Chiang Mai Tourism Buzz ?

[freedomnow]

Any of you there feel things are bit more active with tourist numbers into CM - or still feels nothing like pre-covid ?

[bignok]

I went a few times this year. So so. I liked it. Less the better. 

[freedomnow]

mid-2022 was quite gloomy when I was over though low season and masking abound

[bignok]

Be good now.

[Dcheech]

There are a lot of people in town right now. 

[novacova]

18 minutes ago, Dcheech said:

There are a lot of people in town right now. 

…too many 

[roo860]

39 minutes ago, Dcheech said:

There are a lot of people in town right now. 

Excellent, great for Thai people trying to make a living. 

[freedomnow]

Nice, as 2022 was a bit of a mis-fire / feeling any buzz like pre-covid.

[daveAustin]

3 hours ago, bignok said:

I went a few times this year. So so. I liked it. Less the better. 

Me too. Having both lived and visited for many years I get both perspectives, as can many here. CM is great with or without tourists, but as a tourist, though clearly more expensive, it is more fun with high numbers. When one is living there, not so much so when numpties are posing for photos in the street etc. Mid 2022 was nice as a reboot for me visiting after so many years, all chilled but missing something. I just don't want that magnificent place going pre-covid numbers!

 

[bkk6060]

Dec. and Jan. are usually fairly busy.  The weather is mild and no smoke yet.

[1FinickyOne]

gradually getting busier but seems less so than in the past... friends w/stores have customers, but not a lot of them. 

[Dcheech]

2 hours ago, 1FinickyOne said:

gradually getting busier but seems less so than in the past... friends w/stores have customers, but not a lot of them

 
Correct less tourists than in 2018, 2017, 2016 etc. However about the same as 2019, when celestial tourists did not come in force as problems with boat sinkings & airport beat downs led to bad talk on Weibo, ---- Oh, and then there was Wuhan Flu. 

[Tropicalevo]

I was in CM for a week mid November. Flights to/from Samui were full. Hotel so so.

Walking around the Old City there were lots of tourists. Restaurants and bars were also busy.

Nimman are was very lively.

[mania]

Isn't it like Jazz week or something now? I think that might bring in Thai tourists but also with Loy Krathong just ending probably busy at the moment

Traffic on Canal was insane this time last year...Hopefully not as bad this year

[scorecard]

13 hours ago, daveAustin said:

Me too. Having both lived and visited for many years I get both perspectives, as can many here. CM is great with or without tourists, but as a tourist, though clearly more expensive, it is more fun with high numbers. When one is living there, not so much so when numpties are posing for photos in the street etc. Mid 2022 was nice as a reboot for me visiting after so many years, all chilled but missing something. I just don't want that magnificent place going pre-covid numbers!

 

 

1. Many / the more the merrier tourists are good for the local traders. They need money to survive too.

 

2. Most of us who live permanently in CM have little contact with the tourists and little if anything to be concerned about. 

[Skeptic7]

Was there in Feb and October this year. NOTICABLY more tourists both trips this year than the 4 previous trips last year. 

[Prubangboy]

Hotel rates are up by a third since the spring. Grabcab fares about the same. Eating out, at least 20% more. Christmas and the 3 weeks after it will be huge.

 

Nimman completely packs out on the weekends, with many Bangkok people flying up for the the EDM raves that happen every weekend out in the sticks. I went to one; it's like The Beach circa '96. All nationalities partying together, more mushrooms than MDMA.

 

The Chinese have been light here of late, but they were def back in force for the lantern festival. They're big ravers too.

 

Relatedly, a friend just got back from Pai and said the walking street was wall to wall people. In the middle of the week. Even Chiang Dao is a bit busy.

[arithai12]

On 12/2/2023 at 12:10 PM, scorecard said:

 

1. Many / the more the merrier tourists are good for the local traders. They need money to survive too.

 

2. Most of us who live permanently in CM have little contact with the tourists and little if anything to be concerned about. 

You would think so, but:

1) more customers, more traders appear, the money per business remains the same. Example: elephant trousers stands and coffee shops that seem to mushroom everywhere.

2) I do not interact with tourists in the sense of talking to them, but I am concerned if I have to avoid certain roads or supermarkets due to their numbers. Not to mention prices and availability of domestic flights, and the number of bloody tuk-tuks/rot daeng and rental scooters on the roads.

 

There should be an optimum balance, November was kind of ok for me, let's see xmas.

 

[scorecard]

1 hour ago, arithai12 said:

You would think so, but:

1) more customers, more traders appear, the money per business remains the same. Example: elephant trousers stands and coffee shops that seem to mushroom everywhere.

2) I do not interact with tourists in the sense of talking to them, but I am concerned if I have to avoid certain roads or supermarkets due to their numbers. Not to mention prices and availability of domestic flights, and the number of bloody tuk-tuks/rot daeng and rental scooters on the roads.

 

There should be an optimum balance, November was kind of ok for me, let's see xmas.

 

Suggest you're overthinking the situation. 

 

So what's your strategy...

[BritManToo]

Half the shops in town are still closed.

Walk down moonmung soi 1 and loi Kroh, many bars and restaurants closed and shuttered, most of the open places completely empty of customers.

[amexpat]

Very sad the gogo bars are gone. 

 

[heybruce]

On 12/4/2023 at 9:19 AM, Prubangboy said:

Hotel rates are up by a third since the spring. Grabcab fares about the same. Eating out, at least 20% more. Christmas and the 3 weeks after it will be huge.

 

Nimman completely packs out on the weekends, with many Bangkok people flying up for the the EDM raves that happen every weekend out in the sticks. I went to one; it's like The Beach circa '96. All nationalities partying together, more mushrooms than MDMA.

 

The Chinese have been light here of late, but they were def back in force for the lantern festival. They're big ravers too.

 

Relatedly, a friend just got back from Pai and said the walking street was wall to wall people. In the middle of the week. Even Chiang Dao is a bit busy.

Has Nimman become the new tourist hot spot, leaving the rest of the city with fewer?

[Mike Lister]

6 hours ago, amexpat said:

Very sad the gogo bars are gone. 

 

Best thing that ever happened here.

[Mike Lister]

55 minutes ago, heybruce said:

Has Nimman become the new tourist hot spot, leaving the rest of the city with fewer?

Pretty much, that and the old city.

 

 

[Prubangboy]

Nimman is a big draw for Asian tourists and a second entertainment district.

[amexpat]

58 minutes ago, Mike Lister said:

Best thing that ever happened here.

Your imaginary friend loves you for that. 

 

[heybruce]

20 hours ago, Mike Lister said:

Pretty much, that and the old city.

 

 

Too bad.  Hopefully Santitham won't suffer that fate.