Chiang Mai's Nimmanhe-min Road is always a great place for a peaceful stroll among the shops, restaurants, cafes and beautiful boutique hotels, and it's also got the To Tell bookstore and gallery, opened seven years ago by four Chiang Mai University graduates.

Only Saowanee Mekanupak is still involved, and it was she who relocated To Tell to a better location on Nimmanhemin Soi 2 two years ago. The threestorey store boasts 1,000 plus titles in Thai, ranging from religion and philosophy to guidebooks, and loads of fiction too.

"We have all the noted writers, like Seksan Pra-sertkul, Kanokpong Songsompan and Panomthien, who are quite hard to find

in other bookshops," says Saowanee.

The store stocks secondhand books as well, CDs priced as low as Bt90 and postcards made by local students.

On the second floor is the gallery, featuring paintings, photographs and sculpture by northern artists.

Next month Wallop Sumd-angpan will display his paintings in a show called "Too Yen".

And to round things off there's a coffee and tea corner with hot and iced drinks, espresso and fruit teas for Bt24 to Bt30.

Still not enough? To Tell has three rooms to rent up on the third floor, starting at Bt500 a night! 

By Pattarawadee Saengmanee

Daily Xpress

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It's a cinema too!

>> The bookshop and 2521 Publisher screen films for free every Sunday at 2 and 5pm this month.

>> Recent titles have included "Lok Bai Lek Kong Dek Kao Kuap" ("NineYearOld Life"),

"Pee Sue Lae Dok Mai" ("Butterfly and Flower"), "Wi Tee Kon Kla" ("Path of the Brave") and "Pan Ma Ba" ("Running 7 Dogs").

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Saowanee's idea of great reading

>> Bussakorn Pitchayathit's "Muean Mong Dok Mai" ("Like Looking at a Flower")

>> Forrest Carter's "Little Tree", translated by Kannika Promsao

>> Pramuan Pengchan's bestselling "Deaun Soo Issarapab" ("Walk Towards Freedom").

 >> Bookmark this address

 To Tell Bookshop

 8/7 Nimmanhemin Soi 2

 Chiang Mai

 Open daily, 12 to 11

 Call (053) 214 888