Chiang Mai Culture Travel Guide  Jump to: Culture Galleries
In Chiang Mai you'll find a merry melange of cultures that include the hill tribe people, Burmese, Chinese, and other ethnic groups such as the Mons and the Tais. Some Muslims and a dash of Europeans and you have a multicultural pie that defies description. There's an amazing tolerance and happy co-existence which you could attribute to the Buddhist religion or the natural bonhomie of the Thai people. [more]
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Events and Festivals in Chiang Mai
Not the least of the North's attractions are the many festivals that dot the calendar. All Thais love a celebration but northerners have a special flair for them. The Songkran New Year festival in April, for example, is seen at its most colorful and boisterous in Chiang Mai.... read more. |
Hilltribes
The people that inhabit the hills of Northern Thailand have long been a curiosity for visitors to the kingdom. Living a life apart from the lowland Thais, these migratory people seem trapped in a time warp stretching back to the middle ages.... read more. |
History, Lanna Culture and King Mengrai
Lanna is the given name of a prosperous self ruling kingdom, once the power base of the whole of Northern Thailand as well as parts of present day Burma (Myanmar) and Laos. The title means "Land of a million rice fields".... read more. |
People of Chiang Mai
With a population of 1,547,085 Chiang Mai is one of Thailand's largest provinces. Of the above number, 170,348 are currently living in Chiang Mai's city area with the rest distributed throughout Chiang Mai's 21 districts, 2 sub-districts. 80% of the people in Chiang Mai are locals by birth, and
speak a dialect... read more. |
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Songkran in Chiang Mai
The most amazingly wild, wet and sanook of all Thailand's festivals is Songkran, which starts on April 13 every year and lasts for three wild, wet, and extremely fun days.... read more. |
Thai Architecture
The most distinctive style of Thai architecture is seen in the many temples located all over Thailand. Chiang Mai has no shortage of these, conspicuous for their steep stuccoed roofs and ornate filigree.... read more. |
Thai Art
Originating strictly as a religious form, traditional Thai art is often associated with Buddhism and the sangha - the community.... read more. |
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Buddhism is an inextricable part of the Thai culture and to know one is to understand the other. Concepts such as karma may be just smart speak for you and I, but for the Thais, it is a factual way of life. Buddhist tenets influence daily routine, social interactions, and even work. You'll find a docility which is not weak; an acceptance that is not a compromise; an inner strength that belies their slight frames. When you interact with the Thais, you are interacting with seven hundred years worth of tradition. This is in spite of the modern facades that fit snugly over the conventional norms and behaviour.
Special Events/ Festivals
The Thai calendar is replete with occasions to celebrate, and all are welcome to join in the exuberance. While the gaiety of New Year is still in the air, get ready for more at the Bosang Umbrella Fair & Sankampaeng Handicrafts Festival. It's not just about umbrellas, extraordinary as they are; it's about all things paper and the incredible creations crafted out of it. The Flower Festival in February has to be seen to be believed. Everything is bedecked in flowers, and you will be too, I fear, if you were to stand still for a moment. There's a beauty contest, in case you're interested whether as participant or spectator.
If you are a really, really lucky person, you'll be here in time for the Thai New Year Songkran Festival that falls in April. Have the time of your life engaging in friendly water fights and cheerful parades. The religious part of it comprises the procession of a Buddha image along the streets and you get to sprinkle water at it, respectfully of course. In August you get to see the Queen's Birthday Celebrations, when the whole country is lighted up and decorated in honour of Her Majesty. Chiang Mai celebrates an Art & Cultural Festival in April and if you have any interest in the topic that would be the time for you to visit.
The Loi Kratong & Candle Festival will enchant you. The entire city is all lit up and celebrating, with folk dances and fireworks that reflect the spirits of this happy people. You get to make banana leaf floats decked with candles and flowers which you then float on the waters of the Ping. This is how you worship the goddess of the water and thank her for this life-giving resource and beg forgiveness for polluting it. How awesome is that! Be there on the full moon night in November on the banks of the Ping River as the floats go gently by. I certainly plan to be.
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 "Everything you ever wanted to know about Chiang Mai culture"
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