We arrive in Chiang Rai after 4 hours drive from Chiang Mai.

But we’ve yet to reach our exact destination, cos we’ll be needing another hour to reach Phya Meng Rai, the hometown of our Thai friend. Actually, the purpose in visiting Chiang Rai today is to visit the family of our Thai friend for the first time, whose house is in Phya Meng Rai. And we’re very honored to be invited for lunch in their house!

Named after King Meng Rai (who founded Chiang Rai, the 1st Capital of the Lanna Thai Kingdom - the Kingdom of a Million Rice Fields, in 1262), Phya Meng Rai is located in Southeastern Chiang Rai. It’s filled with natural beauty, gorgeous  mountains & beautiful forests.

Below Slideshow contains some photos taken during our drive to Phya Meng Rai, though I never manage to capture more of the many beautiful sceneries of mountains covered in mist, or the many lovely green rice paddies, or the huge Teak forests we see from afar etc etc :

It’s taking us forever to reach our Thai friend’s house in Phya Meng Rai, driving through long stretches of winding roads besides large greeny paddy fields & high mountains, till we start to laugh & joke that the road ahead of us seems never ending & that it’s like we’re going to the end of the world haha!

After more than an hour, we finally arrive at the house!! And WOW I nearly can’t believe I’m here right now - I’ve always wanted & dreamed of being inside one of these kampong wooden houses, & today is really my lucky lucky day!!

Our car parked infront of the lovely wooden house :

“Sawatdee Kaa Sawatdee khrab” - Immediately after we get off the car, we’re received with the warmest welcome by our Thai friend’s Mom & Dad. In Thai, “Sawatdee Kaa & Sawatdee Khrab” are greetings meaning “Hi” or “Hello” - women say “Sawatdee Kaa”, & men say “Sawatdee Krab”.

We’re soon being led to the house :

WOW the wooden steps to the house look kinda high & steep! And we take a while to get used to climbing up freely!!

Our shoes on the small foyer to the house : 

We’re now inside the house - I notice the Mirror facing directly at the main entrance of the house - guess that’s a Thai superstition that Mirrors can trap evil spirits & souls from entering into the house & harming the people living inside the household.

I ask our most friendly Thai hosts for permission to take more photos of the house & here they go :

The house ceilings - made up of wooden planks with zinc roof. They’re very high, making the house very cooling & comfortable!

 The way into the house kitchen :

The Auntie & Uncle of our Thai friend busy preparing our lunch :

And upon seeing the glass paneled wooden cabinets, they bring back fond memories of my childhood days when I was living in the kampong at a very young age, cos my family used to have similar type of cabinets in our kampong kitchen too!!

Another younger Auntie of our Thai friend helping out in the kitchen, & she happily smiles for my camera!!

This Thai Uncle knows how to speak Mandarin & English a little, & he’s even been to Taiwan & America! And actually, he looks really like my 2nd brother haha!! And guess what, he later keeps telling me “Xiao Jie, Ni Heng Piao Liang!!” - meaning “Young lady, you’re very beautiful!!” Haha, he’s a real joker!!

Well, it’s so strange & funny cos all the members in the household find me really gorgeous!! They keep telling me in Thai (though I don understand a word & need our Thai friend’s English translation) that I’m very beautiful etc etc!!

Well, they also say my Mom is very beautiful & very young looking etc, but they all seem to oncentrate all their attentions on me alone!!

Guess they really like me alot at first sight haha - so so cute of them!!  

The Khantoke meal for our lunch - various kinds of food served on Lanna-style round rattan tray :

The Khantoke fruits - huge greeny Avocados, Langsarts (small round pale brown skinned fruits), Pears, fresh red Rambutans, beautiful Bananas, & a round Guava - all locally grown!! How amazing!!

The very spacious spick & span kitchen area - see the beige colored door infront - that’s the door to the house toilet!

Modern toilet & shower areas - though it’s a kampong house, it’s got the modern toilet facilities, with colored floor & wall tiles - really cool!! 

See the huge long window in the kitchen area below - I peep my head out of that see beautiful sceneries of the surrounding kampong area!

Here are the photos taken of the wonderful views : 

A partitioned walk-in wardrobe & store area in the kitchen :

And wow, look at the so many lovely soft toys inside the glass wooden cabinets!!

The kitchen has a door to the ground level too :

See the above long tiny wooden plank on the right side at the ground level

- it actually leads to a raised-up wooden sheltered storage area, & there’re

many dried Garlics hung up there too, as shown below! Mom, Dad & I are

so excited when we see these beautiful Garlics, called ”Gra Thiem” in Thai!

Well, Thailand is basically overflowing with Garlic plants & that explains

why the huge abundance!!

Below is a Slideshow of photos showing the views I see from where I’m standing at the doorstep in the kitchen.

From the kitchen, I enter through the below door to the living room of the house :

The very neat, clean & cosy living room - the floor mats really remind me of my

childhood days when I used to sleep, play, eat, study & do almost everything on

such similar colored patterned mats in my childhood kampong house!

I’m really glad I’m here today inside this lovely Thai Kampong house,

seeing stuffs I’ve not seen, or been in touch with, for tens of years!

To the left of the living room is the main door of the house where we came in earlier :

The wooden steps to the house on which we climbed up earlier :

See the various potted Cactus placed at the foyer below the wooden steps -

they’re usually believed to cast off evil spirits that may be harmful to the household,

just like the Mirror placed in the house facing directly at the main door,

which I mentioned earlier.

From where I’m standing at the main entrance in the house, I see beautiful views

of the lush greeneries & the distant mountains, as shown in the below photo.

And the air I breath in is so cool & so fresh, I think I’m falling in love with this place!

And I feel it’s really a blessing to be able to see such beautiful view every morning

upon waking up!! Life is beautiful here!

And guess what’s standing next to the house?

Longan trees!! Yes, huge Longan trees to the left side of the house!!

Well, at least they look really tall & huge to me, but our Thai friend says

they’re but only baby young trees & the older ones are much taller & bigger!!

WOW just imagine that!!

Now, can you see the Longans hanging from the tree below?

A non-flash photo shot of the living room which shows the greenery views

outside the 2 windows :

Below is a Slideshow containing photos of views seen from the above smaller

window on the left side of the living room :

The following Slideshow contains some photos I took of the views from

the above lovely blue-curtained living room window :

And not to think that it’s a kampong house at all, cos it’s even got modern electric

radio hi fi DVD tv set!! Heehee I must still be in dreamland ha,

cos afterall it’s the year 2008 now!

Next to the living room is the dining area where there’s a very nicely set-up table.

And at the top right corner beside the window is our

Thai Family’s little praying altar.

A few photos showing views from the above Dining area window can be seen

in the below Slideshow :

A basket of fresh fruits on the dining table :

And at one of the wooden walls in the dinning area is the following picture of

an elderly grandma paying respects to the Thai Royal King :

The lovely bedroom of our Thai friend :

Real scorpion pictured on the door to the above bedroom :

Butterflies too on the wooden door - I wonder if these Scorpion & Butterflies were

caught & then framed up by our Thai Daddy himself!!

A beautiful sketch of a couple in love - so sweet!

Thai King & Queen photos on another wall in the living room - the Thais really love

their Royal Family, & they place & hang photos of them everywhere in the house,

in the streets etc.

Our lunch is ready - our Thai friend’s Auntie serving Mom & Dad food :

Beaming with smiles Thai Mommy seated by the dinning table eating

with Mom & Dad :

Quiet & shy Thai Daddy eating together with Mom & Dad as well :

Now, my brother & I will be sitting cross legged in this Khantoke style dinning

area with our Thai friend for lunch :

Our Khantoke Thai lunch :

Our huge Khantoke tray of fresh local fruits - Avocados, Langsarts, Pears,

Rambutans, Bananas, Pesimmons & Guava :

Me getting ready to tuck into the great Northern Thai cuisines!! Btw, I’m wearing

the beaded Necklace I bought yesterday near Chinatown!

Plate of Cucumbers, Cabbages, Long Beans, & small & big round vegetables

(that look like tomatoes) - all freshly plucked from the house garden of our Thai

friend’s family. How amazing cos these vegetables are all so fresh & crunchy

(except for the round ones which are rather soft), & they’re all so so yummy!!

Plate of steamed kampong Chicken parts & organs (livers & kidneys etc)

- plain yet very fresh & very tasty! Chicken is called “Kai” in Thai!

Thai sticky Rice (called “Kaao Nieow” in Thai, which is actually sticky glutionus rice),

is very fresh & fragrant!

Thai Spicy Minced Pork - cooked with the green round Vegetables

(that look like tomatoes) that we saw earlier, Chinese Parsley etc :

This Spicy Pork is really delicious & I love it!!

Kampong Chicken Soup with sliced Tomatoes & diced Chinese Parsley & Onions

- yummy yummy too!!

Sliced Pork with Thai Sweet Chili Sauce for dipping - very nice!!

Pork in Thai is called “Muu” :

“Aroi Aroi” - We all had such a wonderful lunch & now we’re eating fruits all together

with the Thai family - Well, “Aroi Aroi” in Thai means “Delicious Delicious”!!

Dad seated on the floor with our Thai Mommy, Aunties & Uncle :

Well, these family members are of Thai & Chinese heritage, & they’re very very nice,

good, friendly, sincere humble people. They make us feel very welcome, & they’re very

hospitable, & mingle with us like no strangers.

And though we’re like Ducks & Chickens, knowing none or too little of each other’s

language, & only communicate through hand signs & facial expressions & smiles,

we’ve no problem liking one another very much,

& we’re so happy to have met everybody!

Our Thai Daddy is a very very shy quiet nice man who sits at one corner & just

smiles all the time!! And he also knows how to speak Mandarin a little cos he’s

worked lived in Taiwan for 4 years. And Thai Daddy will say to me very softly

“Ni Heng Piao Liang” (meaning “You are very beautiful”)!! He’s just so cute & funny!!

And not forgetting the Uncle, who also tells me “Xiao Jie, Ni Heng Piao Liang!!”

meaning “Young lady, you’re very beautiful!!” now & then!! Haha guess they’re both

just taking the opportunities to practise their Mandarin a little haha!!

And our Thai Mommy & Aunties stare at me all the times & keep smiling non-stop

at me!! They all keep telling me (through our Thai friend’s translation) that I’m very

beautiful, or that I look like Japanese, & that they really like my dress alot! “Suai Suai”

they keep telling me - “Suai” in Thai means “Beautiful”!! And then they ask if I’m

married, & start talking about my age - Thai Mommy & one Sister says I’m only 25, &

the other sister says I’m 20!! Haha, that’s really so pleasing to my ears, cos I’m almost

40 now!! Well, not exactly cos I just turned 37 actually, but I don feel 37 at all haha!!

Well, they’re all shocked to hear my true age, & they keep smiling & staring at me &

commenting that I’m so beautiful etc etc!! Haha unbelievable!! Guess they’ve just

never seen such a “Me” come all the way to their kampong from so far-away place!

Plate of very fresh Rambutans, Pears, Persimmons & Pomeloes

- all already skinned & peeled for us! How nice!!

Very huge fresh Avocado - yummy yummy!!

After the fruits desserts, I’m about to go out of the house to take a walk when

below Thai Auntie gestures to me to come down to take a look

at what’s in the blue containers!

There’re actually Frogs inside these containers!! And they’re real huge & fat!!

On which I hand sign to Thai Auntie that I love eating them, especially their meaty

thighs heehee, making both of us laugh aloud!!

And Thai Auntie teaches me a new Thai word - “Gop” meaning “Frog”,

which I also teach her in return in English!! What a cute foreign exchange heehee!!

And hey, aren’t these below Limes!!! Yes, they’re indeed Limes - & so huge & fat &

fresh!! Upon which I tell the Thai Auntie they’re called “Lime” in English,

& she teaches me “Ma Nao” for Lime in Thai.

Pretty Thai Auntie standing infront of the Lime tree & froggy homes :

I’ve put all the photos I took of the near surrounding of the house in the

following Slideshow, with a cute fun loving Thai song video :

Thai Aunties poses for my camera again - she’s standing at the doorway to the

huge storage room under the house :

Then Thai Mommy joins us in the photography :

The 2 lovely sisters smiling happily :

Myself with Thai Auntie - photo taken by Thai Mommy :

Then it’s Thai Auntie’s turn to take a photo of sister & I :

Pretty Thai Mommy sitting & beaming with smiles at the wooden steps

to the house kitchen :

We then all go back to the house for more gathering together, & our Thai

friend opens the box of Belgium Chocolates I bought for her from Singapore :

And more Liquor Chocolates for our Thai friend, who loves chocolates :

My parents’ Red Wine & XO gifts for our Thai family, all the way from

Singapore Changi Airport :

We’ve more of the yummy sweet sweet Langsarts :

Then our Thai friend give me this cutie cutie bear (that has a beautiful scent)

from among her huge pool of soft toys from the kitchen cabinet

(which I mentioned earlier) - my earliest Christmas gift of the year!!

And our Thai Mommy & Daddy also gave my Mom & Dad 3 big packs of Thai

Coffee & 2 packs of Tea (in the below right bottom bag), which Mom & Dad love!

How sweet of them!!

Mom & Dad seated at the dinning chairs :

Then I suggest that the Thai parents & Singaporean parents take a photo together :

And then the huge Thai & Singaporean community (inclusive of our Thai friend’s

2 male Cousins who just arrived), all seated cosily on the house floor :

We continue to chat for a while before we decide to make a move,

which is now about 3 hours since we came here. And Dad invites our Thai Mommy

& Daddy to come visit us in Singapore for a week, with our Thai friend &

younger sister (who’s in school right now).

We then thank the family & bid farewell to them - & our Thai Mommy hugs me &

touches my cheeks with her very warm hands!! I’m really touched & feel kinda

reluntant to leave the place!! In fact I tell her how I wish I could stay longer in the

kampong, like up till a month or two, cos I’ve really come to like this place alot!!

Dad too likes the kampong’s so fresh & green environment!!

We’ve all had a great time with this most heartwarming & friendliest Thai

family who showered us with most wonderful hospitality & sincerity.

And I personally have never had a better & more interesting & beautiful insight

into a foreign culture & lifestyle such as the Thais, & I feel happiest & most

grateful that I’ve got such an invaluable experience today!

Well, above Slideshow of photos are taken along our drive out of Phya Meng Rai

after leaving our Thai friend’s lovely house - with us still smiling over our

sweetest Thai family visit right now in our car!