Local Attractions

Baan Celadon

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Chiangmai is well known as the arts and crafts centre of Thailand. Shops and studios specializing in wood, ceramics, textiles, paper, soaps & oils and a variety of precious metals can be found in and around the city. Head out in any direction and you are certain to run across at least one artsy site where you will be tempted to part with your cash! There are numerous tours available to tourists who are visiting and would like to do a little shopping to satisfy their craving for handmade items. Baan Celadon is only one of such places and a good spot to watch traditional pottery in the making.

baanceladon6If you try to find the Baan Celadon locations on your own, it can get a little confusing, as we found out when we headed out on our new scooter into the countryside outside of Chiangmai. It turns out that there are actually two locations.  We ended up finding the original location that is now mostly a group of show rooms that display a wide variety of the celadon wares.  There is a small studio in the back where visitors can watch pottery being thrown on the wheel and a small number of women hand-decorating a variety of pieces with intricate carving and underglazes.  It was still well worth the trip just to see the incredible selection on display and chat with one of the agents about the production of celadon in Chiangmai.

The company has outgrown this original site that was opened in 1989 by two local Thai business women. The main factory headquarters are now located in Doi Saket, a 15 or 20 minute drive through the countryside from Chiangmai.  We also managed to find this spot the next day but it was closed.  The grounds themselves are beautiful and we will return in the future to check out the rest. Read More

Explore

Escape to Koh Lanta

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This article was originally posted on hub pages.com in 2011.  I have moved it to this site in a continuing attempt to try to gather all my past Thailand posts and articles in one place. It has been updated and edited.

One of the perks of retiring in Chiangmai is its quick and inexpensive accessibility to the many other spectacular areas of Thailand. The country is well-known for its many coastal beach towns as well as the numerous beautiful islands lying within easy reach of any travellers or retirees who are looking for a more isolated experience. Some expats prefer to head for these areas to live rather than the cooler Northern part of the country that we chose as our base.  Each locale has its pros and cons.  If you are thinking of making the move, be sure to do your research to determine which area best suits you and your budget.  Koh Lanta is one of several islands off the Andaman Coast of Southern Thailand and a destination for those who want to escape the nightlife of saturated tourist destinations such as Bangkok, Phuket or Koh Phi Phi. Like much of the rest of the coast of Thailand, it is known for its diving and long white beaches.

After spending a few days in Phuket, a very popular beach resort town located Southern Thailand, we decided we had had enough of the crowded beaches and nightlife. Although the white sandy beaches were beautiful, it was a little tiring navigating our way through three rows of sun umbrellas just to get to the water. It was definitely not my idea of a tropical beach holiday. With no plans made ahead of time, we began to look for another less touristy place to visit. Our original plan to visit Koh Phi Phi was thrown out the window after talking to one of the locals. She suggested that we visit Koh Lanta, a less known island that was located about three hours due east by ferry. Read More

Driving

Honda PCX150 – New wheels!

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It has been the proverbial question for the last couple of weeks; do we get a motorcycle or a scooter?  After much deep thought and consideration, we went with a brand new Honda PCX 150.  For the same price range, the other alternative would have been to purchase a used motorcycle, somewhere in the 200cc – 250cc range.  As I wrote in an earlier post, 99% of the population that rides on two wheels has a scooter. And unless you plan on doing a lot of cross-Thailand touring, there is not much point in getting anything bigger. After reading about the constant carnage on the Thai highways (worse accident record than China), my dreams of touring Thailand on a motorcycle soon evaporated.  We will stick with safer ways to get around the country! This cool little machine will fit our needs just fine.

It is definitely a high-tech machine. With fuel injection and a 2-valve, liquid cooled engine, it has a surprising amount of efficiency, torque and power for being so small!  It actually has more horsepower and torque than the new 200cc motorcycle I was looking at last week. The starter motor and cooling system are both integrated into the engine which saves on weight and space. I don’t know if I would want to take it on any major highway but it is great for getting around town and for short trips into the countryside.

PCX150We wanted something reliable and this fits the bill.  It came with a three year warranty on the engine and a five year warranty on the fuel injection system. With all the necessary insurance, licensing and one-year of theft insurance, the grand total came to around $2500. It has enough bells and whistles to excite any gadget freak!  Built in alarm system, automatic locking with the key chain button, locked gas tank and starter, and a digital dashboard that would put many cars to shame! Tack on the 100 miles per gallon that it regularly gets, and we decided it was a winner!

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