Chiang Mai is a premier destination for handmade, artisan, and budget-friendly items, with popular buys including teak wood furniture, celadon pottery, silk and tribal textiles, and silver jewelry. Shoppers can find unique items like hand-painted Bo Sang umbrellas, soap carvings, and locally-made spa products at markets like the Sunday Walking Street, Night Bazaar, and Jing Jai Market.
From Thailand, you can bring home unique souvenirs such as silk scarves, traditional Thai jewelry, and handcrafted wooden items. Delicious treats like Thai tea, spices, and snacks are also popular. Don't forget to pick up some aromatic Thai soaps and essential oils.
Section 112 of Thai Criminal Code currently reads as follows: "Whoever defames, insults or threatens the King, the Queen, the Heir-apparent or the Regent, shall be punished with imprisonment of three to fifteen years."
Limit Public Displays of Affection: Thailand is for the most part conservative regarding public displays of affection. While hand-holding is usually accepted, more intimate gestures such as kissing, may be frowned upon. Displays of affection may even attract negative attention.
Thailand is no different and the list of antiquated ways to stray foul of the law in Bangkok includes: It is illegal to leave the house without wearing underwear. It is illegal to drive a motorised vehicle bare-chested.
T-shirts are ok, but a dressier shirt, whether short-sleeved or long-sleeved, is preferred. Women must cover their cleavage and shoulders and wear pants or skirts that are at least knee-length.
Drug use and corruption make up the majority of the crime in Thailand and due to this, many Thai administrations attempted to curtail the drug trade, most notably Thaksin Shinawatra with the 2003 War on Drugs.
However, the number 9 ('kao') is the luckiest of them all: it is thought to be lucky because, when pronounced in Thai, it sounds like 'moving forward' ('kaw-nah' – while it doesn't look similar, it sounds similar!). Furthermore, 'kao' is the word for 'rice' and 'let's go eat' (gin kao!)
After 12, they skip 13 and replace it with 12B. This belief that attributes bad luck to number thirteen has Western roots, but it has penetrated Thailand even more than in most western countries.
It is a very simple set of parameters to help you build better outfits. The goal is to get to seven or eight points in your outfit. Each item in your outfit is worth one point. Statement pieces are worth two points.
Is it better to roll or fold clothes when traveling?
Rolling works well for casual, lightweight items and maximizes luggage capacity, while folding is better for bulkier fabrics and dressier pieces that crease easily. Using the right method for each garment and combining both with packing cubes or garment folders keeps your suitcase neat and your clothes ready to wear.
This may seem an ambitiously small suitcase, but the golden rule of packing is to always take half the clothes you were planning to bring (and twice the money).
