While Chiang Rai remains an important historical city, its greatest claim to fame is recent. Yes, that's rights, Chiang Rai province is also the birthplace of Somchai! He comes from a tiny town called Ban Mai (which funnily enough means Newtown in Thai. Funny only to my sister, actually, pardon the insider reference.) Ban Mai is on the border with Burma, not a good place to be since there are frequent border skirmishes between Thailand and Burma and the ongoing civil and drug wars in Burma often spill over into the area. Here I am visiting the in-laws, Somchai's father, Tong, and mother, Bujin. The first thing his father did when I met him was to reach into a bamboo tree and offer me a worm to eat. Not sure if that was a good sign.