Re visit to Chiang Mai

[moppet61]

It been 10 years ,I last step foot in Chiang Mai since 1996.Here are some question I would need your advice.
1.How the weather there on Dec..still cold as before?
2.No more flood?
3.Standard of living?,mean food and shopping.
4.Any new places of interest after 1996.
5.How they celebrate the Thai King Birthday there?
6.People there still friendly as before and safe?
This year my wife and me choose Chiang Mai to celebrate our Beloved Father of Thailand Birthday.Will be spending a week there.
Hear from you all soon and advice too.THANKs IN Advance.

[billk]

It been 10 years ,I last step foot in Chiang Mai since 1996.Here are some question I would need your advice.
1.How the weather there on Dec..still cold as before?
2.No more flood?
3.Standard of living?,mean food and shopping.
4.Any new places of interest after 1996.
5.How they celebrate the Thai King Birthday there?
6.People there still friendly as before and safe?
This year my wife and me choose Chiang Mai to celebrate our Beloved Father of Thailand Birthday.Will be spending a week there.
Hear from you all soon and advice too.THANKs IN Advance.

I just recently had a fabulous week in Chiang Mai. The people were friendly and the food was very good, as well as very cheap in comparison with some tourist areas down south or in Bangkok.

I don't know about new places of interest but my favourites were:

Elephant Nature Park, in the Mae Tang valley 50km N of Chiang Mai. (www.elephantnaturepark.org tel: 053-272 855). It's a haven for mistreated elephants. You can go for a day or stay longer.

Wiang Kum Kan - ruins just south of the city on the Lampun Rd. I toured around by bicycle but you can also go around on horse and cart.

Mae Sa falls.

Wat Suan Dok, Wat Lokmoli and Wat Chedi Luang.

Couldn't tell you about the shopping, I'm an Australian male.

From what I've heard from others on this forum, the one main negative change in Chiang Mai over the last ten years has been a big increase in traffic and a decline in public transport.

[Betti]

definitely no floods in December!
we had 3 horribly freezing, cloudy days at Christmas last year. ok, maybe not freezing, but it was calling for shirt+pullover+jacket. and cold nights of course. no need for aircon accommodation in December.
I first came five years ago, more traffic since, and lots more farang-style restaurants. some areas are becoming more commercialised by the day, might be disappointing and disillusioning after such a long time.
an amazing horticultural expo will be held from November to the end of January, that doesn't sound like something to be missed. there is a thread about it further down in the same Chiang Mai forum,
http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11023
what's new? lots of new spas. the Night Safari - though it's controversial and you are not expected to like it (I haven't been.) the panda exhibit at the zoo. otherwise, I have no idea what was not here 10 years ago but was 5 years ago....

[moppet61]

THANKs Billk,
Some question would like your help.Is the elephants tour whole day?And how much and it is safe for a 3 yrs.old kid.?
Will hear from you soon.Thanks again.

[moppet61]

Thanks Betti for your infromation on ChiangMai.
One last question,is the weather cold enough for a drip in the pool in the afternoon.Only wear swim trunk,do you think people will laugh at you for swimming during this time of the year.?

[billk]

THANKs Billk,
Some question would like your help.Is the elephants tour whole day?And how much and it is safe for a 3 yrs.old kid.?
Will hear from you soon.Thanks again.

They pick you up from your hotel/ guesthouse around 8.30AM and return you at around 7PM so it's a fairly long day. It would be possible for the 3yo to have a siesta somewhere, I'm sure. I guess with taking a 3yo down to the river to bathe the elephants, you'd want to keep her/him away from the action a bit. The staff will be very careful about not letting you do anything that wasn't safe for your child.

On www.thai-blogs.com there is a very nice blog about ENP titled "Lucky Elephants go to Haven."

[moppet61]

THANKsYOU Billk.

[Betti]

as I remember last year, some days in December were nice and warm, very much like a continental summer day. but when it's cloudy, you wouldn't want to go for a swim as it can be down to 15 degrees during the day, whixh will of course make the Thais shiver, and walk around wearing jackets, hats, scarfs and gloves. they might laugh at anyone in swimming trunks then :-) I have no idea if swimming pools close for the cool season.

[moppet61]

Betti thanks for yours warm reply.Hopefully the weather there in the afternoon will be warmer on that day.
And I very suprise that week(3-9Dec.o6),most of the hotels around ChiangMai fully booked.

[Betti]

whoa! what kind of hotel are you looking for and in which area? I guess you know the not-so-fancy but still good small hotels are not apparent on the internet and don't really take online reservations.