A Local’s Guide to Chiang Mai, Thailand

While Bangkok makes the most noise with its splashy hotel arrivals and Michelin-starred restaurants, the creative thrum of Chiang Mai, Thailand's northern cultural capital, is gradually turning up the volume. With the just-opened Kalm Village, a craft-focused concept store, gallery and community space in the moated Old City, co-founder and creative director Achariyar Rojanapirom aims to pin Chiang Mai even firmer onto the global art map.

This interview is part of The World Made Local, a global collaboration between the seven international editions of Condé Nast Traveler in which 100 people in 100 countries tell us why their home turf should be your next destination.

Tell us more about Kalm Village.

Growing up, my brother and I were surrounded by our mother's extensive collection of traditional crafts and heard the incredible stories behind them. As our family is from Chiang Mai, we wanted to create a space to preserve these ancestral crafts and the knowledge they hold. Kalm is a contemporary setting where people from all backgrounds can learn about the importance of these skills. We highlight designers with rotating exhibitions, but there’s also a large permanent display of wickerwork, woodwork, textiles, and pottery.

What excites you about Chiang Mai's creative scene?

It is rooted in history. The city was part of the 700-year-old Lanna kingdom, with its own culture, dialect, and crafts, which now serve as inspiration for its creatives. There's an effort to preserve artisan communities and emerging artists draw on classic techniques to create their work. There are so many hidden talents here—skilled masters as well as a new generation that is keeping these crafts alive. Plus, the surrounding mountains offer an abundance of resources. Not just materials, but a wonderful environment to live and work in.

Who are the city’s designers to watch?

Moonler is a furniture brand working specifically with raintree wood, which is plentiful here in Northern Thailand. It collaborates with local and international designers to produce beautiful high-quality collections. Also my friend Robert Sukrachand, who is based between Chiang Mai and New York, works with craftspeople around the country to produce wonderful pieces. He recently finished a project with brass-bell artisans in Ban Pa Ao to the east, using a traditional wax-coiling technique that is native to the village. And then there's Arnan Ratchawang-inn, a long-time family friend and well-known artist who has developed a unique contemporary style—full of Buddhist symbolism portraying faith, peace, purity, and light. He lives and works in a peaceful studio in the city’s Doi Saket district where it’s possible to visit and stay the night.

Where do you head for shopping?

I always tell people to visit Charoen Rajd Road in the Wat Ket Karam area. There are so many lovely local art and crafts stores here, as well as some of the most interesting architecture in Chiang Mai. I always go to Sop Moei Arts, Nussara, and Fai Sor Kam. If you're here before noon, be sure to try the steamed rice dumplings right in front of the temple, and leave room for the most delicious coconut-cream pie at Baan Piemsuk café.

Describe your perfect day in Chiang Mai.

I love to start the day with a dirty coffee from our café at Kalm; it's a coffee style that originated from Tokyo—very creamy but strong in flavor. If the weather's good, I'd head up to Mae Kuang Dam for a picnic overlooking the water and a nap. It doesn’t have an official closing time, so you can stay for the sunset and watch the stars. But if I'm back in the center for lunch, I usually bike to Nam Ngiew Loong Pong for northern-style khanom jeen [rice noodles]. The place is run by an elderly couple who have been cooking this dish for 30 years—they only make two pots a day, so you have to get there before 1 p.m.

For dinner, my favorite restaurant is Khum Vieng Yong, which serves really homey food. Try the seasonal khua hed thob [stir-fried local mushroom]. Afterward, I'd head to Sudsanan Bar for some beers, local liquor, and live music, or Sanmai Bar for cocktails and a great atmosphere.

What is your favorite day trip out of the city?

I always try to find time to head to my house up on Pong Khrai mountain, where my family has been part of the community for decades. The nature here is untouched and the people are so lovely. They're well-known for their efforts to preserve rare species of wild orchids. It's a wonderful spot to take it slow and experience life in the mountains. Come in winter when it's cooler and you can see fog over the peaks at sunrise. Stay at the cozy Baan Suan Klang Doi, a B&B operated by a friendly local family.