For our domestic flight north, we used the smaller airport in Bangkok called Don Mueang. The airport was well organized and easy to navigate with an easy to use self check-in kiosk. The plane we took from Bangkok to Chiang Rai (Thai Airasia) was very clean, spacious, and comfortable. Even though it was a short flight (about an hour) they served meals and drinks. The seatbelts were even neatly set into an "x" when we boarded the plane. The in flight shopping was actually affordable. I included a photo to show one of the pages from the catalog. You could get a combo (bubble tea with pringles) for 120 baht ($3.50). This is high for Thai prices, but the lowest in flight prices I've ever seen.
We took a taxi from the airport to the guest house that we stayed at in Chiang Rai called The Garden House. This was the least expensive place we stayed at while in Thailand. We were there from November 28th - December 2nd, and it only cost us $30 total. We had a private room and bathroom. The common areas were in a lush, walled in garden. The staff were very friendly and helpful. It had a laid back, chill vibe that we enjoyed. The bed was very hard, but we actually slept very well on it. We didn't have air conditioning, but we didn't need it in the cooler climate, especially with a fan running. Daytime temps were in the 70's to 80's and nighttime dipped down into the 50's to 60's.
We learned quickly that Thai septic isn't designed to accept anything other than human waste (including toilet paper). After you use the toilet, you use the "bum gun" next to the toilet to rinse yourself off. This looks like the spray nozzle used at a kitchen sink. It took some practice, but we got the hang of it. Toilet paper is used to dab yourself dry and tossed into the trash can.
A lot of the showers in Thailand have instant electric water heaters rather than hot water tanks. This is an efficient way to heat water as needed. Also, most bathrooms have an open shower design, rather than a separate shower stall. The Thai name for a bathroom translates as "wet room" and that's exactly what it is. :)
One of the first things we did in Chiang Rai was check out the night market. These are popular all over Thailand. They are filled with vendors selling food, clothing, gifts, and anything you could want. The nights are cooler, so the outside night markets are very popular and a vibrant experience. They also usually have live music. Often times Thai musicians will perform American hits for the tourists in addition to their own local music.
The clock in the middle of Chiang Rai is well known and lights up and plays music at set times during the day/night. The traffic in Chiang Rai was much more manageable than other areas we've seen in Thailand. The sidewalks were better than most, and it's very bikeable for reaching areas farther away.
Chiang Rai also offers many incredible tours to see their waterfalls, caves, temples, elephants, monkeys, and more! We decided to book the classic all day tour to hit the major attractions listed below.
The next day we had a private tour to see Wat Tham Bplaa, which means The Fish Cave Temple, and Tham Luang, which is the cave where 12 students and their coach were trapped during an unexpected major rain storm years ago and a major rescue mission worked collaboratively to save them. I highly recommend watching the movie, "Thirteen Lives," which tells this harrowing true story.
The reason we went to Wat Tham Bplaa is because there are lots of monkeys that live there. They sleep in the steep mountains at night and come down during the day because tourists feed them at the temple. There are huge koi and catfish who sleep in the cave at night and swim down to the ponds by the temple where tourists feed them. There is no fee to enter the temple, so this was free to enjoy. We climbed the very steep steps up to a viewpoint on the mountain. There were a few monkeys sitting on the railing along the way watching us. One reached out and touched my back pocket, which made me scream. :D I didn't expect that to happen, although I had been warned that they will steal anything they can off of you. I left my purse behind because of this, and I'm glad I did. I spotted a monkey up in a tree chewing on a stolen lighter. When we reached the top, we explored a cave that had a Buddha statue inside. It was very dark and spooky.
Next we went to Tham Luang, which had a more somber feel to it since one of the Thai divers died during the rescue of the kids who were trapped in the cave. There is a statue in his honor at the entrance. We walked through the exhibit that explained the event and the layout of the cave. Then we went into the cave itself. There is a statue of a sleeping princess at the entrance because there is a mythical story told about the mountain where this cave is located. The profile of the mountain looks like the sleeping princess (who is pregnant, and lying on her back). The entrance to the cave is massive, and next to it we could still see some of the bikes and shoes that the trapped kids used and wore on the day that they went in. We descended down into the cave on stairs carved into the mud and looked all around. The first room was enormous, but unfortunately the steps leading deeper into the cave system were blocked off because they were being repaired from a recent flood. It was emotional and powerful to be there in person. What I like about the story is seeing how Thai people came together along with experts from other countries to problem solve this crisis. The local farmers sacrificed their rice fields down below the mountain because part of the rescue required directing the heavy rains out of the cave to the valley below. Locals brought food to keep the rescuers fed and hydrated. The kids and their coach were trapped deep inside the cave for 18 days, but in the end they all survived and were rescued. You can read more about it here:
After we left Tham Luang, we spotted a sign for a smaller cave nearby called Tham Pra, which means The Monk Cave. Feeling curious, we decided to check it out. It was small, deep, and pretty creepy, and we both left wondering if monks really did go down into it to meditate.
We also did mundane things while traveling like going to laundromats. The ones we used and saw in Thailand were open, rather than closed buildings like in the US. You take your shoes off when stepping up into the laundromat to keep the floor clean. They are coin operated and generally cost around 50 baht ($1.50) for a washing machine and 60 baht ($1.80) for a dryer. They have laundry detergent and fabric softener vending machines for 5 baht ($0.15) per load. Some laundromats have coin operated massage chairs. These are much more advanced than anything we've seen in the US. You choose light, medium, or deep pressure, and after paying, the chair reclines and wraps around your arms and legs. It's a full body massage experience! I chose light pressure, but it was still deeper than I would have liked. Thai people love deep, vigorous massages!
