Advice needed for 1 week in Chiang Mai

[Prubangboy]

37 minutes ago, novacova said:

weather/smoke conditions changes during the year.

 

Many expats really can’t handle the smoke conditions and leave during that period.

It's also maddeningly unpredictable as to how bad and when it's going to be.

 

I'm booking March/April away, but this year most of May was bad too. Cha Am is my likely late spring smoke dodge of choice.

 

Chiang Mai requires that you:

 

1) have a life where you can/don't mind having that kind of open-ended gypsy lifestyle.

 

2) really love Chiang Mai at the level of likewise impossible places like Venice or Amsterdam to put up with it.

 

-It also helps if you enjoy living in a place with a lot of tourists, seeing people right off the plane breathing deep of their first-hour in town bliss.

 

No one is walking around in Nimman with a long face. Most people on the street next to you are having one of the best days of their lives.

 

[connda]

4 hours ago, MrBrad said:

Bicycling is the best way to get around.  I use my bike far more than my motorcycle, going everywhere from Mae Tang to Lamphun, Doi Saket to Hang Dong, and all over the city.  Traveling the highways can be somewhat more dangerous, but just stay to the left and you should be OK.  That said, always expect the unexpected; this isn't Kansas. There are lots of quieter local roads if you get out of town.  In town, be alert and aware of the uneven road surfaces, especially in the old part of town with all the road construction going on.

 

This company provides bicycle tours; I don't know if they rent bikes by the day.  If not, perhaps they can suggest another shop for you. 

https://mountainbikethailand.com/

The fatality rates on the roads are horrendous.  One of the worst in the world.  That includes cars plowing into bicyclists and motorcyclists.  Ask BritManToo who recently got rear-ended on his MC.  It is not an uncommon occurrence.  Motorcycles and bicycles are extremely vulnerable.  Make sure you have adequate accident/health insurance for the trip.

[connda]

14 hours ago, NHBOB said:

I'm even thinking of renting a car, I think I could handle driving on the opposite side of the road

Thailand is one of the worse places in the world to drive.  Too many accident and fatalities.  Some of the highest in the world.  Whatever you think you know about driving?  Toss it out the window.  Thailand don't follow the type of rules you have in the West.  If you do rent a car, make sure it is fully insured.  Ask around on this forum.  But I recommend that if you rent a car, add in a chauffeur who works for the company.  Make sure you are personally indemnified in case of an accident.  And carry full-service health insurance which includes repatriation flights back home in you end up in the hospital after a crash.

Or better - just call a Bolt or Grab driver when you wish to get around.  In town you can use a Red Songtaw (30 THB) or a Tuk Tuk (variable - haggle)  But Bolt is probably your best choice if you need to get around.  I don't recommend driving here.  If you retire here, than you'll eventually see enough of the road carnage to understand why this place is nuts on the roads.  At that time I'd suggest buying a car and insuring it to the max.  Do not take driving here lightly.  Oh - and watch the cross-walks.  If you have a green "walk" light it means nothing.  Look in the direction of traffic.  Cars and motorcycles blow through cross-walk when the have the "red light" all of the time. 

This is a safe place as compared to American inner-cities (I'd walk anywhere in Chiang Mai and pretty much anytime), but there are a hundred different ways you can get hurt or killed here that you'd never expect until you've lived here awhile.

[JimTripper]

i got bored of cm and moved and started traveling. i ended up living mostly in vietnam, cambodia and bangkok. in pattaya now. i liked chiang mai for over 5 years, but in the end there was just not anything new to do.

 

i was just sitting there, had a great villa with a garden and koi pond, but i was going out to the same places each time. i started thinking is this it, what now?

 

unless i started a family or got married, which i never met someone to go that route with, i could not see a bright future there building an evolving life. it felt like i was waiting for something that never arrived and just kept getting pushed into the future...

[Prubangboy]

6 minutes ago, JimTripper said:

i started thinking is this it, what now?

 

unless i started a family or got married, 

Agreed. If I were unmarried, I'd be in Pattaya or Bangkok; possibly Phuket.

 

CM is too small when your principal means of entertainment is just yourself.

 

A free floating atomic particle will want to gravitate to where the other at-loose particles are. That aint Chiang Mai.

[MrBrad]

Just a word about driving: Be sure to get an international driver's license.  You'll need it for being legal when driving a motorcycle or car.  The cops love targeting foreigners for just this type of thing.  Wear a helmet as well (which may be a good thing), or pay a fine.

[NHBOB]

8 hours ago, bignok said:

Yes he needs to visit 2 or 3 times and 2 weeks at a time.

 

I wouldnt bother with remote towns unless they floats his boat.

 

Do a few loops of the city. Check out malls, train station area,bus stations, restaurants,bars. Roads.

 

 

No, I don't need to visit 2 or 3 times for 2 weeks at a time.  I work for a living (at the moment, at least)

[NHBOB]

10 hours ago, Lacessit said:

The OP would probably be most comfortable in the Old City, a lot of accommodation and bikes there. Personally, I prefer my scooter because bicycles can't accelerate out of the way of trouble.

 

I lived in Chiang Mai for 10 years, then moved to Chiang Rai. More laid-back, accommodation is less expensive, renting or buying.

 

Chiang Mai really only has three attractions outside the city. Doi Suthep, Doi Inthanon, San Kamphaeng Hot Springs - that's about it. I think there's white water rafting somewhere north of Mae Rim.

 

In contrast, Chiang Rai is the jumping off point for everything in the Golden Triangle and beyond. It's also cooler than Chiang Mai, air pollution levels are the same in the burning season.

Thank you (most) everyone for the advice (on the original topic, that is).   I'm going to stay right outside Thapae gate for a week.  Maybe I'll drive, maybe I'll bike, walk, take cabs and the red trucks.  

Moderator, you could probably close this thread now.

 

[Prubangboy]

8 minutes ago, NHBOB said:

 I'm going to stay right outside Thapae gate for a week.  Maybe I'll drive, maybe I'll bike, walk, take cabs and the red truck.

 

 

That's more of a Chiang Mai vacation than a research trip, but very solid for Grab cabs arriving in under 2 minutes.

 

Pop into Chiang Mai hummus 2 minutes away. I eat there monthly. 2 other must-do's nearby are Stephano's Italian and Swan Burmese,

[bignok]

4 hours ago, MrBrad said:

Just a word about driving: Be sure to get an international driver's license.  You'll need it for being legal when driving a motorcycle or car.  The cops love targeting foreigners for just this type of thing.  Wear a helmet as well (which may be a good thing), or pay a fine.

Never been asked. You need it for insurance though.

[bignok]

1 hour ago, NHBOB said:

No, I don't need to visit 2 or 3 times for 2 weeks at a time.  I work for a living (at the moment, at least)

Takes a few visits to know a city. 

[ifmu]

23 hours ago, NHBOB said:

Thank you for your deep insight, loser.

wow  insults already   you will fit into here nicely 

[Prubangboy]

11 hours ago, NHBOB said:

 

Moderator, you could probably close this thread now.

 

 

"Thank you, Sir. We'll get right on it".

[rwill]

On 11/11/2023 at 11:06 PM, NHBOB said:

Or I'm even thinking of renting a car, I think I could handle driving on the opposite side of the road (at least outside of the city center--from Ytube videos parking looks like a pain in the a**)  

Driving on the other side of the road isn't that hard.  The biggest issue you will have at first is turning on the windshield wipers when you want to use the turn signals.  But you have to be aware of how people drive here too.  Don't ever think about 'right of way' when driving here.

[Mike Lister]

4 minutes ago, rwill said:

Driving on the other side of the road isn't that hard.  The biggest issue you will have at first is turning on the windshield wipers when you want to use the turn signals.  But you have to be aware of how people drive here too.  Don't ever think about 'right of way' when driving here.

The combination of the wrong side of the road and having never driven in Thailand previously, is not good.

[itsari]

I believe you would be better staying out of the city and learn to use a motorcycle as you are safer than riding a bicycle . I have used a bicycle and motorcycle here for over 9 years and also have a car that rarely gets used as I am not happy driving a car on Thai roads .

I know of a guest house in San Sai Luang that you maybe interested in . Send a private message if you are interested to know the location .

[itsari]

36 minutes ago, rwill said:

Driving on the other side of the road isn't that hard.  The biggest issue you will have at first is turning on the windshield wipers when you want to use the turn signals.  But you have to be aware of how people drive here too.  Don't ever think about 'right of way' when driving here.

The worst of driving opposite side of the road at the start is when there is no traffic around as it is easy to start driving on the wrong side . 

Of course when you meet a car driving towards you all comes back to you quickly .

[TheFishman1]

To really get a good idea I would plan on at least one month

[Henryford]

Come in Feb/March/April. The pollution will put you off ever wanting to live in Chiang Mai.

[Moonfire]

Just go when the smoke is the heaviest.  

[wwest5829]

On 11/12/2023 at 3:10 AM, Bill97 said:

A week is not enough

Agreed. I spent six weeks once I focused on Chiang Mai. A month condo rental one place, two weeks at another in different parts of town. One week only allows a tourist statement of having visited the city. A week in different locations to get a feel for local area services (food, shopping, costs, general services, transport, etc.) before deciding on where to stay for the first 6 - 12 months of living in Chiang Mai.

[wwest5829]

2 hours ago, rwill said:

Driving on the other side of the road isn't that hard.  The biggest issue you will have at first is turning on the windshield wipers when you want to use the turn signals.  But you have to be aware of how people drive here too.  Don't ever think about 'right of way' when driving here.

Agreed. Switching which side to drive on and having the steering wheel on the other side was just natural for me but ... after 12 years, I still sometimes hit the wrong lever for turn signal/wipers!

[wwest5829]

2 hours ago, Mike Lister said:

The combination of the wrong side of the road and having never driven in Thailand previously, is not good.

While I agree in general, Mike ... I have found the "right" side of the road depends on which of the 7 countries I have driven in ...

[bignok]

14 hours ago, Prubangboy said:

That's more of a Chiang Mai vacation than a research trip, but very solid for Grab cabs arriving in under 2 minutes.

 

Pop into Chiang Mai hummus 2 minutes away. I eat there monthly. 2 other must-do's nearby are Stephano's Italian and Swan Burmese,

Swan Burmese have much on menu?

[placnx]

On 11/11/2023 at 11:06 PM, NHBOB said:

I'm planning on spending a week in Chaing Mai to get a feel for the place to see if I could retire there.

Except during Covid, the air pollution from burning from around mid-February for several months has been a problem for people in the North. The smoke is not only local, but also coming from Burma and Laos. If you are planning on cycling for exercise, it might be better to use that interval for visits elsewhere. Ironically, I live in the center and find the pollution nowhere near as bad as pollution showing on the map for areas where well-to-do foreigners live, such as Mae Rim, north of Chiang Mai. Before Covid, that was spikes up to 230 where I live vs 500 in Mae Rim. Normally, such as now, in our open kitchen the reading is 4.

 

In the city, you could stay in the Nimman area where there are many better restaurants, upscale shopping, and a lot of nighttime activity. Inside the moat, not far from Wat Phra Singh is the Rachamankha Hotel, which has good traditional food plus excellent design a cut above the rest. https://www.rachamankha.com/?page=about_rachamankha_architecture . I am not assuming that you are looking for a cheap place to retire as others on this forum seem to think.

 

Thai food in Boston is absolutely dreadful, though my Thai-American doc at Brigham recommended their temple if I wanted to eat Thai.

 

[nglodnig]

I would recommend renting a CITY (not mountain) bike to ptter around the Old town. I wouldn't recommend going on long-distance rides until you grow eyes in the back of your head : - or invest in a Garmin Varia radar set that displays stuff coming up behind you