Thread: Chiang Mai/Chai Pra Kan trip

Well I have had these in my gallery for a while so i guess i had better post the pics of my family's CM trip in March this year.

First of all we spent 3 days in Chiang Mai where I had the pleasure to meet CMN, FF, Katana and Scooter. Also went for the elephant tour thingy which is chronicled elsewhere.

Had a few beers and a few good meals at the Pirates Cove.



Don't be tempted to stay at the Anodard Hotel opposite though

We stayed at the Novotel which is about the same price if you book online, is clean and with excellent service. Its just outside the old city and very close to the bus station if that happens to be your mode of travel.
The double room consists of 2 large single beds (if you get what i mean) and is sufficient for a family of 4 if you dont mind a slight squeeze.

I booked through the hotels own website. It is much cheaper than the walk-in rates - that is if you book the room with a no-cancellation option, but hey, you werent going to cancel anyway right?

Hotel Novotel Chiang Mai: book your Novotel hotel in CHIANG MAI

The kids enjoyed the pool while I enjoyed a beer on a few hours after arrival.



After three days my wife decided I was better off without the influence of CMN and FF so she called our ex-neighbour - a Thai Chinese lady who did very well out of marrying an old Singaporean guy. Very well because he is dead now and my wife helped her get hold of the old fellas money.

So now she is a landowner/farm owner/money lender in Chia Pra Kan - about 3 hours drive from CM.

She came to pick us up in her erm.. pick up and the first stop was that famous temple with the steps- yep this is the thread with all the info you need



Thats our host in the black t-shirt. The guy to the right is some guy from the village she hired to drive.



^The view from the top on a hazy day

It was interesting to see how many Singaporeans got their names posted above some of the bits and bobs of the temple by donating fairly large sums of money - although judging by their addresses they live in crappy govt appartments like us.













well i could have stayed there for a couple of hours because it was very interesting, but my wife was getting pissed off that i knew how to behave at a Thai temple (something I obviously hadnt learnt from her) so we didnt stay long.

so we hit the road with me and the kids in the back of the pickup - it was a hot day but the fruits we bought went down well.



We then dropped off one of my hosts workforce who was going to do some paperwork for the boss in CM, which allowed my daughter to sit inside the pickup. After the twisty turny drive down the hill she felt like throwing up and I believed she would therefore be better inside with her mother.

So that left me and my son riding out back for the 3 hour trip to Chai Prakan.

My son was entertained throughout the journey by my scintillating conversation and witty repartee

We stopped off at a very nice national park at a reservoir along the way for a bite to eat. Not sure of the name of the place - maybe someone can help out on that one .







so suitably fed (and half pissed in my case) we continued on our drive to Chai Prakan. Yes I was still in the back of the pickup but that suited me because I didnt have to listen to the Chinese nattering going on inside and could smoke at my leisure.

As we got closer to Chai Pra Kan the journey wound through forests and towards higher altitudes and rougher roads and my ass was really taking a pounding (something popular in TV but not something i really appreciate).

The countryside was visibly scorched in places with some fires still burning - I guess thats where all the haze was coming from).

Anyway we finally reached our home for the next 4 days -in a small village of about 15 house on the outskirts of Chai Prakan.



^I took this pic when their 2 cars and 1 motorbike were not in the driveway. The house we were staying in was by the far most affluent in the place.





A dry old place. Apparently it hadnt rained for 6 months





^ The other boy is our hosts son. I remember him from Singapore as a little toddler allowed to run around wild in the corridor of our apartment block with no nappy and pissing and shitting all over the place. As you know I dont like to say bad things and detest gossip but the mother was always visited during the day by a Thai man while her aged Sporean husband was at work. And this boy is much darker than both his mother and father. Hmmmm.....much scratching of beard........



^The village shop on the right of the pic