cadwallader

Dear OP, you should also be aware that some people on this forum have been trying to sell their properties for some time, unsuccessfully. Would it be cynical of me to suggest that's why they are trying to talk things up?

For what it's worth, as I said before, I like Nan very much, and have a very good opinion of it. But my opinion, as someone who has spent more time there than anyone who has responded so far, and has more personal experience with the airport than anyone who has responded so far, is that it does not meet your stated requirements at all.

If you do chose to spend your time and money checking it out, I would be very interested to hear your own opinion. As I mentioned in my first post, March to May would be the best time to experience the heat and air pollution in its full glory, as attested by my co-respondents who complain about it every year (despite their coyness in admitting it).

Best regards.

Dear OP

"I would like to know if there are expats or pensioners who live or long stay in this area." No-one who has answered so far lives in Nan, or ever has done. As a pensioner who is not fluent in any form of Thai you will need a lot of support, Nan is close to zero.

My experience with Nan airport is that like numerous very small provincial airports, it is seasonal, open sporadically and its published schedule is unreliable and extremely limited. No-one who has responded so far claims to have taken a flight to or from Nan.

OP, regarding Nan airport. It is one of numerous provincial airports in Thailand that rarely open. I'm not sure what the current status is, but I've never known it to be open.

One of the most important things that I forgot to mention is that very very few expats live in Nan, so if you are looking for expat company, which you seem to be from your original post, Nan is definitely not the place to be. Although it is the capital city of Nan province it is a small provincial town, much smaller than Chiang Rai or Phrae.

As I mentioned before, very few people in Nan speak English to even a rudimentary level, quite reasonably so as there is no need for it. But even if you speak central Thai well you will find that the local language is substantially different. I know of at least one farang who claims to be an expert in Thai after 40 years here (though somehow he never managed to learn how to read it) who was completely flummoxed by the local language, the pronunciation of which is particularly strong in Nan, so much so that he proclaimed the locals to be uneducated. Of course most Thais can speak central Thai, but not as the language of everyday discourse in the north, even among the highly educated professional class.

It seems that your main criteria are heat, smog/smoke, and retired expat life, so I'll focus on those topics.

1. For much of the year the very north feels hotter than southern regions, despite the official temperature readings, because of the lack of breezes. In the winter it can be very cool at night and in the mornings if you live on top of a mountain, but no expats do so. By lunchtime it’s the usual summer heat. I have never lived in Kanchanaburi, so I cannot make a direct comparison, but the coolest place to be is by the sea because of sea breezes, official temperature readings do not take this into account.

2. The smoke can be very difficult for many people. In fact a few of the respondents to your post are on record year after year complaining about it, despite their apparently encouraging posts and pretty photos. The official figures for air quality are online, they are not nice reading. Hospitals are regularly overworked for respiratory problems during that season even for Thais, who are used to it. I suggested to a couple of farang acquaintances who suffer very badly in that respect that they should take an apartment in the south for the hot season (3 months at least). They said they couldn't afford to. And that's the trap many expats in the north are in, not just for this issue, but in general.

3. There is zero expat life in Nan, and hardly anyone speaks English, even to a basic level. There are no services worth mentioning for expat residents. Maybe someone will respond saying “my wife has a snack shop”, well the various posters who have claimed somesuch in the past  are no longer operating of course.

Another point worth bearing in mind is that Nan is not easily accessible. There’s one very slow road north to Chiang Rai (several hours) through the mountains on roads and mountain bends that will make many drivers sick. There is a newer major road south to Phrae that goes on to Bkk, in fact the main highway to Bkk.

Having said all that, I like Nan very much, but unless you’ve got an extremely good reason to live there, it’s better for a weekend or occasional visit, rather than a place to live. If you are going to make a trial stay, then do it between March and May when you will be able to judge for yourself whether the heat and air pollution are manageable for you.

Sorry to say I am privileged having PR. But things  have changed mightily at CR immigration in the last year or two:

- it's unbelievably more busy - really so - but nowhere near CM levels.

- the increased business is mostly from Asians - young HiSo students and older High Net Worth individuals. To tell the truth they look much more savoury than the farangs in the queue.

Hi, I'm looking for an English teacher in the Mae Lao area, near Rachamongkon tech college, ideally someone living quite local, as commuting from Chiang Rai city long term probably won't work.

This job is only available to people from the UK, ANZ, USA, Canada or Ireland who have a degree in a literate subject. These are the minimum requirements.

Experience in Thai government schools is a plus, as is a good knowledge of TEFL. Most students are school age, but adult classes are possible too.

The job is 5 days a week including Saturday and Sunday, starting 1st week of January, and we organise all the work permit processing.

This is a potentially long-term position, with an initial one year contract. There is no particular age limitation, but unless you've got good relevant experience and qualifications, a first-time work permit may be difficult over the age of 60.

PM me if you're interested,

cheers.