Flocking To: Chiang Rai, a haven for Thailand’s artists

Four insiders on where to sleep, shop for handicrafts and find the best 'micro-seasonal' dishes.

View in browser|nytimes.com September 27, 2024 T's monthly travel series, Flocking To, highlights places you might already have on your wish list, sharing tips from frequent visitors and locals alike. Sign up here to find us in your inbox once a month, along with our weekly roundup of cultural recommendations, monthly beauty guides and the latest stories from our print issues. Have a question? You can always reach us at tmagazine@nytimes.com. By Eric Wilson Travelers to the northern provinces of Thailand have long been drawn by two things — elephant camps and campy temples. The most famous examples of each are within or near the 13th-century city of Chiang Rai, where the Wat Rong Khun, or White Temple, stands as an artist's parable of the world's ills, as depicted in the form of pop culture villains and other icons of kitsch. (If crossing a sea of grasping arms at the entrance doesn't terrify you, beware the Freddy Krueger-themed hanging planters.) Chiang Rai is also where the Emerald Buddha, a national treasure now housed in Bangkok's Grand Palace, was reportedly discovered in 1434. According to legend, a bolt of lightning cracked the stupa in which it had been hidden years prior. Chiang Rai — the city shares its name with the surrounding province — has gained a reputation as something of a tourist trap, thanks to the tour buses that ferry visitors from the White Temple to the equally gaudy Blue Temple and then to the very bleak Black House (which the artist Thawan Duchanee, who died in 2014, decorated with elephant skulls and antlers and a table runner made of snakeskin). But the city, having played second fiddle to the luxe-boho paradise of Chiang Mai ever since King Mang Rai moved the capital of the Lanna Kingdom — which ruled over most of what is now northern Thailand — to the "new city" in 1296, has more recently emerged as an unhurried haven for serious artists and other creative professionals seeking to escape the heat and sprawl of Bangkok. The Athita hotel sits just outside the ruins of a 700-year-old temple. Pietro Lo Casto The third edition of Thailand's roaming Biennale, which brought dozens of international and Thai artists to Chiang Rai this past winter and spring, shed light on an often-overlooked aspect of the city — its long history as a cultural crossroads. Owing both to its proximity to Laos and Myanmar and, to some degree, the Golden Triangle's uncomfortable past as a center of the global drug trade, Chiang Rai has been the site of intermingling cultures for centuries. "The constant migration of people of different races and religions make this an interesting place both geographically and culturally," says the Chiang Rai-born artist and gallerist Angkrit Ajchariyasophon. In 2023, Chiang Rai was also recognized by UNESCO's Creative Cities Network for its sustainable architecture design and landscapes. "My house is near the city's oldest Christian church, close to an Islamic mosque and a Buddhist temple off the same road," says Ajchariyasophon. "This is where I grew up and learned about cultural diversity, which I find wonderful." Today, multigenerational family-run restaurants featuring traditional Thai, Chinese and Myanmarese specialties likewise share a slow-movement sensibility with hipster cafes that serve coffee from beans grown on local farms, and stylish home stays that incorporate teak wood scavenged from nearby forests. Here, Ajchariyasophon and other Chiang Rai enthusiasts offer their recommendations on where to stay, eat, shop and sightsee in and around the city. Click here for a map of the locations mentioned below. The Insiders From left: Angkrit Ajchariyasophon, Gridthiya Gaweewong, Rose Chalalai Singh and Chomwan Weeraworawit. Illustrations by Richard Pedaline The artist Angkrit Ajchariyasophon has organized shows for the Bangkok Art and Cultural Centre and the Singapore Biennale and runs an artists' studio in Suphanburi. Born in Chiang Rai, the curator Gridthiya Gaweewong is the founder of the arts organization Project 304 and the artistic director of the Jim Thompson Art Center in Bangkok. She served as one of the artistic directors of the 2023 Thailand Biennale. The Bangkok-born chef Rose Chalalai Singh, who visits Chiang Rai annually, has lived for 15 years in Paris, where she runs a private dining space, Rose Kitchen. Originally from Bangkok, Chomwan Weeraworawit founded the creative consultancy Mysterious Ordinary, based in the city, in 2010, and served as a co-curator of the 2022 Bangkok Art Biennale. With her husband, the designer Philip Huang, she co-founded the fashion label bearing his name, which collaborates with textile artisans in northeast Thailand. Stay Pa Sak Tong, a private estate with two villas, was built by an art collector. Pietro Lo Casto "The Legend Chiang Rai Boutique River Resort & Spa features balconies with views of the Kok River, which brighten up during the rainy season. The sight of the orange river sediment moving through the deep blue edges and fluffy white clouds creates a truly peaceful atmosphere." (From about $150 a night) — Angkrit Ajchariyasophon "The Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle looks like Hemingway and Indiana Jones met in the wrong place. The decoration is impossible, and it's bloody expensive. But the food is great and the location is the most beautiful in all of Chiang Rai. They have the river, the elephant camp — it's great." (From about $2,530 a night) — Rose Chalalai Singh "The Sooknirund is in the middle of town and very charming. A lot of my artist friends stay there because they can walk to Xibiao, the best breakfast restaurant in the province. They make their own yogurt and bake an amazing milk bun filled with cinnamon, and they have a really good masala chai. I also stay at Le Méridien when I'm doing production. It's on the Kok River, about a 10-minute drive from the city, so you can't really walk anywhere. But the view is stunning and there's a cluster of restaurants nearby. Pa Sak Tong, whose name means 'golden teak forest,' is a private estate built by an art collector who rents it out to one party at a time. It feels like you're walking into a lush, timeless home, with art throughout the property. There are two villas on the property; one sleeps 12, the other sleeps 18." (The Sooknirund Hotel, from about $90 a night; Le Méridien, rates from about $130 a night; Pa Sak Tong, from about $1,870 a night) — Chomwan Weeraworawit Eat and Drink La phat thoke, or Myanmar tea leaf salad, at Sangkaew tea.food local culture restaurant. Pietro Lo Casto "A few months ago, I drove out of town at sunset to Khun Korn Waterfall and stopped at a restaurant called Sangkaew tea.food local culture. It consists of two small wooden houses with views of rice fields and a stream flowing from the waterfall. The restaurant, run by the Shan ethnic community from Myanmar, serves a menu that should not be missed. The main dishes, side dishes and desserts are served as a set, concluding with hot herbal tea. This meal made for an unforgettable day." — A.A. "Nua Wuo Ros Yiam [on the other side of the street from the Sooknirund hotel] has the best beef noodles. Khao Tom Mee Na, where the signature dish is fried wood-ear mushrooms with egg, serves one of the best street-food dinners. Yod Aroy [about a half mile south on the main road from Chiang Rai Bus Terminal 1] is also a very good local place for dinner. Order the beef with oyster sauce, and seafood. "Ba(r)nana is a small cocktail bar in Chiang Saen, about an hour's drive from Chiang Rai, run by a funky cocktail master who moved back home after living in Bangkok. He uses local ingredients to make special drinks. Try his signature elixir, a variation on a Bloody Mary using the same chiles as in larb, or whatever he's serving that day." — Gridthiya Gaweewong "Chiang Rai food involves lots of aromatics, things like pork sausage made with lemongrass, cumin and herbs, and rice noodles with spicy curry. There are a lot of wild jungle mushrooms, vegetables and other things that you don't find in the south. [Chiang Rai] is close to China, Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar, so you'll find they have a lot of influence from those areas. There's a late-night place called Khao Tom Bua that has amazing food by a lady named Bua. I had pork belly that was wok sautéed, fried vegetables, a rice soup that's something like congee and then fried fish and the fermented fish salad, which is really good. "There's also a new generation doing a lot of interesting things. I really like Vinyl & Wine for natural wines and jazz, soul, and funk music, and Le Petit Café for wine and live jazz." — R.C.S. "Larb Sanam Keela and Lab Pa Lai are not to be missed for northern dishes. 'Larb' is the English spelling for a typical ground-meat dish, but we don't spell it with an 'r.' No one can agree what to call it on Google. I also love Saharodh for traditional pork-blood soup if one does not have two hours to spend at Xibiao. Locus Native Food Lab at Pa Sak Tong is a long experience, like three hours, but the chef's approach is very interesting. He deconstructs and dives into the history of northern Thai food and its micro-seasonality." — C.W. Shop Left: Sawanbondin Tea House & Experience serves artisanal teas, pastries and homemade ice cream. Right: The gift shop at the Athita hotel stocks textiles, embroidery, pottery and other crafts made by local artisans. Pietro Lo Casto "Chiang Saen is the ancient center of Chiang Rai province, where you're inside these historical ruins and archaeological sites with evidence of civilizations that go back to the start of the Iron Age. The Athita hotel is a precious place that was built next to the ruin of a stupa and reimagined as a hidden court made of teak wood. The rooms are very minimal, and it has a wonderful gift shop created by one of the co-founders. Local designers collaborate on the selection of textiles from remote hillside tribes. The textiles of the area are often embroidered and typically feature motifs of things seen in real life — buffalo and pastoral scenes. "Sawanbondin Tea House & Experience also has the most spectacular range of artisanal teas, organic rice, coffee and a rotating selection of paintings by local artists. It's on a beautiful plot of land with an outdoor kiln. If you don't have much time, they'll give you a takeaway container to store your tea bag in, because they believe each one should be used at least three times. They also have homemade ice cream. I like butterfly pea macadamia nut — it's blue, and so pretty." — C.W. Take Home Doy Din Dang Pottery, founded by Somluk Pantiboon, one of the country's most renowned ceramists. Pietro Lo Casto "When in Chiang Rai, you must visit Doy Din Dang Pottery. (The name is spelled Ban Doi Din Daeng, meaning red clay hills.) The handmade ceramics, created by the great artist Somluk Pantiboon, are glazed with natural colors and can't be found elsewhere in Thailand. A must-buy souvenir is a teacup made from Chiang Rai clay, glazed with rice straw ashes, to be used with Oolong tea leaves from Doi Mae Salong, a picturesque village near the border of Myanmar." — A.A. "It's incredible how many coffee shops there are now since the city has become bigger. I really like Akha Hill, which uses local beans, as they grow a lot of tea and coffee in that area. They roast them right there." — R.C.S. Explore Left: The Mae Fah Luang Art and Cultural Park contains both ancient artifacts and architecture from the Lanna kingdom, which ruled northern Thailand from the 13th to the 18th century, as well as contemporary pieces by young artists. Right: Chiang Saen National Museum houses archaeological finds from throughout the region including artifacts from the ancient Kingdom of Lanna that date back to the 13th century. Pietro Lo Casto "Chiang Rai has a community of over 300 artists organized under the Chiang Rai Artists Association, also known as Art Bridge Chiang Rai, which was established 10 years ago and today operates from the Chiang Rai Contemporary Art Museum. Most artists work in modern art, neo-traditional Thai art and crafts such as wood carving and bamboo weaving. After the Biennale, we initiated a project to build a creative design center and a Small and Medium Art Spaces workshop at the museum. "I also like the small museum inside Wat Phra Kaew called the Hongluang Saengkaew Museum. You can see a collection of small, intricately arranged items that tell amazing stories. Most of the objects displayed were donated by people from Chiang Rai Province, highlighting the faith and beliefs of ordinary people. These include dozens of small wooden Buddhas, given by couples who want to have children. This is a common tradition in Northern Thailand." — A.A. "The Mae Fah Luang Art and Cultural Park has one of the best collections of flora and Lanna architecture and artifacts in the north of Thailand. You can find both old and new art and crafts here. A younger generation of artists are more experimental, critical and aware of the historical, sociopolitical context of Chiang Rai in relationship with the state and beyond. "The Chiang Saen National Museum is a small museum on the Thailand-Laos border near the Mekong River. It houses the most significant art objects and artifacts from the ancient Kingdom of Lanna since the 13th century. Wat Pa Sak is one of the most important temples in Chiang Rai. It features several images of the Buddha. The main one [standing on a lotus flower with his arms at his sides] is particularly striking." — G.G. "The White Temple is funny to see, but my preference is for the House of Opium museum. It explains the history of Chiang Rai through its geography and how its location relates to wars between the tribes, the government and the drug trade." — R.C.S. Practical Matters "Every year, Chiang Rai faces forest fires during March and April, leading to severe air pollution. I'm currently working on 'Art on Fire,' a project that involves fund-raising to support a volunteer forest fire agency. It will exhibit at the Bangkok Art and Culture Center in March 2025." — A.A. "All the temples are best to see first thing in the morning, before it's scorching hot. From 11 a.m. onward, there are hordes of tourists, even at the meditation center. But it's so peaceful in the morning. If you're planning to see everything, book a driver for the full day." — C.W. Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. 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The Morning: Global threats

Plus, Israeli strikes in Lebanon, the 2024 election and "The West Wing" at 25.

View in browser|nytimes.com September 23, 2024 By David Leonhardt Good morning. We're covering the threats faced by the U.S. — plus, Israeli strikes in Lebanon, the 2024 election and "The West Wing" at 25. In the South China Sea.  Aaron Favila/Associated Press 'The threats we face' The first sentence of the report — released over the summer by a bipartisan, congressionally appointed commission — was blunt: "The threats the United States faces are the most serious and most challenging the nation has encountered since 1945 and include the potential for near-term major war." The nation, the report continued, "is not prepared today." The threats begin with China, which has grown more belligerent in Asia. In Europe, Russia started the first major war in almost 80 years. In the Middle East, Iran finances a network of extremist groups. Increasingly, these countries work together, too, sometimes with North Korea. The report described them as "an axis of growing malign partnerships." I want to devote today's newsletter to the findings from the group (officially known as the Commission on the National Defense Strategy) because I found them jarring — and because I suspect many readers haven't yet heard them. "In a healthy political climate," Walter Russell Mead, a foreign affairs expert at the Hudson Institute, wrote in The Wall Street Journal, the report would be "the central topic in national conversation." An anti-democracy alliance This anti-American alliance presents a threat because its members are not satisfied with the status quo. That's why Russia invaded Ukraine and Iran's proxies have been so aggressive in Israel, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen. It's why China has rammed Philippine boats in the South China Sea and President Xi Jinping has directed China's military to be ready to invade Taiwan by 2027. China, Russia and Iran all want more control over their regions than they now have. One of the bipartisan group's central arguments is that American weakness has contributed to the new instability. "This is not a report encouraging the U.S. to go to war," Jane Harman, the former Democratic congresswoman from California and the commission's chair, told me. "It's a report making sure the U.S. can deter war." If the U.S. doesn't do more to deter aggression, living standards in this country could suffer, Harman and her colleagues argued. Iran-backed attacks in the Red Sea have already raised shipping costs, while Russia's invasion of Ukraine has made energy more expensive. A war in Taiwan could cut off access to the semiconductors that power modern life. Harman told me that she believed the warning signs today were similar to those in the run-up to both Pearl Harbor and 9/11 — serious and underestimated. American weaknesses The report cited several major U.S. weaknesses, including: A failure to remain ahead of China in some aspects of military power. "China is outpacing the United States and has largely negated the U.S. military advantage in the Western Pacific through two decades of focused military investment," the report concluded. One reason is the decline in the share of U.S. resources devoted to the military. This Times chart, which may surprise some readers, tells the story: Source: Congressional Budget Office | By The New York Times The report recommended increasing military spending, partly by making changes to Medicare and Social Security (which is sure to upset many liberals) and partly by increasing taxes, including on corporations (which is sure to upset many conservatives). The report also called for more spending on diplomacy and praised the Biden administration for strengthening alliances in Europe and Asia. A Pentagon bureaucracy that's too deferential to military suppliers. The report criticized consolidation among defense contractors, which has raised costs and hampered innovation. The future increasingly lies with drones and A.I., not the decades-old equipment that the Pentagon now uses. A U.S. manufacturing sector that isn't strong enough to produce what the military needs. A lack of production capacity has already hurt the country's efforts to aid Ukraine, as The Times has documented. "Putin's invasion has demonstrated how weak our industrial base is," David Grannis, the commission's executive director, said. If the Pentagon and the innovative U.S. technology sector collaborated more, they could address this problem, Grannis added. A polarized political atmosphere that undermines national unity. A lack of patriotism is one reason that the military has failed to meet its recent recruitment goals. Perhaps more worrisome, many Americans are angry at one another rather than paying attention to external threats. The bottom line A single commission won't have all the answers to the hard strategic issues facing the country. How much money should the U.S. spend on the military, given other priorities and the large federal debt? How much waste can be cut from the Pentagon budget? Which foreign conflicts are vital to the national interest — and which are a distraction? All these questions are vexing. But Americans do face a more dangerous world than many realize. The unexpected global turmoil of the past decade makes that clear. For more: I recommend this Times interactive, which has videos, photos and maps that document the Chinese coast guard's aggression toward Philippine ships. THE LATEST NEWS Middle East In Tyre, southern Lebanon. Aziz Taher/Reuters Israeli warplanes attacked hundreds of targets in Lebanon this morning as part of an aerial offensive. The Israeli military warned Lebanese civilians to evacuate villages where Hezbollah — the Iran-backed group that controls parts of Lebanon — was storing weapons. A Hezbollah official said that the group had entered a new stage of open warfare against Israel. Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would take "whatever action is necessary" to diminish the threat from Hezbollah. The escalating violence across the Israel-Lebanon border is causing international concern. "We're going to do everything we can to keep a wider war from breaking out," President Biden said. 2024 Election Donald Trump has gained a five-point lead over Kamala Harris in Arizona and is ahead in tight races in Georgia and North Carolina, according to polls from The Times and Siena College. It's a good set of numbers for Trump, but not necessarily an exceptional one: Harris's easiest path to victory lies in the Northern battleground states, Nate Cohn writes. A majority of likely voters in Arizona plan to support an amendment to the state's Constitution that codifies the right to abortion, Times and Siena College polling found. More on Politics Congressional leaders unveiled an agreement to fund the government through December after Speaker Mike Johnson dropped demands for a longer-term deal that included proof-of-citizenship voting requirements. House Republicans argued in a report that China exploited ties with American universities, using federal funding to advance technologies with military applications. International In Mae Sot, Thailand. Lauren DeCicca for The New York Times For women who fled war in Myanmar and settled in Thailand, soccer has become a refuge. Global leaders will meet at the U.N. this week for their annual gathering. There, Biden will face pressure to loosen restrictions on Ukraine's use of weapons inside Russia. A methane explosion at a coal mine in eastern Iran killed dozens of people. The death toll is expected to rise. The authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo released more than 700 inmates from the country's largest prison to ease overcrowding after a deadly stampede. Six people died after rainfall caused flooding and landslides in a coastal region of Japan. Other Big Stories In Waco, Texas. Meridith Kohut for The New York Times For the first time in modern American history, young men are more religious than young women. At a church in Waco, Texas, the divide is evident in the pews. Fake GPS signals used by militaries to repel drones and missile are spreading beyond conflict zones and confusing commercial aircraft, The Wall Street Journal reports. Gunmen opened fire in a popular entertainment district in Birmingham, Ala., killing four people. The authorities are still looking for the shooters. Opinions Israel's pager attacks emphasize that all of us are in danger from cyberattacks, especially because of the international supply chains for computer equipment, Bruce Schneier writes. Gail Collins and Bret Stephens discuss Mark Robinson, the Republican nominee for governor in North Carolina, and gun control. Here are columns by Frank Bruni on Josh Stein, the Democratic nominee for governor in North Carolina, and Ezra Klein on Trump's deep state. Readers of The Morning: Don't miss out on a full year of savings. From in-depth coverage of Decision 2024 to unlimited news and analysis, Games, Cooking, The Athletic and more, subscribe now for only $1 a week for your first year. MORNING READS At the Fête de l'Humanité south of Paris. Dmitry Kostyukov for The New York Times Fête de l'Humanité: This French fair is a blend of Burning Man and a political convention, attracting the masses with bands, lectures and food. Climate: Our appetite for meat is hurting the planet. Enter lab-grown flesh. Ask Vanessa: "Is it time to rename the pussy-bow blouse?" Metropolitan Diary: His hair was rather wild. Lives Lived: Mercury Morris gave the rushing attack of the Miami Dolphins speed and dexterity in the early 1970s, helping to power the team to two Super Bowls and the N.F.L.'s only perfect season. He died at 77. SPORTS Malik Nabers N.F.L. on X N.F.L.: The New York Giants rookie Malik Nabers led his team to a 21-15 win over the Cleveland Browns. Elsewhere, the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Atlanta Falcons thanks to a generous no-call. M.L.B.: The Chicago White Sox lost their 120th game of the season, tying the record for the worst season in modern baseball history. W.N.B.A.: It was Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas, not Caitlin Clark, who snatched the spotlight in the first round of the playoffs with a triple-double in a win over Clark's Indiana Fever. ARTS AND IDEAS "The West Wing" debuted in September 1999. Kevin Foley/NBCU Photo Bank Aaron Sorkin's "The West Wing" turned 25 yesterday. The Times's chief TV critic, James Poniewozik, despite being an early skeptic, watched every episode of the show's seven seasons. The show was funny, James writes in a Critic's Notebook, and knew how to pluck at viewers' heartstrings. But its political wish-fulfillment has aged poorly. "Just as '24' oversimplified the war on terror," James writes, "'The West Wing' propagated a Vaseline-lensed image of politics." More on culture A soccer shirt warehouse.  Vintage soccer jerseys have become a streetwear staple — and a target for major investors. Their real appeal is in the memories they conjure. Activists are hopeful that the arrest of Sean Combs, also known as Diddy, will lead to changes in the music industry, which has largely avoided the #MeToo accountability that swept Hollywood and politics. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Con Poulos for The New York Times Make this adaptable white bean soup either brothy or stewlike. Avoid the "cynicism trap." Choose a new mattress. Here's how. Exercise with a jump rope. Take our news quiz. GAMES Here is today's Spelling Bee. Yesterday's pangrams were dialyze and dialyzed. And here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku, Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. — David Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for the Morning newsletter from The New York Times, or as part of your New York Times account. To stop receiving The Morning, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. 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