My Chiang Mai

The first water pistols of the annual Songran ‘water war’ were seen at Thapae Gate on Saturday April 10th, and by Monday the 12th the fight was well under way, only one day ahead of the official start of the soggy Thai New Year holiday festival!

Happily for all, the fight is confined only to dowsing your opponents with as much water as you can from pistols, buckets, hoses, canals and gushing blue pipes (free, courtesy of the town hall!).

The liquid free-for-all clogs city centre streets – especially around the moat and particularly Thapae Gate – and will be seen and felt on every road of northern Thailand until Sunday the 18th.

Yes, it’s a traffic hazard, yes, it’s wildly irresponsible and yes, it’s a great way for all ages to cool down at the hottest time of the year.

But most vitally right now: NO it’s not political and NO it has no signs of any violence.

Certainly, more than the usual number of young Thais have flown north to have fun and get away from the tensions of Bangkok, but the only weapons they packed were giant water pistols. You’ll see red flags on some pick-ups and tuk-tuks, and small scarlet ribbons dangling from the mirrors and aerials of cars, but that is as ‘political’ as this festival gets this year.

While Ministers, Embassies and other ‘Agony Aunts’ wring their hands over tragedy and turbulence in the capital, Chiang Mai continues to be a northern world apart. The only thing we are wringing out here is our hair and our shirts. Whatever the colours.

Article contributed by David Hardcastle, Copyright David Hardcastle 2010

Thailand has received the International Association of Horticultural Producers’ permission to revive the flora festival in Chiang Mai later next year, where over 2 million visitors are expected throughout the 99-day event.

Somchai Charnnarongkul, director general of the Agriculture Department which is in charge of the project, said the “International Horticultural Exposition for His Majesty the King: Royal Flora Ratchaphruek 2011″ will take place during November 9, 2011 and February 15, 2012 on a 470-rai area in Mae Hia district.

The event is to mark the 84th birthday of His Majesty in 2011 and the 80th birthday of Her Majesty the Queen in 2012 as well as the 60th birthday of HRH Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn in 2012.

He said that the event, featuring over 2.5 million trees and plants, should boost the export and tourism sectors. Initially, at leat 10 countries will join the exhibition.

Chiang Mai Ballet Academy presents the 8th Charity Musical Dance Play featuring Sleeping Beauty 2010 at Kad Theatre of Kad Suan Kaew shopping complex in Chiang Mai on March 28 at 1:30pm and 7pm.

The charity show will be held with the aim of celebrating HM the King’s 83rd birthday and the royal diamond wedding anniversary of Their Majesties this year.

Directed by ML Preeyapun Sridhavat, the musical dance play will boast a cast of principal dancers who have won first prizes from many dance competitions in New York, Australia and Singapore.

Performing along with 300 students from the Chiang Mai Ballet Academy will be dignitaries including Shannon K Morrow, Madam of the US Consulate General Michael K Morrow; Toby Allen; and Dr Howard C Graves Jr.

The production will feature various styles of dance, including classical ballet, modern, jazz, Latin dance, hip-hop and flamenco with classical music of Tchaikovsky to be rendered by a professional singer.

Tickets cost 200, 300, 500, 800 and 1,000 baht (special group rate for students are also available) and can be purchased from Rimping Superstore, Kad Suan Kaew and Chiang Mai Ballet Academy. Proceeds will go to the Friends in Need (of “PA”) Volunteers Foundation. For more information, call 053-260-373, 089-6352586 and 089-788-5307.

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Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is expected to return, smiling, to Bangkok this September, despite the 2 year jail sentence hanging over his head.

But he won’t be jailed, or even questioned, because the Thaksin you are likely to see at the Siam Discovery complex will be a waxwork effigy of the man in the world’s 10th Madame Tussaud’s exhibition of famous figures.

Siam Discovery, with other investors, is spending US$15 million on Thailand’s first professional exhibition of waxwork images according to issue 2121 of ‘Travel Daily News’. A spokeswoman said that 8,000 visitors per day were confidently expected through the doors.

Madame Tussaud opened her first permanent exhibition of lifelike famous figures in London in the late 1800’s. Centrally located in the British capital, it has for decades been consistently one of the top tourist attractions of the whole nation.

Article contributed by David Hardcastle, Copyright David Hardcastle 2010

Unfortunately not “The Beatles”, but just Beatles!

The Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi (try saying that to a Tuk Tuk driver when you are drunk) has opened a Beetle Garden where kids and their parents can learn about these fascinating creatures, and learn about their lives and habits.

The general manager of the Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi, Mark Bradford said “The Beetles Garden activity is a lot of fun for all the family, and at the same time is a great way to learn more about nature and the environment”

The Beetle garden is free and the activity runs from 10am to midday, and from 3pm to 5pm.

For more information or to make a booking, you can contact the Lanna Kids Club on 053 888 888 ext 8827

This article is Copyright © MyChiangMai 2009, no reproduction without prior permission.

Chiang Mai Zoo’s tiny female star has at last been named.

A staggering 22 million people posted in their name suggestions for our new panda cub. And an equally amazing 60% of them chose the name Linping, Minister for Natural Resources and Envrionment Suvit Khunkitti has announced.

The name is in fact quite a clever Chinese-Thai combination. ‘Lin’ is part of the cub’s mother’s name, Lin-Hui, while ‘ping’ comes from our very own River Ping which flows through Chiang Mai city. Put together, ‘Linping’ also means ‘Forest of Ice’ in Chinese, totally appropriate to the natural habitat of this endangered species.

Linping’s parents are here ‘on rental’ from their homeland, and the rental contract specifies that any offspring should be returned to China within 2 years. However, negotiations are underway to extend the period, as Linping and her parents have become the box office hit of the zoo. In fact, they are 3 of only 180 pandas in zoos worldwide.

Mum Lin-Hui gave birth following artifical insemination after her mate’s total apathy towards mating. Even regular exposure to 15 minute videos of other panda couples mating failed to raise any enthusiasm in the prospective male parent. Who knows? Maybe the patter of tiny paws could prove to be the answer?

Editor’s note: one reason for the ‘endangered species’ status of pandas world wide is the low sex drive of the males, plus the unfortunate fact that the mothers are notoriously careless. Many a panda infant has perished when Mum suddenly rolled over in the wrong direction. But with Linping already proving to be such good business for the zoo and the city, it is expected that every precaution will be taken for her welfare.

This article is Copyright © MyChiangMai 2009, no reproduction without prior permission.

Chiang Mai zoo recently added a Snow Dome, and it’s become very popular with the tourists.

Located in the panda observatory, the 560-square-meter facility cost a staggering 60 Million Baht to build and will be maintained at a temperature of -5 degrees Celsius. It has separate sections for pandas and visitors and it will be the new home for the panda family at the zoo.

The fee of 150 Baht for adults includes a loan of warm clothing. Each session is just 15 minutes but that’s probably long enough given the temperature inside.  Only 50 people at a time are allowed into the Snow Dome so there may be a bit of a queue at peak times.  There are 12 sessions in a day.

Many Thai people who have never visited a cold country do have a desire to see and play in the snow. Perhaps this is an ideal opportunity to realize that dream?

This article is Copyright © MyChiangMai 2009, no reproduction without prior permission.