Chiang Mai sure has changed

[mania]

17 minutes ago, roo860 said:

There's a flower festival on at 700yr stadium.

Actually the time we were there was a few weeks ago already

 

CM108 also did a piece on the traffic & how crazy it has gotten but it was in Thai

[Joinaman]

56 minutes ago, Burma Bill said:

With the greatest respect, having lived near Chiang Mai for several years, the following tourist attractions could be included:- Royal Park Rajapruek, Chiang Mai Night Safari, Chiang Mai Zoo and Aquarium, whilst nearby at Mae Rim there are the Queen Sirikit Botanical Gardens, Mae Sa Elephant Camp and The Canopy Walks. Pre-pandemic there was Tiger Kingdom and the King Cobra Farm (with shows).

but how often do you go to these ?

once, twice, then you have seen it, so what then ?

[roo860]

39 minutes ago, mania said:

Actually the time we were there was a few weeks ago already

 

CM108 also did a piece on the traffic & how crazy it has gotten but it was in Thai

My condo is at the Phucome Intersection,  on the 121, Canal Rd, I get a birds eye view from the 10th floor. 

[1FinickyOne]

2 hours ago, TigerandDog said:

My wife and I cycle

Age 72 and 52?

[LukKrueng]

6 hours ago, Lacessit said:

CR has many more attractions.

If you mean the girls are prettier and more attractive then I totally agree with you

[Lacessit]

19 minutes ago, LukKrueng said:

If you mean the girls are prettier and more attractive then I totally agree with you

My GF of 8 years is from Chiang Rai, after several attempts by Chiang Mai women to move to a more permanent footing.

[Lee65]

On a positive note, the ever-worsening air pollution (Feb - April, minimum) propels CM residents to travel each year.

 

 

[Thailand]

2 hours ago, Lacessit said:

I could include Chiang Mai Erotic Gardens, if it is still going. There's an interesting collection of Thai proverbs in Thai and English at the Doi Saket temple.

 

Chiang Rai is a jumping off point for so much more, Mae Sai markets, Phu Chi Fa, White Temple, Blue Temple, Black House, Doi Mae Salong, Doi Mae Mon, Chiang Saen Skywalk, the Mekong, Doi Chang and Wat Sang Kaew Phothiyan.

 

I suppose with time Chiang Rai will become as congested as Chiang Mai.

And after savoring the delights of  Chiang Mai it is is a jumping off point for Chiang Rai and all points North.

[Lacessit]

6 minutes ago, Thailand said:

And after savoring the delights of  Chiang Mai it is is a jumping off point for Chiang Rai and all points North.

3 hours driving is a pretty long jump.

[connda]

5 hours ago, Lacessit said:

I don't count Loi Kroh grannies in my list of attractions.

I find 30 years olds to be rather hot myself. 

[Cisco]

…Joni Mitchell song

[0james0]

I enjoyed when it was empty. Now seems like chaos and loud 

[purcho]

56 minutes ago, Lee65 said:

On a positive note, the ever-worsening air pollution (Feb - April, minimum) propels CM residents to travel each year.

 

 

on a realistic note , the air pollution was insignificant in C/M last year  ( Feb - April ) and was a real problem down south 

 

[NorthernRyland]

7 hours ago, mania said:

But now? I mean it is crazy IMHO  going along canal road around 3-4pm trying to get to Nimmanhaemin road took literally

over an house to go 4km

Chiang Mai is not pleasant to live in anymore to be frank. Even moving outside the city is getting worse every year for the reasons you mentioned. I really notice when I came back from Colorado in the summer and I'm instantly stressed/annoyed doing simple things because the traffic is so much and Thai's are such reckless drivers (I'm in the northern outskirts of the city in Mae Jo/Mae Rim). City is solidly polluted 12 months of the year now and only getting worse.

 

Another bad development, where I am we're get trapped by busy and dangerous expanding highway networks which are required to go anywhere so it's impossible to have even a single non-stress day without doing tons of U-turns and interleaving with heavy traffic going at high speeds. So you have all these features of cities but accessing them is such a pain you often go without.

 

I've been complaining about this for years and noticing it's getting worse every year (since I came in 2005). Question is what to do about the wives job here and where would be better. ????

[NorthernRyland]

7 hours ago, connda said:

So I'd expect traffic to get heavier on those artial highways branching out from the center of CM while central Chiang Mai deteriorates

Yes that's happening for sure (I live in Mae Jo). I stopped going in to the city (even by car) unless I absolutely need to because it's such a miserable experience getting trapped in traffic and intersections. I bet many other people are doing the same.

 

Basically CM is screwed unless they can figure out their infrastructure problem and make proper highways instead of cluster f**ked stroads which serve all purposes but poorly. 

[NorthernRyland]

6 hours ago, MRToMRT said:

Like all Thailand cities and towns, its just gotten uglier and uglier through uncontrolled "development"

Driving around many parts of CM look are industrial wastelands with dirty dusty roads abutting decaying old town houses with messes of motorbikes and rat nets of wires everywhere. I love Thailand when it's the country and smaller villages but so-called developed Thailand is a 3rd world dump.

[The Theory]

8 hours ago, mania said:

We lived in Chiang Mai from 2011 till 2016

Because there was no Chinese or quite a few. CM was a peaceful city. 
When Chinese invasion began some Thai found potential business opportunity and began moving to CM from other cities in Thailand. And still some of those people dangling around even though there is not much to do, but mostly back to their original hometown during covid. 
 

[TheFishman1]

I live near Doi Saket I don’t often drive on canal road in to get to the city center takes me a 15 to 25 minutes. I’ve been in Chiang Mai since 2011 and I really like it here TIT

[Jerno]

7 hours ago, mania said:

???? I was telling my wife about the counting crows Big Yellow Taxi song

they paved paradise put up a parking lot ????

Actually that's Canadian Joni Mitchell's song, created and performed  decades before Crows copied it.

[siftasam]

I've lived near to CM for 14 years. I am still very fond of it, although certainly the criticisms of the 'traffic flow' are justified.  But in some places it used to be worse e.g. 10 years ago when I lived in Nong Hoi. Huay Kaew on a Friday afternoon was awful - 1 hour to get from what is now Maya to Nong Hoi.

Talking of Maya, I like the shopping still, although we miss the bowling at Kad Suan Kaew and the only toy shop in CM (?) 'Toys 'R' Us' at Promenada. 

There are more coffee shops than 14 years ago! Still good Thai and farang restaurants.

Grab taxis are very useful and much cheaper than taximeters. My family buys lots of Grab/Panda grub that is of good quality.

Loh Kroh is even much more of a s###hole, but who wants to go there? There are some great spa massage places and not too expensive. The girls there are certainly pretty enough! I'd never go to a rip off bar in Loi Kroh any more.

Loi Kratong was good - especially on Nawarat Bridge and the parade down Tha Phae -  and I'm sure the Flower Festival in February (not had for 2 years?) will be beautiful.

Chang Klang is still good! My favourite farang restaurant is there, I have a lovely condo at Astra, the new Astra Sky looks wonderful (but pricey!) and my daughter goes to the excellent Montfort Primary School just off CK on Charoenprathet. There are 2 new spa massages on Chang Klan but cheaper and better ones elsewhere.

Don't be too hard on CM. It still has a lot to offer. I agree totally with 'Joinaman', but I'm sad to see the Art Museum closed up. That was great fun for the family!

I suspect the tuk tuk drivers have become greedier but I haven't taken one in 4 years. At 76 years old, I drive to Pantip Plaza and Nawarat every school day and so easy now to drive on Super Highway from Lamphun to CM!

I have enough favourite places to enjoy myself, have a good beer and enjoy good farang and Thai food to last me for the rest of my life.

I'm also a member of the Gymkhana Club so can play snooker, tennis or golf and eat their lovely cheap food in beautiful surroundings.

C'mon, guys, is there sch a lot not to love?

 

[orang37]

3 hours ago, The Theory said:

Because there was no Chinese or quite a few. CM was a peaceful city. When Chinese invasion began some Thai fouotential business opportunity and began moving to CM from other cities in Thailand.

Is the CM you are speaking of the city of Chiang Mai in Thailand on planet Earth ?

[roo860]

3 hours ago, NorthernRyland said:

Chiang Mai is not pleasant to live in anymore to be frank. Even moving outside the city is getting worse every year for the reasons you mentioned. I really notice when I came back from Colorado in the summer and I'm instantly stressed/annoyed doing simple things because the traffic is so much and Thai's are such reckless drivers (I'm in the northern outskirts of the city in Mae Jo/Mae Rim). City is solidly polluted 12 months of the year now and only getting worse.

 

Another bad development, where I am we're get trapped by busy and dangerous expanding highway networks which are required to go anywhere so it's impossible to have even a single non-stress day without doing tons of U-turns and interleaving with heavy traffic going at high speeds. So you have all these features of cities but accessing them is such a pain you often go without.

 

I've been complaining about this for years and noticing it's getting worse every year (since I came in 2005). Question is what to do about the wives job here and where would be better. ????

Who've you been complaining to since 2005?

[freedomnow]

Yes, it seems that way to me too regarding the traffic....was over half of year this year...quite gloomy finding out half my coffee shop/restaurant loop had gone bust.

I doubt CM will have the same tourist buzz about it for 2 more years.

[mania]

11 hours ago, Cisco said:

…Joni Mitchell song

Yes of course sorry my bad!

I don't know why the counting crows/Michelle Branch remake came to mind ????

[NorthernRyland]

8 hours ago, roo860 said:

Who've you been complaining to since 2005?

Myself and anyone who will listen. ???? 

 

Well well well, look at this picture my wife sent me this morning. Another person crashes in front of our house, this time smashing into the wall. That's 3 in the last month now. Man we gotta move... 

 

[KhunLA]

CM city, I was never a fan.  First visit, probably 2004 ish, and thought to myself, it's a mini Bangkok, which at the time, I wasn't a fan of either.

 

Repeat visits to CM didn't help, where visits to Krung Thep, and I started appreciating and quite like the Big Mango.  Never warmed up to CM city.

 

Outside the city/CM is lovely, half the year, rainy season, and had our best visit to the province during the 'situation' in 2020.  Still avoided the city though, as nothing interests me when busy, couldn't imagine it with most things closed.

[stephenterry]

Gekko Garden for great food portions and relatively cheap beer. Other side of town, near Chiang Mai gate 1 Way bar plus two next to it also cheap beer, lively, and the girls are pretty. As for Loi Kroh bars the prices are just unreasonable - beware. Only Number one bar gets my occasional draught beer visit. 

 

I live outside the town in a quiet Moo Bahn, and only visit a few times a month. Now Covid is ignored, the roads are busy , but the 108 to Hang Dong is generally reasonable outside rush hours in and out of town. 

 

Can't say I dislike it.

Edited December 18, 2022 by stephenterry

[Burma Bill]

18 hours ago, Joinaman said:

but how often do you go to these ?

once, twice, then you have seen it, so what then ?

When I lived in Lanna, Thailand, I often used to make multiple visits to the locations listed. There are many more tourist spots on the way north to Chiang Rai and east to Phayao. I never tired of this northern part of Thailand as a Tourist Police Volunteer. With respect, may I ask about those ex-pats who routinely stroll from a condo and along the beach to their favourite bar stool? "then you have seen, so what then"!  

[KhunLA]

20 hours ago, Burma Bill said:

With the greatest respect, having lived near Chiang Mai for several years, the following tourist attractions could be included:- Royal Park Rajapruek, Chiang Mai Night Safari, Chiang Mai Zoo and Aquarium, whilst nearby at Mae Rim there are the Queen Sirikit Botanical Gardens, Mae Sa Elephant Camp and The Canopy Walks. Pre-pandemic there was Tiger Kingdom and the King Cobra Farm (with shows).

Dual pricing & animal abuse ... NO THANKS.

[jak2002003]

25 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Dual pricing & animal abuse ... NO THANKS.

You are quite right about the animal abuse. 

 

I was disgusted to see how they treat the animals at the shows. 

 

They were throwing snakes about and slapping them down hard down onto the concrete, squeezing them really hard when they held them.  

 

The animals cages were tiny, animals piled on top of each other or pacing up and down, obviously stressed.  Most of the animals seem to have be caught from the wild.  

 

The monkey place the poor things had chains around their necks that were being violently yanked about and ear splitting loud music was plauing as they were looking terrified being forced to do tricks.. 

 

Dont even get me started on the elephants or tigers.