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to break up the 700km-trip between Bangkok and Chiang Mai. Others only use Chiang Mai as a jumping off point for other destinations – both are good strategies. Going by train is probably the most comfortable way to get up north, although there’s only one northern line and getting there is comparatively quite slow. For those in a hurry, there are now airports in almost every large city in northern Thailand. And of course, just about everywhere in the region is accessible by bus (or minivan), except the communities along the Myanmar (Burma) border where the srng·ta·ou (pick-up truck, also spelt swngthew) is typically the transport of choice.

Getting Around

Public transport to most places in northern Thailand is plentiful and reliable, if occasionally somewhat slow. Car rental is available at most urban centres. If you know how to ride a motorcycle, you can rent one. If you don’t know how to ride one it’s easy to learn and you’ll be glad you did. For details on motorcycle touring in the north, see the boxed text on Click here.

LAMPHUN PROVINCE

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LAMPHUN

pop 56,800

Essentially a culture stop for Chiang Mai sightseers, this provincial capital sits quietly along the banks of the Mae Kuang, a tributary of the Mae Ping, without much fanfare regarding its superlative as one of Thailand’s oldest cities. The old fortress wall and ancient temples are surviving examples of Lamphun’s former life as the northernmost outpost of the ancient Mon Dvaravati kingdom then known as Hariphunchai (AD 750–1281). For a period, the city was ruled by Chama Thewi, a Mon queen who has earned legendary status among Thailand’s constellation of historic rulers.

The 26km ride between Chiang Mai and Lamphun is one of the city’s primary attractions. It’s along a beautiful country road, parts of which are canopied by tall dipterocarp trees.

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Sights

WAT PHRA THAT HARIPHUNCHAI

This temple (Th Inthayongyot; admission 20B) enjoys an exalted status because it dates back to the Mon period, having been built on the site of Queen Chama Thewi’s palace in 1044 (1108 or 1157 according to some datings). It lay derelict until Khru Ba Sriwichai, a famous northern Thai monk, made renovations in the 1930s. It boasts some interesting architecture, a couple of fine Buddha images and two old chedi (stupas) in the original Hariphunchai style. The tallest of the ancient chedi, Chedi Suwan is a narrow brick spire dating from 1418 that sits 21m high. The newer chedi, 46m-high Phra Maha That Chedi, is regarded as a textbook example of 15th-century Lanna architecture with its square pedestal rising to a rounded bell shape.

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SPEAKING NORTHERN

Northerners used to take offence when outsiders tried speaking gm méuang to them, an attitude that dates back to a time when central Thais considered northerners to be very backward, and made fun of their language. Nowadays most northerners are proud of their native language and there’s even a popular Bangkok-based TV series in which many characters speak the northern dialect.

To help you win some smiles from the locals, we’ve provided a brief lexicon of the local lingo.

Pm ôo gm méuang bòr jâhng

I can’t speak northern Thai

A yng gór?

What did you say?

An née tôw dai?

How much is this?

Mee kôw nêung bòr?

Do you have sticky rice?

Lám áa áa

Delicious

Mâan lâ

Yes/That’s right

Bòr mâan

No

Sow

20

Gàht

Market

Jôw

(A polite word used by women; equivalent to the central Thai ka)

àht só! Nôrng née ngáhm kànàht!

Hey, you’re really cute!

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EASY RIDER

One of the increasingly popular ways of exploring northern Thailand is from the saddle of a rented motorcycle. Despite the obvious risks of driving in Thailand, motorcycle touring is one of the best ways to explore the countryside at your own pace, and provides the opportunity to leave the beaten track at any moment.

Unless you’re specifically intending to go off-road or plan on crossing unpaved roads during the wet