Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [293]
Phu-Lae (0 5360 0500; 612/6 Th Phahonyothin; dishes 60-150B; lunch & dinner) This air-conditioned restaurant is exceedingly popular among Thai tourists for its yummy northern Thai dishes. Oddly, this is the only section of the extensive menu that hasn’t been translated into English, but you can still point-and-choose from the glass case out front. Recommended local dishes include the gaang hang·lair, pork belly in a rich Burmese-style curry, here served with pickled garlic, and sâi òo·a, herb-packed sausages.
Da Vinci (0 5375 2535; 879/4-5 Th Phahonyothin; mains 125-300B;noon-11pm) This slightly pricey, smart restaurant serves a variety of Italian dishes, but most come for the pizzas fired in a wood-burning oven.
Drinking & Entertainment
Th Jet Yot is the liveliest area for bars. A dodgy girly bar centre is at the end of Th Jet Yot on an L-shaped lane that leads to Th Banphaprakan.
Teepee Bar (Th Phahonyothin; 6.30pm-midnight) A hang-out for backpackers and Thai hippies, the Teepee is a good place to exchange information.
Cat Bar (1013/1 Th Jet Yot; 5pm-1am) Kind service, the coldest beer we’ve encountered in Thailand, and a Bob Dylan soundtrack make this the best among the strip of bars along Th Jet Yot. There’s also a pool table and live music nightly at 10.30pm.
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CAFE CULTURE, CHIANG RAI STYLE
For such a relatively small town, Chiang Rai has an abundance of high-quality, Western-style cafes. This is largely due to the fact that many of Thailand’s best coffee beans are grown in the more remote corners of the province. Some of the more interesting choices include the following.
BaanChivitMai Bakery (08 1764 7020; www.baanchivitmai.com; Th Prasopsuk; 7am-9pm Mon-Sat, 2-9pm Sun) In addition to a very well prepared cup of local joe, you can snack on amazingly authentic Swedish-style sweets at this popular bakery. Profits go to BaanChivitMai, an organisation that runs homes and education projects for vulnerable, orphaned or AIDS-affected children.
Doi Chaang@Art (0 5375 2918; 542/2 Th Rattanakhet; 7am-10pm) Doi Chaang is the leading brand among Chiang Rai coffees, and its beans are now sold as far abroad as Canada and Europe. In addition to sublime coffee, tasty sweets are available, and located next door is Doi Soong Cha, a small tea-tasting gallery featuring Chinese-style teas also grown in Chiang Rai.
Wawee Coffee (cnr Th Singkhlai & Th Si Koet; 7am-10pm) Another local brand done well, this expansive, modern cafe serves a variety of creative coffee drinks using Chiang Rai beans. Between sips you can check your email on one of the widescreen iMacs, or read a paper that you can buy from the attached newsstand.
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Easy House (0 5360 0963; Th Premaviphat; 11am-midnight) On the corner of Th Jet Yot and Th Premaviphat, the ground floor of this backpacker hostel serves beer and food on chunky wooden tables and chairs.
Centre Point Night Bazaar (off Th Phahonyothin) Free northern Thai music and ladyboy dance performances are staged nightly.
Shopping
Adjacent to the bus station off Th Phahonyothin is Chiang Rai’s night market (6-11pm). On a much smaller scale than Chiang Mai’s, it is nevertheless a decent place to find an assortment of handicrafts. On entering the night market from Th Phahonyothin you’ll see mz collection (0 5375 0145; www.mzcollection.net; 426/68 Kok Kalair) on the right-hand side. This shop has unusual handmade silver and semiprecious stone jewellery. Each piece is unique so don’t expect bargain basement prices.
If you’re around on a Saturday evening be sure not to miss the Kaat Jiang Hai Ramleuk (4-10pm), an expansive street market focusing on all things Chiang Rai, from handicrafts to local dishes. The market spans Th Thanalai from the Hilltribe Museum to the morning market.
Getting There & Away
AIR
Chiang Rai Airport (0 5379 8000) is 8km north of the city. Taxis run into town from the airport for 200B. Out to the airport you can get a túk-túk for approximately 250B. The terminal has