Chiang Mai has always had a special place in our travel hearts. We’ve traveled here with our daughters, and 2019 & 2023 trips with our grandchildren,…and this year with our granddaughters. We’ve hosted trips to Chiang Mai with our clients on 3 occasions. The area was important to our business as we sourced furniture, accessories, and antiques from Thailand, Burma, Cambodia, and Laos, from 1997 to 2016.

The ladies put a plumeria flower in their hair and walked around the Shangri-La Hotel grounds.

We checked in the Club lounge and were served welcome drinks and snacks.

They love breakfast and especially the variety in the downstairs Kad cafe.

We walked over to one of the laundries I use near the hotel. Can you believe they charge 40 Baht ($1.20) for 2.2 pounds!

The place may look dicey but they do a great job and even deliver the clean clothes back to the hotel. They are priced at about 1/3rd the hotel price.

Marla’s foot was still bothering her, so she sadly opted out of the Sunday Walking Street Market, a favorite of ours for many years. We planned a time for Marla to take GRAB transport and meet us later at a restaurant. We have used Grab (similar to Uber) throughout Thailand, Singapore, and Bali. The Girls and I decided to walk to the market from the hotel. We passed the old Wat Chang Khong on the way.

We walked passed a sacred Bodhi tree decorated with animistic poles with ribbons. I first saw it in 2019. It is part of a traditional Lanna (Northern Thailand culture) merit-making ritual known as Mai Kham Pho. Devotees place decorated bamboo or wooden poles under the tree’s limbs to symbolically support the branches, bring good luck, and honor the tree’s guardian spirits.

I paid a small entrance fee and took the girls into the grounds of one of my favorite Chiang Mai temples, Wat Buppharum. It dates from the 15th century and uniquely combines Lanna and Burmese styles.

Monks relax by the entrance.

Cleaning the steps to the temple.

Naga sculptures on the temple steps. See the link: https://www.siamniramitphuket.com/blog/thai-culture/naga-thailand/

A deity at the temple.

Standing next to a “Mom” statue in front of the temple. The creature is legendary Thai hybrid animal and a guardian at the entrance.

This is a white Lanna style stupa (pagoda) next to the temple.

We loved visiting Wat Bupppharam and explored numerous interior rooms with antique manuscript chests.

Chiang Mai Pride exhibit near the old town walls.

Many women and men enjoy wearing tradition Thai clothing for special occasions.

 The Sunday Walking Street market in the Old Town is held every Sunday from 4 to 11 PM on Ratchadamnoen Road.

Marla and Vaughan at the market in 2023.

Many vendors set up on the grounds of Wat Phan On, just off the main market street. The viharn of the Wat Phan On (behind us) is a large two story building with a three tiered roof with chofahs decorating the roofs ends. Large thevada figures are placed between the heavily decorated windows of its side walls. The doors and windows are richly decorated with finely made wood carvings depicting mythological creatures. The bodies and heads of Naga serpents make up the arches of the windows. The temple was built in 1501.

Marla took this 2010 photo of me shopping with one of merchants on the temple grounds. I’m bargaining for a Burmese bronze Hintha bird.

The Wat Phan On holds one of the most beautiful chedis covered in glistening gold. It was built in 2007 and named the Sareerikkatartsirirak Pagoda, named by his Majesty the King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX).

The Girls find a printed outfit they like.

They are great shoppers and really have an eye!

The Girls and I walked up to Annie’s Restaurant from the market.

“Ah…some delicious cold drinks!”

Marla arrives to have dinner with us.

We love Annie’s Restaurant!

Photos: Dick Gentry. Not to be used without permission.