WinnieTheKhwai

On 6/25/2017 at 1:19 AM, DonDoRondo said:

They appear to be here to stay.  Now if they would start hassling the people driving vehicles that spew out black diesel smoke, I could get behind that.

Nooooooooooooo...!   :)  

Motorbikes only please.  And then only if Farangs or Chinese on them. 

Myeah..  I think it's okay.   Not really special though, especially because limited food options (Pre-made sandwiches popped in the grill, also 'ok' but not special) and cramped seating inside.   But nice staff like you said, air conditioning, WiFi of course, not expensive and easy parking.

I'm a little more partial to Bear Hug Cafe when downtown.

And if l'Opera (bit further down) got around to better coffee/smoothie/herbal-anything options then it'd be absolutely world class. 

1.  North 4 Condominium at Serene Lake

Out of town.  Airplane noise.  Getting into town can be difficult in traffic on either the Canal Road or Hang Dong Road.  Generally speaking I don't think condominiums make sense in out-of-town locations.   

2. Riverside Condominium

This at least is in town, and close to a good market, public transport, etc.  Nice river views too.   It's an older building of course which may mean renovations, and dealing with the usual management challenges.  Overall though I think this is worth considering.

3. Chiangmai Land

Same as above. Maybe slightly less nice location, but that's personal preference.

It's actually puzzling why it's worse on weekend than in rush hour school traffic.   A bit more attention to the traffic light timing would go a long way it seems.

Oh, and ban all parking on the 108, on pain of death.

On the plus side, the Outer Ring is coming along nicely.  That should help a bit. 

I'd just build one.  Much more spacious than the cramped wooden ones with crap wood (even if teak) that are still pretty expensive.

All it needs is 4 concrete posts (or metal posts, or wood if you can find it) and a basic roof structure.

On 6/14/2017 at 0:04 PM, Crossy said:

And, Rayong isn't exactly close to Bangkok, roughly straight line is 150km of currently poor transportation infrastructure.

Right.  Plus, it may finally have dawned on people that funneling absolutely everything to Bangkok just makes Bangkok even more of a troublespot/bottleneck than it already is. 

And why no train from Nong Khai to Chiang Mai: 

1. Why, actually?  There's not a lot of need to connect these places.

2. Looked at a map recently?   It'd be spendy. :)

There is a need to connect Chiang Mai with Bangkok but good luck offering that cheaper than air travel is now, starting at 500 Baht. And it'll still be a lot slower than by air.

11 hours ago, EricTh said:

 

There is a smaller boxing stadium along Loi Kroh road, anyone knows what's their admission price compared to this boxing stadium near Mercure hotel?

 

By the way, where did you manage to take a photo of the commission letter?

Loy Kroh boxing area pricing is also really high.  So much so that a lot of bars in that area now want to opt out of being part of it, which is where all those screens come in.

And the commission letter I got via a friend who recently opened a guesthouse.   It's not really surprising though, absolutely everything around town pays commission, from cookings classes to Art in Paradise to the Night Safari to the Old CM Cultural Center, Tiger Kingdom, Jungle Zipline, Elephant parks, Tube Trek water park, any taxi or van service: you name it and free money comes out all by itself.  Even many restaurants, massage shops, etc, etc.

Let's get this back on topic (or on topic in the first place, as the OP was a bit strange.)

So here is a flyer for that boxing stadium.  I don't think Chiang Mai even has a prime Muay Thai venue these days, with Kawila Stadium not really in operation, and the Bar Beer Center... well, probably the less said about that the better.

Note the pricing: 

And note the cool commission money to be had by taking people there..  If you get a bus in with 30 people with ringside seats then you've made 15,000 Baht for yourself in half an evening. (After also making commission on dinner, and whatever daytime activities.  Is anyone getting convinced yet of the completely insane yet easy money that's on the table and up for grabs every day in Chiang Mai with local tourism FINALLY in an actual swing?  

Thank GOD for tourists from China, without whom it would be truly dire in Chiang Mai.  

9 minutes ago, YaiJung said:

Of course they do.  They travel in groups of several hundred up to over 1000 at a time.  I was at a temple last year, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere with just a few small groups of quiet Thais and the odd farang around.  Suddenly like clockwork at 3:45pm, 50 buses pull in and Chinese start swarming the place like ants, shouting at each other and taking selfies.  It was obnoxious in the extreme and completely ruined the atmosphere at the temple.  

 

That is just one example.  I have never seen another nationality that travels in such large groups, with such a huge negative impact on where they are going.  

You don't live in Chiang Mai right?   We mostly get independent travellers, not that many group tours.  And group tours always go to the same handful of places.

1 hour ago, dcnx said:

Be thankful the new China - Laos - Thailand train they are building doesn't stop here. I pity the cities that have stations. Great for those who can profit from them, a nightmare for everyone else.

Why would it be a nightmare compared to any other kind of tourism?    You honestly think Chinese people are doing something worse than Germans/Americans/Britons/etc. did to any place they visited in Thailand?

1 hour ago, EricTh said:

 

Which movie do you think inspired so many Europeans and Americans to come to Thailand?

Several I'd say, over the years.

Can I just say I love the passionate discussion on a sauce?  :)

It rivals burgers as a topic!

1 hour ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

I agree entirely. The U.S. variety is much spicier and has an entirely different consistency, more like vinegar and ground chilis -- whereas the Thai local, commercially produced Sriracha sauces, like the Sriraja Panich posted above, are more like a slightly spicy, overly sweet ketchup.  Not even remotely the same.

Yes.  And to prove the point, and was at the (otherwise excellent) 'taam sang' (cooked to order) small restaurant on Rat Uthit Road (the one past Gymkhana towards the train station, just past the Siripanna hotel; seriously: go there, it's here: https://goo.gl/QDl349 .) and took a picture of Thai Sriracha.. 

Eeeew!  :)  

This article compares Huy Fong with another brand that seems close to the Thai variety: 

https://hotsaucedaily.com/compare-sriracha-hot-chili-sauces/ 

1 hour ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

The fact that the OP reporting seeing it (whatever it was) at Rimping AND Central in CM makes me think he spotted one of the Thai varieties, not the U.S. Huy Fong one.

No it's the real thing.  I  saw it myself too at Rim Ping.   It's not the local copy.   It was pretty expensive too, something like 180 Baht for the bottle.

This looks pretty nasty.. it's the beach at the Northern end of Jomtien, also popular with Gay people.

It looks like a major road is being constructed, eating up lots of beach space in favor of cars?

Really?

Is anyone still pretending that Pattaya is a beach resort, where families might actually visit a beach?

Enlarged image of the panel on the bottom left that shows the beach is basically gone, replace by a road/car park..

What the actual #)*#$#&!  

2 hours ago, Peterw42 said:

It has everything to do with Thailand. Sriracha is a general name for a hot sauce that was first made in Si Racha, Thailand. Yes, a Vietnamese man has been very successful making it in the US. His version of Thai sriracha sauce, he didnt invent it, just copied the sauce already being made in siricha, in Thailand.

Its the same as saying an American/Vietnamese invented champagne or Parmesan cheese, people make there own versions or copies all over the world.

I guess the OP didn't frame the post all that well, but would it help all of you who are talking about the ubiquitous Thai Sriracha sauce if the title read:

   "Huy Fong (Rooster Brand) Sriracha Sauce Finally in Thailand" 

Because that's the announcement that was intended, and it's indeed wonderful to have it available here.  I used to bring a couple bottles when on US trips.

While the US product is named after Thai Sriracha sauce, it is a *FAR* superior product, and anyone who hasn't tried it should stop talking right now until they do.  

Thai Sriracha of the type that's usually served with fried egg or other deep fried dishes is a really nasty, gloopy semi-sweet overly-processed horror compared to the much 'fresher' (and actually spicier) tasting Huy Fong sauce.

Anyway, using words like 'the original' and suchlike in this discussion doesn't really work: Thai Sriracha is 'original' you can give it that.  But who the (#$(#&$# cares in the presence of this MAGNIFICENT IMPROVEMENT!! :)  

Witness the Saturn V of Sauces: 

On 6/6/2017 at 5:25 PM, newnative said:

Certainly there are lots of Chinese here with tour groups but there are also growing numbers traveling here on their own.  I'm seeing lots of Chinese couples, families, and young female and male groups of 3 or 4 friends traveling together--very visible in south, central, and north Pattaya.  They're shopping at the nice stores at the malls and eating at the upscale restaurants.  Oh, and they're buying condos, too.  Not exactly zero dollar.

Yes!  Not to mention spending a lot on trips, tours and activities.  (Jungle zipline, visiting Chiang Rai as a day trip, etc.)

On 6/6/2017 at 6:12 PM, fatdrunkandstupid said:

Prawn buffet locusts...

Think again.  

On 6/6/2017 at 9:32 PM, Muzarella said:

HK Express...the Air Asia of China...have 2 flight to Chiang Rai and 4 flights to Chiang Mai a week from Hong Kong for less than $120 round trip. Air Asia 2 flights CM to HK. Very cheap for Chinesse tourist now. Every flight carring at list 200 passengers. That plus the ones flying from other Chinese cities to Bangkok, and

I agree with your overall point but there are LOADS more airlines flying direct into Chiang Mai from China. And many from multiple cities : Beijing Capital Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Hainan Airlines, HK Express, Juneyao Airlines, 
Shandong Airlines, Sichuan Airlines, Spring Airlines.   Plus Air Asia (multiple) and Thai Airways.

On 6/6/2017 at 10:06 PM, EricTh said:

Since when do the Chinese go for western food when coming to Thailand?

Since forever.  I even think a semi-Western atmosphere and Western people are part of the attraction.  Even the likes of Mad Dog, Red Lion et al have a Chinese language sign.   Also (this may be wishful thinking) I think I'm seeing more and more Chinese people make it into bars, too.  This is probably the current challenge: what do do with bars to get more Chinese people in.  I have some thoughts about that but the Thaivisa audience probably isn't the right one anyway for the most part.   Whichever bar owner cracks this one first though will be the first to feature on all the Chinese travel sites and social media, and be raking in the money, instead of withering away catering to the declining demographic of Fatdrunkandstupid (see second quote) Westerners.

Back on topic:  basically Chiang Mai is not a place to make good money.  If you like Chiang Mai and want to live there then you can make 'adequate' money to live very nicely, but internationally speaking you won't be making real money.

To consider it I think it should be 100K and up.  Otherwise it doesn't' really make sense other than as a 1-2 year stint to get some experience, enjoy Chiang Mai and then move on.

Also, experience and skill counts for more than degrees (except at universities and Intergovernmental Organizations (UN, etc.), where they like degrees. :) )  My wife has only a master's degree and made about 70K working in IT.  (Before realizing that tourism is where it's at these days.)

8 hours ago, heybruce said:

I've wandered around Santitham a bit and all I've found worth mentioning are Oxide and T-bar.  They are both fun, but Santitham used to have much more.  Am I missing something or is that area dying as well?

 

Milk Club, south of Mahidol road and east of the Hang Dong highway, is fun but not the easiest place to get to for those of us who don't like to drive when we're out drinking.

 

I'll leave it to others to comment on Loi Kroh, Zoe and the places along the river. 

 

Any suggestions on alternative bars and areas are welcome.

Don't tell anyone, but I'm kind of enjoying White House near Fort Kawila.. they play Thai pop songs from 10-20 years ago (give or take) so attract more 30-something and 40-something people, but who are extremely committed to relive their youth with a lot of dancing and  general merriment.  

It's often full though with a waiting list to get in, so if you have some time to kill in that area then you can warm up at Suran Bar, in between the Iron Bridge and White House.   Smaller place in a wooden building, but inexpensive and pretty good. Live music and screens showing sports (football mostly, when that's in season)

And all the usual riverside pub-restaurants keep going strong of course.  As is Tamnan Folk on Chiang Klan road.

Quote

 

Last night I drove by Tops supermarket in Chang Phuek near Mercure hotel.

Lo and behold, there is a new building near there that caters to mostly Chinese tourists because the sign was in Chinese.

It seems to be a Muay Thai boxing stadium. 

Besides this building was a Chinese restaurant and the next building was where the ladyboy cabaret shows are performed every night. 

I could see several busloads of Chinese tourists.

 

Well that's just riveting knowledge. :)  

But yes, Chiang Mai tourism is finally very healthy.     I see it in my wife's bank account every month. 

BTW has anyone visited this place, either the boxing or cabaret show?    Might be interesting to book for Chinese guests.  (The Khantoke Dinner at the Old Cultural Center is also popular.)  Although perhaps not if it's overly massive; I tend to meet more middle class independently travelling tourists from China (and elsewhere), not really group tourers.  (And like any group tour thing, that's usually not very nice for people not on the tour.)

BTW2: The growth in tourism is flattening off.  International tourist arrivals in Chiang Mai are still on the rise, but only very slightly growth compared to the crazy growth of a couple years ago.   Which is probably a good thing because I don't think Chiang Mai could handle sustained growth of 75% year after year.  

(Data from AOT, not TAT, because for some reason Farangs don't trust TAT which is kind of peculiar but that's the way it is, so going with AOT data.  Which doesn't of course capture all international tourists as many arrive on domestic flights or train/bus, but it captures trends for Chinese/Asian tourists very well as most direct international flights into Chiang Mai are from China and other countries in the region.)

14 hours ago, pgrahmm said:

As many times as I've meant to stop there I'm already past by the time I re-notice it.....Any good?

Yes, I think it's really really good actually.  Definitely miles better than Yummie Pizza, Khwan Kitchen and Littel Italy Garden (next to Huen Phen) nearby. (Although those are all 'okay'). Perhaps similar in quality to September at Chill Park at the Big C intersection, although the food style is a bit different (September is more general Western fare, Francesca sticks more to the Italian theme.)     It's actually a place we like going to when wanting something slightly special and enjoyable but not go all the way into town.

12 hours ago, sfokevin said:

At Kad Farrang behind the Starbucks is a nice Vietnamese Resturant...

 

Has as anyone tried the Huen Phen on Rachchapruek Rd?

I like that Vietnamese place too yes, and also the Isaan food restaurant is good if you like that.  And there used to be a Thai restaurant as well (as in Central Thai) on the lane past Mc Donalds there but it was closed last time I drove by.  Not sure if they moved because that was quite good.

Huen Phen we visit the original location in the old city pretty often, but not this one so much but haven't been in a long time; I should probably try again.

22 hours ago, pgrahmm said:

 

The same with businesses aimed at farangs.....They are getting much more plentiful in outlying areas....And farangs walking about - not in tourist areas & not around a shopping destination....

CM city has gotten less & less user friendly over the past few years....

Was going to agree word for word about being more spread out but then .. wait.. what?  Less user friendly?  Do you know remember the days when a phone call to Bangkok was 10 Baht a minute, and getting a phone line in the first place could mean multiple years waiting?  Or getting Western groceries: better be able to find it at Kasem Store.  English language movies were difficult.. Western food nowhere near today's quality. (Same with just about anything else: coffee (LOL), baked goods (hope you like S&P), etc, etc.

It was TERRIBLE!   (But we was happy.. :) )

19 hours ago, worgeordie said:

Condominiums,are sprouting up like mushrooms,far exceeding demand , I think,

unless they are building them,in the hope that Bangkok will sink faster than anticipated ,

and that the population will have to move to the higher ground of Chiang  Mai.

 

If the number of Farangs posting on ThaiVisa is anything to go by ,then I would say 

there are a lot less Farangs here.

Well, "Internet Forums" are a little 10-years-ago as a thing. Thaivisa is relatively blessed as the membership is of an age that doesn't like changing, so it's just a matter of waiting until everyone dies off. :)

In addition to the ones mentioned I'd would also like to add Francesca (Italian, on the Canal Road).   Really very nice.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g293917-d5005036-Reviews-Francesca_Pizzeria-Chiang_Mai.html 

and 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Francesca-Pizzeria/162758493802637  

It says Pizzeria in the name but I think that's selling the place short; there is a big variety of Italian/Mediterranean dishes.

Oh and one more thing: local conditions make a world of difference.  You can be on a small soi in/near the old city and with insane traffic right through the soi all the (&*#$(*&#$ time, or it can be a (dead-end) soi that hardly gets any traffic.   It can be near a nasty/noisy apartment building or workshop or it can be just grandmothers going about their lives quietly.   The whole area can flood badly after a little more rain than usual, or it could remain high and dry.  Parking a car is mostly not difficult in most places downtown, but there are definitely exceptions.  Temples may be nice to be near (and in the old city area chances are that you WILL be near one) but they do ring their #$(&$*# bell at 5am in the morning.  Some people take a lot of pride in the cleanliness and general upkeep of their soi/area, but just as easy you can turn a corner have have old mattresses and refrigerators stacked sky-high.  Oh and then there's the local community headman or head-lady, some of whom think they're DJ's and are on the loudspeakers with all kinds of silliness. 

So, IT DEPENDS. :)     I could probably do a similar list for gated communities and condominiums because those too really aren't all created equal. 

3 hours ago, Wandr said:

It is hard to tell why so many people on this forum have become so vitriolic. That is not all. They are combative for no reason, seem to have a feeling of possession about things that are not their's...well I can go on and on.

The point about this thread is, the OP never asked for advice on where he should live, which everyone has assumed, and then railed against him for not providing personal information.

All he asked for were some opinions from people about different areas. X could have said "I like this area because of the cherry trees" and Y could have said "I dislike this area because there are no cherry trees". Taken together it may have provided a useful body of information for all of us.

"I would like to here from people that have had there boots on the ground there for a while, as to where the best area to live is, and why ?"  

That's simply not answerable and many people have pointed that out.   And even stated why it's not answerable: "Would you like us to guess if you're a single retired gentleman, or a young family with children, and if you prefer a big space with a yard or city living, or..? " Others added that planning on having a car or having to rely on public transportation makes a big difference. 

I don't have an opinion on the best area to live other than what is perhaps less feasible for most people: Best area to live for me would be a nice modern 5 bedroom house on about a rai of land inside the old city. (Modern house, but architecturally blending in with Lanna-Thai themes.) Enough space for family and guests, nice big kitchen, a yard to relax in and do some gardening, close to lots of "Real Chiang Mai" life (temples, markets, restaurants, coffee shops), and after going out at night I can just walk back home. Bliss.

In the real world though you end up having to choose because you can't have all of the above.  So a typical choice would be to live in town with less space, or out of town with lots of space.  This completely depends on personal situation / personal preference. 

BTW I'm also working on the next best thing:  a small place in the city AND a couple rai of garden home with mountain views.  Then I don't have it all in a single place but can move depending on mood, change of scenery, etc. That's the theory anyway.   And as for where for both places: Samoeng loop is scenic but getting quite expensive. But mountains are all around so take your pick and get some land in any direction; I went South-West but that's also because family lives there and because you hit scenic parts relatively close to town.   And for in town it really has to be the Old City, or as close to it as possible.  Now have a place that's within 1 km from the City Pillar so I'd say that's par for the course.

But even with that though I wouldn't claim that's the best for everyone.  Lots of people would prefer a condo on Nimman.  Lots of other people would prefer a house in gated community half way to Hang Dong. 

On 5/21/2017 at 9:46 AM, sfokevin said:

There is a road that goes up around the back to Mon Cham that is much more scenic and deserted... check out the waterfall on the way ;-)

Oh, nice!  Is there a national park entry fee for that one?