Song Kran in Mae Ngad Dam

"Sa Wad Dee Pee Mai ka"! Happy New Year everyone! :)

This year Songkran Festival just passed, I had the opportunity to go to the moat to splash water. I thought this year the people come out for splash water quite many although government did not permit to sell alcohol. “No Smoking, No Alcohol.”

I saw many people in the moat take the bowl with the water and walked around the moat while sprinkled the others. Some people also played in pick-up truck. They put the water into the buckets that was in the truck then they sprinkled the others while they were on the vehicle. Looked has been very amusing. This is Chiangmai’s Songkran Festival.

This year I was not only in moat join Songkran Festival, but also went to the Mae Ngad Dam with my Thai friends. It is the first time to go there for me, because it’s very amazing to me as a foreigner who lives in Thailand. Mae Ngad Dam is one of the nice Dam for spend the times with sun and dam without crown tourist. It is nice place for family and enjoy with seafood and happiness. I have known why Chiang Mai people like to go to Mae Ngad Dam, because this place is a very nice place moreover is very also peaceful. You can find the good bungalow with cheap price for delicious thai food.

It took two hours when we drive from Chiangmai town city to Mae Ngad Dam. Our first target is to board a boat round the Mae Ngad Dam. It had already passed noon when we arrived Mae Ngad Dam.

So, we had lunch here while waiting for the boat. After almost half hour of swaying in the dam, we finally arrived at our resort which locates up the dam. It’s really peaceful. This is the first time for me to Mae Ngad Dam. The dum’s color was gorgeous and the green tree was beautifully glittering in the sunlight. We changed our clothes and jumped in the dam. The females all put on the bikini to led the all of the males were slaver.

That night, we had a dinner at our resort, ate seafood. It was very perfect. There are a lot of fishes swimming in the dam. So beautiful!!! The food here was not too expensive. After dinner, we rest very early because everybody was very tired.

The next day morning, after breakfast we went to rent the bikes and rode to explore around the dam. It was so peaceful and romantic land. I had a very good feeling in this place. I love this place. I’ll keep it in my memory forever.

I thought this trip was very meaningful trip for me. Bye Bye green water, Bye Bye delicious seafood and Bye Bye Mae Ngad Dam.

I wander “Do you have went to Mae Ngad Dam?” “Is it peaceful and romantic in your opinion?” and “If you went to other place for your Songkran holiday?”
Please share your idea with us.

Posted by ^.^Ma Chi

The Traditional Community in Chiang Mai City

Nowadays in the biggest city of Northern Thailand, there is an old society that still stays here in Chiang Mai. Wat-Kate Community is an old – traditional on the east of Ping River side. This community started from many nationalities; Chinese, Europeans and local people. You can see from the remainder architecture. Wat Kate Temple is the center of the society. The building was started since 1796, at that time Chiang Mai was a colony of Bangkok. Before the railway arrived to Chiang Mai, this community was an important boat-landing from Bangkok to Chiang Mai or other Southern provinces. There were many foreigners such as English, Chinese, Sikh came to trade and lived here until now. The goods that they traded were necessary things such as salt, herbs, clothes, and sugar.

Wat Kate Museum is a place to collect many historical evident. This museum is in Wat Kate Temple. It is open everyday on 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. There are many old things such as Chofa, Bairaka (decorations of the two ends of a Buddhist temple’s roof with Naga headed-shaped horn), old style Chinese dishes, and traditional household utensils.

Wat Kate temple has been an ancient remain of Department of Fine Arts from 1975. It is on Ping Riverside Road that came through ChareonKrung Road on Kawila Zone.

Also, the Wat Kate community was a site of Borneo Company Limited. This company had received a forestry concession (teak) from King of Chiang Mai for 100 years, since 1855 to 1955. This company used more than 200 elephants to haul teak logs along Ping River and Ping tributaries to Paknampo; the estuary at Nakornsawan province then, sent those logs to Ayutthaya to change into teak boards and exported.

In the Borneo company, there are three big and beautiful teak houses which each of house has more than 100 teak poles, in the biggest teak house has 137 poles. These houses are not only old houses but also have many traditional works of art that I recommend you to visit them one day.

The charm of Wat Kate community is protecting and guarding the traditional thing to generation and generations. The houses and shops still keep the old day of Chiang Mai City that no one can delete it.

Chiang Mai Border Tourism Spot

Although Pai, is the district in Mae Hong Sorn, but nobody could not refuse to go there, if they come to visit Chiang Mai. Pai is not far from Chiang Mai, and the cost of travelling is not as high as anyone thought. Pai is the small town, surrounded by mountains and located in natural setting that is fresh and beautiful. The atmosphere is clean, pure, quiet and warmly welcoming. The different ethnics groups, religious beliefs and languages of the people have been blended together here to form a unique set of the cultural traditions. Pai in winter is the most attractive season for many tourists both Thai and foreigners. You can see many crowds and also many hill tribe vendors selling their traditional products along the sidewalks.

During the driving on Chiang Mai – Mae rim road, you can touch the smell of grass and dirt. The cool wind outside the window will come touch your face. The green of the forest and grass is one of eyes therapy. But along the Pai road which curvy, swervy and precipitous, you might not remember how many times that your head cracked on the window.

The accommodation in Pai, have many rate of price. Eventually, you can find the good places along Pai river side, with the yard in the front of the small bungalow. But in high reason, the rate might increase as the amount of tourists. In the evening, the time before the sunset, you can walk from your place to the center of town, because Pai is exactly the small town or you can rent the bicycle or motorcycle to visit the near by tourism spots. In the center of the town, there are many food stalls such as Nam Ngiw Stall or Thai Lanna Noodle and Rice Stall. Not far from the food stalls, you can walk to buy the souvenirs such as Pai shirts, Magnets and postcards.

In the morning, you can see the blue ocean clear sky, and the birds will come along and sing. When you walk along the river, Pai River, the longest River in Mae Hong Sorn, you can feel the wind coming touch your skin, the sunshine in the morning is not too strong. The yellow of Bau Thong flower fields across the river side look like they have a life and waiting for someone to discover. So you do not miss to the morning time in Pai.

Also in the night, Pai have night life entertainments to provide all kind of tourists. There is a comfortable and styled pub for anyone who loves Reggae, you can sit and have a talk with you loved one or your friends. And another one is provide for anyone who loves to dance, there is always have many styles of up to date songs and you can enjoy drinking and dancing in the same time.

As you see, Pai is the peaceful and charm. So coming to Pai is the one the attractive places for vacation. Don’t be hesitating coming to touch your freedom and the best resting. All people here are welcoming you.

By....Rattaporn

Glorious Water Fight: Songkran Festival

One of the high spots of the Thai calendar is the annual New Year celebration or Songkran Festival and as we know, Songkran Festival is celebrated throughout Thailand but the wettest and wildest celebration is at Chiang Mai in the North.

I think there will be a lot of tourists both Thais and foreigners flood to visit Chiang Mai. Some people may well know this festival but some may not know. Thus, as being a good host, I would like to give information and suggestions toward tourists who are coming to celebrate Lanna Songkran festival at Chiang Mai.

Songkran Festival in Chiang Mai falls on in mid-April and the festival officially happens over four days, between the 12 and 15 April.

On the first day, it is Wan Sangkhan Lohng, houses are cleaned and there is a procession of Buddha images and floats.

The second day, Wan Nao, is when special food is cooked and people collect sand from the rivers to make sand Buddhist towers in the temple.

The third day, Wan Payawan, is the first day of a new year and when the water fight traditionally started. People should get up early to offer the cooked food which was prepared on the previous day and new robes to the monks.

On the last day of the festival, Wan Park Bpee, people are supposed to visit and pay respect to ancestors and the elderly, in part by pouring scented water over their hands. Tourists can enjoy the festival almost for a whole week.

Besides, as almost everyone heads to join the festival at Chiang Mai so hotels and transports can get very book out. I suggest you should plan about how long you will stay or what is the day you will arrive or leave. You also should book well in advance if you want to fly or take the train including hotels as well. Because if you don’t, I think you will have to walk all day with your backpack looking for a bed.

I think Lanna Songkran festival has changed a lot from the past anyway. I think just a few groups of people who still preserve an old tradition of the festival. Nowadays, a new Lanna generation likes to drink and hang out during the festival rather than likes to go to the temple and follow the tradition. Thus, sometimes, Songkran in Chiang Mai gets out of hand, with too much drinking and a number of accidents caused by over-joyous behavior, but as long as you avoid riding in a vehicle with drunk drivers or drink too much during water fight then, I think you should be relatively safe.

Being a good host, Chiang Mai residents should take care of visitors including remains and preserve our old tradition and unique as long as we can. All these things will attract the visitors to love and come to visit our city again. It will maintain the glorious Songkran festival as well.
Let’s go to Songkran Festival!!

Medkaw Wichaino ^_^

Is it beneficial to be a touristy place?

Speaking of famous tourist places in Thailand, Chiang Mai is definitely said to be one of the most attractive places for tourists. Each year, Chiang Mai, dubbed the rose of the North, gains a great number of incomes. As a result, she’s getting more and more materially prosperous. However, I, as a native of Chiang Mai province, can’t help wondering whether tourism industry is truly beneficial to the city since there are many problems caused by this money-gaining strategy.

When I was young, Chiang Mai was peacefully charming with her fascinating cultures and beautiful scenery. The people were friendly; sincere smiles were commonly found every where. The environment was very healthy, refreshing and naturally beautiful.

At present, things have dramatically changed. With the rapid growing of tourism industry, the city is gradually losing its fascinating cultures. Fake cultures are made for business purposes. The hospitality of people has been replaced by their commercial mind; everything is done for money. In addition, charming cultures have been replaced by materialistic cultures. Being prosperous, the city attracts people from all over the country. Consequently, it cannot avoid the social problems which are caused by the dramatic rising number of the population: drug trafficking, prostitutes, crimes, violence and slummy neighborhoods.

In terms of environment, the natural resources are gradually destroyed. With the uncontrollable mushrooming hotels and resorts, the environment of the city is likely to be permanently polluted. The sewage from the hotels and resorts is released to the rivers and canals, permanently destroying the ecology system and the beautiful scenery of the city. Some historic places such as the ancient city wall and temples are devalued by the nearby brothel-like pubs and bars which are open to attract tourists.

Some might argue that tourism brings about the prosperity and money to the country. However, I wonder if it is good for the city to be a touristy place. Is it worth sacrificing our charming cultures, valuable natural resources and peaceful environment for that material prosperity?

Nattakorn (TUM) (:

Group Members

Members

1 Ms. Pornsawan Wachanachai

2. Mr. Nattakorn Sunanta

3. Ms. Rattaporn Khamlue

4. Ms. Medkaw Wichaino

5. Ms. Ma Chi