Celebrating the King’s Birthday in Chiang Mai

I am so psyched to be in Chiang Mai!  Everyone has been telling me wonderful things about this city and the fact that I get to experience it for the first time on a momentous occasion like the King’s birthday makes it even better.  Whether it’s stunning mountain scenery, gorgeous wats, endless shopping, or gastronomical delights, Chiang Mai has a little something for everyone.  Unfortunately my stomach is still jiggity jacked from that evil prawn back in Bangkok so I have to take my first few days here a bit easy.  As you know, Thai cuisine isn’t exactly known for its blandness so trying to find a dish that didn’t send me racing to the bathroom was a bit challenging, but Tim Gunn would be proud to know that I made it work.

My hotel was located in the epicenter of the King’s birthday extravaganza.  Lucky me!  When I arrived, folks were feverishly working on the decorations for the evening’s festivities.  Here’s a taste of what was to come. 

These huge posters of the King are everywhere around Thailand.  You’ll see them on highways, in small villages, in stores….everywhere.  The plants and ribbons surrounding the picture were probably special for his birthday, but I’m sure this massive picture of the King was already there.  If you haven’t gotten it by now, the Thais love their King.  As my Cambodian tour leader told us on my first trip, the Cambodian people love their King, but not like Thailand.  They are CRAZY for their King.  He’s not lying either.  In addition to the visual displays all over the place, every Thai person who speaks of the King does so with extreme deference.  The King is the best at whatever he does and the King has a lot of hobbies including photography and music composition.  Here’s an up close shot of the King for you. 

Evidently the reason he is never smiling is out of respect for his slain brother, which resulted in him taking the throne.  It’s very rare to see the King smiling.  Again, he’s  not grumpy, just respectful.  Respect is so important in Asia and is no exception here in Thailand.  As I mentioned in an earlier post, the words ka (feminine) and kahp (masculine) follow most phrases as a sign of respect.  If one was to translate it would be something like: Thank you for dinner, respect.  It was delicious, respect.  I loved the green curry especially, respect.  I will definitely come again, respect.  Thank you, respect.  No joke. 

We’ll get back to the King’s festivities this evening when the real celebration starts.  For now, it’s time to tour the city of Chiang Mai and take in the many wonderful wats.  They are all over the place.  In making my way towards this one particular wat that everyone says is a must see, I came across several other stunningly gorgeous wats.  Take a look. 

These next 2 shots feature the winning artwork of some young monks.  They were proudly featured outside of the temple.  Nicely done!

This is the main wat in town that everyone raves about, Wat Chedi Luang.  I can see why it’s so popular.   

OK everyone, it’s time to celebrate the King’s birthday.  Get fired up!  In the shot below you’ll see how folks write a personalized message to the King on these gold leaves and hang them from a string.  In the evening everyone was standing in the middle of the gold leaves for photo opps.  There was a also a stage where various performances were happening all night long.  It was packed and filled with very happy Thais. 

One could also buy a candle to send the King his/her well wishes.  These candles lined all the flowers.  It was beautiful. 

Another popular thing they do here is to light a khom fai and set it free into the sky.  Basically, a candle is placed in the khom fai and it is held close to the ground to fill with heat. Once it’s filled, revelers release the khom fai into the sky.  The sky was dotted with tons of khom fai.  It was beautiful. 

After milling about the King’s birthday headquarters, I set off into town to check out the Saturday night market and see how others were celebrating the King’s birthday.  The Saturday and Sunday night markets, not to be confused with the Night Bazaar, are filled with hundreds of people looking for great deals, enjoying delicious street food, and taking in performances of traditional song and dance.  It’s hectic and perfect for people watching.  There are also many wats along the way offering a small respite from the pandemonium of the market. 

The khom fai was also popular in the wats.  In addition to being visually stunning for a celebration, they are also believed to help rid locals of their troubles. 

The wat below is the first wat to be constructed entirely of silver. 

Here’s one of the street performers.  These folks were particularly good and drew a large crowd.  They happened to be off to the side, but many of the performers are in the middle of the road, which is pedestrian only during the market.  Every few steps there would be a new performance. 

I had a ball celebrating the King’s birthday and was thrilled to be a part of the festivities.  Time for more sightseeing, which of course means more wats.  Chiang Mai has hundreds of them and they are all gorgeous, demanding to be photographed and you know I did. 

I had read that in many of the wats, locals will capture small birds and put them in wicker-like containers, inviting visitors to set the birds free for a small fee.  Setting the birds free is supposed to bring good luck.  Like the rubbing of the turtle head in Hanoi, I figured I’d give it a go.  I set 2 little birds free.  Bring on the good luck! 

I happened upon some young boys practicing some kind of dance that involves drums and gongs.  I think I distracted a few of them, but it was great to watch them perform. 

I also headed to the other side of the Ping River to grab a bite and check out the local art galleries.  I met so many talented artists, photographers, and gallery owners.  A few of the galleries featured the artwork of Burmese artists who are not allowed to show their work in their own country.  I saw some beautiful things and added a new piece to my collection.  Every time I look at it, I’ll think of my wonderful time in Chiang Mai.   

What a great trip!  I’ll leave you with this offer from a local fortune teller.  Maybe next time.  Sure, sure. 

I’m off to Rob’s house in Mae Sot.  I cannot wait to see his community and meet his friends and colleagues.  We’ll be in Mae Sot until Dec. 22nd and then it’s off to Bali for Christmas and New Year’s Eve.  Happy Holidays to you all in case I don’t update earlier.   

Talk soon!