I was sitting in a small garden coffee shop just behind my school sipping a cooling iced-coffee yesterday afternoon, when I started to think about the area surrounding me. Its history is the history of foreigners in Chiang Mai, as this area is where the first foreigners settled, lived and worked in the late nineteenth … Read more
Over the last 12 years Chiang Mai has become one of the most popular expat cities in Thailand and Southeast Asia. It blends tradition with history, culture, delicious food, friendly locals and spectacular scenery. Compared to most Western cities, the cost of living is amazingly low. Therefore, it’s hardly surprising that this city has also … Read more
I had time between courses a few weeks ago so decided to take the family for a short break away from the city and TEFL training. Although I love Chiang Mai, it’s always nice to climb mountain roads and drive through clouds with windows open and cold breezes filling the car. Something that surprised me … Read more
In November 2010, the then Education Minister, Mr. Chinnaworn Boonyakiat, delivered a lecture to members of the Thai senate in relation to _Thailand’s Educational Preparation for ASEAN Community in 2015. He admitted that in the past, Thailand had no clear plan relating to the development of the country’s education system. In addition, Thai students had … Read more
I spent a beautiful and enjoyable day recently at the Royal Flora Ratchaphreuk horticultural exposition in Chiang Mai. It’s a mix of pavilions, gardens, events and activities all nestled into a small valley off the irrigation road around 15km south of the city. Arrival at Royal Flora Arriving at these sorts of places I am … Read more
Chiang Mai is a city of temples, and these temples are at the historical and cultural heart of the city. In fact, one houses the City Pillar which gave the city its cosmological chart and hence the blueprint for its construction in 1296 by King Mengrai . There are hundreds, but for this blog, I … Read more
For this month’s blog I would like to take a look at one of the most impressive schools in Thailand: Varee Chiang Mai School (VCS) Built by Ajarn varee The owner and director, Ajarn Varee, has built from scratch a modern and very well equipped school that is on a par with any school in … Read more
I’m sitting writing this blog to the sound of cicadas producing their screeching song outside my window, and the feeling of sweat running down my chest and back, which means to most Chiang Mai people it’s the hot season. March to May it gets Hot The rains here stop in November, and apart from occasional … Read more
It’s been an interesting few weeks since my last blog: floods, a knee operation and the start of the Premier League season. I am going to focus on performing arts in Chiang Mai for this blog post, but before I do that, I will update on what’s been happening here. I also need to move … Read more
