Running Back in Time at the Old Airport

When we first moved to Chiang Rai, we knew we had to find someplace to run. The days of 24 hour fitness memberships, high-tech electronic treadmills & state of the art weight lifting equipment were temporarily over. Keeping active & in shape is a priority in our lives so we were determined to find a feasible alternative in this small town in Northern Thailand.

We heard from friends that lots of locals work out at an old airport. I didn't even know there was an old airport, so we headed out one day after work in search of it. Sure enough, hundreds of Thai people jogging & playing appeared before us. This old airport turned out to be just what we were looking for! And I do mean OLD. It seems like the place was just abandoned all of the sudden one day. All of the airport buildings are still there but now it looks like a ghost town - baggage claim, control tower and terminal still look like they're in working order. One day I even climbed to the top of the control tower to have a look for myself! The whole place is open for exploration although it's deteriorating from decades of abandonment. I felt like I had stepped back in time - straight to the 1970's. Probably due to the ever-growing population of the city, a new airport farther from town was built to satisfy the demand. Nevertheless, what's left now has been recycled for another purpose which may be just as important as the hordes of tourists flying into the city daily - exercise!

So Retro!

View from Traffic Control Tower

Daily Zumba Class

Everyday around 4PM, Thais get off work and head over to the old airport for activity. During the day it's simply too hot, so once dusk arrives, the people come out. Boy is there is a lot going on. Groups of old men in worn out Nike's and extremely short shorts gather round in a circle and kick a hollow wooden woven ball around. It's basically grown up hacky sack. These guys are at every day and they are incredible! There's no way I could hang with them even after 20 years of soccer! Speaking of, teams of boys are always playing soccer using vertical car tires as goals, young children fresh off school play badminton and countless men and women of all ages run & walk along the long since abandoned runway. As sunset arrives, a large gathering of women dance to upbeat techno music - Thai Zumba! Groups of golfers smack balls at the adjacent golf course right next to the pavement. It's really a fun atmosphere unique to Chiang Rai and we've become regulars at this gathering!

These Dudes are Amazing

Shirts vs. Skins

All told, the runway is a little over a mile long so it's easy to keep track of how long we've gone (since we count the lengths). We found a cool temple at the midway point. It's fairly typical of Thai temples actually, but has become special to us. Like most Thai Wats, there is a long staircase that leads up to the temple itself. We've spent many hours running up these stairs. There's nothing like pushing yourself on one last sprint flanked by rolling dragons with the odd monk sweeping the ground below (and catching a glimpse of us crazy farang). Of course, once at the top a lovely reward awaits. The temple grounds are serene & quite peaceful. The sun glimmers off the towering stupa as we stretch our weary muscles & struggle to catch our breath in the stifling humidity.

Temple At Top of Stairs

So Many Sprints Here

Golf Right Next to Runway

Running at the old airport will build up your confidence I guarantee it! We're usually the only ones running at a decent pace, so we end up passing scores of walkers and slow joggers. We really feel like accomplished athletes (actually it gives us the illusion that we're running faster than we actually are)! Some familiar faces smile when they see us while others just stare at the crazy farang that are "sprinting" past them.

"Fitting In"

There's a theme that I keep coming back to when I think about our time here in Chiang Rai: although we stand out and totally took out of place amongst the locals, we feel as though we have a place amongst them and are welcomed. Nowhere is this more prevalent than at an abandoned, old airport on our daily exercise routine. This genuine Thai acceptance from random strangers is something we'll miss dearly.