LIVING LIKE A LOCAL IN THAILAND
Ian Cartwright started his own martial arts gym in Chiang Mai
Ian Cartwright moved to the mountainous city of Chiang Mai, Thailand for the laidback lifestyle, the close proximity between Southeast Asian countries and the Muay Thai. In 2011, the 35-year-old from Toronto opened a mixed martial arts gym.
Why did you decide to move to Chiang Mai?
I started being interested in Muay Thai when it got popular back in 2005. It’s a really beautiful martial arts. It’s very violent and very real.
How did you go about opening a gym?
I met one of my former business partners in Phuket in 2010. We stayed in touch after that and he came to me with the idea of starting a Muay Thai mixed martial arts gym. He was part of the Team Quest MMA gym in Portland, which already had several locations in the States. So we decided to open a Thailand location.
How do you handle the language barrier?
A lot of people speak English here. So do most of my Thai friends. I learned a bit of the language but I still struggle. In terms of getting to know people, unless you speak the language it’s truly hard to know them and their personality.
What’s your biggest pet peeve about the city?
There’s no big superstore here. Back home, you could just go to a big chain superstore and buy everything you need in one go. If I want sweet potatoes, I have to go to one store. If I want chicken, I have to go to another store.
What would be on your itinerary of best things to do in Chiang Mai?
1. Walk up Bua Thong Waterfalls “It’s called the Sticky Falls because you can actually walk up the falls and it won’t be slippery. It’s very much like the Dunn’s River Falls in Jamaica. This is an hour outside of Chiang Mai. It’s great because I don’t think the majority of people know about it.” Mae Taeng National Forest Reserves, Moo 8, Mae Taeng District
2. Relax at Huay Tung Tao Lake “It’s such a chill place. It’s more of a local experience because you won’t see very many tourists here. You can sit underneath a hut and order a whole fish.” 107 Don Kaeo, Mae Rim District
3. Cruise the Mae Ping River “This is way cheaper than the cruise in Bangkok. If you go to one of the restaurants along the river, they’ll often serve you dinner on the cruise at night.” $5.50, 9-11 Charoenrat Rd., theriversidechiangmai.com