Postcard from Chiang Mai

Some lovely pictures from the latest contributor to this blog -- Uncle Siam, who brought his family to Chiang Mai in northern Thailand recently. The little farmers in the top left hand pix are actually Bangkok urbanites in disguise! So cute!

Uncle Siam says the building in the bottom right hand corner is the Mandarin Oriental Dhara Devi, an amazing replica of a northern city of olden days.

The pictures show a peaceful and idyllic landscape despite the country's current woes following a series of headline-grabbing events in the last one year -- Singapore government investment arm Temasek Holdings' controversial purchase of Shin Corp from former Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra, street protests over the non-payment of tax by the vendor in the deal, the military coup that ousted Thaksin, Temasek's blunders in Thailand, Thai government's unhappiness over Thaksin's 'private' visit to Singapore, spying charges levelled against Singapore, and Thailand's loss of the Asean Football Championship to Singapore.

Uncle Siam and his little troopers truly enjoyed Chiang Mai and beautiful rural Thailand.

The same cannot be said about Thaksin although it is his home base. He is currently in exile.