For Chiang Mai Expats: How do you keep yourselves occupied in Chiang Mai?

[hugocnx]

2 hours ago, connda said:

I didn't move here for "The Excitement."  I moved here because it was laid back, and being Buddhist, I'm in my element here unlike 'back home.'  I'm also much more attracted to Asia women than my European counterparts of the opposite sex.  So, what's exciting to do in Chiang Mai and the surrounding provinces here in the North?  Visit wats, go on meditation retreats, and immerse in the culture.  Sight-see. Enjoy my family life with my Thai wife who is about my age and my extended Thai family. That's all laid back, just the way I like it.  And if I want to 'hang with my tribe', I take in a Chiang Mai Expat Club event.  I'm old, I'm retired, and I don't mind being around old, retired expats.  <laughs>  They're laid back too. 

My condolesence

[hugocnx]

13 hours ago, MaeJoMTB said:

The hiking and cycling in CM beats every other place in the world I have lived.

Hiking,

For the unfit, a gentle walk up the Pilgrims Trail to Wat Palaat, for the fit extend that walk to Wat Doi Suthep, for those who like excess, run up the Caffiene trail from Wang Bua Baan to the Hmong Village near Dui Pui.

Cycling,

Many people ride road bikes from the Zoo to Wat Doi Suthep every morning (11Km up), there is also a road running behind Mae Rim to Mon Chairm (25Km up). And for a change there are many off road and on road MTB routes.

 

Most days the weather is suitable for one activity or the other.

Agreed, but you can do that kind of activity all around the world.

[hugocnx]

4 hours ago, Foxy52 said:

First came here in 1978. Loved it then and love it now. The most noticeable difference is that the traffic around the moat is a lot better these days

better like badder?

[hugocnx]

4 hours ago, Telly said:

City folk in CM for the last year,  and a year to go. 

 

I need my shopping- cen fest, cen apt, Maya, KSK, Tesco superhighway, Tesco hang dong, Big C extra, Big C, Big C hang dong,  the various night markets above,  Wulai night market, Sunday night market 

 

Can't forget the buffets either- Lunch grand view 199, orchid dim sum 299, ibis 179, Siripanna 199, Auf de Aui 250. Dinner retro cafe 139, countless 99, 119, 139 Mookata,  Sunday gecko 220

 

Wednesday movie day- Major is the cheapest at the Cen at 80, SF squeezes you for a 100 at maya

 

Gyms and pools aplenty.  Creative hunting for the free ones. 

 

Daily reading on fb groups,  TV, stories online. 

 

Once a week take the big bike out for a ride. 

 

Busy busy busy

How utterly boring

[Lacessit]

15 minutes ago, hugocnx said:

I had the Chiang Mai kick just 12 years back. People who have lived here much longer will probably have the best view when it comes to answering op's questions.

But what is actually ruining my kick is the enormous growth of Chiang Mai with all the negative things that come in the slip stream of rapid growth.

Traffic, pollution, 'staggering' prices, migration, policing.

I am not sure if night life is still good these days. I got fed up when people started over pricing while service went down the drain. What I know is that 10 years ago it was fun going out like in good old Nr 1 or in the boxing ring. The magic is gone; maybe that goes for me only and that new comers will still get the kick as I got way back when.

 

Is the overpricing you are referring to related to night-time stuff? I can't say I've noticed any escalation in prices of daily staples, fruit and veggies in season are always cheap. If anything, rents in CM are going down with the glut in condos.

The secret to the traffic is avoiding travel at 8 am and 4 pm, when the schools are coming in and out. Can't say there's much to be done about the pollution, except for buying an air purifier for the apartment. Policing? AFAIK they only work in the morning.

[chokrai]

5 hours ago, wicketkeeper said:

Feed cats.

Walk to coffee kiosk.

Witness the death of conversation.

Count the interval between a red light and a green one in Thai.

Receive daily confirmation that Thais cut corners.

Discover what the bell ring of each intinerant hawker means in my quiet moobaan.

Trawl the secondhand bookshops for unexpected gems.

Resist eating anything until midday.

Microwave porridge oats for lunch.

Swim and water aerobics.

Endure a rough Thai massage I call Muay Thai.

Read about Donald Trump and adjust my date of impeachment bet as necessary.

Cancel my order for a Tesla 3.

Watch The Big Bang Theory.

Sip a dram.

Read.

Out.

 

 

 

 

You might want to change that to the date that he gets the Nobel peace prize.

[orang37]

When the aliens occupy my mind, I offer them mangoes with sticky rice and kathee; if necessary, I provide dancing girls, and/or boys. They keep the Orang, whose soul-mind I co-habit with, amused with their shape-shifting routines.

 

~o:37;

[Ulysses G.]

12 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Having tried the "girly scene" along Loi Kroh ( does it even exist elsewhere? ) and found it to lacking in everything that make such interesting ( and the prices outrageous ) I don't even bother anymore.

Most likely he is talking about before there were bars on Loi Kroh. There were super cheap brothels all over the city. They started getting shut down around 1995, but there were thousands a few years before that.

Edited May 7, 2018 by Ulysses G.

[holy cow cm]

I never grow tired of Thai people or just being out and about day or night. Always pleasant as something is always going on if you look any direction. Even going to 7/11 is fun. My family is the most, but they are Thai too. Love Thailand and no other place I would want to live and die in. 

[rumak]

8 hours ago, miamiman123 said:

Things to do in CM?....waiting to get your prescription filled?, playing bridge?, eating at the 35 baht lunch room?, tending a garden?....,God what a boring life you have! 

CM is not made for you!

I remember those good ole days in CM 20 years ago, and i was not doing those things then or now! 

twenty...or for me 30....years ago none of the current crop of "expats" were anywhere to be seen.  we were a different breed ( or so i like to think :-)   .    Now the expats are mainly retirees, most not speaking the language or caring much for the "thai way of how things work".   I guess they have as much right as anyone to come here...and Nancy fills a role (for them and herself) keeping those little clubs going.

I remember a few years ago my friend looking at all the foreign types walking the streets of of Chiangmai and remarking " jeez, this is what we came here TO GET AWAY FROM !"  

Different strokes for different folks ....and one must go with the flow.  Or in my case, let the flow carry me

70 km away from CM.   Life is change.  Still nice out here in the boondocks, but damn the farmers just can't seem to get the hang of how to play bridge.    

[Pat in Pattaya]

16 hours ago, simoh1490 said:

We have a house with a large garden, between the two of them there are always projects that need to be done, the garden alone occupies 50% of my spare time and it's work I enjoy. My wife works from 9 to 5 so I do a lot of the traditional housekeeping jobs, cleaning, shopping, laundry etc and that's work I don't mind doing. In between all of those things is Thaivisa Forum by way of me getting a break, I then have investments to manage which can also be time-consuming and then there's the gym twice a week. Free time is not in a huge supply so I rarely get bored. Sometimes I cancel all of the above and go shopping or out to lunch or just go somewhere and explore.

 

What I miss from 15 years ago in Chiang Mai is lower traffic density and the ability get around more easily. What mildly annoys me now about going into the centre of Chiang Mai is western backpackers who feel entitled and Chinese tourists on motorbikes, red cars are divine by comparison. Oh, and western tourists riding motorbikes as if they were in the UK, but without a crash helmet whilst wearing shorts and flip flops (even the locals don't do that), I expect that from locals but westerners should know far better.

Living the dream eh. Mind out you go there.

[Genericnic]

Reading, online classes, riding around Thailand on my motorcycle, photography, travel, eating. Generally have more things to do than I have time to do them. Haven't been to a bar in the 7 years I have been here.

David

Sent from my SM-T825Y using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[idman]

Exercise, read, cook, clean my condo, shop, visit with friends, eat out three times a week, go on a pub crawl twice a week, get laid when the urge hits me, play golf, ride my scoooter into the countryside, keep up regular visits to G.P. Doctor, my Dermatologist and Urologist, go to movies everyweek, get away to Chiang Rai once a month. I am a man for all things available here in beautiful downtown Chiang Mai.  

[cyberfarang]

Judging by the posts so far, it does seem that Chiang Mai has become a haven for elderly expats. It also seems that once they begin settling down in Chiang Mai, their activities don’t vary much to what they would be doing in their own countries, just a different environment.

 

 

[Wandr]

I didn't read the entire thread but I did see mention of Chiang Rai.

What's in Chiang Rai that draws people every month . Just the ride? Which is beautiful. Food? The feel of the place?

[bkk6060]

8 hours ago, cyberfarang said:

Judging by the posts so far, it does seem that Chiang Mai has become a haven for elderly expats. It also seems that once they begin settling down in Chiang Mai, their activities don’t vary much to what they would be doing in their own countries, just a different environment.

 

 

I thought the same.

There are Rotary clubs

Bridge clubs

Restaurants

Friends

Etc, etc every place.

I guess people mostly tend to settle back into their ways no matter where they are.

[Lizard2010]

There is the Chiang Mai Expats Club

They have many groups that do activities

As well as the Xpat Breakfasts and the monthly meetings

Please do not complain about how the  Chiang Mai Expats Club used to be

It has changed completely now

 

Also there is Lawn Bowls  Ten pin Bowling as as well as other activities that others might share

 

People should not get bored  so many things to do

 

[cyberfarang]

7 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

I thought the same.

There are Rotary clubs

Bridge clubs

Restaurants

Friends

Etc, etc every place.

I guess people mostly tend to settle back into their ways no matter where they are.

Does this mean that Chiang Mai has become a sort of old peoples home for expats and maybe why the city seems to lack a certain vibe?

[altcar bob]

Do a lot of wanking

[sanemax]

12 minutes ago, cyberfarang said:

Does this mean that Chiang Mai has become a sort of old peoples home for expats and maybe why the city seems to lack a certain vibe?

If older felangs still want to act like teenagers , they should live in Pattaya

[MaeJoMTB]

27 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

I thought the same.

There are Rotary clubs

Bridge clubs

Restaurants

Friends

Etc, etc every place.

I guess people mostly tend to settle back into their ways no matter where they are.

Lived here 10 years, not done any of that, I avoid people (excluding direct family).

Hiking, cycling and MTBing does for all my out of home activities and no need for human interaction.

Edited May 8, 2018 by MaeJoMTB

[sammieuk1]

12 minutes ago, altcar bob said:

Do a lot of wanking

Many posters here can give you a hand with that.

[Foxy52]

14 hours ago, hugocnx said:

better like badder?

No better - there was no ring road in 1978 and the traffic around the moat was appalling; could take half an hour to cross the road

[hugocnx]

11 minutes ago, Foxy52 said:

No better - there was no ring road in 1978 and the traffic around the moat was appalling; could take half an hour to cross the road

Ok, got that now. Tnx.

 

[Lacessit]

52 minutes ago, Wandr said:

I didn't read the entire thread but I did see mention of Chiang Rai.

What's in Chiang Rai that draws people every month . Just the ride? Which is beautiful. Food? The feel of the place?

Restaurant range is much more limited. It does feel more laid-back, and it's also a starting point for features such as Phu Chi Fa, Doi Mae Salong, Mae Sai etc. If you are a golfer, Santiburi IMHO is the best golf course in all of Northern Thailand. It also has some hot women.

[Psimbo]

If you are even more than mildly active there are a number of male, female and mixed Hashes to take part in. http://www.chiangmaihhh.com/

[stillhereandlovinit]

19 hours ago, PerkinsCuthbert said:

Get yourself a nagging wife. Never a dull moment.

Ive got one going spare if you need to go down this route.

[Telly]

10 minutes ago, stillhereandlovinit said:

Ive got one going spare if you need to go down this route.

Here,  you can have mine as well 

[NancyL]

9 hours ago, cyberfarang said:

Judging by the posts so far, it does seem that Chiang Mai has become a haven for elderly expats. It also seems that once they begin settling down in Chiang Mai, their activities don’t vary much to what they would be doing in their own countries, just a different environment.

 

 

I've thought the same about my own life -- what would I be doing any differently if I lived in the U.S?  Well, for starters I probably wouldn't be in a city with some many other English-speaking retirees from all over the globe with a wide range of special clubs devoted to hobbies and special interests.  Sure, I could live in some place like "The Villages" in Florida, but I'd miss the stimulating of interacting with people from different countries.

 

Also, I'd miss the high standard of service that is still found in many Thai business, especially the private hospitals, bank, nicer restaurants, etc.  

 

Also, the fun of occasional 2 or 3 day side trips to other places in Thailand or the ability to get on direct flights from CM and be in places like Korea, Singapore, and soon Taiwan in a few hours.  

[bkk6060]

2 hours ago, sanemax said:

If older felangs still want to act like teenagers , they should live in Pattaya

Not sure about a "felang" but I do and am having the time of my life.

 

Not yet ready to be a complaining impotent old man thank you.