Lunch and Art

Expat Ladies Lunch Group

By surfing the Chiang Mai Expat Club website we discovered that the Expat Ladies' Lunch Group gathers the first and third Thursday of the month. The lunch on the first Thursday is at a different restaurant each month.  Lunch on the third Thursday is at the Grandview Hotel.  This hotel is located on the super highway near the Maya shopping center.

You can watch this short video by the group regarding the luncheons.

About 50 ladies gathered at the Grandview Hotel for today's lunch buffet which cost 200 baht ($5.90).

Everyone receives a nametag to help with socializing and identification of those who are with the group.

The women at the lunch were extremely friendly.  Helen met several ladies including Janet, a retired nurse who came here on a mission trip 48 years ago to help in a leprosy facility. She invited us to attend church with her on Sunday afternoon at the Chiang Mai Community Church.

Many women discussed how they will be departing Chiang Mai shortly to avoid the heat and the air pollution of the burning season. 

Art in Paradise

Jay teamed up with other US expats in our condo complex (Tom, Shawn and their ten-year old son Wyatt) and headed to the Art in Paradise display.

Art in Paradise is a permanent, three-dimensional illusion art museum.   The museum contains six zones (e.g., Underwater, wildlife, classic, ancient Egypt, etc.) and 130 paintings. 

Although the paintings are restricted to the two-dimensions of the walls and floors there is an illusion that you are in a three-dimensional world.  Many of the paintings "invite" you to participate in the illusion.

Before                                God Pouring Wine                          After
Click to Enlarge

The adult admission price of 400 baht ($11.76) is based on an individual's height, not age.  If you have children or you simply want to be a "child" for two-hours, this museum is worth the admission price.

Jay is Actually Just Sitting on the Floor
Click to Enlarge

Living Accommodations

After a wonderful visit to the museum, Jay walked the short distance to the Riverside 

Click to Enlarge

Condo to continue acquiring information on living options in Chiang Mai.

This condo is located to the southeast of the Old City and across the Ping River.   Its location outside the Nimman / Huay Kaew districts favored by expats offers better value for the money on apartment rentals.

Jay looked at two-bedroom apartments with floor plans of 79 sq meters.  The apartments had nice views of the river.  The furnished apartment included two nice bedrooms with their own air conditioners, a comfortable seating/living area, small kitchen with a double burner, full sized refrigerator, air conditioner in the seating area and wi-fi.

This building is 20 - 25 years old, but some of the privately owned apartments have been upgraded.

Generally, the apartments were reasonably priced (un-negotiated rate 15,000 baht) and offered more spacious living than we have seen in 35 - 40 sq meter apartments closer into the city.

Since the apartments are privately owned, you may find different apartments offered at different prices. Rent payment is strictly cash.  Electric and water for monthly rentals are not included in the rental price.

Click to Enlarge

Adequate food shopping was nearby.  Red taxis (song taews), tuk tuks and Uber service the area.

To the left is a picture of the kitchen / dining area typical of the older ungraded apartments.

Travel Tips

• Apartments outside the heavily favored expat areas ( Nimman / Huay Kaew) offer better value for your money. You will need to consider transportation options in your decision making, but you can take a lot of song taew or Uber rides for 10-15,000 baht.