February 2023 – travelswithheather

It seems hard to believe, but we have been living in Chiang Mai for about 3 months already. Time flies when you are living the good life! We take lots of walks and scooter rides as well as eating fabulous food. What could be better?

Since we are here for more than 90 days, we were required to get our Thai driver’s licenses. The process was simpler than it might have been because we both have motorcycle endorsements and International Driver’s Permits so essentially, we had to fill out tons of paperwork (thanks, Thai Assist Visa!), get a medical clearance (got weighed, height measured, and blood pressure taken), and then spent a fair amount of time having our documents checked, rechecked repeatedly (at least by 3 different people) at the Department of Land Transport, were tested for color blindness (but no vision check), paid a nominal fee, and had our pictures taken for our licenses. We are now legal to drive (both car and motorcycle) in Thailand for two years. After two years have passed, we get to do it all over again, but then will receive a “permanent” license for five years. The fact that there is no eye test whatsoever is kind of frightening…

This post is primarily photos of things that caught my eye during our many walks around town; things that are dramatically different than what we normally see at home in Seattle. I revisited the Silver Temple, attended the Chiang Mai Flower Festival and parade, and took pictures of things I found interesting.

We will be taking the train from Chiang Mai to Bangkok in early March, and from there will be taking the train to Kanchanaburi to view the Death Railway and Hellfire Pass. Look for a new post then!

The Silver Temple