Where is a good place to stay in Chiang Mai?

Chiang Mai is full of low budget guesthouses and hotels, and in any season it should not be a problem to find a place to stay. I will recommend the following places, but there are plenty more out there.

There are many guesthouses in the sois off Thapae Road, all offering similar services and similar prices, around 150 to 250 baht a night. You'll be able to walk to the night bazaar, and many of the other attractions, such as riverside dining spots, bars, discos, shops, internet cafes, and lots of farang food restaurants.

I've stayed at the Midtown Guesthouse (209-062), 7 Thapae Road, soi 4 -- they've always treated me pretty nicely, very central location, yet free of street noise because it's tucked away in the middle of the block.

Another nice place on the same soi is Sarah Guest House (208-271, email: jack21@loxinfo.co.th). It is located at the far end of the soi, away from the main road, at 20 Thapae Rd., soi 4. It is very quiet, and the staff treated me very nicely when I stayed there.

You can try other places if you like, in the middle of this same block, which has a sort of internal network of sois running through it.

If you want a quieter atmosphere, you could try J'Taime Guesthouse (241-912), along the river, at 247-9 Charoenrat Rd. It has nice grounds, but it's not in the middle of town, about half a mile walk to the night bazaar.

For mid-range accomodation, around 400 baht a night, I recommend the Lai Thai Guesthouse, which has a pool and fairly nice rooms. It's on Kotchasarn Road south of Loi Khroa (271-725), 111/4-5 Kotchasan Rd.

If you are willing to spend 1000 a night or more, I can recommend the RiverView Lodge (271-109), or the Riverside Diamond Hotel (270-080/-085). Both places are right next to each other along the river, and both very nice.

What are some interesting places to see in Chiang Mai?

Most of this stuff can be found in a good guidebook, like Lonely Planet's Guide to Thailand. But since you asked me...

For temples, try Wat Doi Suthep, on top of the mountain, a 20 minute ride by songthaew from the city, Chiang Mai's most famous temple. There are also Wat Jedi Luang and Wat Phra Sing, in the center of town. For peaceful surroundings, visit Wat Umong, on Suthep road, across from Chiang Mai University.

For out of town excursions, try going to Mae Rim, where they have orchid farms, waterfalls, and lots of peaceful scenery. If you have a car or a motorcycle, you can loop from Mae Rim to Samerng, then down to Hang Dong, then back to Chiang Mai.

If you like artsy stuff, there are a couple of shops on Nimmanhaemin road, Soi 1, next to the Amari Rincome Hotel.Ê Continuing on Nimmanhaemin to the corner of Suthep road, you will find the Art Museum of Chiang Mai University, a big, featureless concrete building set back from the road. They sometimes have good art shows there (please see my art reviews for more info on Thai art).

When it comes to eating, there is much good food to enjoy in Chiang Mai. For basic fare, try the sidewalk soup stalls, which are everywhere, day or night. Try a bowl of noodles (kwaythieow), or wheat noodles (ba mii).

For restaurants that feature northern Thai food, try Baan Suan, in the night bazaar building (same building with Burger King and Pizza Hut), or try a Kantoke dinner (your hotel or guesthouse should know about one).

If you are willing to stray out of the center of town, you can try Tha-Nam (275-125), by the edge of the Ping river south of the city, Suntari (252-445), along the river north of the city (across from "10 Karaoke"), or Rattana's Kitchen, outside of town at 350/4 Charoenrat Road (across from the Tamarind restaurant). Alright, I admit this last place is my friend's restaurant, but it does serve pretty good northern Thai food.

For entertainment and dining close to town, try the cluster of places along the Ping River, just across Narowat Bridge from the Night Bazaar. These include Riverside Cafe, Goodview, Brasserie, and the Gallery. All except the Gallery have live music, and the Brasserie has a pretty hot blues guitarist named "Took" who plays every night. The Cottage, just south of the Narowat intersection, has jazz.

For those who want to see Thai entertainment, try the Eagle (in center of town just north of Chiang Mai Gate), which has live bands playing Thai songs, or Suntari (along the Ping River across from "10 Karaoke"), run by a famous Thai folk singer who performs every night, or SetDee (along the west side of the moat that goes around the city, between the airport plaza and Suthep road) with a cabaret show, Thai style, in a very large auditorium.

You can get a lot of shopping ideas and find resources of many kinds from the ads in the monthly tourist magazines like Good Morning Chiangmai, Guidelines, Welcome to Chiang Mai, and (if you can find it) the Chiang Mai Newsletter. These magazines can be found in the lobbies of most big hotels, and they are free.

How can I get close to the people in Thailand, and not have the usual tourist experience?
Well, you could get on a bus during rush hour....

If you want to get close to the people, rule no. 1 is learn some Thai phrases before you come here. A good way to learn is to get a tape or a Thai phrasebook, and then find a Thai person to coach you. If you don't know any Thai people in your country, check in a Thai restaurant, a donut shop, a Thai temple, places like that.

Thai people will feel very flattered that you have made the effort to meet them on their turf, in their language. Thais are naturally friendly, and if you show them that you have an interest in them and their country, they'll usually be very happy to be your friend.

Second, make it your business to know something about Thailand before you come here. Read up on Thai culture -- guidebooks are a good source of information, and you can also find books in the library or on the internet.

Third, keep your eyes and ears open. Observe Thai people, and how they behave. Try eating at the places they eat, and going out to places they go to. Go to markets, take a walk around, and talk to people. Ask questions. Develop a curiosity about everything around you, and suddenly, you won't be just another tourist anymore.

If you show a willingness to get involved, be a good sport, try new things (like all that strange looking Thai food), you'll be a hit with Thai people. If you're lucky, you may make some Thai friends just by being friendly and open, and this may lead to the kind of vacation you dreamed of. Good luck, and have fun.

How can I get a teaching job in Thailand?

There are plenty of teaching jobs in Thailand in the low and middle range, and it is fairly easy to come here and find a job if you know how to comb your hair and put on a tie. Finding a full time salaried position is quite a bit harder, because there are a lot less of those available.

You can try to find a job from abroad, through a placement service, or agencies, but I got my job by walking in, coming and applying in person. There are advantages of each method.

If you work part time you should expect to have one or two main jobs plus privates, if you want to live a reasonable lifestyle. As a teacher, you should expect to work about 15 to 25 classroom hours a week, including your privates. Hourly rate of pay is somewhere around 200 baht per hour, probably higher in Bangkok.

For full time jobs the pay should range anywhere from 15,000 to 25,000 Baht a month, except in Bangkok, where it should be higher.

You need a bachelor's degree to work part-time at most universities, such as Chiang Mai University, and a master's degree if you want a full time position. But with the private language schools, you can probably find a position based on a 2 year degree, certificates, military or employment experience, if you market yourself smartly. How you present yourself is important, so dress well (men: shirt and tie, and try to shave back the growth so that you don't look like Charles Manson; women: wear moderate clothes, a skirt is better than jeans).

What cultural problems will I face in Thailand?

The following is a general list of observations about what you may face when you come to Thailand.

Don't expect restaurants to be smoke-free, don't expect anything to work correctly, and don't expect decaf coffee. These concepts haven't taken hold in Thailand yet.

For health and safety, refer to any of the guidebooks, which have very complete sections on this. About the water: drink bottled water, which you can get in any store, cheap bottles only 5 baht.

Regarding Malaria, I have been told by pharmacists that you can get drugs such as larium (mefloquine) here in Thailand. Personally, I've never taken the stuff. These drugs are not always effective against the disease anyway, and I've heard they can have nasty side effects. My advice is to take other precautions: wear long sleeves and long pants, especially at dusk and dawn, when the mosquitos are biting. Try to stay in a protected area (indoors or in a screened area) at dusk and dawn -- in other words, try to prevent the number of bites you get. Many areas of Thailand, such as Bangkok and Chiang Mai, are supposed to be safe from malaria. Check with the CDC or WHO before you leave for more info.

In spite of all the go-go bars and sexy women, Thais are fairly conservative about public behavior. They don't like to see couples hugging and kissing in public, or women in hot pants, or guys going shirtless on the streets. Thailand is a Buddhist country, Thai people are conservative, and they expect visitors to respect their values.

Thais also don't like to see foreigners coming to visit their country and "slumming it," with very little money and tattered clothes. It looks to the Thais like those farangs come to Thailand just to sponge off Thai people.

Women's roles and the perception of women in Thailand are not the same as in the west, so don't be surprised by things like seeing women defer to men, or hearing everyone refer to women as "girls." If you're a woman tourist, you won't be expected to act like Thai women -- but it won't be appreciated if you criticize their social values, either.

Male farang tourists will probably get a lot of attention from Thai women, but be careful. Most of it is just a polite way of showing respect. In spite of their playful attitude, most Thai women are fairly conservative about sex, and if they do have a sexual or romantic encounter, they will consider the man to be their husband. Sixties style "free love" -- sex without committment -- is rare in Thailand. Don't abuse your power.

Be aware of your behavior, and try not to stand out (you will anyway, because you're a farang). Avoid boisterous behavior, also avoid complaining as much as possible. Be careful with social criticism; remember, you're here to observe, not to try and change things. Dress in a modest way, and try to blend in.

Try not to bring your cultural assumptions with you. Remember that "right" and "wrong" are different over here, and that Thai people have been doing it their way for a long time. You may see a lot of things you disagree with: so have I. Try to reserve judgement, and eventually you may even come to realize that our own societies maybe aren't so "ideal" Ê Ê after all.

If all these rules and warnings bother you, just remember one thing: it's easy to get along with Thai people. All you have to do is relax, respect the other person, and... SMILE!.