This is a 'feel good' news story about moving from the US to Chiang Mai. Probably similar for most of us reading this, especially Yanks, who, for most of us, will have no new tax hit with the recent Thai proposals. And who get by just fine in the smoky season.

https://www.businessinsider.com/retired-florida-cop-moved-to-chiang-mai-thailand-cheaper-safer-2024-10

34 minutes ago, JimGant said:

This is a 'feel good' news story about moving from the US to Chiang Mai. Probably similar for most of us reading this, especially Yanks, who, for most of us, will have no new tax hit with the recent Thai proposals. And who get by just fine in the smoky season.

https://www.businessinsider.com/retired-florida-cop-moved-to-chiang-mai-thailand-cheaper-safer-2024-10

You couldn't give me free housing & living expense to live at CM during smog season.

 

Who in their right mind would leave the USA, where the air is usually healthy, to live in CM, for ~6 months of unhealthy air breathing ?

 

PM2.5 levels 2-10+ times WHO's healthy guidelines.  No Yanks that I know are that stupid 

many foreigners still consider chiang mai the best place to live in thailand. it's hard to believe, but true ...

who would willingly move to a city known for traffic jams and extremely unhealthy air during the burning season ...

 

you have to wonder what goes through people's minds when they move to a city known for its extreme air pollution ...

and then talk about having a good quality of life in chiang mai ... unbelievable ...

Why go there when there are so many other places to choose from just in Thailand.

 

 

Isaan is fantastic....brilliant.....amazing.

18 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

Why go there when there are so many other places to choose from just in Thailand.

 

 

Isaan is fantastic....brilliant.....amazing.

Was your Mrs looking over your shoulder and possibly holding some sort of weapon when you typed that last bit?

1 minute ago, Keeps said:

Was your Mrs looking over your shoulder and possibly holding some sort of weapon when you typed that last bit?

 

555....No....but I'm often on here complaining bitterly about my (non)-life in Isaan....555

52 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

You couldn't give me free housing & living expense to live at CM during smog season.

 

Who in their right mind would leave the USA, where the air is usually healthy, to live in CM, for ~6 months of unhealthy air breathing ?

 

PM2.5 levels 2-10+ times WHO's healthy guidelines.  No Yanks that I know are that stupid 

 

Chiang Mai is clearly one of the best place to live in Thailand, for a few months the air is poor, but you can easily head to the islands then.

 

No wonder the US press is reporting these stories, Chiang Mai never disappoints.

 

 

12 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

Chiang Mai is clearly one of the best place to live in Thailand, for a few months the air is poor, but you can easily head to the islands then.

 

No wonder the US press is reporting these stories, Chiang Mai never disappoints.

From reading the forum, most seem to be a little too skint to have 2 homes, or paying for one, while O&A the other 6 months, waiting for the rains to start in May.

 

Or will enjoy the temps of the South, along with the cost, since it is high season.

 

Agree, it's great for 6 months of the year, and why we popped up northward a few times the pas 4 ish years, during rainy season 

 

Actually for us, with exception of the past 4 yrs (rainy season) it has always disappointed me, the prior 20 years of visits, as most were during smog season.

 

Timing is everything here / TH.

I ain't giving them my email to read the story ......... spam me!

But I'm happy enough here, plenty of foreign restaurants and expat food suppliers, and the cycling is great.

Just now, KhunLA said:

From reading the forum, most seem to be a little too skint to have 2 homes, or paying for one, while O&A the other 6 months, waiting for the rains to start in May.

 

Or will enjoy the temps of the South, along with the cost, since it is high season.

 

Agree, it's great for 6 months of the year, and why we popped up northward a few the pas 4 ish years, during rainy season 

 

Actually for us, with exception of the past 4 yrs (rainy season) it has always disappointed me, the prior 20 years of visits, as most were during smog season.

 

Timing is everything here / TH.

 

That's such a shame, if you ever come around during the good air season hit me up and I'll show the best places. 

1 hour ago, KhunLA said:

You couldn't give me free housing & living expense to live at CM during smog season.

 

Who in their right mind would leave the USA, where the air is usually healthy, to live in CM, for ~6 months of unhealthy air breathing ?

 

PM2.5 levels 2-10+ times WHO's healthy guidelines.  No Yanks that I know are that stupid 

You haven't lived in So Cal and the Eastern mountains when burn season cranks up in Cali.

Chiang Mai is a polluted hellhole built on a flood plain…
I highly recommend no one else move here… 

3 minutes ago, BKKKevin said:

Chiang Mai is a polluted hellhole built on a flood plain…
I highly recommend no one else move here… 

You're screwed ... always makes the top lists of place to retire or visit in TH.   Same as Hua Hin ... 

 

My area is way too boring for most folks, thankfully 

2 hours ago, KhunLA said:

 

 

Who in their right mind would leave the USA, where the air is usually healthy, to live in CM, for ~6 months of unhealthy air breathing ?

 

 

 

Sexpats, sex tourists, alcoholics...

6 hours ago, JimGant said:

This is a 'feel good' news story about moving from the US to Chiang Mai.

 

1. I did some research on his background.  Claims to be a retired cop.  Maybe so, but doesn't talk like any of the cops I've ever known.  Suspect he is a paid "op" of some kind, but paid by who, I have no idea.

 

2. Wonder what he's selling.  In other words, what's his hustle to promote his story.  (I think I know, but it would be politically impolite to even hint at it here.)

 

3. Finding "cheap living" in rural Thailand is so easy.  But Thai are very xenophobic, especially against certain races.  This man is of such a race.

 

4. It takes a certain kind of fool to claim to have found "paradise", then advertise to attract more people to go there.

 

5. I did not pay to get past the paywall.  Just searched.

Air pollution is a risk factor for heart disease, stroke, and dementia, as well as the obvious lung cancer and emphysema. Just because someone isn't experiencing obvious symptoms now, or it doesn't bother them now, doesn't mean it's safe.

14 hours ago, Will B Good said:

 

555....No....but I'm often on here complaining bitterly about my (non)-life in Isaan....555

I packed up the ole lady and kid years ago and left the rice fields for beach side living. 

15 hours ago, KhunLA said:

You couldn't give me free housing & living expense to live at CM during smog season.

 

Who in their right mind would leave the USA, where the air is usually healthy, to live in CM, for ~6 months of unhealthy air breathing ?

 

PM2.5 levels 2-10+ times WHO's healthy guidelines.  No Yanks that I know are that stupid 

Yeah, As i took the mutt out for his morning constitutional, I also took my 2.5 micron monitor (as usual) and this AM here in BKK it is in the 50's, therefore above the healthy level!  

15 hours ago, motdaeng said:

willingly move to a city known for traffic jams

Absolutely nothing compared to Bkk... I had a freind here who complained bitterly about the traffic which for him meant getting stopped for a couple of minutes at a red light... 

I had 10 years in the smoker the last 4 there was no distinction between burning and not burning season a blue sky day was as rare as a hookerless bar 🤔 

16 hours ago, motdaeng said:

many foreigners still consider chiang mai the best place to live in thailand. it's hard to believe, but true ...

who would willingly move to a city known for traffic jams and extremely unhealthy air during the burning season ...

 

you have to wonder what goes through people's minds when they move to a city known for its extreme air pollution ...

and then talk about having a good quality of life in chiang mai ... unbelievable ...

You wouldn't happen to live in Bangkok, would you😉

At least in CM you don't have to go into the city as lots of villages outside in forested areas but in BKK you are forced to breathe where ever you go.  Even with the trains going everywhere almost, just check out every intersection and roads all along the railway.  These BKK roads have been overcrowded since at least 1972 when I first came here.  Every year the govt says no floods in the city this year but every year it is still the same.  Today, the "rim" of the Chao Praya is flooding but not from the runoff from the north but the weather folks say it is due to the high tide - meaning seas must be getting higher or BKK is sinking.

Recall a similar article in the early noughties (along the lines of 'retire to CM on $1K a month') which was partly responsible for filling the place up with expats. Not too bothered now though as moved out ages ago. Just got too busy and floody, the traffic got to me more than the smoke... which is only really bad for couple months. When it is cool around the end of the year, it is great.

Chaing mai is often

the most polluted city in the world for  weeks during the burning season. 

Rest of the time l find it a pleasant city with nice people. 

15 hours ago, Cameroni said:

 

Chiang Mai is clearly one of the best place to live in Thailand, for a few months the air is poor, but you can easily head to the islands then.

 

No wonder the US press is reporting these stories, Chiang Mai never disappoints.

 

 

My only global residence for 13 years. And, yes, I have been known to travel out of the mountain, smoke catching “bowl” during the smoky season. If staying? Moving from air conditioned home to air conditioned car to air conditioned mall/restaurant, etc. is workable. And yes, I do miss getting out on the motorbike during that time.

Been here for the past 24 years, and never felt the need to leave, either for Burning season or floods.

 

We are humans. We have learned how to manage our environment to keep us safe and comfortable. We no longer need to live in caves shivering in our animal skins. Between a mask for outdoors and an air purifier for indoors, Burning Season is just a name people cry every year, but people need something to bitch about, and this is as good as any.

 

I don't think too many people have been forced to live here, so there must be some attraction.

20 hours ago, KhunLA said:

You couldn't give me free housing & living expense to live at CM during smog season.

 

Who in their right mind would leave the USA, where the air is usually healthy, to live in CM, for ~6 months of unhealthy air breathing ?

 

PM2.5 levels 2-10+ times WHO's healthy guidelines.  No Yanks that I know are that stupid 

Yet many yanks are stupid enough to support despicable Donald Trump which doesn't say much about their intelligence.

3 hours ago, FolkGuitar said:

Been here for the past 24 years, and never felt the need to leave, either for Burning season or floods.

 

We are humans. We have learned how to manage our environment to keep us safe and comfortable. We no longer need to live in caves shivering in our animal skins. Between a mask for outdoors and an air purifier for indoors, Burning Season is just a name people cry every year, but people need something to bitch about, and this is as good as any.

 

I don't think too many people have been forced to live here, so there must be some attraction.

 

 

Prolonged exposure to particulate matter can lead to chronic respiratory diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and an increased risk of lung infections like pneumonia and cardiovascular problems.

 

So how have you learned to manage the above?

13 minutes ago, CM Dad said:

Yet many yanks are stupid enough to support despicable Donald Trump which doesn't say much about their intelligence.

Is the Donald coming to CM ?

 

Have you been checked for T .. D .. S  ?

 

Notice the left is still allowed to insult trump supporter, AN members, and bash trump, but others can't point out their derangement ... hmm 

 

20 hours ago, KhunLA said:

You couldn't give me free housing & living expense to live at CM during smog season.

 

Who in their right mind would leave the USA, where the air is usually healthy, to live in CM, for ~6 months of unhealthy air breathing ?

 

PM2.5 levels 2-10+ times WHO's healthy guidelines.  No Yanks that I know are that stupid 

"No Yanks that I know are that stupid" What about the Orange Moron supporters ?