The Chiang Mai Museum

This is a great place to get to know about the history of Chiang Mai as well as get to know the way of Thai Life. This is the first time that I have visited the museum since it opened and I’m really impressed. I could have spent the whole day here, looking at the building and feeling its spirit, wandering around the exhibition not only once, but a couple of times, looking at the shop with its interesting water colours in a Vietnamese/Chinese style and sitting under the sunshades in the main courtyard enjoying a soft drink or a luxuriating cup of coffee. I know the building looks old fashioned, but it suits Chiang Mai and you can wander around out of the glare of the sun or dry from the rain, peeking in on students working on handicrafts, enjoying the cooling breezes helped along by the different courtyards, admiring the plants and just sinking into the Lanna rhythm of life.

The Chiang Mai Museum 1 – Exhibition  I was captivated by this exhibition. I finally had the answers to questions that I had been asking for years with a well-thought out presentation of the history and culture of Chiang Mai that follows an easy route and provides different ways to understand this wonderful city.

The Chiang Mai Museum 2 – Building  This 1920’s building, which has been built in a neo-renaissance style, sits on the site of a former royal hall. This was also the former site of the “navel of the city”. The building has 3 courtyards within, one of which is large enough to put on small cultural shows, while one can have a coffee or other drink.