The Ada House journal

Practical tips

Local culture, hidden corners and practical tips — from the people who actually live here.

A warm Lanna-style illustration of a monsoon downpour over Chiang Mai's Old City, rain streaking past teak rooftops and glistening lantern-lit streets, with lush emerald mountains and dramatic grey-gold storm clouds behind

Practical tips · July 5, 2026

Rainy season in Chiang Mai: the survival guide (and the case for it)

Everyone asks whether they should avoid the rainy season. Our honest, slightly heretical answer: it might be Chiang Mai at its best — if you know how it works.

A warm Lanna-style illustration of a peaceful Chiang Mai street at dusk where a church spire, a mosque minaret, a gurdwara dome and tiered temple roofs share one gentle skyline

Practical tips · July 5, 2026

Beyond the temples: places of worship for every faith in Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai is famous for its Buddhist temples, but churches, mosques, a synagogue, a gurdwara and Hindu shrines have quietly thrived here for over 150 years. Here is where to find your community.

A warm Lanna-style illustration of a traveller showing a written allergy card to a smiling cook at a Chiang Mai market food stall, with steaming pots, fresh herbs and sauce bottles around them

Practical tips · July 5, 2026

Travelling in Chiang Mai with food allergies

Thai food and food allergies can coexist — with honest preparation. Where shellfish and peanuts really hide, how allergy cards work, and what to do in an emergency.

A warm Lanna-style illustration of a traveller greeting a smiling market vendor with a wai among morning fruit stalls in Chiang Mai's Old City

Practical tips · July 5, 2026

Essential Thai phrases for Chiang Mai: a survival kit that makes people smile

You don't need fluent Thai to thrive in Chiang Mai — you need about ten phrases and the courage to use them. Here's the survival kit that opens doors, softens prices and makes vendors beam.

A warm Lanna-style illustration of a traveller in a wheelchair and a companion sharing the shade of golden temple eaves, a jacaranda tree scattering blossom over a flat stone courtyard

Practical tips · July 5, 2026

Chiang Mai with limited mobility: an honest accessibility guide

Chiang Mai wasn't built with wheels in mind, but harder doesn't mean impossible. Here's our honest guide for wheelchair users and their companions — what's hard, what works, and how to plan around the gap.

A warm Lanna-style illustration of a tailor's shop with bolts of fabric on the shelves and a seamstress working at a pedal sewing machine under a market awning

Practical tips · July 4, 2026

Tailors and clothing repair in Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai's needle-and-thread world splits in two: tailor shops that cut a suit in days, and market seamstresses who fix a zip for less than a coffee. Here's how to use both well.

A warm Lanna-style illustration of a compact car winding up a misty mountain road above Chiang Mai, with temple rooftops and rice fields in the valley below

Practical tips · July 4, 2026

Renting a car and driving in Chiang Mai: an honest guide

Scooters get the glory, but sometimes a car is simply the right call. Here's when to choose four wheels in Chiang Mai — and how to rent and drive one with confidence.

A warm Lanna-style illustration of a cheerful barber giving a customer a trim in a cosy Chiang Mai barbershop, with a steaming hot towel, a vintage chair and hanging plants by the window

Practical tips · July 4, 2026

Haircuts in Chiang Mai: barbers and salons for foreigners

From 60-baht neighbourhood clippers to hot-towel shaves and salon colour, here's how to get a great haircut in Chiang Mai — and how to ask for it.

A warm Lanna-style illustration of a quiet Chiang Mai night street at dusk, with soft neon bar signs, paper lanterns and a calm, low-key mood, no people and no real text or letters.

Practical tips · July 3, 2026

Thailand's sex industry: an honest, respectful guide

It's a subject visitors ask about quietly. Here's a sober, non-judgemental look at how the sex industry works in Thailand, what the law says, and why exploitation is never acceptable.

A warm Lanna-style illustration of a small Chiang Mai post office counter with neatly stacked brown parcels, a woven basket of packages and a friendly clerk beneath teak beams

Practical tips · July 2, 2026

Sending parcels from Chiang Mai: post, couriers & customs

From posting a box home to signing for a Shopee delivery — here's how mail, couriers and parcels really work in Chiang Mai, honestly and without the guesswork.

A warm Lanna-style illustration of tasteful prohibition motifs — a crossed-out vape, a leaf and a temple silhouette — arranged over a soft Chiang Mai skyline, with no real text or letters.

Practical tips · June 30, 2026

What's illegal in Thailand: a calm, honest guide for visitors

A few of Thailand's laws genuinely surprise newcomers, and a handful carry penalties far heavier than you'd expect at home. Here's a sober rundown of what's truly off-limits — so you can relax and enjoy your stay.

A warm Lanna-style illustration of an open suitcase laid out with light clothes, a folded sarong, sandals, a sun hat, a bottle of insect repellent, a face mask and a reusable water bottle, framed by soft Lanna patterns.

Practical tips · June 29, 2026

What to Pack for Chiang Mai (and What to Leave at Home)

Pack lighter than you think. Here's what's genuinely worth carrying to Chiang Mai, how to dress for the three seasons, and what to simply buy once you land.