25 minutes ago, sqwakvfr said:

You mean that river in CNX with the clear blue water? 

 

If you want clear water, you should go to one of the many lovely waterfalls in Chiang Mai, where local families go with children to paddle in the clear water.

 

By the way, did you know that the canals in Venice were used as sewage canals? Here's what a local says about the water in Venice:

 

"To be honest, the water is super dirty and you don’t want to swim in it.

In fact, the use of canals as a sewage disposal system in Venice surprises many visitors, and should definitely deter you.

Some islands and parts of the historic center use more modern sewage systems, but still, a lot of the wastewater in big parts of the city is disposed of in the lagoon. Even though this happens, tourists can sometimes still experience a bad smell in the air, when they walk the city or cross a bridge over a small canal."

 

https://theromanguy.com/italy-travel-blog/venice/can-you-swim-in-the-venice-canals/#:~:text=To be honest%2C the water,and should definitely deter you.

 

Whilst Chiang Mai is by far the best city in the world, there are some cities that are contenders, but Venice is not one of them.

 

Chiang Mai--- its a lovely city---- but I expected Hanoi to be higher on that list its behind 2 places in India and Bali---wow........

 

 

India wheres your favorite key Street.......

 

 

54 minutes ago, sqwakvfr said:

Last weekend I stayed at a 3000 baht room in CNX and it was disappoinitng.  The AC unit looked to be about 30 years old and was making this grinding noise all night. I turned it off. The breakfast was disappointing. The coffee machine brewed lukewarm lattes, the bread selection was stale and the service was lacking.  I have stayed at 400 to 500 rooms in CNX and they have been basic only. Also, how many people go to Japan to get a cheap massage? There are attractions to the Land of the Rising Sun. The words cheap and massage are things visitors look for in Japan.

 

41 minutes ago, sqwakvfr said:

Used to belong to a 100 baht per day GYM on HK road.  Never again. Old equipment, rude staff (nothing unique about that in LOS) and sometimes open and sometimes not. "you get what you pay for".  

You seem to be a bit of a mug. Looks like people see you coming.

 

What's the old saying? "A fool and his money are soon parted"?.

1 hour ago, Cameroni said:

there's almost no traffic issues

You obviously never go anywhere near the old city between 8AM and 6PM weekdays!

20 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

So she knows Indian food, taste differs but i am not really impressed by it.

 

 

When an Indian food critic, who has eaten in every major city in India, says that the food in Chiang Mai is the best in the world, not in jest, but in all seriousness, overcome with the joy and variety that is the Chiang Mai food scene, then it is best to listen.

 

 Indian food is among the best in the world, and Indian street food in particular is incredibly varied and intelligently prepared. I prefer Chinese street food myself, but still, the richness of Indian cuisine is well known. So when someone from this food culture is seriously impressed with the food in Chiang Mai, then that means something.

 

it's not just her of course, the American Andy Ricker has copied Chiang Mai food and brought it to America, the late great Anthony Bourdian sang the praises of Chiang Mai food, and even today Joel Bruner and Mark Wiens do likewise.

 

20 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

Close to Myanmar? There is a war going on there.

 

The fact that Chiang Mai is close to Myanmar has its own advantages, namely that you can eat at superb Burmese restaurants for a ludicrous price, something which is very hard to find in most cities in the world. Not so in Chiang Mai, where Burmese food, Yunannese food, Cantonese food, Korean barbecue, French Baguette, German food, Indian food, Japanese food, are all available.  We don't need to go to Mynamar to have great Burmese food, we just need to go down the city centre in Chiang Mai.

 

20 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

She had coffee with a Michelin starred chef, should have tried his food.

 

No need, since his food is just a rip off of Chiang Mai cuisine, she just had to walk into any Chiang Mai chicken or laarb place to sample the food Andy Ricker offers, and that's what she did.

 

Perhaps the most amazing thing about Chiang Mai to me, though, is that you get baguette better than in France. That really blew my mind.

4 minutes ago, DezLez said:

You obviously never go anywhere near the old city between 8AM and 6PM weekdays!

Neither do you.

1 hour ago, Gottfrid said:

Sure! Welcome to Chiang Mai! Breath in, breath out!

It's more breath in, cough out

1 minute ago, Harrisfan said:

Neither do you.

Even given the incredibly low standard of what you post that comment takes the biscuit!

6 minutes ago, DezLez said:

You obviously never go anywhere near the old city between 8AM and 6PM weekdays!

 

People laud the Chiang Mai Song Taew system, which is superb to get around and cheap, just like in Pattaya. In Bangkok too you can get buses easily.

 

However, I drive a car, and I wouldn't want to drive in Pattaya or Bangkok. Or Shanghai or Tokyo and God forbid in Hanoi.

 

It's fairly easy to drive in Chiang Mai with its sprawling roads. Yes, there's a few traffic hotspots, hence the use of the word "almost not traffic issues", but it's certainly possible to drive here with ease. Not so Bangkok, Pattaya, Hanoi, Tokyo, Kyoto or Jakarta. Only Kuala Lumpur comes close in this regard with its excellent road system.

9 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

Indian street food in particular is incredibly varied and intelligently prepared.

Will take you straight to the toilet for a week.

2 minutes ago, DezLez said:

Even given the incredibly low standard of what you post that comment takes the biscuit!

You obviously have no idea. There's stuff all traffic in CM. It flows well.

1 minute ago, FritsSikkink said:

Will take you straight to the toilet for a week.

 

If you have a weak stomach perhaps, I never had that issue and I eat Indian food whenever I can. 

 

Of course I have excellent genetics. 

 

Much like Chiang Mai.

37 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

People laud the Chiang Mai Song Taew system, which is superb to get around and cheap,

Yeah, perfect.

You wouldn't get only the hazard or smoke but also the dust and black smoke blasted out of other cars and trucks around.

Indeed, the best place for lung issues and lung cancer. Hallelujah 🙏

Just now, newbee2022 said:

Yeah, perfect.

You wouldn't get only the hazard or smoke but also the dust and black smoke blasted out of other cars and trucks around.

Indeed, the best place for lung issues and lung cancer. Hallelujah 🙏

 

Another weakling.

Travel + Leisure publishes annual ratings based on subscriber polls -- Anyone with a subscription can vote.

Any city can boost its ratings by buying hundreds of subscriptions and voting for itself. 

How else could India have 3 highly-rated cities on list?  

 

Who cares? T&L is rubbish.

1 minute ago, Cameroni said:

 

Another weakling.

A post by an i...t. As usual.

6 minutes ago, Tom100 said:

Travel + Leisure publishes annual ratings based on subscriber polls -- Anyone with a subscription can vote.

Any city can boost its ratings by buying hundreds of subscriptions and voting for itself. 

How else could India have 3 highly-rated cities on list?  

 

Who cares? T&L is rubbish.

All just opinions.

CM is a typical college city with tourist attractions that draws people mostly from bkk for business, tourism and school. Traffic is typical for a city this size, the access infrastructure is impeded by the proximity of the old city and wing 41 causing traffic congestion in the suthep, nimman, chang phueak, wat ket, mahidhol, canal road and of course the old city all of which comprises of most of the city. Though not so bad now, it starts getting worse when the weather cools and folks from the south start flooding in. Late December all the highways in the north become hazardous due to impatient careless drivers from the south in a hurry to die. A lot of bkk’rs come to cm and open temporary restaurants, unfortunately some of them open northern food restaurants and fail at the attempt to counterfeit lanna cuisine.

2 hours ago, Cameroni said:

 

But no traditional testicle massage then?

Obscene comment 👎

2 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Have lived in both + other places in Japan. 

Thanks for parrot info.. 

Probably loong time ago.

23 minutes ago, novacova said:

CM is a typical college city with tourist attractions that draws people mostly from bkk for business, tourism and school. Traffic is typical for a city this size, the access infrastructure is impeded by the proximity of the old city and wing 41 causing traffic congestion in the suthep, nimman, chang phueak, wat ket, mahidhol, canal road and of course the old city all of which comprises of most of the city. Though not so bad now, it starts getting worse when the weather cools and folks from the south start flooding in. Late December all the highways in the north become hazardous due to impatient careless drivers from the south in a hurry to die. A lot of bkk’rs come to cm and open temporary restaurants, unfortunately some of them fail at the attempt to counterfeit lanna cuisine.

 

The universities in Chiang Mai, particularly Maejo and Chiang Mai University, give an added bonus to the quality of life in Chiang Mai. Not only can you go and play basketball or go running in nice surroundings, there's interesting markets surrounding the areas and the abundance of young women ensures a lovely atmosphere.

 

Traffic is perfectly fine for a city of this size. Anyone who talks of traffic problems in Chiang Mai has never been to Medan, Bangkok, Jakarta, Hanoi, Shanghai, Tokyo, places were real traffic issues exist. Not so Chiang Mai, where you can drive into the city on any given day and get a parking spot with ease. Even during rush hour the traffic moves and the hotspots like Nimman can be navigated in due course.

 

It's always been an open secret that Chiang Mai is the best city in Asia, that the food is the best in the world, people have known for a long time. Hence they flocked to CM in great numbers and anyone you ask always loved Chiang Mai.

 

But it's nice to see this officially recognised now, that you live in the best city in the world. I sent the article to friends and relatives and they're green with envy. Much like some poor non-residents of Chiang Mai on this thread are.

I can see u giving thumbs down champ

Have they been to Chiang Mai lately... Its as dead as dead can be, and not the most attractive place either.

1 minute ago, Mark17AA said:

Have they been to Chiang Mai lately... Its as dead as dead can be, and not the most attractive place either.

It's low season.

7 hours ago, daveAustin said:

What is this sudden resurgence?

Love Chiang Mai but it just has too many downsides to be classed anywhere near Asia’s best. For starters, clogged roads, appalling public transport and terrible air (at times worst in the world). 

That goes double for me. I assume this poll is taken from short time visitors. Anyone who lives here knows everything daveAustin says is true. It has passed it’s use by date and much of it’s charm is lost to the smoke and congestion. There are better places but I think it’s best to keep them under the radar. 

6 minutes ago, Mark17AA said:

Have they been to Chiang Mai lately... Its as dead as dead can be, and not the most attractive place either.

 

It's not dead at all. I was at Jing Jai last Sunday. Teeming with Korean tourists. It's basically normal attendance now, not the nauseating throngs of people of high season.

 

Of course, now that Chiang Mai is officially the world's best city, no doubt we'll be inundated with tourists. How could it be otherwise.

4 hours ago, Harrisfan said:

Venice is cool once. Would never go back. Rome is much better than Venice. 

Rome has been destroyed by the recent unrestricted EU condoned invasion of Sub Saharan Africans

4 hours ago, MalcolmB said:

This thread will trigger all the Thai haters who chose to live in Thailand but can’t stop whining about Thailand.

I agree with your post.  I have lived in Chiang Mai for more than thirty years and love it.  It's the only place in Thailand I want to live.  I am always amazed at how many disgruntled people there are on this site who have chosen to live in Thailand but continually spout negative comments about it.  Why did they come and why do they stay? 

7 hours ago, daveAustin said:

What is this sudden resurgence?

Love Chiang Mai but it just has too many downsides to be classed anywhere near Asia’s best. For starters, clogged roads, appalling public transport and terrible air (at times worst in the world). 

just got back from Malibu. you can have L.A. love CM, i walk. ok no beach no problem.  its just peaceful. 

A load of bullplop