Updated September 2026 Wat Rong Khun, the White Temple near Chiang Rai, becomes more interesting when you follow the relationship between its images. Hands reach up beside the approach, a bridge leads towards a white ordination hall, and the paintings inside bring contemporary violence and popular culture into a Buddhist setting. The colour is the
Wat Rong Khun Explained: History, Symbols and the White Temple’s Art Read More »
Updated September 2026 Airport Plaza is the familiar name for Central Chiangmai Airport, the shopping mall south of Chiang Mai’s Old City near the airport. Its most useful combination for a visitor is northern food, regional gifts, everyday shopping and a cinema in one air-conditioned building. I would choose it for a meal and a
Airport Plaza Chiang Mai: Food, Shopping, Cinema and a Preflight Visit Read More »
Updated September 2026 The White Temple in Thailand is Wat Rong Khun, near Chiang Rai. Its white plaster, mirrored ornament and pointed roofline belong to a contemporary project by Chalermchai Kositpipat, begun in 1997 at an older temple site. It stands in Pa O Don Chai, south of Chiang Rai city. What interests me architecturally
White Temple in Thailand: Architecture, Materials and Photography Read More »
Updated September 2026 Doi Inthanon National Park takes some planning because its best-known stops are spread along a mountain road. The summit, royal pagodas, waterfalls and walking trails belong to the same outing, but you cannot move between them on foot as though they were attractions in a city park. My starting point is the
Doi Inthanon National Park: Trails, Fees and Planning Your Visit Read More »
Updated September 2026 Songkran is Thailand’s traditional New Year, centred on 13–15 April. Water fights are its most visible public celebration, but the holiday also brings family reunions, visits to temples, respect for elders and acts of renewal. Those quieter occasions explain why water belongs at the heart of the festival. I would plan a
Songkran in Thailand: Dates, Traditions and Planning Your Visit Read More »
Updated September 2026 “Chiang Mai night market” can mean several different places. The Night Bazaar runs along Chang Khlan Road east of the Old City. Sunday Walking Street occupies Ratchadamnoen Road inside the walls. Saturday’s market is on Wualai Road near the south gate. The food stalls at the north and south gates are separate
Chiang Mai Night Markets: Where to Go for Food and Shopping Read More »
Updated September 2026 Chiang Rai rewards a stay that combines the city’s art and temples with one well-chosen journey into the province. The White Temple, Blue Temple and Baan Dam make an obvious starting point, but the tea hills, royal development projects and Mekong towns give the region much of its character. I would allow
Chiang Rai Travel Guide: Temples, Tea Hills and the Golden Triangle Read More »
Updated September 2026 Pai is a small town in Mae Hong Son province where a busy backpacker centre sits within a much quieter agricultural valley. You can spend an evening among food stalls and bars, then leave town the next morning for rice fields, a hilltop temple or a forest hot spring. That combination is
Pai, Thailand: Getting There, Where to Stay and What to See Read More »
Updated September 2026 A cheap rental car in Chiang Mai can make a countryside trip much easier, especially when several people share the cost. The saving depends on the whole booking: the length of the hire, the collection point, insurance terms and whether you actually need a car every day. I would settle those questions
Cheap Car Rental in Chiang Mai: Prices, Deposits and What to Check Read More »
Updated September 2026 Mae Hong Son town sits in a mountain valley in Thailand’s far northwest. Its centre is small enough to explore on foot, with Shan-style temples, a morning market and Nong Chong Kham lake giving a visit its shape. The tea villages, reservoirs and waterfalls commonly pictured alongside the town are separate trips
Mae Hong Son Town: Temples, Day Trips and Getting There Read More »
Updated September 2026 The lantern festival in Chiang Mai includes several different experiences: lantern-decorated temples, candle lighting, street processions, floating krathongs and separately organised sky-lantern events outside the city. Your first decision is which of those you want to spend an evening doing. For 2026, Loy Krathong falls on Tuesday, November 24. Major commercial lantern
Chiang Mai Lantern Festival 2026: Dates, Tickets and City Celebrations Read More »