discovering Thailand.... part 8 Chiang Mai- Shinawatra Thai Silk - The Best Thai Silk factory in Northern Thailand..

SAWADEE KAA!!

One of the things Thailand is known for world-wide is Thai silk. Thai silk is known as being the best silk in the world. It's famous for its bright colors, beautiful designs and gorgeous quality. The best place to buy Thai silk is in Chiang Mai and Bangkok.

On our last day in Chiang Mai... We decided to go to our favorite Thai Silk store in Chiang Mai. SHINAWATRA.. The factory and showroom is conveniently situated 7 kilometers from Chiang Mai on the main road to Sankampaeng. The road is home to many handicraft shops and factories and passes through the famous umbrella village of Bor Sang.

Silk yarn has always been ranked as " the Queen of Textile Fibers " for the obvious reason that it is  the smoothest and most gorgeous fiber with nothing else to compare. When woven into textile, it produces a beautiful sheen of fabric which requires a meticulously complicated process to produce each priceless work of art.

The showroom have been built near to where Chiang Shinawatra opened his doors for business in 1911.

Some trivia about Thai Silk:


Hand - made and local silk thread fabrics possess some knots and rough wrinkles due to the size of the thread used. However, if the fabric is woven from high quality thread it will be fine.

Silk luster is influenced by the quality of the threads. The silk fabric is usually shiny. It feels soft and fine, it also makes a rustling sound. The color will be uniform all over the textile and will not wash out as only dyes of the highest quality are used.

There are 3 different kinds of Ply when you buy Thai silk ( in case you are interested in buying material in their store ) :

ONE - PLY--- It is light weight, comfortable to wear, and is suitable for making shirts, blouses and light clothing design.

TWO - PLY --- suitable for formal wears, jackets and dressy outfits.

FOUR - PLY --- is thick and is very popular for men's suits, interior decorations, and furniture fabric.

Dry cleaning is recommended, so as to retain the original texture.  However, there are some thai silk that can be washed in lukewarm water but only with the mildest soap, then rinse the silk in vinegar to retain its original luster and allow it to drip dry in the shade. Thai silk should be ironed on the INSIDE just before it is dry or else put a damp cloth over the silk and iron.

In no circumstances ever put Thai Silk in wash and dry cleaning machine..

Address:  SHINAWATRA THAI SILK
               18 Huay  Kaew Road, A. Muang,

               Chiang Mai , Thailand

discovering Thailand.... part 7 Chiang Mai - Wat Doi Suthep and Phu Ping Palace.

Our first stop was Wat Doi Suthep.

There is a saying that " You haven't been to Chiang Mai unless you have paid pilgrimage to the Doi Suthep Temple". It is one of the places that you should consider when planning your holiday to Chiang Mai. It is located up in the mountains around 15 kilometers from Chiang Mai. I have gone to this temple some years back and I was not able to go up to the temple because the only way up was climbing the stairs... which had 300 steps. Today, Doi Suthep has a tram that you can ride to the top of the mountain.

There was a mini show for the tourists at the temple square where the students of a nearby school danced folk dances.

One thing you should know is that you cannot wear sleeveless shirts or shorts once you enter this temple. Loose clothing ( like a robe is available at the entrance) free of charge. The inner sanctuary is open to visitors from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Visiting Doi Suthep temple is one of the must do activities when you and your family visit Chiang Mai. A tour to Doi Suthep Temple can be combined with visits to the Phu Ping Palace ( the Winter Palace ) and the Long Neck Karen Tribe Village.

The admission to this place is 100 baht and you pay 75 Baht to take the tram up to the temple site.

Next stop.... Phu Ping Palace.

Phu Ping Palace is the Royal Winter residence in Chiang Mai where the Royal Family stays during their seasonal visits to the people in Northern Thailand. The Phu Ping Palace is also the Royal Guest House for prominent State visitors from abroad. In the past Their Majesties welcomed or granted audiences to State visitors in Bangkok. This Palace was built in 1961. The Palace may only be viewed from the grounds but the rose garden and the reservoir are very beautiful. One must not miss the Rose Garden in this visit.

The Queen's Summer Residence..

The Rose Garden

The Tallest and Biggest Bamboo trees found only at the Phu Ping Palace... They are 28 feet tall.

The Reservoir... with the fountains dancing to Thai music.

In my next two photos... please look  well.... I was able to catch the end of the rainbow on top of the fountain...

close up photo...

the admission to the palace is 100 Baht. Since it is a long way up to the palace ( roughly 2.5 kilometers hike )--- we rented a golf cart ( 300 Baht ) to take us around.

discovering Thailand.... part 5 Chiang Mai...Elephant Safari and Long neck Karen Tribe..

SAWATDEE KAA!!!

This tour is available in two options ---- coach or private. We opted to take the private tour with our own van and personal driver / tour guide.. The private option offers you a greater flexibility and you can spend as much time at any of the places that you visit. Unlike the tight and fixed schedules of coach tours, the private option allows you to do the tour at YOUR OWN PACE... The cost of hiring a private van and driver is 1500 Baht a day.

Less than 2 hours drive out of Chiang Mai is the valley of the Mae Taeng River. It is a convenient and ideal location for various activities including sports and sightseeing. The Mae Taeng Camp is a well-known elephant camp situated not far away from the heart of Chiang Mai.

As we entered the Mae Taeng Camp we proceeded to the ticket booth to see what rides were being offered. They had bamboo rafting which lasts for 45 minutes ( 400 baht/ person ), Ox - driven cart which lasts for an hour ( 600 baht/ person ) and elephant ride which lasts for an hour and a half ( costs 600 Baht/ person )... We took the elephant safari instead of the bamboo rafting and the ox-cart ride.....

We were informed that the elephant ride would take us through the jungles and cross the river... It sounded so exciting to us... so after a quick lunch break we headed off to the stalls where we would ride the elephants. The trainer of the elephant we rode controlled the elephant by his voice command. AMAZING!!!!

I was a bit scared in some parts of the trail ... --- the elephant would stop and hesitate whether to cross the river or not.. and on some parts of the jungle path... I thought we would fall down the steep ravine... Riding the elephant is quite fun and a unforgettable adventure to a city girl like me....The ride was another thing you have to master... you either SWAY from the left to right... and UP and DOWN .... I should caution you not to take this ride right after lunch like we did...... at some portions of the jungle ... Several times along the path..  we would stop at the small stalls to buy SUGAR CANES and RAW BANANAS ( around 30 baht / pack ) and feed it to your elephant and get snorted at!!!  I guess its their version of an elephant fast food drive-thru!!

After getting off the elephant, the trainer made our elephant do some tricks for us and when I took some money to pay the trainer for the photos I took... The elephant took it using his trunk and gave it to his trainer and did a cute curtsey.... That made my day!!!  It was absolutely AMAZING!!

Don't miss the once -in- a- lifetime experience of riding on an elephant and trekking into the jungle. You will be thrilled! Grasp the handle bar firmly, its like a roller-coaster ride.

Our next stop was the Long Neck Karen Hill Tribe Village ( Lisu Long Neck from Burma ).

They seem to be a fixture of every package tour or day trip when you visit Thailand. Among the most 'popular " of the hill tribes are the LISU , commonly referred to as the tribe of " Longnecked " women. Several villages of these people, part of the Karen refugees from Burma, are found in Northern Thailand, especially around Mae Hong Son. These tribe lives in extreme humble means mostly wooden huts with grass rooftops. They are fascinating people, friendly and always smiling. I do not know if these smiles were faux but I do know it was the highlight of my Thailand experience.

The women of the Lisu tribe wear brass coils around their neck. Their necks are no different from yours or mine even though it appears to be longer. Contrary to what was once believed, the coils do not stretch out the necks, but rather they push the shouders and rib cage downward. These coils are put on their necks at a very young age. If removed their neck muscles are so weak they are unable to lift their own heads.  Girls start wearing small coils around the age of six, and the size is increased as they grow older. The coils on the adults typically weigh about 5 kilos ( or roughly 11 pounds ).

Whether or not you decide to visit these people is up to you. On one hand, tourism is one of the few ways that these people can earn a living. As refugees, they are not allowed to seek regular work in Thailand. Most of these women seem to be proud of their heritage and feel no embarrassment about showing it off for the tourists.

Their traditional dress is the most colorful when compared to other tribes. Their clothes are handmade and hand woven. The women wear brightly colored costumes, consisting of blue or green parti - colored knee lenght tunic with a wide black belt and blue or green pants. Sleeves , shoulder and cuffs are heavily embroidered with narrow horizontal bands of blue and red . They also wear large amounts of hand-crafted silver ornaments.

The entrance fee to the hill tribe is 500 Baht. Then you have to hike up the hill to where the LISU women live. Inside the village the people have shops and sell different items like soap, crafts, postcards etc.  and their main source of income is weaving scarves.

I must admit I felt like I was strolling onto a page of National Geographic magazine. When in the presence of the people they spoke of longing to go back to their homeland and here they are 14 years later still without citizenship or a place to call their own.

Discovering Thailand.... part 4 Chiang Mai..... Butterfly and Orchid Farm and Tiger KIngdom

Instead of going on a tour with a tour group... we decided to hire a private car with a driver/ tour guide who can speak English to take us to our destinations in Chiang Mai. You can get one thru the help of the front desk of your hotel. The cost of a private tour  ( car and driver/guide is 1500 Baht/ day )...

our  first stop..... Orchid and Butterfly farm...

It is in the tropics that orchids are at their most diverse and spectacular. With more than 25,000 species, orchids are among the most successful and remarkable plants in the world. In Thailand, they have 860 species, 473 of these species can be fund in and around Chiang Mai province.

This Butterfly and orchid farm is 13 kms north of Chiang Mai city. It is in the Mae Sae valley. There are a number of orchid farms and nurseries in this area. The main nursery is called ORCHID FARM located on the Mae Rim to Sameong Road. It is opened from 9:00 am - 6:00 pm. The cost to enter the butterfly and orchid farm is 300 Baht per person.

On to the Tiger Kingdom.........

The Tiger Kingdom is one of Chiang Mai's latest tourist attractions. It opened its doors to the public late last year. This Tiger Kingdom is the only one which allows visitors an " up close and personal " experience with the tigers, allowing them to play, stroke and take photos in the tigers ACTUAL ENCLOSURE !!!

The best time to view these tigers is early in the morning or later in the afternoon where these tigers are fully active.... most of the time these felines appear to be asleep for large part of the day. Don't worry their cages are very clean and their handlers are really helpful.

There is no entrance fee unlike other parks . You just have to pay the admission fee to enter their cages. You are free to walk around to view the tigers behind their cages. The admission fees you pay are solely based on the" age group " of tigers that you want to interact and have photos with.

Once you have decided on which age group you want to visit ... they will ask you to sign a disclaimer before entering these cages.... then... they will show you the cages where your chosen group of tigers reside. Once inside the cage you are accompanied by at least 2 handlers, who both carry sticks with them and occasionally tap on the end of the tigers noses, if they become too boisterous or frisky.

It is a good destination place for tourists looking for a different experience than you would normally do at a zoo.

From all that you have read above you must conclude whether a visit to the Tiger Kingdom in Chiang Mai is for you  or not, you could always go and just wander around without the full participation in interacting with the tigers.

You can bring a camera to take photos by yourself inside the cage. If you need a professional photographer to take the photo you have to add an additional 300 Baht and get a CD with 50 pictures in it.

The admission / playing or having your photos taken with the tigers are as follows:

Big cats                      520 Baht with insurance  for 30 minutes
Medium Cats              380 Baht with insurance
Baby cubs                   240 Baht with insurance ( for 15 minutes )

The Tiger kingdom is located in Mae- rim. It is 10 km ( around 20 - 30 minutes ) from the city center of Chiang Mai.


HAVE FUNNNNNN and SAWATDEE KAA!!!!!!!!!!