The problem with Chiang Mai’s image as a destination of escape
Pratchayatorn Russamee
The questionable cultural imagery associated with Chiang Mai, as well as the city’s transformation into a tourist hub, has become a controversial discussion on social media.
The tweet that spurred conversations over external perceptions of Chiang Mai was from a tourist’s perspective. They said, “When I go to Chiang Mai or cities in the North, I want to see Lanna culture but now it seems to look like Japan.” This tweet has reached more than 19.8K retweets, 563 quotes and 5269 likes.
Example of social media discourse regarding tourism in Chiang Mai
Backlash started from comments such as, “what about what people in Chiang Mai need? Lanna lifestyle or urban lifestyle? I want Icon Siam (One of the largest shopping malls in Bangkok) in Chiang Mai as well. Not all Chiang Mai people want the Lanna buildings in the city center. The countryside isn’t a place for Bangkokians to temporarily enjoy the culture.”
People also commented, “I don’t know how many times Bangkokians visit Chiang Mai but local people have to live there for the whole year. What is the Lanna culture you’re talking about? Is it a way of life or just materialism? If you mean a way of life, the material things don’t really matter because the culture has deep roots in the daily life of local people - and it won’t be easily eradicated.”
Chiang Mai (Lanna) has a long history since 1296. The cultural heritage we see nowadays was influenced by diverse groups and cultures who live in the Chiang Mai area and closer regions, as we can see from existing historical monuments, temples and diverse groups of inhabitants. The evidence illustrates that Chiang Mai has a history of trading, and is rich with local wisdom and diverse cultural exchanges.
After Chiang Mai and Siam were united by the marriage of state between the King Rama V of Siam and Dara Rasmi, the princess of Chiang Mai, cultural exchange and trade expanded. By containing a diversity of ethnic, a growing economy, and natural resources, Chiang Mai became the second largest city in Thailand. Its fascinating ancient and unique traditions attract tourists and other Thais who seek to live in this city.
The calm and quiet atmosphere in the city, combined with lower living costs than Phuket and Bangkok, has made Chiang Mai a hideaway from the “real” world for tourists, digital nomads, international students and NGOs. Information from the Chiang Mai Chamber of Commerce indicates a rapid growth in the tourism industry. In 2018, there were over 10 million tourists in Chiang Mai including 3.2 million from overseas and 7.5 million domestic visitors.
It is undeniable that tourism plays a vital part in Chiang Mai and Thailand's economy, as well as benefits local people who work in the tourism industry. During the Covid-19 pandemic, numerous reports show the downfall of tourism significantly affecting the local economy.
The White-ification of Chiang Mai over the decades is also a phenomenon we cannot ignore. The places and activities that target Western tourism aren’t just for shopping. The city is a hub for NGOs, spiritual learning, and activities focusing on sustainability such as organic cafes, Yoga studios and fabric dyeing workshops. Ultimately, the city attracts people who seek to escape their nine-to-five job or renew their life’s purpose.
If you Google ‘vegan restaurants’ or ‘plant-based cafes’ in Chiang Mai, a limitless amount of results will pop up. This is another unique selling point for vegan tourists. But what about local people who might not be able to afford these healthy foods? This doesn’t mean we should shun vegan food places altogether, but we all know that it isn’t always a cheap choice for local Thais.
The article ‘How Chiang Mai became the vegan capital of Asia’ has presented interesting cases for how local people can thrive in a mass tourism city - by becoming suppliers for vegan restaurants. Doing so will not only help to lower the cost of vegan food but also support the local suppliers.
Moreover, the success of manufacturing the Chiang Mai image to be one of a cultural tourism spot also involves the promotion and setting up of cultural events by the government.
In my interview with Dr. Chiranthanin Kitika, Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Architecture, Chiang Mai University and member of Chiang Mai We Care Group, posed the question: “What is the image of Chiang Mai that people have in mind? Are those images a culture that was made up for only tourism purposes?”
The image of Chiang Mai is different in local people’s eyes. It is their home where they were born and raised, having lived here for a long time. Lanna culture isn’t just superficial events or made-up practices that tourists see and expect to see, but rather is truly immersed in local people’s daily life. “Culture is a way of living,’’ affirms Dr. Chiranthanin.
As the old city area becomes a popular tourism destination, significant changes in its dynamic have become noticeable. Business and profit have become the first priority when these areas get developed, instead of serving the needs and lifestyle of the locals. The areas that are facing the imbalance between compulsive urbanisation and local life are the old city region and Nimmanheamin.
“The old city area in Chiang Mai used to be rich with the people living and studying there, but some locals have moved out. So, that makes the old city just a place for tourism. Everything is for business gain. But you never get a chance to know the way of life of local people […] there is no empowerment process. You live there, but you don’t relate to the culture.”
Dr. Chiranthanin also addressed the case study of the Nimmanheamin area, identifying that one of the major problems seems to be that the central government doesn’t engage with the local communities.
“After its success in attracting tourism and artists, instead of supporting and engaging with the local people, the government took advantage of it and labeled it as a business area. The result of doing so is that the area is not lively anymore. Now the area is dry, local people have moved out. There are only shops, nightclubs and cafes for tourism but there’s nothing to support the actual residents,” she says.
Art courtesy of Geeranan Chuersanga | @kwamsookxo | kwamsookxo.com
Another example is the famous pictures and videos of thousands of beautiful floating lanterns in Yee Peng festival. Many tourists that come to Chiang Mai are excited to attend this festival. Although this festival has generated a huge amount of economic benefit, the damage to the public places, flight disturbing and pollution that is caused by sky lanterns has now caused the event to be scaled-back. In the future, there will be only small, paid events and specific time periods in which they occur, with organisers needing permits.
“Active Citizen” is the term that Dr. Chiranthanin and Chiang Mai We Care Group used to define connecting the network from different sectors and empowering the people to help drive Chiang Mai. However, urbanisation and decentralisation won’t be sustained by only the citizens. It needs government support and authority to manage the area.
According to A Handbook for Policy-Makers by OECD, decentralisation is a process where the central government passes on their power and responsibilities to elected administratives at the subnational level. In addition, the central government still maintains a relationship with the subnational level representatives through co-operative and strategic roles.
However, the process of decentralisation that aims to give local people the authority to participate in decisions over their area cannot be implemented successfully in Thailand. There is no election for local administration or province leaders anywhere except for Bangkok. Instead, they are appointed by the central government. As a result, it is a top-down problem-solving approach which lacks local people's participation and community-level understanding.
These flaws in the system are a shame, because the heads of villages that local people elect are often more trustworthy; they understand their area better and make quick decisions that benefit the people.
Maytinee Wongchomphu, a local and postgraduate student at Chiang Mai University, addressed the benefit of decentralisation: “It definitely benefits people in Chiang Mai. For example, during the latest flood, the head of my village that people elected was quick to respond to the situation. This was different compared to how slowly the appointed local governor coped with the flood.”
“If Chiang Mai is not going to develop more than this, I want all the problems we are currently facing to be fixed. But frankly, I want to see Chiang Mai as a hub in the north that has the authority to define and improve our city,” said Maytinee, showing that she still has hope for her hometown.
We can’t undo the fact that Chiang Mai has become a major tourism destination, as the tourism industry has penetrated every dimension of the city. It is important, however, for government officials and stakeholders to find a sustainable way that makes local people not only depend on tourism for income.
Chiang Mai is an inclusive city with a lot of potential to grow, but only if all sectors of society and the government work together. It is imperative we shift our focus from Chiang Mai being a space solely for cultural tourism, and instead to a city that has the authority to develop alongside the needs of people who have lived there for decades.