Hello! I'm in Chiang Mai right now, and I'm wondering if it's possible to go to an Elephant Sanctuary without a tour group. I really have no interest in going on a super long excursion. I just want to go see some elephants with some friends and then leave. I saw a video on tiktok where they went bamboo rafting and saw elephants at the same time which seems cool but she didn't say where she did that. Does anyone have any insight on where to do bamboo rafting and see elephants simultaneously/ if i can go to an elephant sanctuary without a designated tour group. Thank you!

I’ve been living in Chiang Mai for the past year and half. Lately I’ve been seeing most restaurants not having any avocado. I even went to one breakfast place where more than half of items supposed to have avocado and they were out of stock as well. I know is not the season, but I don’t remember experiencing this last year this time.

I visited Chiang Mai for 2 weeks and absolutely loved the vibe of the city. Two friends and I traveled Thailand for 6 weeks, and we had the best time in Chiang Mai. Just three dudes locking in, working from cafes, and doing sightseeing tours.

All in all, I can highly recommend Chiang Mai for locking in as a digital nomad. Here are some of my favorite spots:

The Story 106 Coworking

• The Vibe: Coworking space on the upper floor.
• Good to know: WiFi hours depend on how much you spend (actually a nice concept to keep customers contributing for their stay). Different cozy, vintage chairs and tables.
• Speed: 37 Mbps Download | 7 Mbps Upload
• Address: Tha Phae Road 200, 50300 Amphoe Mueang Chiang Mai, TH

The Barisotel

• The Vibe: Very lovely, clean, white interior. 2 floors.
• Good to know: Food and drinks are highly instagrammable.
• Speed: 127 Mbps Download | 45 Mbps Upload
• Address: Nimmana Haeminda Road Lane 9 2, 50200 Amphoe Mueang Chiang Mai, TH

Heartwork the Sharing Space

• The Vibe: First floor feels more like a cafe, second floor is a dedicated coworking area.
• Good to know: Private meeting rooms are available for just 100 Baht per hour.
• Speed: 10 Mbps Download | 3 Mbps Upload
• Address: Kampangdin Road 1-2, 50100 Amphoe Mueang Chiang Mai, TH

Single Origin Store Tha Pae

• The Vibe: Right in the middle of the tourist center, but surprisingly very quiet inside.
• Good to know: Fast WiFi, but prices are much higher than average.
• Speed: 218 Mbps Download | 166 Mbps Upload
• Address: Mun Mueang Road 65, 50200 Amphoe Mueang Chiang Mai, TH

ร้านอาหาร ริมธารา แม่ริม (Rim Ta Ra at Mae Rim)

• The Vibe: Completely outside of Chiang Mai to the northwest. There is basically nobody there.
• Good to know: Very delicious food and incredibly fast WiFi. If you need some "me time", want to write a book, or just don’t want to see anyone, this is the perfect place.
• Speed: 670 Mbps Download | 603 Mbps Upload
• Address: Tambon Mae Raem, 50180 Tambon Mae Raem, TH

Yellow Coworking Cafe

• The Vibe: The most popular coworking space in Chiang Mai.
• Good to know: Excellent for networking.
• Speed: 43 Mbps Download | 28 Mbps Upload
• Address: Rd lane 5 2, 50200 Amphoe Mueang Chiang Mai, TH

There are tons of cafes and coworking spaces out there, but these were the ones I visited the most. And please, do yourself a favor and don’t go to Starbucks. There is a huge one here, but it’s horrible.

Let me know if you have any questions or other recommendations!

We are staying in Chiang Mai with three kids ages 6 to 11 and just realized that we're staying on Loi Kroh Road (The Erawan Condos) which we've learned is the red light district of Chiang Mai. This sounds concerning since we will be with children, but after looking at Google maps street view it didn't look overly bad. Can any local folks comment on if this is an OK location with children?

Are there any local organizations or groups involved in doing real charity work that need volunteers?

I'm a resident looking for something very hands-on and practical, like Habitat for Humanity or even picking up trash or something. Not interested in teaching English (been there, done that) nor any of those kind of scammy pay-to-volunteer things I've seen online that are geared towards volunteer tourism.

As the title suggests, I'm looking for a teacher to learn the Thai script with. Group classes won't work unfortunately due to the incompatibility with my working hours. Where can I look for a teacher? I would actually be interested in learning with a teacher-in-training from the CMU language faculty where they train TSL(Thai as second language) teachers. I would appreciate any useful leads!

So a small female cat (around 4 months old according to vet) has popped up around my house. She got attached to us and didn't want to leave. To be honest, I don't want a cat. I'm a programmer who works from home and my job requires extreme concentration. I can't look after a young cat, and I also have an old dog (10 years) who is scared of her. She really likes him and won't leave him alone but he just wants to be by himself.

The vet says she's healthy. Since she trusts our house, I don't want her to go out, get pregnant, then bring me a litter of kittens. So I plan on vaccinating her and spaying her. I have no plans on adopting her but I'd really love if I could find someone to take her in. I have some cat stuff to go along with her too that I'd give including a package of food and litter that's on the way (40L of litter and 48 packs of food) as well as some toys and a pretty cool scratching pad.

Also, she got her flea and tick treatment (Advocate) on May 17th. Vet cleaned her eats (very dirty) and said she has no ear mites.

She's actually super sweet, and very good about not scratching. She's extremely diligent with litterbox too. Please let me know if you're interested. I can bring her to you anywhere in the city.

PS: I don't have Facebook or any other kind of social media, so if anyone wants to link to this post to help me find her a home I'd be very appreciative.

https://preview.redd.it/ybhrqn6l502h1.jpg?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=995d212eed333078d504a5486f05e7964a089dc8

https://preview.redd.it/wvo3uw3l502h1.jpg?width=964&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=58d2c26da81da6cd2f8081a6cdb5fc6de24c91f2

https://preview.redd.it/81g88x3l502h1.jpg?width=964&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fd3508ddf0a175602ce0411f6ea34acdcec46db3

Chiang Mai the Spicy bar What do you think of this? I'm planning my trip and I want to see it, but I've seen mixed reviews. Is there anyone who has been there or knows about it?Please let me know if you have any recommended bars. Thank you very much.

Where can I learn meditation? I don't have much time. I can only spend one day to learn about it. Do you have any recommendations?

I’ve been searching since last night for Kra Pao Moo Krob. Pad Krapao is everywhere, but I haven’t had any luck finding the crispy pork belly version yet. Thanks!

Is it worthwhile to participate in the activities of the Sky Lantern Festival CAD venue? I have booked the tickets and I want to hear your comments.

Hello, it’s my first time in Thailand and would be grateful for any advice.
I just finished almost 1 month in bangkok with my small dog. 🐶i made a big mistake reserving for a whole month in advance because the surrounding area is not dog friendly as I thought.
I have 2 more months left, and I want to try living in the north of Thailand.
I would love your help:

1. which platform will be best for me to book for a short term stay (1 or 2 months)?
   I checked booking and airbnb and the prices there are not really cheaper than Bangkok. Is there another way for short -time travelers like me?

Is it better to book for a week in a hotel and when I am there to search for short term accommodation? And if so, how do I do it?
My budget is around 28,000 baht for month but I was hoping I will find cheaper accommodation, I guess with a small dog it makes everything less easy..

2. my dream destination is a quiet appartment, not above noisy tourist area, where I can retreat to my safe space, but still be close (like a short walk or ride) to amenities, coffee shops, supermarkets and all the basic day to day..
   looking for a place that I can go down and have a nice walk with my dog without too much traffic and noise, with sidewalks and maybe even greenery.
   A place that will be a short ride away from all the nature waterfalls and forests.. so I can take my dog few times a week to enjoy. I have never been there and it’s a big city and I would really want to avoid making the mistake I did in bangkok,
   so any advice on which area/ neighborhood will be best for me , based on these things?

Also has anyone rented a car there? And drove alone around all the nature attractions?
I am thinking of renting a car or depending on bolt/grab. I love driving and has no problem with the direction of driving.
Would like to hear feedback if you did it yourself.

Thank you for reading 🙏

Hi all!

Hope all is good.

I’m going to be traveling soon to Chiang Mai with my family.

I’m looking for

1. food recommendations

2. stays (hotel preferably)

3. experiences or activities (no hiking because my mom has health issues)

4. shopping for clothes and cute souvenirs , preferably on the XL side (I know Bangkok has options)

Please please drop all your favorite recommendations and places to be and see.