Our infomation site on Chiang Mai and the far North of Thailand. Visa, Tourism, forum , Blog and much more.

This is Chiang Mai INFORMATION

The theme and keeping of This-is-ChiangMai.INFO is
Information on
Chiang Mai.
& the Far North of Thailand.

Click the above link to get to our site, this is a free site running on HostingDude's servers

Finally we have ADSL, they had to run a new cable in from the main road and up our Soi, (street)

We already have 5 new Blog sites

This-is-ChiangMai-INFO.blogspot

This-is-ChiangMai.com

Akha-Hill.blogspot

Akha-Silver.blogspot

http://thisischiangmai.blogspot.com/

Over the next few months it will be expanded to include articles, photos, what's happening now and coming events.
If you have written an article past present or future on any thing to do with Chiang Mai or the Far North email it too us @

summit@this-is-ChiangMai.info

Summit your story and photo's of the incredible holiday that you had here and in the far north.
Send us your trials and tribulations, any problems you encountered.
We the ex pat community and the future tourist want to know.
Go and have your say at our
forum.

We are just writing the Visa Run Tips and Help Page.Take a look now as there is plenty in there already.
If you have any tips or facts please email us so we can include them.
Also please post them on the forum under Visa Runs.

Chiang Mai.
& the Far North of Thailand.

Chiang Mai is Thailand’s 2nd largest city and the centre of culture and arts in Thailand. Chiang Mai celebrated its 700th year anniversary about 8 or 9 years ago.

 

Chiang Mai was the capital of Siam for many years, being serviced from the south by river barge on the Mai Ping River. The large morning markets are still situated by the Mai Ping. All the main Consulates are still in Chiang Mai, with the British Consulate taking up a large block. The British had considerable influence here in the 1800s and early 1900s, helping the Thai Government set up the mail, railway and transport infrastructure.

 

Thailand means FREELAND. Thailand was never colonised as they had a very astute King who did his schooling in Europe, When the British and French started encroaching on Thailand he summand the respective consoles to his Palace and put forth the proposition that went something like this,

 

We have (the Kings personal army) 5000 battle trained elephants with full body armour, you have cannon. Your cannon will take out some of my elephants but the other 4000 will trample you to death, we also have a massive army of foot solders that will mop up any survivors.    

 

To the British consul he said as a peace offering I will give you all the land on the other side of the mountains bordering Burma. As for Thailand at this time of history it was very hard to service (because of the mountain range).

 

To the French he said something along the same lines but offering them all the land on the other side of the Mekong river.

 

Both Governments looked at the logistics of the situation and accepted the proposition.

 

Thailand has always maintained large armed forces as it was surrounded by hostile Countries who over the last 1000 years or so have each at one time or another ruled the whole Area.

 

During the cold war America supported Thailand to the hilt with planes, tanks, equipment and training.

 

During the Vietnam War the Americans had many bases here, Airport bases at Uban Thani etc.

 

Then came Air America (but that’s a whole story on its own) with arms for drug deals, CIA backing of the Hill tribe Drug Lord Armies, as in the CIA’s mind they were the bastion against Russian and Chinese communist forces.

 

Many of the treaties put in place in the cold war with the Shan people etc of Burma are still in place today and ratified by each incoming Prime Minister.

 

Once ratified by the incoming Prime Minister (after the long trek to the north in their fleet of Mercedes, Army, Police and security forces). They are then signed into law by the King.

Thailand was the launching pad for the secret War in Loa, Cambodia and of course Vietnam.

 

That all said explains why the Thai’s are such a happy care free people, they have never had there spirit broken and don’t have the undercurrent of hate that you see in a lot of the old French and British colonies.

 

Thailand is a sub Tropical paradise, with plenty of lush rain forests, rivers and lakes. The mountains of the north run down to the flatlands and ocean.

 

Chiang Mai is 11 or so hours by train from Bangkok or 1 hour by plane, It has its own International Air port, so depending on were you are coming from you can fly straight into Chiang Mai.

 

If you take the train from Bangkok the overnight sleeper is a good idea (book a bottom bunk) you get on the train, they serve dinner, make up the beds and you wake up in the morning for breakfast coming into Chiang Mai all for the price of dinner back home.

 

Thailand is a safe pace to travel; I have travelled back and forth from New Zealand for many years making 20 or more return trips with out ever having any thing stolen or the like. Getting over 6,000,000 tourists a year tourism is its no one $earner surpassing the rice crop for export $s.

 

From Chiang Mai you can book and plan small excursions into the unknown ha (Burma, Loa and China) with return air tickets from as little as $50 or we can book you on a over land cross river execution to Loa. Travelling up to Chiang Kong and then across the river to Laos.

We are a New Zealand Company With our Head office in Auckland and our base of operations in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Our sites.

GrantWills.com | This-is-ChiangMai.com | XanDreams.com | XanDreams-FreeHosting.com | Siam Free Hosting | 1st Home of silver | 1st ChiangMai Akha Christian Church | Free Christian Web Hosting | Siam-Akha.com (Tha & Akha Ladies looking for marriage)