka Soi 2
T: (086) 273 8675
Evenings only, closed Sunday.

Fancy but affordable French in Chiang Mai

So with Huay Tung Tao being our recommended Sunday afternoon spot, and Grandma's khao soi' our default lunchtime eatery, this French restaurant logs in as a firm family fave for birthday evenings and special occasions. Not that La Terrace is at all expensive (but you know ... a Travelfish.org bloggers' wages ...), which is why we like it and what motivated owner, chef and old buddy Jean-Jacques to set the place up last year.
Chiang Mai already has a fair range of French establishments among its eateries, but as Jean-Jacques points out they are mostly either upmarket like Le Coq D'Or, in the cheap and cheerful category as per Chez Marco's or else situated well away from the centre of town, in the case of the otherwise very good Chez Daniel.

Pernod please!

So good location and quality food at reasonable prices is the blend that La Terrace aims for and we reckon they're successful -- plus we'd add a mention of their friendly service and a decor sympathique, as our Francophone amis would say.

Only the smoke is missing.

The decor is Parisian bistro, while the menu is classic French. The attention to detail stands out, and you'll be served good quality, generally locally-grown products often supplied by the Doi Kham shop. Bread is freshly made daily on the premises and particularly recommended are the patés, also house made.
The classic coq au vin and boeuf bourguignon are their signature dishes though according to Jean-Jacques snails and frog's legs are consistent winners with the Thai customers. As we say, for the quality of the food, the prices are very reasonable. A set menu costs 295 baht or if you order a la carte, expect to pay 300 to 500 baht per person for a starter and main course. The set menu is a particularly good deal -- changing daily with a choice of two entrees, two main courses and two desserts, with one choice always being a vegetarian option.

Like Paris, only Chiang Mai.

La Terrace is located in a small, quiet square off Loi Kroh Road right next to Wat Pan Tong, approximately a five-minute walk from the moat end of Loi Kroh.
Bon appetit!
La Terrace
59/5 Loi Kroh Rd
T: (083) 762 6065
Open daily from 18:00
Being a small and increasingly popular spot, best to call to be sure of  a table (French, English and Thai spoken)

A good affordable Chiang Mai hotel with a pool

A long-standing favourite of ours in Chiang Mai's mid-range accommodation category is the excellent Chiang Mai Thai House (see here for our budget pick). Location's one of the strong points of Thai House, which falls somewhere in the range between upmarket guesthouse and boutique hotel. Situated on Tha Pae Road, Soi 5, it's about a two-minute walk from Tha Pae Gate, the centre of Chiang Mai's tourist district and location of the great Sunday Market - and a mere five minute's walk from the famous night bazaar.

Simple but agreeable decoration.

Despite its very central location -- which saves on time and tuk tuk fares -- the guesthouse is a peaceful spot as it's set down a quiet lane with very minimal traffic and noise. This is certainly one of its strong points, as so many other downtown spots necessitate either a decent set of earplugs or running the risk of sleep deprivation.

Same same but different.

There's also a good, and very welcome, pool and sitting area and the restaurant is friendly with decent food.

Delicious!

Rooms are air-con or fan-cooled, and tastefully decorated with Lanna touches. Prices range from 400 baht for a low season fan room to 1,150 baht for a high season poolside air-con room, so there's a fair cross section of options for midrange or flashpacker budgets. Free airport pick-ups are included as is breakfast.
It's not perfect and the generally very friendly staff are sticklers for rules -- they make guests read and accept the house rule list before checking in and are notoriously inflexible with regards to their 10:00 check-out time.
Overall though there are far less decent choices in this midrange area in Chiang Mai than in either budget or upmarket price ranges, so Thai House is definitely a good choice to bear in mind.
Chiang Mai Thai House
5/1 Tha Pae Rd, Soi 5, Chang Klan
T: (053) 904 110 or (053) 904 737
www.chiangmaithaihouse.com