How Is Your High Season?

[Ulysses G.]

You don't get out much do you? There are more tourists currently in Chiang Mai than I have seen in a very long time. Because you apparently are unaware of what is going on, it is pathetic to conger up dubious claims of 'personal reasons' for those who are happy that the tourists are enjoying what those of us who do get out celebrate as a wonderful city.

Well, I live on a "quiet" soi in Chiang Mai and here it is, almost 2 am and the "condo restaurant" next door is still full of westerners drinking cheap beer and talking loudly. The good news is they don't play music or karoke at the "restaurant". The bad news is that all the customers at the bar are western and speak English, which means we can understand every word they speak (or rather slur) from our bedroom.

When we rented the place we were told the restaurant "just serves the condo" and "they shut down at midnight" Yeah, when they don't have any customers. At 12:15 am tonight I stuck my head into the place and found it full. I noticed my Thai across-the-street neighbor sticking her head out her door and tapping her watch. We're not the only ones annoyed.

Where is the dead part of Chiang Mai? I'd love to send our next-door "neighbors" there.

Do you really think that having a lot of tourists means that you can not walk anywhere in the whole city without falling over one? Some folks need to spend less time stalking other posters and brush up on their reading skills.

Edited February 16, 2010 by Ulysses G.

[alfieconn]

I visited Kevin Hunt at The Red Lion in the Night Bazaar about the same time and Loi Khoh Road was so crowded we could barely move. Ian Forbes stopped by and can verify this.

Yourself and Ian in the Red lion, that explains why it was full of young woman i bet it was so crowded you could barely move .

Edited February 16, 2010 by alfieconn

[Ulysses G.]

We were actually out in front with a big crowd. Kevin has put up his "No Riffraff" sign again and he wouldn't allow us inside.

[cdnvic]

I cleaned a personal squabble from this topic. Without pointing any fingers or making any judgments I am asking nicely (this time) for both parties to ignore each other.

[Donnyboy]

I visited Kevin Hunt at The Red Lion in the Night Bazaar about the same time and Loi Khoh Road was so crowded we could barely move. Ian Forbes stopped by and can verify this.

did Ian bring all the girls down from Loy Khroy with him

[Donnyboy]

I visited Kevin Hunt at The Red Lion in the Night Bazaar about the same time and Loi Khoh Road was so crowded we could barely move. Ian Forbes stopped by and can verify this.

Well maybe because its at the opposite ends of Loi Kroh, but the top end was really quiet. I didn't venture down as far as the red lion.

What you are saying is that you only venture as far as the girlie bars, i suppose this is to help with the socialisaion of your lovely looking dog .

I went to The What, not exactly the bar to go to for girls. The dog stayed at home, he's more into his tecno music so he likes bubbles more

hes not gonna like the fact that bubble has closed for good, is he a thai dog? Maybe he can go to Fabrique without any bother

[harrry]

Must be something fishy about this topic if IanForbes is inbolved.

[Donnyboy]

Must be something fishy about this topic if IanForbes is inbolved.

yep theres a catch somewhere

[phetaroi]

Chiang Mai is chock full of tourists right now.

Are we living in the same Chiang Mai? ? Sure there's some people about, but chock full of tourists to me means something different.. Like, Patong in December/January or something.

My Thai spouse was at a conference in Chiang Mai about 10 days ago and said the hotel owner was complaining about "no tourists in Chiang Mai".

Ah well, different perspectives, I guess.

[aussiechick]

Pattaya - quite a few of the Hotels are fully booked - from 5* to 3*. Guest houses the same. Some bars are full - Walking Street looks busy, Soi 7 and 8 not bad. But not as many people as accounts for full hotels.

[Ulysses G.]

There have been several references to travel agents and hotels and other businesses that are not doing well as "proof"

that there are not a lot of tourists around, but just because some places are not getting a lot of customers is not proof of anything. There are millions of massage parlors and restaurants and travel agents and hotels and book stores. Every single year some of them complain about "no tourists", but that does not mean that they are not around.

[Ricardo]

well I went for a beer about 8.30 last night to the What bar and Loi Kroh was dead, there was only a few people on the entire street. Unless there is another Loi Kroh road that has kidnapped all the tourists.

If the Night-Bazaar is a bit of a 'hub' for purchasing counterfeit-goods, is it totally off-the-wall to suspect, that someone might have created a counterfeit Night-Bazaar ? Complete with plastic wooden-frogs ?

Perhaps we might re-visit this topic, on 1st April ?

[IanForbes]

Well, I live on a "quiet" soi in Chiang Mai and here it is, almost 2 am and the "condo restaurant" next door is still full of westerners drinking cheap beer and talking loudly. The good news is they don't play music or karoke at the "restaurant". The bad news is that all the customers at the bar are western and speak English, which means we can understand every word they speak (or rather slur) from our bedroom.

When we rented the place we were told the restaurant "just serves the condo" and "they shut down at midnight" Yeah, when they don't have any customers. At 12:15 am tonight I stuck my head into the place and found it full. I noticed my Thai across-the-street neighbor sticking her head out her door and tapping her watch. We're not the only ones annoyed.

Where is the dead part of Chiang Mai? I'd love to send our next-door "neighbors" there.

Ah gee, Nancy, that's just about the time I'm heading out in the evening.

But, I'm never loud at the best of times and I never get drunk.

I can confirm with Ulysses that the night bazzar area was crowded around supper time last night. I met him and Kevin at the RED LION. A bunch of us went out with a German friend who is leaving tomorrow and he wanted a nice meal.

But, later at the Zoom bar on Loi Kroh, there was a decided lull in tourist traffic in that bar area compared to last weekend.

[BigWheelMan]

I visited Kevin Hunt at The Red Lion in the Night Bazaar about the same time and Loi Khoh Road was so crowded we could barely move. Ian Forbes stopped by and can verify this.

Do you have video evidence?

Would you swear to this under oath in court?

[IanForbes]

I visited Kevin Hunt at The Red Lion in the Night Bazaar about the same time and Loi Khoh Road was so crowded we could barely move. Ian Forbes stopped by and can verify this.

did Ian bring all the girls down from Loy Khroy with him

WHAT, and expose them to all the OTHER riff-raff? My gals stay with ME!

I DO know that the Nimmenhamen part of Chiang Mai seems to be getting busier all the time. Maybe it's just the time I go through there, but traffic always seems to be at a standstill when I go to the writers meeting on Thursday nights.

[IanForbes]

I visited Kevin Hunt at The Red Lion in the Night Bazaar about the same time and Loi Khoh Road was so crowded we could barely move. Ian Forbes stopped by and can verify this.

Do you have video evidence?

Would you swear to this under oath in court?

I would take that oath. The police are still searching for me after riding my motorcycle over a few people as I tried to get out of the parking lot behind the night basaar.

It was so busy I couldn't find seats at the RED LION, and had to settle for the German place next door.

[caf]

Chiang Mai is chock full of tourists right now.

Are we living in the same Chiang Mai? ? Sure there's some people about, but chock full of tourists to me means something different.. Like, Patong in December/January or something.

My Thai spouse was at a conference in Chiang Mai about 10 days ago and said the hotel owner was complaining about "no tourists in Chiang Mai".

Ah well, different perspectives, I guess.

As winnie says, it is not chook full of tourists.

As for perspectives, hotel owners and travel agents see things as they really are.

Traffic on Nimanhaemin being at a standstill on Thursday nights is no indicator of chook full of tourists, more an indicator of " Hey guess what I do on Thursday nights"

caf

[Donnyboy]

Chiang Mai is chock full of tourists right now.

Are we living in the same Chiang Mai? ? Sure there's some people about, but chock full of tourists to me means something different.. Like, Patong in December/January or something.

My Thai spouse was at a conference in Chiang Mai about 10 days ago and said the hotel owner was complaining about "no tourists in Chiang Mai".

Ah well, different perspectives, I guess.

As winnie says, it is not chook full of tourists.

As for perspectives, hotel owners and travel agents see things as they really are.

Traffic on Nimanhaemin being at a standstill on Thursday nights is no indicator of chook full of tourists, more an indicator of " Hey guess what I do on Thursday nights"

caf

no point counting yr chickens then

[IanForbes]

Must be something fishy about this topic if IanForbes is inbolved.

yep theres a catch somewhere

There's ALWAYS a catch where I am around lurking...

[Ulysses G.]

Chiang Mai is chock full of tourists right now.

As winnie says, it is not chook full of tourists.

As for perspectives, hotel owners and travel agents see things as they really are.

Traffic on Nimanhaemin being at a standstill on Thursday nights is no indicator of chook full of tourists, more an indicator of " Hey guess what I do on Thursday nights"

caf

no point counting yr chickens then

Or listening to people with failing businesses during the middle of high season.

[rafish]

Well, I live on a "quiet" soi in Chiang Mai and here it is, almost 2 am and the "condo restaurant" next door is still full of westerners drinking cheap beer and talking loudly. The good news is they don't play music or karoke at the "restaurant". The bad news is that all the customers at the bar are western and speak English, which means we can understand every word they speak (or rather slur) from our bedroom.

When we rented the place we were told the restaurant "just serves the condo" and "they shut down at midnight" Yeah, when they don't have any customers. At 12:15 am tonight I stuck my head into the place and found it full. I noticed my Thai across-the-street neighbor sticking her head out her door and tapping her watch. We're not the only ones annoyed.

Where is the dead part of Chiang Mai? I'd love to send our next-door "neighbors" there.

Don't worry, they'll soon depart just in time for the burning of the rice fields. In case you haven't experienced this phenomenon, your sinus will go on overtime.

Phuket was busy more than normal this "high season," however the class of the tourists seemed to range from poor Russians/Slobovians, various degrees of Indians, Chinese, Korean, Singapore-la, mass Exodus of Germanic peoples, Nordic types and a few Brits and Yanks. Don't think business got rich off this peopled fare. Thinning out now and life can resume again to the weekly golf games, and quiet streets without tourists driving wildly on motorbikes. Of course neverending construction on those vacation villias continue at breakneck speed and the banks continue to pony up to the loansharks. Happy days are here again.

Edited February 25, 2010 by rafish

[Ulysses G.]

Tourists are starting to thin out now, but that happens every year when it gets hot. This year has been far better than I expected - under the unusual circumstances.