Following their very successful visit to the ancient Thai capital of Ayutthaya last autumn, The Pattaya City Expats club organised another outing to a different part of Thailand. This time they chose the province of Chiang Mai, the ‘Rose of the North’, and so on Monday June 13th a group of 24 club members set off for a five day visit. They took a tour bus to Bangkok’s main railway station where they then boarded the overnight sleeper train to Chiang Mai. Arriving there early the following morning after what all agreed was an unusual and enjoyable method of travel, they then boarded another coach which took them all around Chiang Mai province. They stayed two nights in an excellent hotel in Chiang Mai, and then on the fourth day headed South, still on the coach. A final overnight stop was taken in the mid Thailand town of Nakhon Sawan and party finally rolled back into Pattaya on the evening of the fifth day. Although very tired from what had been a very full schedule, all agreed that it had been a very enjoyable and worthwhile trip. We show the photographic highlights here - so as not to overburden each page with too many pictures to download we have split the report into two parts. In this first part we cover, the departure and the first 2 full days, the remainder of the tour is on the next page. To follow the story, click on the first thumbnail picture below and then follow each one in sequence.