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 foreign couple signing a marriage register at a Thai district office, jasmine garlands resting on the desk.

Move here · June 29, 2026

Getting Married in Thailand: A Foreigner's Honest Guide

A temple wedding is the romance; a small district office is what makes it legal. Here is the honest, step-by-step picture for foreigners marrying in Thailand.

A warm Lanna-style illustration of a serene wellness retreat in the hills with an open-air yoga sala, fresh juices and herbal teas, a lotus pond and misty mountains.

Health & wellness · June 29, 2026

Detox, fasting and wellness retreats in Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai has quietly become a hub for detox, fasting and wellness retreats. Here's an honest look at the types on offer, and how to approach one sensibly.

A warm Lanna-style illustration of a hand-drawn map of Chiang Mai, with the moated Old City, Nimman's cafés, the Ping River and the mountains picked out in soft golden tones.

Move here · June 29, 2026

A Guide to Chiang Mai's Neighbourhoods: Where to Live

Each of Chiang Mai's neighbourhoods keeps its own rhythm. Here's how to find the one that fits the life you actually want to live here — not just visit.

A warm Lanna-style illustration of a calm, sunlit travel-clinic waiting room in Chiang Mai, with a friendly nurse and a traveller holding a yellow vaccination booklet.

Health & wellness · June 28, 2026

Travel Vaccinations in Chiang Mai: A Calm Guide to Jabs and Clinics

Wondering which jabs you actually need before settling into Chiang Mai? Here's a calm, honest look at the usual vaccines and where to sort them out locally.

A warm Lanna-style illustration of a friendly market exchange between a vendor and a shopper at a Chiang Mai night market.

Practical tips · June 28, 2026

Tipping and Bargaining in Chiang Mai: How It Actually Works

Neither tipping nor haggling is the minefield first-timers fear. Here's how both really work in Chiang Mai — relaxed, modest and always with a smile.

A warm Lanna-style illustration of a colourful spread of Thai iced drinks — orange cha yen, pink milk, blue butterfly-pea tea, fruit shakes — at a market cart in Chiang Mai.

Food & coffee · June 28, 2026

Cha Yen, Oliang and the Blue One: A Guide to Thai Drinks

Beer's fine and the coffee scene is booming, but Thailand's real everyday refreshment lives on the market cart: sweet orange tea, midnight-black oliang, bright pink milk and a tea that changes colour. Here's how to drink your way through it.

A warm Lanna-style illustration of the grand golden Ho Kham Royal Pavilion and formal flower gardens at Royal Park Rajapruek.

Things to do · June 28, 2026

Royal Park Rajapruek: Chiang Mai's Garden of Gold and Flowers

A grand golden Lanna pavilion, gardens from a dozen countries and an orchid house, all on the leafy south-western edge of town. Here's how to make a relaxed half-day of it.

A warm Lanna-style illustration of a phone showing ride and delivery apps with a red songthaew truck and a food-delivery motorbike in a Chiang Mai street scene.

Practical tips · June 28, 2026

Ride and Delivery Apps in Chiang Mai: Your Survival Guide

A handful of apps quietly run daily life in Chiang Mai — summoning a car, delivering dinner, restocking the fridge. Here's how to use them from day one, and where the old red trucks still win.

A warm Lanna-style illustration of a friendly optician's shop in Chiang Mai, with rows of spectacle frames and a wall-mounted eye chart.

Health & wellness · June 28, 2026

Glasses in Chiang Mai: Eye Tests, Frames and Why Expats Stock Up Here

Sharp eyes, kind prices. Here's how to get an eye test, new frames or contact lenses sorted in Chiang Mai — often the same day.

A warm Lanna-style illustration of terraced ridge-top flower and strawberry farms with a viewpoint and cafes at Mon Cham in the Mae Rim hills.

Things to do · June 28, 2026

Mon Cham: Strawberry Farms and Ridge-Top Views Above Mae Rim

An hour north-west of the city, a Hmong farming ridge has traded its opium past for strawberry rows, flower terraces and one of the finest views in the north.

A warm Lanna-style illustration of an elegant candle-lit fine-dining table with refined Northern Thai dishes in a garden setting in Chiang Mai.

Food & coffee · June 28, 2026

Fine Dining in Chiang Mai: Where to Celebrate Something Special

Chiang Mai has quietly become a city worth dressing up for. Here's how to find a memorable special-occasion meal — and why it costs a fraction of what it would back home.

A warm Lanna-style illustration of a serene Chiang Mai spa courtyard with a teak salah, lotus pond, herbal compress balls and a therapist preparing oils.

Health & wellness · June 28, 2026

Day Spas in Chiang Mai: Where to Get a Great Massage at Any Budget

Chiang Mai might be the easiest place on earth to get a brilliant, affordable massage. Here is how to choose the right spot, whatever your mood and budget.