Is Hang Dong still a good place to live?

[Patjune]

I have read on the internet and heard some people say that Hang Dong is like the best area to live in Chiang Mai.

It has nice ambiance with a mountain view. It is close to the city and amenities like schools, markets, and airport. 

But I also heard that these days Hang Dong is getting too crowded and the traffic is bad.

In my opinion, I've been to Hang Dong a couple times and saw that it is still nice and livable, there might have some traffic in rush hours but if you use the canal road it is not too bad.

How do you think about Hang Dong?

     

[sammieuk1]

Its ok and easy to get around its at the better end of the CM location in my opinion but it depends on what your after????

[EL159]

No. dont come. Its terrible. Awful. (I live there and theres far too many foreigners already). Please go elsewhere. Sansai or Doi Saket sounds good for you.

 

P.S. Before anyone starts on me this post is merely a joke! Hang Dong is fine.

[tlandtday]

Probably better than Dong Hang Low area....

[lipflipper]

Traffic is getting worse and worst and even using Canal Road can be a real headache. I suppose the old adage would apply "you get what you pay for." There are lots of great choices to live in the Hang Dong area and prices are very reasonable either for buying or renting so it comes down to just how much time are you going to spend sitting in your car heading back into Chiang Mai proper??

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[Ajarnbrian]

Hang Dong covers a big area, from Lotus southwards about 10 kms on the Chiang Mai- Hod main road and a few kms either side. I live 5 kms east of that main road from the old Hang Dong T junction not far from the river, nice and quiet countryside but a bit far for city commutes. Nearer (but not next to) the main road may be more convenient but with more traffic. Two Big C`s on that main road, plenty of small markets around. Not many restaurants as you move eastwards. If you don`t need city amenities, good location.

[Captain 776]

Constant annoying airplane noise. It is the glude path when landing.

 

myself.... I could never live there

[thenewgoo]

Traffic is getting worse definitely, but it remains within good vicinity of most needs. Rents and house prices seem to be rising (rents especially) but probably because of the Chinese demand. I've lived here for 10 years but am thinking of moving- probably out further. Further away but that's progress apparently.

[nglodnig]

Hmm we bought a place just over twenty years ago this month (and seems to have trebled in value, which is nice ???? ) and we're very happy. At the time the facilities were minimal; Lotus (newly Tesco Lotus) was the nearest supermarket (everything else was out by the super highway on the other side of CM) although the Airport Plaza had just opened I think. Nowadays, lots of facilities - not one but TWO Big "C"s (we call them Little Big C and Big Big C), restaurants and of course the foreigner paradise Kad Farang.

 

Aircraft noise - never notice it unless I'm shopping in Big Big C - but then we used to live near Heathrow when Concorde came through twice a day.

[1FinickyOne]

I thought Hang dong was inconvenient many years ago... but if you like it, your choice. Personally I prefer a less developed area. 

[bkk6060]

Mae Rim is much better.

[moontang]

You won't get robbed...can't say the same about a dog bite, though.  

[cmtg1]

I find Hang Dong fetching to get to Baan Tawaai only. It is a haven for middle to lower class expats who aren't positive that they've made the right choice about moving to Thailand. It's kind of a stew for sheep like people who love to say that they are expats but live in human plankton like farang ghettos. It's the kind of place for instance that if it were in the states it would house a 9 to 5 worker with 10 credit cards ALL maxed out and has 2.5 children and a wife going to seed at 35 yrs old

[Puwa]

There is no best area-- it all depends on what you like and need. If you have to commute in and out of the city every day for work or school (or shopping, entertainment, etc.), you'll probably tire of the traffic, which is pretty bad on both major roads in and out of the district. But if you plan to mostly stay in Hang Dong with only the occasional jaunt into town on your own schedule, then the roads are bearable. I believe that Hang Dong has more restaurants, pubs, and shopping choices than does, for example, Mae Rim. 

[johnmcc6]

The Hang Dong center is crowded and many residential side roads close to town have many narrow streets and older houses. Best places are off Canal Rd going up into hills. Excellent 1 rai blocks with super views and full title  and power can be had for 6/7 million baht. Many like costing homes going up everywhere. For the poor man there is some good blocks of various sizes with no title but able to live on or build. from 5/6 hundred thousand per rai. These blocks have greatly increased since the government has pledged to put in new power supplies and issuing of full title in the next 2/3 years. Under current rules for Thais blue books are not too difficult to get. If you are a long term player these can be a great investment but for cash buyers only.

[Ajarnbrian]

17 hours ago, cmtg1 said:

I find Hang Dong fetching to get to Baan Tawaai only. It is a haven for middle to lower class expats who aren't positive that they've made the right choice about moving to Thailand. It's kind of a stew for sheep like people who love to say that they are expats but live in human plankton like farang ghettos. It's the kind of place for instance that if it were in the states it would house a 9 to 5 worker with 10 credit cards ALL maxed out and has 2.5 children and a wife going to seed at 35 yrs old

So have you lived in the Hang Dong area for long? Made any friends there?

[sirwilly]

Hang Dong  is a fine place to live. William

[xylophone]

On 2/18/2019 at 10:56 AM, tlandtday said:

Probably better than Dong Hang Low area....

But Long Dong would be a nice position to be in!

[Formaleins]

No. Han I must admit that there are some nice houses around Hang Dong, but I just couldn't hack the traffic in the town centre.g Dong is a terrible bottleneck for traffic - it might ease now the canal road is sort of open. Hang Dong also seems to be the place where the air pollution starts to get nasty - You can certainly notice it there when you look down that straight stretch of the 108 towards Tesco.

Edited February 19, 2019 by Formaleins

[Formaleins]

19 minutes ago, xylophone said:

But Long Dong would be a nice position to be in!

Don't laugh, we used to live in an estate called Long Dong Gardens when I was working in China, it was located on what ended up being a very buy highway, it was called Long Dong Boulevard.

[sfokevin]

49 minutes ago, Ajarnbrian said:

Made any friends there?

Doubt it... 

 

http://wiki.c2.com/?ParableOfTheTwoVillages

[Tracyb]

Consider San Kamphaeng.  Close enough to the city for shopping....far enough away to avoid major crowds.  

[LivinLOS]

23 hours ago, Captain 776 said:

Constant annoying airplane noise. It is the glude path when landing.

 

myself.... I could never live there

only a small section actually gets plane noise.. Hang Dong covers a lot of area.. 

[LivinLOS]

28 minutes ago, Formaleins said:

No. Han I must admit that there are some nice houses around Hang Dong, but I just couldn't hack the traffic in the town centre.g Dong is a terrible bottleneck for traffic - it might ease now the canal road is sort of open. Hang Dong also seems to be the place where the air pollution starts to get nasty - You can certainly notice it there when you look down that straight stretch of the 108 towards Tesco.

From where I am theres canal Rd.. Or the main hang dong 108.. Or cross that, in front of wang tan and down the river rd.. 3 options depending on destination and time of day.. Coming in from the north, Mae Rim Mae Joe or Sansai feels worse to me.. I can do my front door to niman in 25 mins on a scooter if I am lucky with the lights. Thats ok for someone who goes in town just a couple of times a week, would get old fast if I was doing it in a car daily (think 45 mins at rush hour) but then I am close to Grand canyon not in at royal flora. 

 

I like being out in the villages.. So nahm preah works for me, but I could also do fine in Doi Saket out to the reservoir.. Or a few places.. 

[sammieuk1]

50 minutes ago, xylophone said:

But Long Dong would be a nice position to be in!

And Coolpunt is just up the road to add to your image????

[LivinLOS]

12 minutes ago, Tracyb said:

Consider San Kamphaeng.  Close enough to the city for shopping....far enough away to avoid major crowds.  

Lived there before.. Far fewer restaurants and amenities.. Also much less scenic and a huge amount of bugs from the rice fields at sunset.. Would be nice out Mae On way once the rolling hills start but then you really are ages from town, maybe an hour from some parts. 

[Sparkles]

33 minutes ago, Formaleins said:

No. Han I must admit that there are some nice houses around Hang Dong, but I just couldn't hack the traffic in the town centre.g Dong is a terrible bottleneck for traffic - it might ease now the canal road is sort of open. Hang Dong also seems to be the place where the air pollution starts to get nasty - You can certainly notice it there when you look down that straight stretch of the 108 towards Tesco.

Polution is not exclusive to Hang Dong.In fact the closer you get to CM city the worse its gets due to to the bowl effect the Doi Suthep mountain range causes.Who shops at the Hang Dong town centre ? You have Kad Farang for Rimping & Eateries and Big C south of the Hang Dong Rd/ Bantawai turn off.Mae Hia Market and a host of restaurants are close by as is a very pleasant drive out to Doi Kham, the Kings Project and more restaurants around road leading to the Night Safari.If you want to be really adventurous you have Makro ,another Big C ,Tesco,Home Pro and Airport Central without getting into the old city and if you think the traffic at Hang Dong is bad try around the moat come school opening & closing time

[cmtg1]

2 hours ago, Ajarnbrian said:

So have you lived in the Hang Dong area for long? Made any friends there?

i've never lived there, nor do i have friends there

[sfokevin]

1 hour ago, cmtg1 said:

i've never lived there, nor do i have friends there

Thanks for that arm chair review of Hang Dong... 

[bubba45]

I lived in HD around '06-'08 and the traffic was horrible.  Kad Falang area.  Can't imagine now.  If you want to get in and out of the city, unless it's late at night, good luck.