Hi, just wondering what I am going to do when the weather gets hot. Are there any residential areas near CM that are up in the hills, high enough so you notice it's cooler than down in CM, but close enough so you can go down for the night and get a Grab back?

 

I drove to Doi Inthanon once but it all seemed pretty empty really. Same when I went to Pai - plus you drop down before getting to Pai itself, IIRC.

 

30 degrees is already too hot for me so every little helps...

If 30 degrees is too hot for you maybe you should consider to moving to a cooler country.Last summer was probably hotter than those before. I do remember 12 consecutive days where the temp reached 38 degrees.There's not many cooler places that are close enough to the city to drop it more than a couple of degrees. Getting chores and a swim done early morning is my solution and then its into the air con.Not my choice of climate but some of us are locked into living here and make the best of it.

Night temps in summer rarely drop below 25

Since you mentioned Pai, yes it does get warm there since so much of the area has been deforested and the elevation is lower than other places you could visit. You might want to consider Soppong which is about 45 kms further on from Pai,. Soppong is higher in elevation and still has lots of jungle on the hills, and is usually 3° - 5° cooler than Pai.

 

Here is a Weatherunderground station located in Soppong where you can see current and past temperatures:

 

https://www.wunderground.com/personal-weather-station/dashboard?ID=IMAEHONG2

17 hours ago, Percy Penguin said:

but close enough so you can go down for the night and get a Grab back?

 

Up is the right direction. You may want to think about air-pollution as well as heat, or, you may not.

 

~o:37;

A Grab Taxi is not going to get you too far out of town... surely not far enough to matter in terms of climate... unless you take the Grab to the airport...
 

I don't think there's any place with enough life, or relatively near to life, and with daytime temperatures below 30C. Aircon, or move to another country.

Consider Vietnam uplands, but you may not want to go that native.

My Karen wife originates from a hill tribe village called Nong Lum (THIS Nong Lum does not pop up on Google Maps) which is about half way up from Chom Thong to Doi Inthanon, and I guess it's altitude above sea level is around 1,600 m. It is remarkably cooler up there in the hot season, and even cold to very cold now. One of her brothers in law has built a "hotel" made from bamboo only, which can accommodate between 2 and 8 people, and her sister can even prepare meals on request. This is for overnight stays, and not for day tours. Hiking and bird watching can be added. Chom Thong is 60 km from Chiang Mai, and from Chom Thong to Nong Lum is maybe another 25 km. A picture of the bamboo hotel is inserted below. If interested, please eMail to my wife Chanatda, [email protected].

 

On 11/29/2018 at 9:19 PM, Percy Penguin said:

Are there any residential areas near CM that are up in the hills, high enough so you notice it's cooler than down in CM, but close enough so you can go down for the night and get a Grab back?

No, there are not.

You are obviously living in the wrong country. Thailand is H O T. Everywhere!!!!

That being said Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai and the nearby environs are infinitely  more interesting than anywhere else in Thailand. The Lanna culture still survives and the Hill Tribes that live there bring their own special flavor.

7 hours ago, vsigrist said:

My Karen wife originates from a hill tribe village called Nong Lum (THIS Nong Lum does not pop up on Google Maps) which is about half way up from Chom Thong to Doi Inthanon, and I guess it's altitude above sea level is around 1,600 m. It is remarkably cooler up there in the hot season, and even cold to very cold now. One of her brothers in law has built a "hotel" made from bamboo only, which can accommodate between 2 and 8 people, and her sister can even prepare meals on request. This is for overnight stays, and not for day tours. Hiking and bird watching can be added. Chom Thong is 60 km from Chiang Mai, and from Chom Thong to Nong Lum is maybe another 25 km. A picture of the bamboo hotel is inserted below. If interested, please eMail to my wife Chanatda, [email protected].

 

That's a beautiful area and the local Karens care about conservation of land and culture. Excellent contribution to the forum! Da-blu do-ma!

Thanks guys.

 

19 hours ago, Kurtf said:

You are obviously living in the wrong country. Thailand is H O T. Everywhere!!!!

That being said Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai and the nearby environs are infinitely  more interesting than anywhere else in Thailand. The Lanna culture still survives and the Hill Tribes that live there bring their own special flavor.

Well yeah, you've got to look at the whole package.

 

On ‎12‎/‎1‎/‎2018 at 10:51 AM, PerkinsCuthbert said:

Consider Vietnam uplands, but you may not want to go that native.

Dalat in the highlands not far from Ho Chi Minh has a beautiful temperate climate.You can google it.Some of the best vegetables in the whole of the country, people are very pleasant.many nice hotels,markets ,Universities and an airport if you need to get somewhere quickly. I nearly put down roots there but finished up here in the heat !

May I add to the challenge ?

 

I'd like to go somewhere for the toxic months with both altitude and fast internet connection.

 

cheers, ~o:37;

5 hours ago, Sparkles said:

Dalat in the highlands not far from Ho Chi Minh has a beautiful temperate climate.You can google it.Some of the best vegetables in the whole of the country, people are very pleasant.many nice hotels,markets ,Universities and an airport if you need to get somewhere quickly. I nearly put down roots there but finished up here in the heat !

 

Make that an international airport.    Tiny but international.

 

Dalat is delightful.

 

Lots of cooler places to hike in all the surrounding hills. Many no more than 25ºC midday at over 1,000m elevation even in the hot and smokey season. Not many places to stay up at that elevation though. Mae Khamphong probably the best fit for your needs. 

 

Dalat in the highlands not far from Ho Chi Minh has a beautiful temperate climate.You can google it.Some of the best vegetables in the whole of the country, people are very pleasant.many nice hotels,markets ,Universities and an airport if you need to get somewhere quickly. I nearly put down roots there but finished up here in the heat !

That could be exactly what I am looking for, thanks a million.