Chiang Mai news and picture gallery

Chiang Mai’s best new restaurants, cafes, shops and hotels to explore this cool season BK magazine – November 2018

Down by the River: Exploring Chiang Mai’s Charoenraj Road BK magazine

36 Hours in Chiang Mai August 2018 New York Times

A guide to Nimmanhaemin Rd in Chiang Mai from BKK magazine – May 2018 The ultimate guide to trendy Nimmanhaemin Road in Chiang Mai

This – from the beginning of the year makes for interesting reading: Chiang Mai’s Growing Pains: a closer look at the challenges of city planning
***************************
27 February 2019

Thai AirAsia to begin daily non-stop services from CNX to Da Nang, Vietnam starting on April 12.

The return flight, using an Airbus A320, leaves Chiang Mai at 8 a.m. and lands in Da Nang at 9:45 a.m. The return flight leaves at 10:15 a.m. and arrives back in Chiang Mai at 12 noon.

The introductory price for the flights start at 1,090 baht each way with tickets available to purchase from today.

The AirAsia route to Danang is the fourth city in Vietnam with direct flights from Chiang Mai. Other direct flights include VietJet flying CNX to Ho Chi Mihn City, Jetstar Pacific flying CNX to Dong Hoi while CNX to Hanoi is serviced by both AirAsia and Bangkok Airways.

25 January 2019

Bangkok Airways from April 2019 plans to introduce new service to Laos, with the launch of Chiang Mai – Luang Prabang route. An ATR72 aircraft will operate this route three times a week from 02APR19. Lao Airlines already serve this route 4 times a week.
PG983 CNX1630 – 1745LPQ AT7 246
PG984 LPQ1830 – 1945CNX AT7 246

9 October 2018

Thai AirAsia started flights to Taipei on 30 September as a four-times-per-week service. The new route to Hanoi is set to launch on the 28 October.

Outbound flights from Chiang Mai to Taipei depart at 21:15 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Scheduled arrival times in Taipei are 02:00. Inbound services from Taipei operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Departure time is 02:30 and arrival time back in Chiang Mai is 06:00.

Chiang Mai-Hanoi flights will also operate four times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Flights from Chiang Mai will take off at 13:20 and land in Hanoi at 14:50. The return flights will depart at 15:20 and arrive in Chiang Mai at 16:55.

31 March 2018: On the evening of 30 March there was supposed to be a gathering at Thapae Gate organised by Citylife Chiang Mai to bring attention to the continuing poor air quality in the province.

To promote the event the organiser’s used a painting by a talented local student showing the three kings from Chiang Mai’s city monument all wearing face-masks.

Under pressure from the authorities the event was cancelled. The editor was reported to the police under the Computer Crimes Act for posting the picture “Three Kings of the Smoky Valley”. Charges include lese majeste and damaging tourism/local economy.

The legal action was apparently brought at the request of the Governor of Chiang Mai. He is apparently concerned that if we keep talking about the smog situation the local economy will be damaged.

Acting on the Governor’s instructions the chief of Chiang Mai’s disaster-prevention and mitigation agency, Siripong Nampa, officially filed a complaint with police about the picture.

“It’s sacrilege. It’s a disrespectful act. It seriously hurts the feelings of Chiang Mai residents,” Siripong said. He added that this painting might also harm Chiang Mai’s image as well as its tourism. “Economic insecurity may hit Chiang Mai,” he added. According to him, the uploading of this picture on social media may constitute an offence under the 2007 Computer Crime Act.

Siripong said Chiang Mai police had already accepted the complaint and would summon those involved for questioning.

The story has been picked up by The Associated Press:

Thai magazine sued for ‘blasphemous’ painting of ancient kings

More as the story develops.

Thai editor faces charges over picture of kings wearing masks

****************************
EVA Airlines announced that it will launch a daily direct flight between Taipei and Thailand’s northern city, Chiang Mai, in the coming summer.

Starting on July 1st the daily flights will depart from Taipei at 7:25 a.m., and from Chiang Mai at 11:30 a.m., taking approximately three hours to travel between the cities.

EVA Air’s Taipei-Chiang Mai route will fly on an Airbus A321-200.

****************************
Bangkok Airways will launch a daily flight linking Chiang Mai and Hanoi, starting 25 March 2018.

The daily service will use a 70 seat ATR72-500/600 aircraft at least initially until traffic demand justifies the faster and larger Airbus A320 .

The outbound flight PG995 will depart Chiang Mai International Airport at 0955 and arrive in Hanoi (Noi Bai International Airport) at 1200. The inbound flight PG996 will depart Hanoi (Noi Bai International Airport) at 1245 and arrive in Chiang Mai International Airport at 1450.

*********************************
The Qatar Airways service to Chiang Mai will continue year round but with a smaller airplane and a Yangon stop on the outbound flight:

Doha – Yangon – Chiang Mai – Doha eff 19APR18 4 weekly A319LR service, subject to government approval. Summer operation to Chiang Mai replaces terminator 4 weekly A330-200 service.

********************************
19 December 2017 – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) to Chiang Mai has started with Vietjet Air operating a return flight every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday with a flight time of just under two hours per leg. Flights depart Ho Chi Minh City at 11.35 am and arrive in Chiang Mai at 1.30 pm. Return flights take off at 2.20 pm from Chiang Mai and land in Ho Chi Minh City at 4.25 pm

Regional connections keep getting better.

****************************
26 awesome new reasons to visit Chiang Mai this winter BK magazine 7 December 2017

*****************************
NewGen Airways has announced that it will launch two new services to Chiang Mai and Phuket from Khorat, starting from 3 December 2017 onwards.

The routes will make NewGen Airways the only airline to operate commercial flights from Nakhon Ratchasima Airport, which is located about 26 kilometres east of Khorat City.

On the Khorat-Chiang Mai route, NewGen Airways will operate a morning flight, leaving Khorat at 9am and arriving in Chiang Mai at 10.35am. After about one hour stop, the flight will return to Khorat, arriving at around noon.

***************************
18 Chiang Mai resorts examined for suspected encroachment Thai PBS – September 2017

***************************
The Top 10 Cities in Asia Travel and Leisure

***************************
Chiang Mai Wins Best City In Asia and Third Best City in the World by Travel and Leisure Magazine Chiang Mai City Life

***************************
Thai Air Asia now has three flights a day from Chiang Mai to U-Tapao/Pattaya and vv. Or it is a 10hr plus, 800 km drive.

***************************
23 July 2017: Jetstar Pacific plans to pioneer the first air link between the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai and the central Vietnamese province of Quang Binh. Jetstar will offer two weekly flights on the city-pair from Aug 11 using Airbus A320 jets.

CHIANG MAI HAS WORST SMALL PARTICLE POLLUTION IN THAILAND: GREENPEACE May 2017
Chiang Mai: Thailand’s modern-day Left Bank
 April 2017
Chiang Mai is new ‘culture club’ hotspot for travelers April 2017
‘Bunny girls’ coffee shop in Chiang Mai becomes talk of the town March 2017