Northern Thailand - Thailand - page 576

LAMPHUN PROVINCE
This tiny province southeast of Chiang Mai consists of little more than a small city sur-
rounded by farms and villages.
SPEAKING NORTHERN THAI
Northerners used to take offence when outsiders tried speaking găm méuang (the colloquial name for the northern
dialect) to them, an attitude that dates back to a time when central Thais considered northerners to be very back-
ward and made fun of their dialect. Nowadays, most northerners are proud of their native language, and speaking a
few words of the local lingo will go a long way in getting them to open up. The following words and phrases will
help you talk to, flirt with or perhaps just win some smiles from the locals.
Ôo găm méuang bòr jâhng I can't speak northern Thai
A yăng gór ? What did you say?
An née tôw dai? How much is this?
Mee kôw nêung bòr? Do you have sticky rice?
Lám đáa đáa Delicious
Mâan lâ Yes/That's right
Bòr mâan No
Gàht Market
Jôw (A polite word used by women; equivalent to the central Thai ka )
Ъàht só! Nôrng née ngáhm kànàht! Hey, you're really cute!
TOP OF CHAPTER
Lamphun
POP 14,000
Essentially a culture stop for Chiang Mai sightseers, this provincial capital sits quietly
along the banks of Mae Kuang, a tributary of Mae Ping. There's not much fanfare regard-
ing its superlative as one of Thailand's oldest cities. The old fortress wall and ancient
temples are surviving examples of Lamphun's former life as the northernmost outpost of
the ancient Mon Dvaravati kingdom, then known as Hariphunchai (AD 750-1281). During
part of this period, the city was ruled by Chama Thewi, a Mon queen who has earned le-
gendary status among Thailand's constellation of historic rulers.