What's Your Favourite Thing, About Living In Chiang Mai ?

[IanForbes]

Then there are all the markets and places to eat.

There are swank hotels for those that like them...

And nice clean places that rent for 6000 baht a month.

[IanForbes]

And we can't forget the variety of nightlife...

From late night disco dancing

to bowling parties

Or share a drink and a game of pool with a friend...

And going out for supper with friends... at one of the many places to choose from

[Ulysses G.]

To pick a totally crass example, how about the search for the ultimate hamburger, a topic that has probably received more hits and comments than any other on TV over the years. I've nothing against hamburgers --- I cook a dam_n good one --- but I could do without and certainly have no need to create fetishes around farang food as found on TV.

I lived in San Francisco for many years and like a varied menu. eating just one type of food gets boring after a while.

I had a great French dinner last night and Japanese sushi the night before. I usually have lunch at different Thai vegetarian restaurants around town. I have a hamburger every few months and might have one more often if there were any that I liked - other than Woody's Ozzie burgers - around town.

I still don't understand why certain expats get so obsessed about the best burger threads when all they have to do is skip them if they are not interested.

I would venture a guess that if more people were posting "best banger" threads, these same folks would not have a negative word to say.

[gpdjohn]

go to work 8:00-4:00

Hey, there will be no cussin' here or use of extremely bad words!

[IanForbes]

go to work 8:00-4:00

Hey, there will be no cussin' here or use of extremely bad words!

WORK??? Isn't that what falongs do in foreign countries?

dam_n, I love the good life!

[spectrum]

Aside from that it's not much different than any other place for me, I get up early in the morning, get my daughter ready for school kiss my wife and baby good bye, drop my daughter off at school, go to work 8:00-4:00 pick my daughter up at school, go home have dinner, watch TV and spend some family time together.

Interesting observations.

In some ways, might the comments about the pleasures of "life in CM" not to some extent (perhaps to a large extent?) be about freedom from work and family responsibilities, and the sometimes more appreciative attitude to life in general that age can bring?

[sendbaht]

My two favorite people...vagabond48 and T_DOG.

[sendbaht]

Riding my bicycle all over town. Swimming at 700B stadium, yoga on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The care and pride CM city takes of and around the moat. They are always changing the flowers

around it and making sure the water fountains work. Such a pretty town.

The numerous vegetarian restaurants where wife and I eat for two for B50/B60....

[bluejays]

Lanna Culture & Khao-Soi

[vagabond48]

My two favorite people...vagabond48 and T_DOG.

Oh shucks bahtman....

[narkeddiver]

Finally some positive views on Chiang Mai - I was beginning to wonder whether I was the only person who loved living in this city

The majority of what I read on this website is people complaining and generally making out they would rather be any where else on the planet an tbh I didn't recognise my home from those discussions.

However this thread describes the Chiang Mai I have come to know and love - its not perfect but then nowhere is and the plusses here far outweigh the minuses

What do I love here

My wife and our family and friends - they have made me feel so welcome here

The sense of peace and calm that exists amongst the noise and hubbub

The variety and quality of the food - I'm still finding new noodle bars after all this time and I don't think I've been back to the same one more than twice but each one is as good as the last

Singing Karaoke badly and sending my Thai friends running to the bar

Having a bbq on our balcony with friends and enjoying the sun setting behind Doi Suthep with a cold beer

and many many more thing that will bore you to death (if I haven't done that already)

[swain]

I think that some of the people that complain about not having this or that are just homesick. But the people that talk about burning fields and the cancer rate, may actually love Chiang Mai just as much or more and want some attention to pressing issues that threaten this truly nice place to live.

Its not all black and white or should I say blue or gray.

Finally some positive views on Chiang Mai - I was beginning to wonder whether I was the only person who loved living in this city

The majority of what I read on this website is people complaining and generally making out they would rather be any where else on the planet an tbh I didn't recognise my home from those discussions.

However this thread describes the Chiang Mai I have come to know and love - its not perfect but then nowhere is and the plusses here far outweigh the minuses

What do I love here

My wife and our family and friends - they have made me feel so welcome here

The sense of peace and calm that exists amongst the noise and hubbub

The variety and quality of the food - I'm still finding new noodle bars after all this time and I don't think I've been back to the same one more than twice but each one is as good as the last

Singing Karaoke badly and sending my Thai friends running to the bar

Having a bbq on our balcony with friends and enjoying the sun setting behind Doi Suthep with a cold beer

and many many more thing that will bore you to death (if I haven't done that already)

[IanForbes]

Finally some positive views on Chiang Mai - I was beginning to wonder whether I was the only person who loved living in this city

The majority of what I read on this website is people complaining and generally making out they would rather be any where else on the planet an tbh I didn't recognise my home from those discussions.

However this thread describes the Chiang Mai I have come to know and love - its not perfect but then nowhere is and the plusses here far outweigh the minuses

What do I love here

My wife and our family and friends - they have made me feel so welcome here

The sense of peace and calm that exists amongst the noise and hubbub

The variety and quality of the food - I'm still finding new noodle bars after all this time and I don't think I've been back to the same one more than twice but each one is as good as the last

Singing Karaoke badly and sending my Thai friends running to the bar

Having a bbq on our balcony with friends and enjoying the sun setting behind Doi Suthep with a cold beer

and many many more thing that will bore you to death (if I haven't done that already)

You said a mouthfull there. My friend and I take 6 to 12 km walks every day somewhere near the inner city. It is interesting feeling the quiet change when you take a narrow little soi instead of one of the more busy roads crossing the city.

I also note that Thai people revere their trees. There are lovely trees growing everywhere... even at the expense of traffic. What a lovely feeling to have some huge tree spreading its limbs over us and shading us from the sun.

Tucked away on some little soi with be a couple of women with a little street cookery selling Kow Pat (fried rice) and a bowl of soup for 30 baht. Or, you can watch someone make you a delicious rotee for 25 baht.

[IanForbes]

It's hard to beat the Thai street cafe for a nutricious tastey meal for under a dollar. And the water they usually throw in for free.

Sometimes the food is so fresh it's jumping out of the bowl...

And you can even get "a head" of the game...

Edited February 22, 2009 by IanForbes

[EASYDOGG]

Coming from the Arizona desert, I love that CM is green, has trees without thorns, water and not a nanny state like back home.

A nanny state, huh?

[tigerbeer]

Ianforbes,

thanks for all the lovely pictures of chiang mai.

TB..

[IanForbes]

Ianforbes,

thanks for all the lovely pictures of chiang mai.

TB..

No problem, but I'm preaching to the converted here. I pretty much walk around with my camera glued to my hand. And, when I don't I usually see something I WOULD have liked to take a photo of.

The other day I saw a street dog sitting on a bench at one of the small Thai food stalls. He had his butt on the bench and his front legs on the table above. There was bottle of beer on the table and it WOULD have made a great photo if I had brought my camera.

I post my Thai photos on fishing forums back home, but people can't understand my attraction to it here.

Or, maybe they CAN and are just jealous.

[IanForbes]

A nice afternoon or day at the lake north of town makes a good outing. Most people just go there to eat or swim, but it's lovely 6 km walk around the lake. There is also a bit of fishing if all the people sitting on shore with fishing rods are any indication.

Better eat those shrimp before they jump out of the bowl. I'd jump to if I was placed live in that hot sauce!!!

That's a happy grin... I wonder why.

[IanForbes]

Although you can drive right around the lake I prefer to walk. You always see more by walking.

One end of the lake has rice paddies and lovely Thai scenery.

The side opposite the popular eating area has a few guest houses and is more shady

The end opposite the rice paddies is the dam where anglers like to fish

[ianf]

Although you can drive right around the lake I prefer to walk. You always see more by walking.

One end of the lake has rice paddies and lovely Thai scenery.

The side opposite the popular eating area has a few guest houses and is more shady

The end opposite the rice paddies is the dam where anglers like to fish

What a lovely thread. Nice pictures and very evocative Ian. We are moving to Chiang Mai at the end of April - we have bought a house in Hang Dong and we're getting ready to go. reading the thread gives me a strong positive feeling that we've made the right decision!

[miltonbentley]

Thanks Ian for those great pictures. You are preaching to the converted but your photos reinforce my positive feelings about the city. Please keep posting.

[ChiangMaiFun]

I first came here in 2005 and knew I wanted to live here - now moved into my condo late last year:

Love the mix of old and new

Great bars etc.

Love mountain and lake alike

Beautiful and friendly girls

Infrastructure

People are less 'hard' than bkk etc.

A little cooler up here

Do I miss nanny state UK? no!

do I miss the dreadful weather back home? no!

Do I miss the PC crazies? no!

Chiang Mai may not be perfect (smog etc.) but it is a balanced lifestyle that that creates a very nice way of living...

[IanForbes]

I first came here in 2005 and knew I wanted to live here - now moved into my condo late last year:

Love the mix of old and new

Great bars etc.

Love mountain and lake alike

Beautiful and friendly girls

Infrastructure

People are less 'hard' than bkk etc.

A little cooler up here

Do I miss nanny state UK? no!

do I miss the dreadful weather back home? no!

Do I miss the PC crazies? no!

Chiang Mai may not be perfect (smog etc.) but it is a balanced lifestyle that that creates a very nice way of living...

Yup, and it's a real pleasure, once you learn all the roads, to ride along beside the river on your bike in the hot sun wearing nothing but shorts and sandals.

It's even more enjoyable if you have a lovely passenger riding shotgun... Or, when she is piloting the biky you have some things to hold onto.

[keo]

Great pictures IanForbes! Well done that man.

I've been meaning to take a picture of this tree for ages, it's a beast! cheers!

pictures of what I love about living in Chiang Mai coming soon...

[sassienie]

The clean air.

The exotic wildlife.

The reluctance of people to take our money.

The friendly welcoming ex-pats.

Fast Internet services.

Few vehicles on the roads & courteous driving skills of the Thais.

[Ricardo]

The tongue-in-cheek posts on the local-forum on TV too ?

[RobotTeacher]

Sounds like a bunch of happy campers. I like the warm weather, tropical things like coconut palms, flower festival, huge zoo, Kalare night bazaar shows, huge catfish in Borsang fishing lake, plenty of available food and drink choices, plenty of farangs to chat with, and full modern services such as stocked pharmacies and affordable dentists are to be found in the city.

I too am interested in moving to Chiang Mai or somewhere nearby such as Borsang to the East of the city. The only real downer is heavy vehicle exhaust and the teaching pay being too low in my opinion. I can easily burn through 25,000 baht inside a week. Of course, that's vacationing; taking 1000 to 2000 baht tours each day with meals, import beer, 200 baht massages, motor bike rental, 500 baht room, and other things like souvineer and new clothes purchases. I do notice those not on vacation living for next to nothing after having invested in their motor bike and living in a cheap apartment. When not on vacation, I suppose 25,000 baht a month is enough to live on.

Looks like a great place to get very physically active, lean, and fit.

Edited February 24, 2009 by RobotTeacher

[ChangMaiSausage]

Great thread it's making me feel sad as we wont be back in CM until Dec

Things that I like is the relaxed attitude

Walking the moat and surrounding streets

Eating freshly fried pork skin mmmm

CHIANG MAI SAUSAGE

Chilling down at one of the lakes and eating the litttle prok ribs served by a young girl with a big smile

The seasonal climate cool winters hot summers

Sorry I'm starting to turn this into a food thread.

We have the land now a need the house.

GREAT PICS IAN LETS SEE SOME MORE

[tigerbeer]

Would like to add some pictures of Doi Pui. I love the mountains.

TB..

Edited February 24, 2009 by tigerbeer

[tigerbeer]

Some more pictures of Doi Pui.

TB..