My Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Chiang Mai is a place many tourists visiting Thailand would recommend; much quieter than Bangkok but still full of Thai history with plenty of temples to see.

A mountainous region with all the conveniences of a City, people travel here for a change of pace, oh, and for Songkran festival, which sees the population double during this 5-day event. We were in Chiang Mai for Songkran. There are plenty of things to do in Chiang Mai so we obviously visited the usual touristy parts, but we also did a few different things.

I want to start by talking a little about Thailand’s history. Up until 1939 (and between 1945-1949), Thailand was called Siam. If you are a fan of the Hollywood actor Yul Brynner, you may remember his movie “The King and I” or the later movie “Anna and the King”, both based on King Mongkut of Siam which were never shown in Thailand because they were considered derogatory to the King. How serious are they about their King? Thailand has the lese majeste rule, meaning that if you commit disrespectful acts toward the King, you could be imprisoned for treason.

The name “Thailand” means “Land of the free” which is appropriate, as its the only country in Southeast Asia never to have been colonised by a foreign power. Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, means “City of Angels” and its full name is Krungthepmahanakhon Amonrattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilokphop Noppharatratchathaniburirom Udomratchaniwetmahasathan Amonphimanawatansathit Sakkathattiyawitsanukamprasit. Doesn't that just roll off the tongue? ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).