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Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Chiang Mai: Cheap Cheap

After spending an entire day in the Phuket airport waiting for our flight, Dana and I finally made it to Chiang Mai.

From She Flies With Her Own Wings

From She Flies With Her Own Wings


Spending 8 hours in an airport wouldn't be my top choice of activity, but I have to say that spending it in the Phuket International Airport is more interesting than any American airport. For one thing, overpriced water only costs 30 baht (US $1) rather than the $5 it would cost at home. In addition, people watching in Phuket is excellent. From completely veiled women and their husband flying to Qatar, to a group of exuberant British gap-year boys toting around a soccer ball, the mix of travelers is interesting to watch.

From She Flies With Her Own Wings


Although we've only explored Chiang Mai by foot for one day, the town has made a superb first impression.

From She Flies With Her Own Wings


Chiang Mai is much cheaper than the other areas of Thailand I've visited so far. I base this observation on a market basket including

-1 hour traditional Thai massage (150 THB here, 300+ elsewhere)
-Large bottle of Minere water (10 THB, normally 15-30)
-Guesthouse dorm for 1 night (80 THB, normally 150+)
-Large Singha beer (50 THB, normally 80-100)

Granted, Dana and I must have stumbled upon the deal of the year when we found a nice clean dorm guesthouse for 80 baht (USD $2.59 per night). It's above a coffee shop called Quick Bite. Most of the guesthouses here aren't hotels, they are just buildings owned by families who can supplement their income by installing bunk beds and renting them out to travelers.

We're going to see if our impression of Chiang Mai as an inexpensive place still stands after visiting the famous Night Bazaar.

From She Flies With Her Own Wings

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