ianpassion: Very Beautiful Place in the North of Thailand, Chiangmai

November 07, 2016

Very Beautiful Place in the North of Thailand, Chiangmai

By Ianpassion

This picture was taken at the strawberry farm, the peak of Doi Mon Jam,

Chiang Mai, North of Thailand

Chiang Mai is approximately 1,600 kilometers from Satun and takes more than two hours by plane from Hatyai International Airport. It is situated in northern Thailand. When we arrived at the airport, Ajarn Nuch's family greeted us. They took us out to dinner and then back to our room.

On this trip, I was hoping to meet my friends from Davao City. Good that brother Roger was available on Saturday, so together with him and Ajarn Nuch’s family we went to the hill called Doi Mon Jam. It was 40 minutes drive away from the main town. The road going up had many sharp turns and steep curves.

Arriving at the summit was a thrilling experience. It was chilly, foggy, and drizzly. This hill is well-known for its lovely strawberry farms, organic farming, fresh vegetables, and mint herbs. The beautiful smiles of the hill tribes dressed in their traditional dresses and accessories made us feel even more welcomed.

Saturday evening, after Mon Jam Hill, we went to the old city's gate, called "Pato Thapae" in Thai. King Mengrai's initiative led to the construction of this gate in 1296. The gate structure took 90,000 men four months to complete. We walked along the side of this gate, exploring and looking for local foods at the same time.

When we arrived, there was a ceremony to honor the King of Thailand The event included lighting candles arranged in lines on the side of the wall. We were given candles to light first, and then we passed the flame to other candles that had already been placed on the pavement. It was a magnificent ceremony. In spirit, I prayed for the Thai people.

On Sunday morning, we went to a fellowship pioneered by Jang's family. I was given the opportunity to share the Father's love, and Nittie assisted me with the translation. Afterward, we were served delicious Northern Thai meals for lunch.

While having our meal, I had a conversation with Mr. Lek. He is the fellowship's pianist. "Baan yu ti Nai Krap?" I asked him in Thai. Where do you live? "Baan Phom ti doi krap," he said. My house is located on a mountain. "Jak ti ni pai baan khun, chai kilomit tao rai krap," I asked again. How far is it from here to your home? "Roi jit sip krap," he replied. It is 170 kilometers. Wow!

Every Sunday Mr. Lek comes to this fellowship with his motorbike, which made me think of his great love for the Father and the fellowship.

My phone rang in the evening as I was figuring out our schedule. "Bro Ian, how's your schedule tonight?" Bro Roger was on the line. "We have a plan to go to the walking street and find something to eat there," I replied. Do you think it's possible to meet your family and Jerry's family?" "Call brother Jerry to confirm our meeting this evening," Roger suggests. So I called brother Jerry and confirmed our meeting time and location at the walking street.

We finally got together. We looked for a seat and ordered our meal. We updated each other. For the first time, I met Roger's wife and children, as well as Jerry's son. Great time! They didn't stay long after taking some pictures. They had to leave for tomorrow's appointment.

My family and I continued walking for about 1 km until we reached the edge of the street. There were so many people on the street. Very interesting street! There were so many local handmade products displayed on the sidewalks that we couldn't explore them all. We wish we could explore more, but two of our children were already sleeping on our shoulders, so after purchasing some souvenirs, we returned to our room to rest.

It was our last day in Chiangmai on Monday morning. The sun wasn't scorching. The weather was perfect. As we began to leave our room, the following thought occurred to me:

"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Father rises upon you.” (Isaiah 60:1)

According to the Father, His glory will continue to shine through me. He stated that He is not done with my life. He still loves me and wants to use me for His glory. He is going to shower me with His favor. I will keep on rising.

"Ajarn Chang," said a sharp voice from afar. Ajarn Nuch and her husband arrived. We had already entered the lobby. They took us to a native northern Thai food restaurant for lunch, then to the Royal Garden and Central Plaza before driving us back to the airport for our flight home.

Our trip to Chiangmai was not possible without the help of the Almighty Father. We were grateful for the family of Ajarn Nuch. They were fantastic hosts. Our heartfelt gratitude to brother Roger and brother Jerry's families for spending time with us the night before our departure.

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