January 29th, 2006 | The lowdown by Aliwyn Cole

Same Same But Very Different in Chaing Mai.

Same same, but different is a slogan on a very popular T-shirt in Thailand, so when I spotted the sign for the Same Same Café, I thought I’d give it a try. I’d been wandering down Ratchaphakinai Road in Chiang Mai in desperate need of a decent cup of coffee and a new room when I passed Same Same. After enjoying a couple of sips of my cappuccino, I noticed how clean the café was. I ordered the muesli, fruit and yoghurt breakfast, which was as delicious as the menu promised. I then noticed the sign advertising the Same Same Guesthouse, offering a chill out area in the roof garden, hammocks overlooking the mountains, and Thai style cushions. I inquired about the rooms and was shown a clean and comfortable room for only 250 baht. I was sold, and I booked two rooms, one for me and one for my parents, totaling 500 baht, which was still cheaper than the average room in many other guesthouses.
Thank goodness I found Same Same café and guesthouse. The bed was comfortable, the bathroom was clean, and most importantly, the coffee was great. The menu offered western and Thai food. The pizzas looked good, but I was too busy with the Thai items to try one. The Thai food was well-prepared compared to the usual redefined version of Thai food for foreigners, which unfortunately seems to dominate the tourist areas. I especially recommend the homemade bagels and muffins for breakfast.

Tours and travel can be booked here, and we booked a trip to Doi Inthanon through the owner of Same Same, Mr. Robert Wu, who was a helpful and friendly host. He’s a hardworking man, and always seemed to be on his feet. When the kitchen got busy, he would muck in with the rest of the staff and cook, clean, and empty the bins. The rest of the staff were also friendly, making the place take on an overall one-big-happy-family atmosphere. I think this is what sold the place to me most of all-the friendliness of the staff. It was service with a smile and a chat too.
Same Same café closes about ten in the evening, because the staff starts the next busy day at 6am for breakfast. When the sign here says it opens for breakfast at 6am, it means it, unlike a few places I know in Kao San Road, which open when the chef wakes up, with or without a hangover. Don’t worry if you want to party by night instead of waking early for breakfast-you can drink cocktails while sitting at tables on the pavement. The Tuk Tuk Cocktails Bar opens outside Same Same, and it is literally a tuk tuk taxi, filled with a plethora of mixers and mini umbrellas. The cocktails are good and the atmosphere is even better.