Chiang Mai is the old capitol of Lanna Kingdom which is situated in the North of Thailand. This beautiful and cultural city is not only recognized and well-known by tourists as the “Rose City in the North”, but it has been also called as the “Vegetarian City”. Since Chiang Mai was the venue of the 33rd World Congress in 1999, the number of vegetarians has been growing, now there are over 60 shops and restaurants involved in selling vegetarian food and products. The vegetarian business owners are not only aiming to make a profit, but also to promote good health and the principle of avoiding the killing of animals. Vegetarian foods, such as vegetables, fruit, seeds, rice, grains, bulbs, herbs, milk and eggs are not harmful to the bodies of those that consume them.
Vegetarians are often very interested in conservation of the environment and domesticating animals to rear them for food has several knock – on effects on this environment. If animals are not raise for consumption, then there is no need to invest in the costs of special foods for them and to take up or destroy land in order to cultivate this food. Large amounts need not be paid for the water and energy needed to raise animals and large areas of forest can be preserved.
I am the president of Chiang Mai Vegetarian Society ( CMVS ), which has been in operation for over ten years, having been started in 1995. The CMVS seeks to support, enhance and promote vegetarian issues and healthy living. It also aims to educate people about these issues through coordinating a network of vegetarian shops and restaurants in Chiang Mai. We encourage vegetarian businesses in the area to join
CMVS and share knowledge and experience relating to healthy eating.
The number of vegetarian shops and restaurants has increased in recent years. In 1990 there were only eight such businesses in Chiang Mai, compared with around forty-five in 2007. My research has shown that for the majority of these shops and restaurants, both making a profit and promoting the principles of vegetarianism are major factors in the decision to set up and run their businesses. The establishments I looked at, had been trading from between one and seventeen years and sold mostly readymade Thai, Chinese or Indian food. Menus offered between eight and twenty different dishes per day sometimes including sweet snacks. They also provided pre-packaged orange, lemon and carrot juice as well as soy bean drinks. Meals typically included the use of artificial meat, tofu, soy protein, dry vegetables and herbs.
The price of a vegetarian meal in Chang Mai varied from restaurant to restaurant, but was usually between 15 and 25 Baht for a meal, 5 and 10 Baht for sweet snacks and 10 and 20 Baht for drinks. Opening hours were from 7.00 am to 8.00 pm, six days a week, depending on the restaurant. Businesses were usually located in areas convenient for customers i.e. places which were easy to get to and from, or in areas with lots of people. The restaurants were often self-service, fairly small, with plain decoration but were found to be clean and tidy. Vegetarian restaurants did not often advertise, but instead relied on word of mouth to promote themselves.
Chiang Mai Vegetarian Society has a policy of encouraging people to visit all the different restaurants in the area.
Vegetarian businesses aim to both make a profit and to contribute to a healthier, more environmentally friendly community, without the need to kill animals. I encourage you to join, invest in, visit and eat at all such places. You are always welcome
清邁是泰北蘭那王國的舊古都，它不但是一個美麗的文化城，被旅客稱為北方玫瑰城，自1990年成為第33屆世界素食大會集會地後，更擁有素食城的美稱。素食者的人數持續成長，現在更擁有超過60家賣素食及素料的商店和餐廳。經營素食餐廳者不以營利為目的，而且更推廣健康及避免殘殺動物。素食包含蔬菜、水果、種子類、米飯、穀類、球莖類、藥草和奶蛋等不傷人體。
素食者關心環保並抨擊以食用為目的來飼養家畜進而影響環境。假使不以食用為目的來飼養動物，那麼就不需要投入成品、佔用、破壞土地來種植特定為了飼養家畜的食物。也不需要為了這些飼養家畜的植物來澆水及給予能量，更多的森林將可以被保存。
我是清邁素食公會的主席，清邁素食公會自1995年成立至今已超過10年。我們致力於支持、促進及推廣素食及健康生活。也透過素食店及素食餐廳的網絡來教導淸邁民眾有關素食議題。我們鼓勵清邁素食的業者加入素食公會分享和健康飲食相關的知識及經驗。
最近這些年素食店及素食餐廳的數量持續成長。在1990年在清邁，只有8家經營素食生意，現在2007年大約有45家經營素食生意。在我的研究顯示大多數的素食店及素食餐廳可賺取利潤並以推廣素食為原則來設立並經營他們的生意。他們經營泰國、中國、印度料理交易時間的長短從一年到十七年都有。他們可以每天可以提供含甜點共8到20種含不同的菜餚，也可供應柳丁、檸檬、葫蘿蔔、豆漿等飲料。
一餐素食依餐廳的不同在清邁大約花費泰銖15到25，甜點的花費大約為泰銖5至10，而飲料的花費大約為泰銖10至20。營業時間也依餐廳的不同從早上七點至晚上八點，每星期六天。這些餐廳大多位於消費者容易到達或是人口聚集的地方，自助式、規模不大、裝潢樸實但餐廳乾淨且整潔，不常廣告但大多都靠著口耳相傳而聲名遠播。清邁素食公會鼓勵民眾去參觀當地不同的餐廳。
素食的經營兼俱兩種目的，一是為了賺取利潤，二是致力於建立更環保、更友善的社會不再殘殺動物。我鼓勵您且歡迎您一同加入、投入並來參觀這樣的素食天地。
