May 22nd 2013 saw a one day meeting of Chiang Mai folk on a Vision for Chiang Mai. (Mostly folk not invited to the big meeting at the new Convention & Exhibition Center)

The Meeting was held as part of a national consultation process for a bill on local government powers attended by around 60 Chiang Mai residents included one foreign national.

It appears the second Asia Pacific Water Summit now under way in  ChiangMai’s newest extravagant building project and scheduled to end on 20th May 2013 is already creating controversy with government officials asserting that no protests will be allowed and when one considers criticisms of water management in the pages of OurChiangMai.com one might wonder if internet censorship of the site is in the offing?

Recently a reader asked if it will be safe by 30th April for a person with breathing difficulties to visit Chiang Mai?

My first attendance this morning at the Chiang Mai Provincial Center for the weekly press conference, which according to news reports the Governor promised to be in attendance, proved to be something of a let down.

3pm Sunday 10th March 2013. Traveling north along highway No 1 from Tak to Lampang between km 600 & km 640

• Forest fires spotted : 12
• Red Fire tankers each with 2 persons seen : 2
• Army vehicles : 0
• Soldiers : 0

Usually early March is no time for vigorous exercise in Chiang Mai, and yesterday  Sunday 3rd March 2013 was no exception with a top temperature of 36.1 C and smoke haze at unhealthy levels.

In April 2012 a press release from Chiang Mai Town Hall announced as reported in ChiangMaiCityNews.com : “Chiang Mai’s Kanchanaphisek Public Park to Get Make-Over” and “some time this year it will be ready for people to visit”

In fact the park is used regularly by joggers, bird catchers, fisher-folk and also at night.

Sometime later during a meeting with delegation from Gum Hak Doi Suthep when asked about this the Mayor replied “Oh no, we have no money this year”.

February 2013 seems to many to have gotten off to a fine start with very low air pollution reported for the northern provinces, unlike that in Bangkok or Beijing.  So we can unashamedly welcome the many Chinese tourists who have appeared after seeing a film about Chiang Mai.

When I began this report I was lost for words, and the words I had were not the answers to the questions I asked. Perhaps we can begin to find these by looking back  and here is a clue to where we are and perhaps why we see what we see. The photo was taken on 25th November 2012, one week after the last heavy flooding rain of the wet season.

Let’s fill in the details together.