The Ada House journal

Stories from Chiang Mai

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

A warm Lanna-style illustration of a Thai massage classroom with students practising stretches on floor mats, a teacher demonstrating, herbal compresses and tea by the window.

Health & wellness · July 4, 2026

Learning Thai massage in Chiang Mai: schools, courses and how to choose

People fly to Chiang Mai just to learn Thai massage. Here's how the schools work, what a course actually feels like, and how to choose well.

A warm Lanna-style illustration of a multi-tiered teak temple roof sweeping low over carved gables, with crossed kalae finials and a naga stairway in late-afternoon light

Local culture · July 4, 2026

How to read Lanna architecture: a field guide

Chiang Mai is written in an architectural language all its own. Learn to read the roofs, the finials and the naga stairways, and the city never looks the same again.

A warm Lanna-style illustration of a small wooden herbal steam house wreathed in fragrant vapour, with bundles of lemongrass and kaffir lime beside a simmering clay pot

Health & wellness · July 4, 2026

Thai herbal saunas in Chiang Mai: steam, herbs and a proper glow

One of northern Thailand's loveliest rituals costs less than a fancy coffee: an hour of lemongrass-scented steam, cool rests and herbal tea. Here's where to find it and how it works.

A warm Lanna-style illustration of an expat couple reviewing health-insurance documents at a teak desk, with a Chiang Mai private hospital and misty Doi Suthep beyond the window

Move here · July 4, 2026

Health insurance for expats in Thailand: a practical guide

Travel insurance runs out of road once you actually live here. Here's how to think about proper health cover in Thailand — calmly, and without the sales pitch.

A warm Lanna-style illustration of a calm hospital lobby in Chiang Mai, where a friendly nurse hands a health report folder to a relaxed traveller beneath teak columns and hanging plants

Health & wellness · July 4, 2026

Annual health check-ups in Chiang Mai: how the packages work

Chiang Mai's private hospitals have turned the annual check-up into a smooth half-day ritual. Here's how the tiered packages work, roughly what they cost, and when a screening package is the wrong tool.

A warm Lanna-style illustration of a lantern-lit lane beside a mosque at dusk, with steaming bowls of khao soi, market stalls and diners sharing an evening meal

Food & coffee · July 4, 2026

Halal food in Chiang Mai: the Muslim quarter, halal khao soi and more

Chiang Mai has been home to a Muslim community for well over a century — and its most famous dish has halal roots. Our guide to the mosque quarter, halal khao soi, certification marks and Ramadan in the city.

A warm Lanna-style illustration of a golfer and caddie walking a lush fairway at sunrise, misty northern Thai mountains and a temple roofline in the distance

Things to do · July 4, 2026

Golf in Chiang Mai: serious courses at not-so-serious prices

Mountain-ringed courses, a caddie by your side and green fees that would barely cover a trolley back home. Here's how golf works in Chiang Mai.

A warm Lanna-style illustration of a bustling Chiang Mai food court, diners at long tables with steaming bowls of khao soi while stallholders ladle noodles under hanging lanterns

Food & coffee · July 4, 2026

Food courts in Chiang Mai: eat brilliantly for pocket change

Food courts are Chiang Mai's most underrated way to eat well for very little. Here's how the card system works, where to go, and what to order once you're there.

A warm Lanna-style illustration of a calm skin clinic consultation, a doctor gently examining a patient's arm beside a window with soft morning light and tropical foliage outside

Health & wellness · July 4, 2026

Dermatology and skin clinics in Chiang Mai: a resident's guide

Tropical weather is harder on skin than most newcomers expect — and Chiang Mai answers with dermatologists you can see within days, from hospital departments to high-street clinics.

A warm Lanna-style illustration of a modern condo tower, a wooden shophouse and a garden house with a red roof side by side beneath Doi Suthep

Move here · July 4, 2026

Condo, townhouse or moo baan: choosing your Chiang Mai home

Chiang Mai offers four very different kinds of home, and each shapes your daily life more than the postcode does. Here's how to choose between them.

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.