Faces of chiangmai

Paddle Market

Have you ever see paddle market, they always carry their baskets that full of foods to sale and you can buy food from them, most of paddlers can not speak English but do not worry they can understand gesture language!!! I know this lady who carry and paddle her baskets that full of local foods and fruits mainly around Thapae area almost 12 years!!! Her name is Somsri but you can called her “Pee Dang” (In thai “Pee” mean the word that you call somebody who older than you or call somebody that you do not know but show respect), she is 44 years old lady with two children.



She lives with her family around Sarapee area, every morning she always send children to school first after that she rides to Ton Lam Yai or Warrorot market to buy ready foods and fruits that already packed and she buys it wholesale price and resale it she didn’t make much profit only 50 Satangs<100stangs=1baht> - few baht for each food but when collect together it is good money for her about 150 baht per day and enough for her to survive and feed her two children.  She has repeated customers so they keep buy food from her everyday and sometimes she can keep the change also.  She works almost everyday from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. after that pick her children up from school but sometime she stop because of rain, maybe need to go to her children school and harvest season.  Do not miss out when you have a chance to come here and try to eat like local people with smile from paddlers!!

There are varieties of food with salty taste in first basket.

In second basket, there are desserts and seasonal fruits.

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Thai style liquor shop by Che Phet

Opposite Wat Pong Noi, There is small local market style.  You can get almost all Northern food styles that you need.  Such as papaya salad shop, food fry shop (usually open about 5 or 6 p.m.), seasonal fruits stall and the most celebrated is Thai style liquor shop that stays there for along time.

At Che Phet liquor, there are many and varied of Northern Thai foods; Northern Sausage, shredded and salted pork, minced meat, chicken grill, pig bone and meat grill, etc. The Most famous course is minced meat.  It's really delicious and very very cheap! Moreover this shop sells alcohol drink; some bootleg whisky that you can buy either glass or bottle, varied of beer especially Chang brand that quite similar price as the general grocery store.

I don't know when she first opened her liquor shop but when I first went at Pong Noi village, I saw her shop there.  A few years before, her shop just like a small stall that has only 5 tables and the toilet is open air style.  There are many rabbit’s babies jumping around.  The impression thing is wife hiding corner here.  Right now the number of tables is remaining the same, rabbits disappeared but her shop has reconstructed to be bigger and cleaner.  She has various kind of customers; collage or university students, workers, villagers and guests.  Because of her friendly services so many customers will come back her shop again and again.


How to get to her shop?...Just start from Suthep road into Soi Wat Umong and go along that street until you see Wat Pong Noi on the right hand and her shop is on your left.  Unbelievable that it's only 15 minutes from Chiang Mai University.  Its show us charming of Chiang Mai, that is a mix up between civilization with original local living style.  Hope you enjoy drinking here, Che Phet liquor shop!

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Fruit Pushcart
Do you like to eat fruits but lazy to clean and chop or remove the skin…lets try this service. Fruit Pushcart in Chiang Mai sales 10 baht per bag, seller will chop fruit or make it ready to eat and put in ice box so it will cool when you buy so you just put in your mouth and chew…so easy, no?

These pushcarts you can see around city; at market, school, shopping plaza etc., some of seller just use simple cart and push around but some they use motorbike so they can travel further.

Fruits that sell mostly are seasonal fruits, sellers buy from Fruit Market in big quantity then clean, chop, divided in plastic bag, sale 10 baht per bag, and it is quite popular here actually because sometime if buy in big quantity people can not finish and waste of money…there you go the best solution in Chiang Mai!

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Grilled Egg Paddle
Bird eggs are a common food source. The bird eggs are those from the chicken, duck, and goose, quail and ostriches eggs.

Most Paddle in Chiang Mai sales chicken and quail egg with Soya bean source! For quail eggs they sale 10 baht per pack (about 6-7 eggs), chicken egg is 4-5 baht per egg (depend on size of the egg).

Give yourself a try for high protein from grilled egg! Very Aroi (delicious in Thai).

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Broom Mobile
A broom is a cleaning tool consisting of stiff fibres attached the broomstick. If you looking for it just look for these broom mobile they always walk pass your shop or house mostly every few days. They offer small (duster), medium and long broom and these broom can not make magic like witchcraft in the tale, need magic from your arm only!

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Sewing Lady
This middle age lady, named Aoy, with her old sewing machine can keep herself and her family a living. She works since 1997 near Wat Sai Moonmuang, you can give her business if you have any clothes broken she can fix it for you. She always welcomes both local and foreigner.

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Garland Kids
These little boys I found at Prasingh temple on Asaraha Bucha Day while I am made merit there, kids help their parent on weekend and holiday to sell jasmine garland.  They work few hours a day or some day longer hour depend on how fast they can sell their flower. Their parent make garland for them and they sell 5 baht for one string and 20 baht for one set (4 strings).  They are very friendly kids; if you see them around do not forget to buy their jasmine!

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