Tag: <span>rux thai</span>

Date: 19th November 2010

I arrived in Chiang Mai bus station at around 7am and took a taxi to get to Rux Thai Guesthouse which cost ฿80 (Rs. 118/$2.6/€1.8). Rux Thai is a place I stayed last year as well. It’s located just off Loi Kroh road, which is essentially Chiang Mai’s tourist-filled area with the Thapae Gate at one-end and Ping River at the other.

Since I was going to be spending 3 to 4 nights, they gave me a room I requested on the ground floor (because they don’t have a lift) for ฿450 as supposed to the rack rate of ฿490 (Rs. 700/$16/€11) — which includes Wi-Fi. No breakfast included, but they have a restaurant on the ground floor which offers a decent menu at reasonable prices.

Rux Thai restaurant American breakfast Chiang Mai — American breakfast costs ฿90 (Rs.133/$3/€2)

After a hot shower, I took a nap as I barely got any sleep in the bus (as is the norm for me in any bus journey). I got up as it neared lunch time, unpacked and took out all the camera equipment I had bought.

Camera equipment Sirui tripod Canon lens — Credit card abuse for 2010

Though I did test out the Canon 70-200mm f2.8 lens and the tripod before I purchased them, I didn’t get to play around with them as much as I wanted.

Canon 7d 70-200 lens Sirui tripod ballhead test — The tripod & ball head can easily handle the weight of the Canon 7D and the lens

Rux Thai hotel lamp Chiang Mai — My first shot with the Canon 70-200

I loaded the equipment into my backpack and left the room at around 2pm.

Thai Kitchen Cookery Centre Vipa house Chiang Mai — This is Loikroh Lane 1 Road

Other budget hotels on this lane are Centerplace Guesthouse, where you get single rooms starting from 200 baht onwards. Vipa House (the one with yellow board pictured above) is right next to Centerplace and is priced about the same as Rux Thai. (Maybe I should check out Vipa next time).

Though there was a cookery class near Rux Thai, I had already booked myself into another cooking class (which was one of the things I would be doing in Chiang Mai).

I crossed Loi Kroh road and walked pointlessly through the alleyways on the other side.

Chiang Mai bicycles for rent dog — Lazing in the afternoon

Chiang Mai Wat Saen Fang temple Thapae gate — Wat Saen Fang (‘wat’ is Thai for ‘temple’)

Dirt bike rentals Chiang Mai Thapae road — You can rent these

Kawasaki superbike for rent Chiang Mai — But the more sexy the bike looks, the more expensive they are to rent

Thapae gate road fountain Chiang Mai — I walked all the way around and got to Kotchasarn Road

I chose to eat lunch at the same cosy small eatery I ate at last year.

Chiang Mai Food & Drink restaurant Thapae road — Run by a mother and daughter duo

Chiang Mai small eatery cheap food — It’s inexpensive and the food is good

Chiang Mai rice seafood dry meal Thailand — Spicy prawns and calamari with rice, ฿40 (Rs. 60/$1.3/€1)

After lunch, I rented a moped from the travel agent in front of Vipa House and decided to go on a drive around Chiang Mai.

Chiang Mai Marijuana store Thailand — I highly doubt it

Chiang Mai canal Thapae gate road — I parked on the other side to click a few photos

Yi Peng festival announcement Billboard Chiang Mai — The poster (I’m guessing) was confirming that Loy Krathong celebrations were definitely November 20th to 22nd this year

Though, I did ask around to find out when exactly the release of the hundreds of lanterns at once was going to be. From research online, I did learn that the event was something that is held at some University grounds at a place called Mae Jo, but when I asked the people at Rux Thai, they weren’t sure about anything. (Communication is a bit of an issue in Thailand, despite how touristy this country is)

Chiang Mai gate Thailand — Chiang Mai gate

Chiang Mai Thapae gate floats — They had floats in the canals which children were riding and jumping off of

Chiang Mai city canal fountains — I got back on my bike and moved on

I planned to ride up Doi Suthep on the outskirts of the city, which wasn’t too far away. The route is quite simple really, plus I had done last year. Chiang Mai city isn’t as complex as say, Bangkok. As I got towards the road leading up to Doi Suthep hill, I stopped again to take photographs.

Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University Chiang Mai campus — The name of this place? Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University (try saying that fast)

I wanted to drive up the hill as I loved the ride last year. I wasn’t planning to drive all the way up to the temple, just up until the last view point before the temple.

Doi Suthep hill national park temple — Stopped at a small temple on the way

Chiang Mai Doi Suthep national park observation deck — There’s a small waterfall up here

Doi Suthep hill pro-cycling Chiang Mai — Doi Suthep is very popular among speed cyclists

Doi Suthep hill bike riders Chiang Mai — Bikers, cars, superbikes… you’ll see everybody enjoying the ride

This was my ride (฿200 for 24 hours)

Chiang Mai Doi Suthep cyclists — It was starting to get dark

Doi Suthep hill road corner turning panorama — Panorama comprised of 10 shots

It was at this hairpin bend that the viewpoint was located.

Doi Suthep hill view Chiang Mai sunset — You can’t actually see the sun set from this side

I set up the tripod because I knew I would be pitch dark soon.

Chiang Mai Doi Suthep full moon vertical panorama — It was a full moon

Chiang Mai full moon Thailand — Shot at 200mm & cropped

As it neared 7pm, I packed up and left the viewpoint. I drove back down and this time, I took my jacket with me… because last year, I froze! 🙂

Once back in the city, I parked on the side when I saw some beautiful decorations in front of Saun Dok Gate .

I headed back to Loi Kroh road.

After parking the bike in front of the hotel, I stepped out again, this time choosing to go by foot.

Chiang Mai Loi Kroh road Thailand — Walked down Loi Kroh road

Le Meridien Loi kroh road Chiang Mai Thailand — If you want your 5-star fix, there is Le Meridien

Changklan road restaurants Chiang Mai Thailand — At the end of Loi Kroh is Changklan road

Changklan road traffic Chiang Mai Thailand — Plenty of restaurants, hotels and stores here

Night bazaar clothes Chiang Mai — I walked to Chiang Mai’s night bazaar

Anusarn market Chiang Mai seafood restaurant — Plenty of good seafood restaurants here

Chiang Mai night market panorama — The night market sells the usual gamut of clothing, accessories and home decor

I wasn’t hungry and wanted to know where all the major Yi Peng celebrations in Chiang Mai would be. I was told that the major gathering point would be along Ping River.

Chiang Mai night street lamp — I walked away from the bustling crowds near the night market

Chiang Mai full moon night sky lanterns — I could already see lanterns in the sky

Chiang Mai cathedral at night — I ended up taking a turn back to a main road

Chiang Mai night empty streets — To be frank, after 15 minutes of walking, I didn’t know where I was

Ping Nakara boutique hotel spa Chiang Mai — Ping Nakara Boutique Hotel & spa

Wat Chaimongkol temple entrance Chiang Mai night — Walked towards this big temple

Wat Chaimongkol Thai devotees Loi krathong Chiang Mai — Devotees were slowly trickling in to the temple to float Krathongs

As I walked out, I saw a ‘roti’ vendor on the way out and decided to eat something as it was getting late.

Wat Chaimongkol roti vendor Chiang Mai — ‘Roti’ in Thailand is commonly referred to sweet pancake batter filled with banana and other fillings

As I walked back, I realized I took a much longer route as the temple itself was not to far from the night market.

Chiang Mai food garden Anusarn market — I just needed to walk through the food court and come out the other end

Chiang Mai night bridge light decorations — I walked to the bridges over Ping River

Chiang Mai Loi Krathongs ping river bridge Thai boys — Loi Krathong celebrations had already begun… for some

Chiang Mai Loy Krathong firecracker Thai students — Firecrackers are very much a part of the celebrations

Chiang Mai Loi Krathong ping river bridge crowds — I went from one bridge to another

Chiang Mai Loy Krathong Ping river bridge lights — There are several bridges all along Ping River

Chiang Mai Loi Krathong Thai youngsters — Chiang Mai’s youth were all out to enjoy the festivities

Chiang Mai Thais lining streets Loi Krathong — Lined all along the streets snacking, singing and having a few beers with their friends

Chiang Mai Loy Krathong people firecrackers — The banks of Ping river saw its share of revelers too

Chiang Mai Ping river pedestrian bridge night — Moved to another bridge

Chiang Mai Loy Krathong ping river bridge matchbox — No surprises there

Chiang Mai market Loi Krathong flowers on sale — Flowers, lots of flowers

Chiang Mai market Loi Krathong ping river bank — The markets were still bustling at this time

Chiang Mai market snacks for sale — Had to get down to ground level for a closer look

Chiang Mai market Lord Ganesha poster — Switched to the Tamron 28-75 f2.8 lens for the next few shots

Chiang Mai krathongs for sale Thailand — These are ‘krathongs’

Chiang Mai market Krathongs for sale — The base is made using a thick slice of banana plant stem

The Frenchman in the above photo and I got talking, though I don’t remember how the conversation got started. Maybe I was wearing my ‘It’s Football, Not Soccer‘ t-shirt which has my website’s logo at the back and so he gave me his blog’s domain as well.

Chiang Mai meat market Yi Peng festival rush — That is a *lot* of slain pigs

Chiang Mai paper lanterns for sale — Paper lanterns on sale (prices ranges from ฿20 to ฿60 depending on size)

I called it a night after this and headed back to my room.

Chiang Mai Loi Krathong Yi Peng city decorations — Can’t wait to see what the city has in store the next three days

I had my dinner from a rather nice joint on the same lane as Rux Thai. Lovely pork spring rolls and a can of beer (came to ฿200). I hit the sack early because I needed more sleep. Tomorrow was going to be any early morning, for I had to get ready to learn how to make Thai curry!

Next posts in this series:

Thailand 2010: Chiang Mai cooking class; Loi Krathong celebrations in Mae Jo, Sansai

Thailand 2010: Chiang Mai Loi Krathong celebrations; first Grand Parade

Thailand 2010: Chiang Mai Zoo (Day 4, Part 1)

Thailand 2010: Last day of Loi Krathong; Sunday Grand Parade (Day 4, Part 2)

Thailand 2010: Heading to Chiang Rai by bus, Wat Jedyod and Golden Clock Tower

Thailand 2010: Golden Triangle in Mae Sai; Chiang Rai’s White Temple (Wat Rong Khun)

Thailand 2010: Pattaya — Beach road, Viewpoint, Jomtien Beach, Walking Street

Thailand 2010: Back to Bangkok — Chinatown, Patpong, Platinum Mall and Chatuchak Market

Thailand 2010: Gurdwara Siri Guru Singh Sabha, Sampeng Market, JJ market (again)

Previous post in this series:

Thailand 2010: Arriving in Bangkok and preparing for Loi Krathong in Chiang Mai

Date: Dec 14th, 2009

The bus ride from Kanchanaburi back to Bangkok took much longer because of evening traffic. Also, this bus wasn’t going to the Southern Bus terminal. Instead, it was headed for the Eastern Bus Terminal, also known as Ekamai. Once I got there by around 5pm, I was approached by many bike taxis (mostly mopeds) asking me where I wanted to go. The buses that go to Chiang Mai leave from Mo Chit Bus Terminal, the Northern Bus Terminal. I turned down the bike taxis because the rates they were charging were close to what the taxis were charging. Also, with luggage, it wasn’t the safest option in Bangkok city.

Instead, I took a van taxi. Basically mini-buses that leave once full of passengers. A bit of a time waster if you are among the first ones in but at 35 baht, an economical choice. Once we left, it took an hour to get to Mo Chit. Bangkok traffic is pretty bad — but I’ll write about that in detail later.

Once I got to Mo Chit, I asked around as to where the buses to Chiang Mai were. I was directed to the platform where several private buses were stationed and I got a ticket for a double-decker A/C bus with a toilet. It cost 605 baht (Rs. 846) and the distance to cover was approximately 750kms. The bus was… nice!

The bus I took to Chiang Mai from Mo Chit, Bangkok — Inside the bus (Taken on my Nokia E72)

Now I’ve travelled by private long-distance buses in (South) India a lot. I often take the bus when going home to Kerala. I don’t know of any bus service that offers this level of service for around Rs. 800, that too for distance of over 700kms. But that was not all.

They have bus attendants too, all dressed up in their uniforms akin to what you see in airliners. Each seat has a pillow and a blanket and when the bus left Mo Chit, the attendant gave the usual talk (using the on-board microphone) about how long the journey would take, about the service one can expect, etc. She spoke only in Thai but I got the gist of it. Either that or she was making fun of the only Indian on board and I didn’t get it. Soon after, she started serving us food.

Left: The bus 'stewardess' Right: The welcome snacks — Left: The bus ‘stewardess’ Right: The food

I wasn’t expecting dinner as part of the ticket fare. She handed us a box consisting of a deep-fried chicken leg, a sausage roll (not sure what meat but who cares, I eat it all) and a cupcake. Plus juice/cola/water. After that, she gave biscuits and other sweets. Since I was famished, I gobbled it all.

Feeling quite full, I thought to myself how good value this seemed compared to what I was used to back in India. In-flight bus entertainment was mostly Thai karaoke music videos followed by a high-octane Thai action movie — with sporadic audio. But who cares, I fell asleep.

I woke up at around 11pm when the bus had stopped… somewhere. We had, apparently stopped for what was actually dinner at some restaurant. The ticket includes a token which you hand over at the counter and it’s essentially a simple buffet of rice gruel, some steamed vegetables and boiled egg. The egg yolk was bright orange in colour and tasted very sour. I didn’t have much of the rice gruel either, I was already full. My only concern was that I had run out of credit on my mobile phone and because of that, I couldn’t inform my father and brothers where I was.

Fortunately, my father called me later and told him I would be able to re-charge only in the morning from Chiang Mai. I tried to sleep but by 5am, we had already arrived at Chiang Mai. (By the way, in the morning they also serve coffee or juice). I collected my luggage and took a Tuk Tuk (cost 100 baht/Rs. 130) to the tourist heavy Loi Kroh road which is where I decided to base myself. Loi Kroh has plenty of hotels and restaurants but I also chose it because it was close to the Night Market and a few temples I planned on seeing.

I first went to a Ramming Lodge which I found to be good on the internet but then the Tuk Tuk driver said it was expensive (it was over a 1000 baht a night, which I knew) and he told me he knew cheaper places. He took me to a hotel called Rux Thai Guesthouse, just a few metres off Loi Kroh road. It was only 490 baht (Rs. 680) per night and I could check out the next morning. Plus there was free WiFi.

I told the receptionist where all I planned to go in Chiang Mai and when I brought up Huay Pu Keng, he told me that to go there would mean an overnight stay. Instead, he offered me a packaged deal for 1300 baht (Rs. 1,800) which would take me around some places and includes a visit to a Kayan village.

So I thought, what the heck, and paid for it.

Other posts in this series:

Getting ready for my trip

The day I left for Thailand

Day 1 – Suvarnabhumi, Pantip Plaza, Fotofile & MBK

Day 2 – Bridge over the River Kwai and Tiger Temple (Wat Pa Luangta Bua) in Kanchanaburi

Taking the bus to Chiang Mai from Bangkok

Day 3 – Maesa elephant camp, ‘long-neck’ tribe village near Chiang Mai

Day 3 (Part 2) – Chiang Mai Night Market

Day 4 – Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai… and back in town

Day 5 – Leaving Chiang Mai for Phuket

Day 5 (Part 2) – One night in Phuket