Chiang Mai Vs. Bangkok Vs. ?

[schmutzie]

Planning/hoping to go to Thailand in September and stay with my girlfriend - this time for a good few months rather than the short stays so far.

She wants to go to Chiang Mai because she "loves everything about it" where as I'm probably more inclined to stay in Bangkok because the city fascinates me. Have never been to Chiang Mai.

I was just wondering what people's impressions are of the place - it seems like a cultural center, fairly quiet and sedated...?

I know very little. In theory, I'm not fussed - I just want to bum around a bit until I get bored and then we'll see what happens.

But the plan is to settle somewhere for a bit and I want to cut a good deal on basics like rent, so don't want to go and regret it later.

Anyway, going scouting there in July - just curious in advance and getting my head in "Thai mode"!

[wolf5370]

Its cheaper to rent in CM than BKK - plenty about too. Infact many things are cheaper outside oif the capital.

CM is what you make it really. It has night life, and active expat community, lots of culture and tourist POIs. Personaly I prefer CM, which is why I live here - weather's better too, not so stuffy and styfling.

What fascinates you about BKK and I'll tell you if its in CM too (I bet it is, in spades).

Just my 2 cents worth...

[ThaiPauly]

I have lived in both places.

For me CM is much much better, but for someone younger who likes to party a lot then I could understand whay they would prefer Bangkok.

If you want to spend your nights partying and your days sleeping then its Bangkok

If you want the opposite then its CM

Whatever you do ..enjoy

[IanForbes]

My only real complaint about Bangkok is it is FAR too large and FAR too busy for my taste. Traffic is mostly a nightmare. In Chiang Mai a traffic jamb is a minor inconvenience that is over within a half hour. In Bangkok it can stretch on for hours. In Chiang Mai you can walk to just about anywhere in half an hour. in Bangkok it takes a bus, a taxi or the skytrain to get anywhere. Chiang Mai has it all, but Bangkok just has more of it. The ONLY problem with Chiang Mai is the month and a half of smog in March when the farmers are burning. But to me that's only an inconvenience. You get traffic smog in Bangkok all the time.

[lukamar]

There is no comparison. CM is a much better place to live than BKK. We live at the south end of Chiang Klang and my wife worked a Suan Doc hospital, I used to leisurely walk all the way across town to meet her for lunch every day and back. For a place you really feel comfortable in, it's got to be in the North.

[jackr]

If Bangkok fascinates you, then CM should. It has bags more character and is compact and laidback. The cooler weather is also a major plus; although be warned that September is in the rainy season, yet is nothing like Bangkok's persistent rains. If you're a big city person it probably won't appeal to you so much. For me, it has just the right amount of nightlife and the mountains being mere minutes away is a major clincher.

[alant]

well it is much much quieter, the supermarkets are not open 24 hours and pubs and bars mostly close between 12 and 2am. but our airport was not closed in the protests

[schmutzie]

Thanks for all the encouraging replies. Seems like my girlfriend has the right idea!

My fascination with Bangkok lies exactly in the same points that others, understandably , see as negatives.

I study architecture and the sheer chaos and drive of the place excites me.

At the same time I do find it tiring after a weeks time but I thought that might change if one had a more 'homely' base there.

Also, any friends from back home are likely more interested in seeing BKK - architect friends anyway.

But at the same time, a big ambition is to get my girlfriend set up with a small shop, similar to what she briefly had going in Korat before having to be hospitalised for a month. I really want her to be somewhere she thrives and she's not a big BKK fan.

We're looking into some sort of shop-with-room scenario which seems slightly pricier but manageable. Not sure if I could manage this in BKK.

I have explained to her that I'm happy to go where she wants to go as long as I can have Internet!

[eek]

Its pretty easy and cheap to book a flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. You could always check out Chiang Mai early on in your trip. After say a week, if you dont like the CM vibe, head back to Bangkok. But, if you do decide to hang around in CM, you and your gf could always take a weekend trip to Bangkok. Anyway, i agree, CM is in my opinion soooo much better than Bangkok, but for me its because its quieter, more laid back, easy to get around, really friendly people, ....actually..there are just too many reasons why!

[saintofsilence]

I have lived in both places Chiang Mai for about 12 months Bangkok much longer , I found Chiang Mai too quiet after a while , much happier to be in Bangkok much more to do , easier to get around.

Edited July 5, 2009 by saintofsilence

[wayfarer108]

Asking this in the Chiang Mai subforum you'll get pro-CM responses for the most part. Ask in the Bangkok subforum and you'll probably get the opposite trend in responses.

For me the choice of restaurants and entertainment in Bangkok balances out the traffic woes, which aren't really bad if you pick your times and use Skytrain, subway, river boats, etc. I think most foreigners find Bkk very overwhelming and it's only after you've lived there for a couple of years that you work all this out.

As for climate and air quality, CM gets a thumbs-up over Bangkok, of course, with one major caveat. The air in March-April is better in Bkk, typically, than in Chiang Mai.

I lived many years in both places and at the moment I prefer Bangkok. But I'll go back to Cm eventually, or maybe Lampang.

[shepsel]

I have been living in Chiang Mai for over five months (after moving from a large city in North America), and I needed a dose of the big mango, so I flew off to Bangkok for five days. It definitely has more of everything, sophistication, smarter shopping centres, nightlife, and easy to get along with English everywhere. However, after three days, I was missing the calmness, smallness, and the genuine friendly smiles in Chiang Mai. I couldn't wait to return home to the quality life here.

[elektrified]

I have been living in Chiang Mai for over five months (after moving from a large city in North America), and I needed a dose of the big mango, so I flew off to Bangkok for five days. It definitely has more of everything, sophistication, smarter shopping centres, nightlife, and easy to get along with English everywhere. However, after three days, I was missing the calmness, smallness, and the genuine friendly smiles in Chiang Mai. I couldn't wait to return home to the quality life here.

CM is the most wonderful place to live if you enjoy a quiet lifestyle. You couldn't pay me to live in the big mango! I would go back to my previous life in Europe and/or America before I would ever dream of living in BKK.

[schmutzie]

Asking this in the Chiang Mai subforum you'll get pro-CM responses for the most part. Ask in the Bangkok subforum and you'll probably get the opposite trend in responses.

Good point, thanks...

[heybruce]

Pretty much the obvious, much more city stuff to do in Bangkok, much more city stuff to deal with in Bangkok. Much mellower and much easier to find and get to outdoor activities in Chiang Mai. Not as hot in Chiang Mai, during the cool season it's sometimes jacket/sweater weather. Which is better depends on what kind of life you like.

[Priceless]

Asking this in the Chiang Mai subforum you'll get pro-CM responses for the most part. Ask in the Bangkok subforum and you'll probably get the opposite trend in responses.

For me the choice of restaurants and entertainment in Bangkok balances out the traffic woes, which aren't really bad if you pick your times and use Skytrain, subway, river boats, etc. I think most foreigners find Bkk very overwhelming and it's only after you've lived there for a couple of years that you work all this out.

As for climate and air quality, CM gets a thumbs-up over Bangkok, of course, with one major caveat. The air in March-April is better in Bkk, typically, than in Chiang Mai.

I lived many years in both places and at the moment I prefer Bangkok. But I'll go back to Cm eventually, or maybe Lampang.

Not quite true. The "really bad" period in Chiang Mai is normally more like the second half of February to the end of March, though of course it varies between years. This is what it the averages for this decade look like:

Welcome to Chiang Mai, keeping the girlfriend happy is also important

/ Priceless