Surrounded by the tallest mountains in Thailand, the northern part of the country is cooler than the rest of the usually sweltering plains and thus particularly popular in December and January. In the mountains at night temperatures occasionally dip below freezing, although in the plains the daily average is rarely less than 25 Centigrade. Culturally, Northern Thailand shows heavy influences from the neighboring cultures of Myanmar and Yunnan (China). The kingdoms of Lanna (centered at Chiang Mai) and Sukhothai were the first historical Thai nations. Much of northern Thailand was off limits for a long time due to a series of Communist insurgencies and Myanmar's civil wars and drug battles spilling over the border. Both problems have been largely resolved, although caution is still advised near the border with Myanmar in the provinces of Tak and Mae Hong Son. The people of Northern Thailand speak their own dialect of Thai called Kham Meaung, however standard Thai is widely understood. In addition, the hill tribes speak their own languages. Every once in awhile, especially at temples, you may spot signs written in a curious rounded script that looks more like Burmese than Thai. This is Lanna, the ancient script of the Lanna kingdom, and while very few people can read or write it anymore, it's still popular in ceremonial usage.
-
Top Travel Destinations in Northern Thailand
See map of Northern Thailand
-
- 9Mae Hong Son
- 10Mae Rim
- 11Mae Suai
- 12Muang Loei
What's Hot
updates from our travel team
Up-and-Coming Luang Prabang, Laos
Mary Polizzotti
Surrounded by limestone mountains and terraced hillsides, the chalky brown Mekong river crawls through serene and stunning Luang Prabang in Laos. A UNESCO World Heritage site, the city of 100,000 attracted more than 1 million tourists in the past five years, according to LaoVoices, a Lao news and culture website. As the government continues to improve tourist sites and infrastructure, more and more visitors are likely to show up, turning this backpacker... Read More
Gotta Go, Gotta Go! Where’s the Nearest Toilet in Chiang Mai
A
You are used to the western style pedestal-toilets, yeah? Don’t sweat, we have them here in the city of Chiang Mai, too. Occasionally, you will still find some traditional “squat” toilets because they are what the Thais (and most of Asia) are accustomed to using. If you are taking the bus from Bangkok you will come across some of these squat toilets along the way at gas stations. Usually, there is a combination of pedestal-toilets... Read More
Layover at the Chiang Mai International Airport? Make it a Fun One!
more travel stories
A
Unlike the giant hub at the Bangkok airport, Chiang Mai is a much smaller variety when it comes to airports. It is located 4 kilometers south of the city and walking distance to the Chiang Mai Immigration office. There is wifi at Burger King at this airport. For the love of Rudolph, will you make it back to the airport in time? This is for the ballsy traveler… You are only a song-taeo ride away from the Airport Plaza for say about 20b (yee-sip). This... Read More
Copyright ©2013 Travora Networks, Inc. All rights reserved. Trip Planner
- Submit new place
- Advertise With Us
- NileGuide Travel Blog
- Press Room
- Contact Us
- Site Map
- About Us
- Find NileGuide on Facebook
- Privacy Policy
- Terms & Conditions
