Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(54 Th Si Donchai; 8am-8pm)
A Chiang Mai institution carrying mainly magazines and Thai
titles with a small but sturdy English-language section of Thai and Southeast Asian non-
fiction.
BOOKSTORE
Backstreet Books
(2/8 Th Chang Moi Kao; 9am-8pm)
Backstreet has a good selection of crime and thriller novels
in a rambling shop along 'book alley'.
Chilli Antiques & Arts
(Th Si Donchai; 10am-6pm)
A reliable purveyor of antiques and reproductions, Chilli's has
this in-town studio and a larger showroom in Hang Dong.
ANTIQUES
SHOPPING FOR A CAUSE
Chiang Mai is Thailand's conscience, in part because the city is the de facto caretaker of hill-tribe villagers and
struggling immigrants from Myanmar. Both groups lack the proper citizenship to get an education, well-paid jobs
and medical care. This close proximity to poverty prods the average resident out of complacency and into action,
resulting in a myriad NGOs that help develop legitimate sources of income. Adorn with Studio Naenna is the in-
town showroom of a village weaving project that gives young women in the Chom Thong district of Chiang Mai
a viable economic income without having to leave their families and migrate to the city for work. It also preserves
traditional weaving techniques and aims for a softer environmental footprint through the use of natural fibres and
dyes. Other handicraft outlets for village-weaving projects include KukWan Gallery, Sop Moei Arts, Thai Tribal
Crafts and the Hill-Tribe Products Promotion Centre.
Riverside
Vila Cini
( 0 5324 6246;
www.vilacini.com
;
30-34 Th Charoenrat; 10am-6pm)
Vila Cini sells high-end hand-
made silks and cotton textiles that are reminiscent of the Jim Thompson brand. Perhaps
the real draw is the store's atmospheric teak house with marble floors and a narrow, rick-
ety staircase that leads to a galleried courtyard. It's on the eastern side of the road about
400m north of Saphan Nawarat.
TEXTILES
Sop Moei Arts
TEXTILES, HANDICRAFTS
