Decisions, decisions, where to stay in retirement?

[Cameroni]

35 minutes ago, NorthernRyland said:

The problem in CM is urban sprawl and housing projects. They have the north, central and south covered with a mall and the east HAD Promenada which failed but that's the most logical place to put one now. There's endless housing projects now in all directions but you need to fight traffics inwards towards the city and infrastructure is not there. 

 

 

Just simple growing pains. In San Kamphaeng, which does have that organic feel still in parts, there is a traffic issue at times which is now being alleviated with a bypass.

 

It is of course totally normal that traffic gets worse as you get to the centre of the City, that is the case everywhere. Thankfully in Chiang Mai it is nowhere near as bad as in London, Miami, New York, Tokyo, Rome, Jakarta, Hanoi or Medan. Much less of a problem in Chiang Mai.

 

There are a lot of housing projects, but they're not causing the traffic really. Take Urbana 1 on the 11 Highway, cars just go in and out, it's perfectly positioned. Does not cause congestion at all.

[Scouse123]

1 hour ago, save the frogs said:

 

Yeah, because you own the joint. 

 

 

No, not at all,

 

But many of those who move up here expect it to be a smaller or mini version of Pattaya, etc., and it isn't at all.

 

A different mindset and pace of life take some getting used to; many can't manage it and rush back to the bright lights of the cities.

 

I love it.

[save the frogs]

11 hours ago, Scouse123 said:

 

No, not at all,

 

But many of those who move up here expect it to be a smaller or mini version of Pattaya, etc., and it isn't at all.

 

A different mindset and pace of life take some getting used to; many can't manage it and rush back to the bright lights of the cities.

 

I love it.

 

It's good that there are alternatives to Pattaya. 

[Hummin]

On 4/27/2025 at 6:21 AM, Scouse123 said:

 

 

Nothing wrong with Isaarn, mind you, even better if not many come here.

 

We don't want the old, miserable faces of pensioners who can no longer afford Pattaya.

 

There's already a noticeable few drifting up this way.

Isaan i great for easy healthy good daily  living if there where not so smokey during the burning season. But this year there where really no escape anywhere from the pollution. So? 

 

Hopefully in future when we return one day, they have control of the pollution, and we will move back to Isan

 

My solution is to build a "wintergarden" with solar powered aircon and air purifier. 

[NorthernRyland]

1 hour ago, Cameroni said:

There are a lot of housing projects, but they're not causing the traffic really. Take Urbana 1 on the 11 Highway, cars just go in and out, it's perfectly positioned. Does not cause congestion at all.

 

Central festival is probably handling the demands for most of the suburban housing project people because it's tied into the ring roads. If you're anywhere in the north or east that's probably where you're going so unless that gets so overwhelmed I don't see a new mall coming.

 

In 20 years what are the population projections though? Thailand went from like 30% household debt to GDP to 90+% in 20 years and population is declining now for the foreseeable future because birth rates are so low (1.30 which is wild) so unless CM takes people from Bangkok and other regions it's going to stagnate where it is.

 

I think Thailand hit its post industrial peak already and is going to start shrinking but if they do things right GDP per capital can increase along the way.

[NorthernRyland]

14 minutes ago, Hummin said:

Hopefully in future when we return one day, they have control of the pollution, and we will move back to Isan

 

Don't hold your breath! (pun intended)

[Cameroni]

45 minutes ago, NorthernRyland said:

 

Central festival is probably handling the demands for most of the suburban housing project people because it's tied into the ring roads. If you're anywhere in the north or east that's probably where you're going so unless that gets so overwhelmed I don't see a new mall coming.

 

In 20 years what are the population projections though? Thailand went from like 30% household debt to GDP to 90+% in 20 years and population is declining now for the foreseeable future because birth rates are so low (1.30 which is wild) so unless CM takes people from Bangkok and other regions it's going to stagnate where it is.

 

I think Thailand hit its post industrial peak already and is going to start shrinking but if they do things right GDP per capital can increase along the way.

 

Chiang Mai's population has grown from 191,000 in 1989 to 1.3 million in 2024,

 

Since the late 1980s, the number of foreign travelers visiting Chiang Mai has increased more than tenfold, with tourism fueling an estimated 100 billion baht ($2.7 billion) in economic activity in Chiang Mai in 2023.

 

https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/152635/hazy-skies-in-a-growing-city#:~:text=Chiang Mai's population has grown,drivers of the rapid growth.

 

But overall Thailand's population has started to fall slightly. Same problem as everywhere, women don't want to have children.

 

https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/thailand-population/

[Hummin]

1 hour ago, NorthernRyland said:

Don't hold your breath! (pun intended)

Therefor a tempered clean aired wintergarden will be a good solution.

 

[bubblegum]

How about mountain living in Bulgaria? 

[simon43]

I should point out that my comments about air pollution in CM, north Thailand, Laos and Myanmar only refers to the effect on my own crappy lungs 🙂  Others with healthy lungs may find nothing detrimental at all.

[Cameroni]

7 minutes ago, simon43 said:

I should point out that my comments about air pollution in CM, north Thailand, Laos and Myanmar only refers to the effect on my own crappy lungs 🙂  Others with healthy lungs may find nothing detrimental at all.

 

That is exactly right, well done for qualifying this. 

 

Quality thread.

[Celsius]

17 minutes ago, simon43 said:

I should point out that my comments about air pollution in CM, north Thailand, Laos and Myanmar only refers to the effect on my own crappy lungs 🙂  Others with healthy lungs may find nothing detrimental at all.

 

Why are your lungs scrappy? Maybe because you spent most of your life in Thailand,  Laos or Myanmar