Located some 700km from Bangkok, Chiang Mai is the principal city of northern Thailand and capital of the province of the same name. Popularly known 'The Rose of the North' and with enchanting location on the banks of the Ping river, Chiang Mai and its surroundings are blessed with stunning natural beauty and a unique indigenous cultural identitity.
Chiang Mai was founded in 1296 by King Mengrai as the capital of the Lanna Kingdom. Chiang Mai has had a long and mostly independent history, which has to a large extent preserved a most distinctive culture. This is witnessed both in the daily lives of the people, who maintain their own dialect, customes and cuisine, and in a host of ancient temples, fascinating for their northern Thai architectural style and rich decorative detail.
Chiang Mai also continues its renowned tradition as a buddhism centre
Chiang Mai also continues its renowned tradition as a handicraft centre, producing items in silk, wood, silver, ceramics and more, which make the city the country's top shopping destination for arts and crafts. Beyond the city, Chiang Mai province spreads over an area of 20000sq. km. offering some of the most picturesque scenary in the whole Kingdom. The fertile Ping river valley, a patchwork of paddy fields, is surrounded by rolling hills and the province as a whole is one of forest mountains (including Thailand's highest peak, Doi Inthanon), jungles and rivers.
Chiang Mai offers some of the most picturesque scenary in the whole Kingdom
Here is the ideal terrain for adventure travel by trekking, on elephant back, river rafting or four-wheel drive safaris in a natural wonderland. Adding a unique feature to the landscape are the traditional villages of the region's hilltribe people, distinguished by their colourful tribal costumes and lifestyles mostly untouched by the modern world. At the same time, visitors will find deluxe hotels, mountain resorts and other facilities that ensure today's comforts and convenience. Around Chiang Mai, the neighbouring provinces of Lampang, Lamphun and Mae Hong Son hold great attraction, offering further opportunities to experience the North's natural beauty and distinctive culture.
Chiang Rai is a land of ancient values of Thailand. Along with Chiang Mai, this city was the center of the glittering Lanna dynasty hundreds of years ago. Today, Chiang Rai is still an ancient, colorful space of Thailand with activities, temples to discover.
Kanchanaburi is the third largest city in Thailand located 130 km from Bangkok and bordered with Myanmar at the West. The city is famous for its bridge over the Kwai River that not only becomes a symbol of immortality in books and movies, but also possesses natural beauty with many dams and lakes. Let???s together discover this special land.
Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is the most famous and most visited temple in Chiang Mai. A trip on the windy mountain road is an enjoyable experience or you can rent a 250 baht motorbike a day, with a 600baht driver traveling both on and off.
The Grand Palace (Thai: ?????????????????????????????????????????????, RTGS: Phra Borom Maha Ratcha Wang) is a complex of buildings at the heart of Bangkok, Thailand. It used to be the headquarters of the Thai war district, the state government and the venue of major events. Today, the palace is the symbol of Bangkok and the Kingdom of Thailand.
Going along Front Beach, in the direction of the Big Mount we could always behold a white palace roofed with red tiles standing motionless on the mountain side against a background of lush green trees. That is the WHITE PALACE.
Baht (THB; symbol ???) = 100 satang. Notes are in denominations of ???1,000, 500, 100, 50, 20 and 10. Coins are in denominations of ???10, 5, 2 and 1, and 50, 25, 10, 5 and 1 satang.
Thailand is a serene and thought-provoking place to do some meditation. This centre offers an intensive month-long course and there are strict rules to be observed. The beautiful leafy setting in Chiang Mai is ideal, but there are similar places all over the country; make enquiries at local temples
Duty-free shops are located at Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai and Had Yai airports as well as in the King Power Complex (www.kingpower.com) on Bangkok's Sri Ayutthaya-Rangnam Road. Items can be purchased there and delivered to the airport in time for the departure flight
Thai food is traditionally fairly hot and spicy, but most tourist restaurants tend to tone down the heat for the more fragile Western palate. Most Thai food is prepared with fresh ingredients such as lemon grass and coriander and rice is commonly eaten with most meals.
Visas for Thailand are not required by all nationals referred to in the chart above for touristic stays of up to 30 days if entering via an international airport. If entering by land, you will usually be granted a stay of 15 days (apart from nationals of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the UK and the USA
