Like any good modern city, Chiang Mai is a place where you can satiate your gadget lust and need for technology easily and quickly, and you will find fewer places where you can buy an entire desktop PC, custom-built, for less: cheap computers, cheap unlocked cellphones, peripherals and accessories like Bluetooth headsets, speakers, keyboards, HDMI or USB cables, and mice are readily available nearly everywhere-in fact 7-11's have started selling headsets and mini-speakers to go with your netbooks, smartphones, or iPods. If you are just here to visit, it's also extra helpful to buy expensive gadgets in Thailand and claim tax refunds when you depart which can net you back quite a bit of cash. In particular, you can find them gathered into IT sections or digital malls at the following locations:
Panthip Plaza
Located on Chang Klan Road in the Night Bazaar (also known as the Night Market), the Panthip Plaza is a miniature version of the renowned digital shopping mall in Bangkok of the same name. Though considerably smaller in scale than its older counterpart, it also has the advantage of being much less cramped, less noisy, and having a little more class: the building includes a dental clinic, a Shabushi restaurant, and the Fuji Japanese restaurant as well as a food court on the top floor, plus a SE-ED bookstore and several coffee outlets. You can find software, games (PC, XBOX 360 and PS3 alike; if you are a little retro, you can also buy very cheap PS2s), digital cameras, and hardware components ranging from RAM sticks, external USB drives, graphic cards, power supply units to LCD monitors large and small. There are also several shops in the building that will let you choose these component parts and assemble them for you at no extra charge: the alternative, if you will, to Newegg if you are living in Thailand. This way, you can get yourself a very powerful gaming desktop for nearly half the price you would have paid in the States, United Kingdom or Australia. At the time of writing, there is almost nothing on offer for those looking for a new shiny smartphone. However, there will be an HTC shop opening soon at the Panthip Plaza if you're looking for some Windows Phone 7 or Android goodness in your life.
Siam TV
A glitzy electronics shop that sells everything from washing machines and ovens to the latest and greatest HDTVs and 3D televisions from Samsung, Sony, and LG. Naturally their catalogue includes laptops and netbooks from leading brands including but not limited to Toshiba, Acer, Asus, Dell and HP as well as smartphones, feature phones, and all the peripherals they entail. They also stock Android tablets and iPads. The second floor is home to a True Vision office (if you need to get your cable subscription dealt with) and a small café offering cold and blended beverages.
Computer Plaza
Situated in the Old City area by the canal on Manee Nopparat road, this digital mall is very similar to the Panthip Plaza but has the disadvantage of being rather older and a little grubby around the edges. It offers a range of goods very much like Panthip Plaza's, however, but is much farther from the Night Bazaar and somewhat more inconvenient to reach if your accommodation isn't in its immediate vicinity.
Computer Square
Adjacent to the Computer Plaza; offers similar custom computers shops, software, and hardware components.
Central Airport Plaza
The third floor of the Central Airport Plaza is devoted almost entirely to technology: whatever section you are in you will be seeing many, many brands of computers and indeed the most famous names have their own shops here, including Dell, Lenovo, HP, Sony, and Acer for computer makers. For smartphones OEMs, you can expect to find a nice, classy shop displaying HTC's latest and greatest (Desire HD, Incredible S, HD7, and Mozart) showing off their vibrant AMOLED or Super AMOLED displays and the latest version of Android. If you are after a TV or two, there are Sony and LG shops dedicated just to those too, with the latter also offering smartphones such as the surprisingly affordable dual-core LG 2X running on the Nvidia Tegra 2 system on a chip. Nokia is also represented in a fairly large store and you can find a Nokia service center just opposite the shopping mall itself. Off to the side, next to the IT City shop, you will find many smaller cellphone counters that buy and sell secondhand devices (today not limited to just phones but also iPads, the Blackberry Playbook and the Samsung Galaxy Tab as well as an Acer Iconia Tab or two), which is quite ideal if you are the type of gadget lover who needs to switch handsets or tablets every few months-sell yours, collect the money and off to get a shiny new one.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Monday, June 13, 2011
Chinese Restaurants in Chiang Mai
Chinese-Thai integration has always been fantastic throughout the history of Thailand, and nowhere is that more obvious than in the proliferation of Chinese restaurants in Chiang Mai! Find out where to eat great, authentic Dim Sum, Peking ducks and more here.
Panda Palace
A charmingly appointed Chinese restaurant, the Panda Palace lets you take a peek into the traditional teahouses of ancient China, with plush seats and décor tailored around red silk, mother-of-pearl camphor wood panels and-last but not least-excellent Dim Sum (Cantonese cuisine, usually steamed or fried items, served on small plates or in wooden baskets) from shrimp dumplings, meat balls, spare ribs, goose feet, turnip cakes and fried taro dumplings. Don't miss their steamed custard buns or vegetable spring rolls! With a wide-ranging and comprehensive menu, they are not limited to Dim Sum items but also offer excellent barbecued honeyed pork, Peking duck, stir-fried Chinese noodle, fried rice, crispy lemon chicken, sweet-and-sour spare ribs, shark fin soup and more that will make you feel just like you are dining at the table of an emperor from the distant past. You can pick your desired portion size (small, medium, large) for most menu items. High-quality chrysanthemum tea, both hot and cold, is served with every meal. This restaurant is open from 11.30 AM to 2 PM, and then again from 6 PM to 9 PM for dinner. Price range is medium to high depending on the food you are ordering (i.e. Dim Sum is considerably cheaper than shark fin or Peking duck); on average expect to spend $10-20 per person while dining here, and a little less if you opt for their luncheon buffet, which mostly consists of Dim Sum and fried dishes. It can be found in the city center on Chang Klan Road.
Him Pochana
Distinguished by its garden setting and moderate, diner-friendly meal rates, this open-air building is surrounded by a stream and offers both Thai and Chinese cuisines in its repertoire. The tables are set with Chinese-style round carousels and the menu is nothing short of huge; the décor is simplistic but endearing, complete with a Chinese ancestral shrine in one corner. Him Pochana is located in Doi Saket on the Chiang Mai-Lamphun road, and is best known for its fish and pork dishes, the former of which is remarkably fresh and well-seasoned.
Jia Tong Heng
A two-floor building restaurant located near Anusarn Market (part of the Night Bazaar area), this restaurant is best known for its ginger fish dish. Private rooms are available but don't expect too much from its ambience, as in true old-school Chinese style you will be sitting through a lot of loud chatter and kitchen noises. The premise itself is somewhat long overdue for a renovation, with both floor and walls well-worn by time and feet. If you go there for the food, however, you should meet with no disappointment (albeit the desserts are not particularly recommendable).
Shanghai Restaurant
Rather unusual in that it offers Shanghai cuisine, whereas most Chinese restaurants in Chiang Mai go for Cantonese (hence the proliferation of Dim Sum of all sorts). Run by a Chinese businessman, this eatery is situated inside the China Town area, which is where the famous Warorot Market lies.
Yod Aroy
A simple, down-to-earth eatery that combines Thai and Chinese cuisine in the business district; the prices can't be beat, but you will be getting what you pay for (though that is not necessarily bad) and the food is definitely authentic.
Panda Palace
A charmingly appointed Chinese restaurant, the Panda Palace lets you take a peek into the traditional teahouses of ancient China, with plush seats and décor tailored around red silk, mother-of-pearl camphor wood panels and-last but not least-excellent Dim Sum (Cantonese cuisine, usually steamed or fried items, served on small plates or in wooden baskets) from shrimp dumplings, meat balls, spare ribs, goose feet, turnip cakes and fried taro dumplings. Don't miss their steamed custard buns or vegetable spring rolls! With a wide-ranging and comprehensive menu, they are not limited to Dim Sum items but also offer excellent barbecued honeyed pork, Peking duck, stir-fried Chinese noodle, fried rice, crispy lemon chicken, sweet-and-sour spare ribs, shark fin soup and more that will make you feel just like you are dining at the table of an emperor from the distant past. You can pick your desired portion size (small, medium, large) for most menu items. High-quality chrysanthemum tea, both hot and cold, is served with every meal. This restaurant is open from 11.30 AM to 2 PM, and then again from 6 PM to 9 PM for dinner. Price range is medium to high depending on the food you are ordering (i.e. Dim Sum is considerably cheaper than shark fin or Peking duck); on average expect to spend $10-20 per person while dining here, and a little less if you opt for their luncheon buffet, which mostly consists of Dim Sum and fried dishes. It can be found in the city center on Chang Klan Road.
Him Pochana
Distinguished by its garden setting and moderate, diner-friendly meal rates, this open-air building is surrounded by a stream and offers both Thai and Chinese cuisines in its repertoire. The tables are set with Chinese-style round carousels and the menu is nothing short of huge; the décor is simplistic but endearing, complete with a Chinese ancestral shrine in one corner. Him Pochana is located in Doi Saket on the Chiang Mai-Lamphun road, and is best known for its fish and pork dishes, the former of which is remarkably fresh and well-seasoned.
Jia Tong Heng
A two-floor building restaurant located near Anusarn Market (part of the Night Bazaar area), this restaurant is best known for its ginger fish dish. Private rooms are available but don't expect too much from its ambience, as in true old-school Chinese style you will be sitting through a lot of loud chatter and kitchen noises. The premise itself is somewhat long overdue for a renovation, with both floor and walls well-worn by time and feet. If you go there for the food, however, you should meet with no disappointment (albeit the desserts are not particularly recommendable).
Shanghai Restaurant
Rather unusual in that it offers Shanghai cuisine, whereas most Chinese restaurants in Chiang Mai go for Cantonese (hence the proliferation of Dim Sum of all sorts). Run by a Chinese businessman, this eatery is situated inside the China Town area, which is where the famous Warorot Market lies.
Yod Aroy
A simple, down-to-earth eatery that combines Thai and Chinese cuisine in the business district; the prices can't be beat, but you will be getting what you pay for (though that is not necessarily bad) and the food is definitely authentic.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Hill Tribes of the North - Chiang Mai, Thailand
The Northern Thailand administrative region is known for its population of native hill tribes which, much like the Native Americans of the United States, are an ethnic minority living in a strongly multicultural society. They are divided into various tribes and clans, each with its own set of customs and distinct subcultures. The most notable groups are called the Akha, Lisu, Hmong, Mien, Lahu, Paduang, and the Karen. They generally live in remote uphill and mountain lands, where they keep traditional villages and make their living from agriculture: without exception, their areas are rural and for the most part modern conveniences, education and economic opportunities are scant. Unlike the Native Americans, the hill tribes are not generally indigenous to the region but instead immigrated from bordering countries, such as Myanmar, Tibet, Yunnan, and China. The only exception to this is the Paduang, who are native to Thailand. Other tribes have been in the country only for about 100 years. In total, the hill tribes number at 700,000 to 1,000,000, making them anywhere from 1% to 1.47% of the entire population of Thailand (the uncertain numbers are due to difficulties in taking consensus among the hill tribes, many of whom are not registered citizens and who have no social security records or housing records with the government).
In the year 1959, the government formed the National Committee for the Hill-Tribes to assist in the integration of the tribes into Thai culture and society, while emphasizing that their cultures and animistic practices must be retained and preserved; that integration must happen without assimilation. Part of this is caused by their increasing population and the extreme poverty they suffer, as well as their agricultural practices which involve shifting cultivation and their slash-and-burn techniques, both of which threaten the forests and water reserves as well as contributing to drug trafficking, the last of which is illegal in Thailand. Toward curbing this and developing a sustainable economy in which hill tribes can live off the land without damaging it, the Royal Project-an organization founded by the current king to assist farmers and citizens living in rural areas-has sponsored a program to educate hill tribes on more environmentally aware farming practices, as well as providing them with the tools and technology to do so: among others, the Project has developed village roads, irrigation systems, and have made progress in bringing electricity to the mountain villages. This has led to a decrease in the growing of poppies and also assisted the tribes in becoming more prosperous and self-sufficient through the growth of winter crops, coffee beans (see Doi Kham coffee) and many other flora that cannot be sustained on the lowlands and most of Thailand due to the tropical climate. While they continue to suffer from marginalization and exclusion to some extent, the Royal Project has had considerable success in the matter of uplifting and helping them. The government has also initiated a program to establish and staff primary schools in these areas to ensure that hill tribe children are equipped with rudimentary education so that, when or if they do leave their villages for the cities, they will be better able to resist exploitation by unethical employers, and capable of finding jobs that conform to legal standards, including minimum wage and health insurance.
In addition to everything else, many hill tribe villages are now a tourist attraction: while it can be argued that this contributes to harmful exotification and that merchandising them is in many ways dehumanizing, there is an upside to the tourism in that it brings some income to the hill tribes themselves, and this is more than anything a welcome addition. So while you should certainly consider trips to visit these villages, it would also be helpful to make sure that you can respect their cultures while you are there and that you can treat them as human beings instead of zoo exhibits. Trips to the Golden Triangle, where the borders of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand meet, are particularly good as they tend to include multiple hill tribe visits.
In the year 1959, the government formed the National Committee for the Hill-Tribes to assist in the integration of the tribes into Thai culture and society, while emphasizing that their cultures and animistic practices must be retained and preserved; that integration must happen without assimilation. Part of this is caused by their increasing population and the extreme poverty they suffer, as well as their agricultural practices which involve shifting cultivation and their slash-and-burn techniques, both of which threaten the forests and water reserves as well as contributing to drug trafficking, the last of which is illegal in Thailand. Toward curbing this and developing a sustainable economy in which hill tribes can live off the land without damaging it, the Royal Project-an organization founded by the current king to assist farmers and citizens living in rural areas-has sponsored a program to educate hill tribes on more environmentally aware farming practices, as well as providing them with the tools and technology to do so: among others, the Project has developed village roads, irrigation systems, and have made progress in bringing electricity to the mountain villages. This has led to a decrease in the growing of poppies and also assisted the tribes in becoming more prosperous and self-sufficient through the growth of winter crops, coffee beans (see Doi Kham coffee) and many other flora that cannot be sustained on the lowlands and most of Thailand due to the tropical climate. While they continue to suffer from marginalization and exclusion to some extent, the Royal Project has had considerable success in the matter of uplifting and helping them. The government has also initiated a program to establish and staff primary schools in these areas to ensure that hill tribe children are equipped with rudimentary education so that, when or if they do leave their villages for the cities, they will be better able to resist exploitation by unethical employers, and capable of finding jobs that conform to legal standards, including minimum wage and health insurance.
In addition to everything else, many hill tribe villages are now a tourist attraction: while it can be argued that this contributes to harmful exotification and that merchandising them is in many ways dehumanizing, there is an upside to the tourism in that it brings some income to the hill tribes themselves, and this is more than anything a welcome addition. So while you should certainly consider trips to visit these villages, it would also be helpful to make sure that you can respect their cultures while you are there and that you can treat them as human beings instead of zoo exhibits. Trips to the Golden Triangle, where the borders of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand meet, are particularly good as they tend to include multiple hill tribe visits.
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