I like living in Chiang Mai

[4MyEgo]

I like living in Chiang Mai

We visited Chiang Mai for a weekend about a year ago and enjoyed it, however I have heard it's hard to breath come burning season which is due soon. Your thoughts on that please.

 

[BananaBandit]

11 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Other good foods which are natural laxatives are sweet corn and okra. Okra should not be cooked for more than two minutes, it goes slimy and horrible.

Sai ua ( Northern Thai herbal sausage ) works pretty well too.

I already gobble up corn with the best of em. 

 

Do you ever eat okra raw?

 

My personal chef's a good one, but she turns out some slimy okra.

[Jack Hna]

13 hours ago, LomSak27 said:

I'm feeling your pain but, when were you here? Sorry in your 'pisstake' when do you claim to have been here? More yanks now than ever before , but not in the restaurant trade. Maybe that was back in Vietnam war days?!  ... There you go.

The pain is long forgotten but my memory works very well. I know what I heard I know what I saw and I know CM is wildly over rated as a place to live in thailand and from what I recall the Brits there were there mainly due to low cost of living. Pattaya was too expensive for them!!!!

 

I know yanks who been living there 30 years and one meeting was enough.

 

Nice swimming pool in the picture but I got 2 within 200 metres of my pad. They don't make me get all sentimental though. We just go swimming and enjoy the facilities.

[amexpat]

C'mon Jack Nha you can tell us.  

 

Did Americans take the women you wanted?

Did an American company reject your application or put you out of business?

Are you just envious? 

[Lacessit]

6 hours ago, BananaBandit said:

I already gobble up corn with the best of em. 

 

Do you ever eat okra raw?

 

My personal chef's a good one, but she turns out some slimy okra.

My GF knows how to cook okra, I've taught her, along with a few other things.

I'd put eating okra raw in the same bucket as eating raw eggs.

[Lacessit]

16 hours ago, elgenon said:

Do you ever get bored there?

I never get bored here, every day is an adventure for me. Just negotiating Thai traffic on a scooter or in a car is a daily challenge. Golf, swim, exercise, shop, explore. Talk with all the nice people on TV, listen to music, read books, watch videos. Go down to my GF's village once a week.

OTOH, if I was living in Melbourne I really would be bored out of my skull.

 

[Fat is a type of crazy]

33 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

I never get bored here, every day is an adventure for me. Just negotiating Thai traffic on a scooter or in a car is a daily challenge. Golf, swim, exercise, shop, explore. Talk with all the nice people on TV, listen to music, read books, watch videos. Go down to my GF's village once a week.

OTOH, if I was living in Melbourne I really would be bored out of my skull.

 

Particularly with lockdown at the moment. I can relate to that though. I like Melbourne, and many of my friends and family are mainly here, but when I am with my girl in Thailand it's like life has an extra colour and sense of freedom that it doesn't have here. 

Riding the motorbike, eating the food, friendly people, less rules, massage, tropical weather,  it's just seems like a good place to retire .

Now with technology too you can still get benefits of back home.

Who knows I may get bored there but see what happens. Not sure what part of Thailand.

Last went to Chiang Mai and Chiang  Rai in 85 as a 20 year old tourist with my girlfriend, took a raft up to the golden triangle, stayed at a hilltribe, all that stuff. I liked Chang Rai. Had a lot of rickshaw bike type things back then. It was beautiful and green. No doubt changed a bit but still seems nice. 

Edited October 16, 2020 by Fat is a type of crazy

[ChakaKhan]

23 hours ago, Jack Hna said:

WHonestly hated the place. When I first came to thailand I found myself walking towards hua lamphong station and realising I could not understand a word that I heard as I walked through the bustle. When I was on CM all I heard were screechy yanks and all the restaurants were co run by westerners and I did not feel like I was in thailand. I enjoyed the hiking and all that stuff but the yank voices were just awful. Truly awful.

being a Yank myself I agree! The Worst Yank Voice???  The President.

[ChakaKhan]

20 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Agree, sticky rice is like quick-setting cement in my digestive system. I stick to noodles and pasta, plus plenty of vegetables and fruit. Rice very occasionally, unsticky.

My Thai GF eats sticky rice with the neighbors, then wonders why she's drinking a local herbal laxative every one or two days to get herself mobile.

I reach for the ole bum gun...just watch ur pressure--dont blow out ur O ring!!!!! slow n steady friends!

[ChakaKhan]

17 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Sai ua ( Northern Thai herbal sausage ) works pretty well too.

esp if left on your car dash in the hot sun ????

[ChakaKhan]

13 hours ago, CorpusChristie said:

How much did that cost ?

zero..He dug the hole himself, and left a note that a ghost dug it , so thais wont go near it. done and done!

[ChakaKhan]

13 hours ago, BritManToo said:

I also like cycling to my local lake every week, HuayJo near Wat Doi Tairn.

And walking up to the waterfall behind Huay Tung Tao.

There's so many nice places around CM to visit, or just have lunch.

 

Do you tell the Thai cuties that you named ur bike after your "longfellow"? lao kao in the h2o bottle? ????

[Lacessit]

4 minutes ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

Particularly with lockdown at the moment. I can relate to that though. I like Melbourne, and many of my friends and family are mainly here, but when I am with my girl in Thailand it's like life has an extra colour and sense of freedom that it doesn't have here. 

Riding the motorbike, eating the food, friendly people, less rules, massage, tropical weather,  it's just a totally different atmosphere and seems like a good place to retire .

Now with technology too you can still get benefits of back home. Who knows I may get bored there but see what happens. Not sure what part of Thailand.

Last went to Chiang Mai and Chiang  Rai in 85 as a 20 year old tourist with my girlfriend, took a raft up to the golden triangle, stayed at a hilltribe, all that stuff. I liked Chang Rai. Had a lot of rickshaw bike type things back then. It was beautiful and green. No doubt changed a bit but still seems nice. 

 

6 minutes ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

 

Less rules, extra colour, spot on. IMO I could live in any big city in Thailand, probably would get bored living in a village full time.

This is a wedding in Chiang Mai I went to last Saturday. The health authorities in Melbourne would have apoplexy.

[ChakaKhan]

12 hours ago, CorpusChristie said:

Which plot have you got ?

I may go and buy a plot as well and I might get the one next to you 

Reminds self to get cremated and ashes sprinkled along Loy kroh as the chubby grannies weep together..

[ChakaKhan]

12 hours ago, CorpusChristie said:

OK, which number is your plot , just so I know not the get the plot next door 

#666

[ChakaKhan]

6 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

 

Less rules, extra colour, spot on. IMO I could live in any big city in Thailand, probably would get bored living in a village full time.

This is a wedding in Chiang Mai I went to last Saturday. The health authorities in Melbourne would have apoplexy.

Thai ladies playing with phones and Grandpas a plenty! Who would've thought!?  I suppose the tv is broken as I expect thai soap operas... I wanna see the grandpa in blue wearing that tiny thai backpack too ????

[Lacessit]

19 minutes ago, ChakaKhan said:

esp if left on your car dash in the hot sun ????

It doesn't last that long with me.

There's a shop near the clock tower in Chiang Rai which is famous for sai ua, I've seen cars with Bangkok number plates loading up with kilos of the stuff. I buy it in 50 baht portions.

[Lacessit]

16 minutes ago, ChakaKhan said:

Reminds self to get cremated and ashes sprinkled along Loy kroh as the chubby grannies weep together..

I want my ashes scattered on a golf course, they will probably have to go back to Australia as the locals would freak out with the ghost thing. Wouldn't want an entire golf club abandoned because of me.

Haven't you heard? Golf is better than sex, it lasts longer.

[Postmaster]

Agree with RON JEREMY.  Why choose to live amongst all that smog.  Surely you want to be beside the seaside, just saying.

[fangless]

7 hours ago, Postmaster said:

Agree with RON JEREMY.  Why choose to live amongst all that smog.  Surely you want to be beside the seaside, just saying.

And go for a swim in all that polluted sea all the year round and sit on sh-t-y so called sandy beaches with all the touts around!   Enjoy!!

[onebir]

8 hours ago, Postmaster said:

Surely you want to be beside the seaside, just saying.

Not everyone likes beaches...

[Sambotte]

I loved Chiang Mai, and better now Chiang Rai, mostly for people here, and perfect size of Chiang Rai for me (no traffic issues, easy to go here or there, no police racket, etc.).

Although i am a sea guy rather, i really like it here.

 

BUT the HUGE pollution is a no-go / no stay.

It's december to june, with very dangerous levels around march to may.

To be honest, it's one of the WORST area (all north Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, China) in the f. WORLD for air !

 

Problem is increasing since decades, will never get fixed.

Too bad (air). Would have been one of the best area without this stupidity.

[Nout]

On 10/16/2020 at 9:34 AM, Guderian said:

From what I remember earlier this year, back in January/February the AQI was so bad that people were on here in droves saying that this was it, they were selling up and leaving Chiang Mai, no way was it worth putting up with the annual air pollution and the effect it was having on their health. At the time, even Pattaya had a lousy AQI which is unusual, and I could certainly sympathise with the problem. On many days, from Jomtien Beach you couldn't even see the hills by Bang Saray across the bay. It seems a couple of months of rain and clear weather and decent air, and people have forgotten what's going to happen soon when the locals get out their cigarette lighters and start the annual air pollution festival, lol.

AQI?

[ChakaKhan]

22 hours ago, Lacessit said:

I want my ashes scattered on a golf course, they will probably have to go back to Australia as the locals would freak out with the ghost thing. Wouldn't want an entire golf club abandoned because of me.

Haven't you heard? Golf is better than sex, it lasts longer.

pizza is like sex--no matter how bad its still pretty good.......but with covid is easier to do unto yourself what you would normally do unto others!  as for the okra--slice it--dip in egg bath--bread crumbs and deep fry!

[elgenon]

On 10/16/2020 at 1:32 PM, Lacessit said:

I never get bored here, every day is an adventure for me. Just negotiating Thai traffic on a scooter or in a car is a daily challenge. Golf, swim, exercise, shop, explore. Talk with all the nice people on TV, listen to music, read books, watch videos. Go down to my GF's village once a week.

OTOH, if I was living in Melbourne I really would be bored out of my skull.

 

Nice to hear a happy story! Thanks.

[madmen]

OP are you drunk? Every single post you have strongly advised ANYBODY not to come to Thailand and if you had your time again you would never live here and would choose Cambodia or vietnam. 

 

Please explain? 

[Dante99]

8 minutes ago, madmen said:

OP are you drunk? Every single post you have strongly advised ANYBODY not to come to Thailand and if you had your time again you would never live here and would choose Cambodia or vietnam. 

 

Please explain? 

Schizophrenia

 

 

[thaibeachlovers]

On 10/16/2020 at 8:33 PM, Genmai said:

The great:

Gorgeous mountains (when you can see them)

Delicious vegetables

Access to international tourist market if trying to sell something (pre-covid times)

International airport with loads of direct flights to other Asian cities (also pre-covid times)

Range of hospitals

 

The good:

Judging by accounts immigration here seems to be fairly reasonable

People are fairly easy going and don't give me grief for screwing up small things

Easy to find great places to eat

Northern food with its herby palate is a welcome change to regular Thai food

High elevation = strawberry season

 

The bad:

Far from the coast = limited iffy seafood

Dogs, stupid driving, noise and poor service like everywhere else

That easy going nature I mentioned? People can be way too chill about getting things done

Nightlife sucks

Low English level 

Despite aspirations for some UNESCO status there seems to be 0 aesthetic regulation on ugly garish buildings

Worsening traffic

Lack of culturally dignified events

Public transportation will never be a thing here

 

The ugly:

Smog

 

 

Feels like a 4/10 town. Not terrible but not really anything to make a memorable impression. After a few years I've still got no idea why so many Bangkokians come up here for the weekend. If doing it all over again I'd probably choose Penang. 

I did a visa run to Penang- hated being there. Doesn't even have decent beaches and is way more expensive than LOS. Surely there is somewhere better in Malaysia than that?

At least they have a functioning bus service, but the tourist price for the cable car is an outrage.

 

You said C M nightlife sucks, but want to live where there isn't any at all.

Edited October 18, 2020 by thaibeachlovers

[BritManToo]

32 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

You said C M nightlife sucks, but want to live where there isn't any at all.

I've always found plenty of nightlife in Chiang Mai.

Bars, restaurants, girls, live music all over the Thai (student) areas.

Maybe not so good if you want to hang out with elderly expats listening to 70s rock music though.

Edited October 18, 2020 by BritManToo

[khunpa]

I enjoy living in CM too...

 

Just until the smoke season starts. The only thing that has made me decide to not stay here forever.