Returning to CM - How has it changed?

[mike787]

8 hours ago, Lacessit said:

I must be living in a different Chiang Mai to some of the posters on this thread. I enjoy my life here. Good range of restaurants. Pick my times to be on the roads.

As for the air pollution, I button up my condo and turn on the air purifier and aircon. Wear a mask outdoors.

Chiang Rai is no different in the smoke season. It's an old problem driven by Thai farming practices.

It sounds like Elysium.  You have found the unicorn of life.  Glad to hear you are so happy.  Your words: Enjoy the restaurants, roads, and air pollution.  Congratulations. 

[thaibeachlovers]

18 hours ago, The Theory said:

diesel red cars). 

Worst rip offs in Thailand. Pattaya with its 10 baht fares is brilliant.

[BritManToo]

19 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

The best sightseeing is outside the city- Doi Inthanon was worthwhile, but there are only so many tours that one can do, before realising that there just isn't much to do in C M.

I go cycling and hiking a lot, sometimes kayaking (100bht to hire from that temple on the river).

[Lacessit]

9 minutes ago, mike787 said:

It sounds like Elysium.  You have found the unicorn of life.  Glad to hear you are so happy.  Your words: Enjoy the restaurants, roads, and air pollution.  Congratulations. 

Perhaps I am a glass half full person. KItes rise highest against the wind, not with it.

[bkk6060]

I like CM.  I come here often to get away from the more hectic buzz of Pattaya.

If a person is a do nothing, lazy and boring CM will seem the same.

But, so will many places.

I come here a lot I stay in a friends house off the 107.

I play golf

Go to the driving range

Go to the gym

Go swimming

Take mb rides in the mountains

Go to the movies

Go to the malls to eat or girl watch

Get massages

I can go on.

 

Also, as far as female company not nearly Pattaya, but do some searching and online there is enough for fun.

 

On the big picture my activities here are about the same as Pattaya.  

Not a big bar hangout person so any of that has zero impact on my life.

Also, there are more people now but they also have improved the infrastructure here over the past 5 years.

No problems on a motorbike.

 

Chinese are here but seems less then Pattaya.  Minimal Arab and India visitors it seems.

[BritManToo]

39 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

Chinese are here but seems less then Pattaya.  Minimal Arab and India visitors it seems.

Four months of smog is an insurmountable downside IMHO.

[pgrahmm]

And there is the intermittent uncertain challenge of the CM Immigration office to consider if planning on a long term stay.... 

Even the agents (office to office) vary & are unsure as to requirements; with a lot of conflicting advice/demands.....

Edited July 11, 2019 by pgrahmm

[bkk6060]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

Four months of smog is an insurmountable downside IMHO.

I agree it is sad and bad.

OK for me to stay in Pattaya during that time or go back home for awhile which I did this year. See the grandkids and dodge the 60 year old women.

[fhickson]

9 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

I like CM.  I come here often to get away from the more hectic buzz of Pattaya.

If a person is a do nothing, lazy and boring CM will seem the same.

But, so will many places.

I come here a lot I stay in a friends house off the 107.

I play golf

Go to the driving range

Go to the gym

Go swimming

Take mb rides in the mountains

Go to the movies

Go to the malls to eat or girl watch

Get massages

I can go on.

 

Also, as far as female company not nearly Pattaya, but do some searching and online there is enough for fun.

 

On the big picture my activities here are about the same as Pattaya.  

Not a big bar hangout person so any of that has zero impact on my life.

Also, there are more people now but they also have improved the infrastructure here over the past 5 years.

No problems on a motorbike.

 

Chinese are here but seems less then Pattaya.  Minimal Arab and India visitors it seems.

all that physical activity is going to be hard with the air pollution factor

Edited July 11, 2019 by fhickson

[sammieuk1]

The good news is if you come now you will be able to see it ????

[totally thaied up]

Chiang Mai was a fun place to be 10 years ago but sadly, those days are not here anymore. From January onwards, be prepared to don a gas mask or just do yourself a favor and move away from this toxic wasteland for a few months at least. You are doing your body a disservice to stay during this time.

 

Really if I could have seen the future of Chiang Mai 10 years ago to now, I would have not stayed. Roads are struggling now (school hours are madness), it has got expensive compared to other cities/countries and you cannot have anywhere near the fun you use to be able to have. Sure I can come home at 3am but from a bar that has no one in it or with girls old enough to be your grandmother running it.

 

About the only thing that has not changed is the fact you can do good rides on your Motorcycle. Got plenty of coffee shops but most don't know how to make a good coffee. Food is still okay but it is not as cheap as it once was - prices for most things have gone up here and we have a strong baht that does not help at all. Tonight I was at a meeting with a few shop owners and they all told me the strong baht is making things hard for them. They told me they are not getting many farangs these days like they use too and it is taking a lot off there bottom line. As one mentioned, the Chinese are not taking up the slack and if they are, it is for only certain businesses. 

 

Chiang Mai is for me only average now. Much better offerings in neighboring countries without the Visa hassles if you are young. The quaint little city it once use to be is gone in my eyes.

[vagabond48]

I kinda am in a similar situation. I lived in CM for about 9 years and left with my wife 4 years ago. She's one of the Chinese I volunteered to remove from CM ???? . Because I am in China this summer, I couldn't resist making a short visit back to my 2nd home. As much as I loved CM during the 9 years, I did see a continued deterioration of the quality of life. I was an avid bicyclist so breathing clean air was kinda of important to me. Perhaps if I was married to a Thai, I would have stuck it out longer, perhaps. I hope we will enjoy revisiting and reminiscing.

[wildpikey]

Simple answer is this: Chiang Mai / Thailand used to be wonderful, now it's not. The worst thing is that the country has done it to itself.

Other countries in the region are rubbing their hands together and are happy to accept all the expats, travellers, etc. Thailand in general is done, look at Vietnam or Cambodia.

[chingmai331]

Right!  Everywhere used to be wonderful, but now not. Population pressure, extra $$ for travel, migration due to war, disease, corruption, lack of a future and current lack of water combined to draw countless people towards urban areas.

 

Look around the outskirts of CM: San Sai, Doi Saket, Hang Dong and see the rice fields gone and ugly concrete housing estates popping up. The highway expansion of 121 will only contribute to this uncontrolled urbanization.

 

Go where to escape?  Ain't gonna happen except if v v rich.  Buy an island or 200 hectares in Hawaii, but in Asia just too many poor folks and too many shitty govt and monied leaders.  

[alfieconn]

On 7/10/2019 at 11:58 PM, mike787 said:

Orange37 has nailed it right on.  CM is a hell hole.  Dirty, angry, crowded, polluted and polluted heavily in thick cancer causing smog 4-5 months guaranteed every year, etc...hope you like it enough to sacrifice your life.  Otherwise, its a great place to get some gas for a visit...

Complete rubbish, do you have any facts to back this ridiculous statement up ? 

[at15]

massive massive change in thai people's attitudes compared to five years ago. oh and at certain points in time the pollution is the worst in the world. i am of firm belief the pollution has contributed to this mental state of the citizens here, high doses of pollution can reduce empathy and promote psychopathic behavior. 

[OneZero]

Massive massive influx of condos / people & their impact upon traffic & pollution in the past 10 years has probably had a negative impact upon Thai CM natives attitudes.  Then also with respect to the farang, if a fair percentage may be more interested in sex than marriage with their daughters, that may also have a somewhat more negative impact toward the farang contingent.

[jimgilly]

After living a number of years in CM, I can say the best part was leaving it.  The ones telling you how bad it has gotten are being honest.  The ones giving positive reviews are not - probably because of a loss of brain cells from the horrendous air pollution.  Might be okay for a visit but definitely not somewhere anyone should consider on a permanent basis.

[BritManToo]

34 minutes ago, OneZero said:

Massive massive influx of condos / people & their impact upon traffic & pollution in the past 10 years has probably had a negative impact upon Thai CM natives attitudes.  Then also with respect to the farang, if a fair percentage may be more interested in sex than marriage with their daughters, that may also have a somewhat more negative impact toward the farang contingent.

Don't care what the locals think of me.

Do care about the four months of unbreathable air this year the natives caused by burning the fields and jungle.

[totally thaied up]

4 hours ago, jimgilly said:

he ones giving positive reviews are not - probably because of a loss of brain cells from the horrendous air pollution.

No honestly they most likely have skin in the game and too much to lose. If it was not for my wife's house and rice fields, I would be long gone to another province or preferably back home to Australia. The locals did smoke me out of Chiang Mai this year and I took my wife home to Australia to get away from the smoke and I most likely will have to do it next year as well because nothing will change.

Edited July 23, 2019 by totally thaied up

[Matzzon]

Heard something about bad air, but it might be hear say. Just go there and find out, and please report back in 5 years.

[DAN0]

you've to specify your question about what exactly you're interested to know about.. 

 

personally i didn't find it polluted any more than any other small-mid size city...

 

the night life was pretty boring for me as there were only handful of bars and parties (in few locations) and although they were quite full the people were always the same (except for the tourists which were also the same after you get used to them xd)

 

tons of tourists in the old town and the area

 

p.s. policemen fine foreigners for riding bikes on daily basis on the main roads (not sure if it was 5years, probably ya ???? )

[Puwa]

Massive increase in disgruntled farang.  Everything else is more or less the same. 

[jimgilly]

11 hours ago, DAN0 said:

personally i didn't find it polluted any more than any other small-mid size city...

An example of what I'm talking about

[thaibeachlovers]

On ‎7‎/‎12‎/‎2019 at 4:19 AM, totally thaied up said:

The quaint little city it once use to be is gone in my eyes.

I visited on a tour in 1974. It was interesting, Khan Toke dinner, cultural center, temples, but even then the traffic around the moat was appalling, and no pedestrian stop lights. Best thing for me though was the shops selling genuine US army gear beside the moat. They still have shops selling Thai army gear there, but very inferior to the US stuff.

[BritManToo]

On 7/10/2019 at 11:44 PM, fhickson said:

why are the bars empty if there are more people around?

Beer too expensive, women too old or too expensive.

10 years back I had a Brit income of 50k, now I have the same Brit income worth 38k.

Got a woman in my house now, I can drink and bang at home, no need to spend 2-3k/night.

Thinking most of the other pensioners are the same.

Edited July 24, 2019 by BritManToo

[thaibeachlovers]

On ‎7‎/‎11‎/‎2019 at 4:44 AM, fhickson said:

why are the bars empty if there are more people around?

Have you been in any of them? That would be self explanatory if so.

They are dire. Pattaya has gone downhill with bored BGs on their phones and few customers, but C M was never there to go downhill.

I did visit a few times, and nothing to encourage me to go back, so I didn't any more.

I can be bored with a 10 baht drink in my room same as I can with an expensive one in a C M bar beer. Why would I pay more?

[BritManToo]

13 hours ago, totally thaied up said:

No honestly they most likely have skin in the game and too much to lose. If it was not for my wife's house and rice fields, I would be long gone

Me too!

[totally thaied up]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

Me too!

Yes,  for 500K back home I can buy a nice well built condo with pool and gym complex,  5 minutes walk from the beach. Only things I need to worry about are rates and insurance. The rest is covered in my pension- free health care,  cheap public transport and a dollar that is worth a dollar. It will take years to sell off everything here. I have about seven more years of health insurance premiums to pay before they get too expensive. Hopefully everything will be sorted by then.  Thailand in general has changed over the last ten years. Only the fact the village prices have not increased too much that has me saving money. Everything in town has got more expensive. I am not looking forward to next smokey season. It is funny now it is just as cheap to go back to my home country or go to Vietnam for the break from the smoke then it is for me to stay. 

[BritManToo]

Just now, totally thaied up said:

Thailand in general has changed over the last ten years.

Agreed, ten years back it was great here, now if I wasn't already here, I wouldn't be coming.