Chiang Mai Revisited
Or
Welcome To India

It’d been several years since I made the trip northward to Chiang Mai, Thailand’s second largest city and a great spot to escape the heat of Bangkok (we’re talking in degrees here . . .like, a few . . . but those few can matter). Thought I’d try a new hotel, not an unusual thing for me to do as I am always searching for the ‘perfect’ place to stay in those cities I visit and plan to return to. The hotel isn’t what is important. That it took me over a full day to realize I was a block away (and on the same street!) from my usual abode is the point here: Chiang Mai has changed, grown, developed . . . and I’m torn on whether that is good.

On the plus side, the McDonald’s and Burger King opposite each other and bracketing Loi Kroy Road make for an easy point of reference. If you really need specifics in your directions, the Starbucks across the street from the burger outlets should do. The obvious downside is the McDonald’s, Burger King and Starbucks . . . not exactly the exotic atmosphere a world traveller searches for.

The night market, or downtown market hasn’t changed much. Some of the permanent stores and small malls lining the street have been renovated. The same crap they’ve been selling for twenty years is still available. The pushy hilltribe strolling vendors are still as pushy, but there does seem to be more of them. The climbing wall is gone, though it is still used as a point of reference (which I’m sure confuses the hell out of first time visitors). What has changed is the ‘factory tour’ trip you have no choice but to make. I’ve described this fact of life elsewhere on this site, but will give you a brief recap as both a warning of a scam and as advice on living with it.

With very few exceptions (meaning after dusk) if you attempt to take a taxi or tuk-tuk somewhere in Chiang Mai, you will be offered a tour of the handicraft villages, or factories by your driver. Most of them have NO interest in where you really want to go but instead are diligently concerned in that you take this half day trip. And they’ll take you for a fairly cheap price.

What you will experience is a short ride out of town and a half a dozen stops at ‘factories’ offering gems, carpets, umbrellas, silk, wood furniture, laquerware . . . the list goes on . . . and so will your day until you say, “Stop!”

As you pull into the parking lot of each of these places, you will be greeted by women in native garb who will offer you a drink and a tour of their factory. This really isn’t a ‘must-avoid’ excursion as seeing how silk is made from the cocoon up, or watching some local guys cut gemstones on foot-driven machines can be both interesting and educational. The ‘must-avoid’ part comes after the factory tour when you are escorted into the showroom. First, little of what you’ll see was actually made in the factory . . . in fact little of what you’ll see is even made in Thailand! Second, prices which are suppose to be cheap as you are visiting ‘the source’ will actually be much higher than what you’d pay for the same product back in town.

Though there are, in fact, some true factories located along your route (you won’t be taken to them). This is where my dilemma arises. I often have to visit a real factory (by taxi) and the only way of doing so is by agreeing to also visit some of the touri rip-off joints. Why? Because this is Thailand, dummy!

The reason the drivers want to take you to these places is that they get ‘points’ from delivering you to the various joints. These points add up to a free bottle of whisky (and it ain’t Johnnie Walker!) and other New Year gifts. Some give the drivers a free lunch while you’re dropping bucks in the showroom, too. Those freebees are of utmost importance to the drivers, which is so typical of Thais. The bottle is worth about 200 baht. I’ve offered 500 baht to not make these stops . . . ha! No way, Jose. They’d rather get something for ‘free’ than take what amounts to a 300 baht profit on the deal. Welcome to Thailand. Of course you could just refuse to make any such visits (I usually set a limit, like two). But then you’d not be a ‘good person’ and probably wouldn’t get the ride you needed anyway.

So what is new in the factory tour business (see, it took a while, but I got there) is the rug/carpet factories. Which evidently give the best or biggest bottle of whisky ‘cuz you definitely will get to visit one of these places . . . or two. Didn’t think carpets were a native Thai craft? You’re right. They’re not. And there is no attempt at deceiving you into thinking they are. The carpets are from India (‘cuz we wouldn’t want to tell an American they are from Afganistan or Pakistan or any of those places that also make terrorists). And the sales folk are also all middle-eastern. Now why they’ve decided that touri visiting Thailand would want to take a Mideastern carpet home with them as a souvenir, I can’t fathom. And other than that touri are generally considered stupid, why one would pay ten times the actual value of a machine made rug (yeah, handmade my ass) while on vacation I also am clueless to. But evidently the few who do make it more than profitable for these businesses.

Usually when visiting a Chiang Mai factory I smile politely and act as though I’m actually interested in possibly buying something as I determinedly make my way through the place to the exit doors. I couldn’t summons up that degree of politeness with the carpet merchants and immediately began contradicting their claims (pointing out the obviously machine stitching on their ‘handmade” rugs, etc.) which turned out to be a blessing as they didn’t want me contaminating their other customers and led me outside as quickly as possible. Good trick. Feel free to use it.

More Ramblings . . .

Mosey On Back . . .

Entrance To The Rabbit Hole . . .

SIGHTS OF:

Bangkok

Chiang Mai