Tuesday, July 15, 2025

Birthday Weekend

I decided to utilise my second Malaysia Airlines Flypass and spend my birthday weekend by revisiting Chiang Mai. I’d been to Chiang Mai twice before with Mummy and Abah joined the second trip too. 


Friday, 4 July 2025


I left home early and made my way to KLIA. Was a bit surprised to find the gate was at the satellite building. I’d decided to carry my bag on board and not check it in so I’d packed quite lightly (except for the thick books). We took off on time and landed at 11:45. After asking for directions, I walked to Door 1 to catch the bus to the city. I’d booked hotel within walking distance from Tha Phae Gate. It took about ten minutes on foot to Budget Stars Hotel and I checked in and was able to go up to my room after ten minutes. I had to pay a deposit of THB300.


I ventured out in mid-afternoon and walked down to Changklan Road then walked up to Charoen Prathet 1 Alley and had halal beef noodles for late lunch.  Then I walked up to Ton Lam Yai Market but it was closed and deserted at that time of day. It started raining shortly after so I sought shelter outside some shops along Tha Phae Road. Thankfully the rain didn’t last long and soon I was strolling down Changklan Road and browsing the stalls that had already been set up. I stopped by a vegan stall at Pha Ploen Market and bought pomelo salad for dinner before returning to my hotel.


Saturday, 5 July 2025


I ventured out at about 10:00 and walked to Ping River. It didn’t impress me much so I turned and walked up Charoen Prathet Road. I came across a restaurant selling fish soup noodles and after checking out my options, had a bowl of fish noodles as my mid-morning meal.


I walked up to Ton Lam Yai Market and browsed the stalls. I found myself buying some dry snacks. There were some fruit sellers outside the market and I ended up buying a kg of mangosteens. I saw lychees too but buying another kg of fruits would be too heavy for me. I then crossed over to Warorot Market and after circling around the market, I bought some pouches as souvenirs. I returned to Charoen Prathet 1 Alley and had khao soi for lunch. On the way back to the hotel, I stopped by a jewellery shop and browsed. Oh dear. And I wasn’t planning to shop!


I ventured out in the afternoon in the drizzle (I borrowed the hotel’s umbrella) and walked to Mae Kha Canal. I then walked along the canal up to where it meets Suriyawong Alley. Then I walked up to Wua Lai Walking Street Saturday Market. I didn’t stay long - by now, the street markets had all started to look similar, selling the same boring things (souvenirs, t-shirts, ceramic things, clothes, repeat, repeat, repeat). I walked to Pha Ploen Market and bought some green noodles from the vegan stall, but not before stopping at the jewellery store and buying a baroque pearl necklace. We'll figure out when we’ll wear it later.


Sunday, 6 July 2025


This morning, I ventured to Charoen Prathet 1 Alley. I wanted to have some wanton noodles, alas, I wasn’t in luck. Upon recommendation, I had pa pa soi instead. After that, I walked along Tha Phae Road to Wat Chiang Man. I spent about twenty minutes there before I walked down to Three Kings Monument, which as the name suggests depicts the purported three founding kings of Chiang Mai. I then walked down to Wat Chediluang Varaviharn but I didn’t go in. Instead, I walked down Rachadamnoen Road on my way to Tha Phae Gate.


I literally stopped in my tracks when I spotted Prang Crocodile Leather shop. I found myself going in and I proceeded to spend at least thirty minutes there (and I wasn’t supposed to shop!!!). I found out that crocodile belly skin is the most expensive part of the whole crocodile. I left with a small pouch case (similar to LV key pouch). Aiyaiyaiyai! Oh, I was told there was a Sunday night market along Rachadamnoen Road. Righttttt. If there’s anything that Chiang Mai has an abundance of its massage places and street markets, the occasional tattoo places, Muay Thai places, weed shops.


Against my better judgement, I went out that evening and walked to Rachadamnoen Road to check out the night market. It seemed like the whole of Chiang Mai and their families were there. The same boring junk sold again. The market seemed endless, it went on and on and even at the side streets. I was getting pretty sick of all these commerce by then so I turned around.


I’d intended to walk again to the vegan stall at Pha Ploen Market to get some dinner but came across a halal restaurant at the corner of Pha Thae Road and Kampangdin Road so I decided to have my dinner there instead. After that, I followed Kampangdin Road back to Loi Kroh Road and back to my hotel.


Monday, 7 July 2025


I stayed in to finish a book I borrowed from the hotel lobby. I left at 10:40 and checked out. I got my deposit back and then arranged for a Bolt car (more economical than Grab). It took less than 15 minutes to reach the airport.


I had checked jn online but the airport staff made a big fuss as my online boarding pass didn’t have ‘binti’ in it. I explained that ‘binti’ means ‘daughter of’ and that it is not part of my name. I reasoned that the airline wouldn’t have checked me in if there’s an error but the machine also wouldn’t recognise the bar code on my online boarding pass so I had to get down and get a physical boarding pass. Moan, groan, mumble, grumble! This time, the machine was able to read the bar code. I went through passport control and waited for my flight back. Only remembered that I wanted to sell off my Baht for Dong but there was no exchange offices at the boarding area.


The flight took off on time and we landed back at sunny KLIA at 16:37. Will I return to Chiang Mai or any part of Thailand? At this stage, I much prefer Vietnam and Indonesia, thank you.