For the purpose of this poll, 'downtown' is the area well within the Superhighway / Aom Muang Road. Just visiting a Big C, Carrefour, Makro or Tesco does not count. The Airport and Airport plaza also doesn't count.

So I mean pretty much the actual downtown area; the moat, Thapae, Chang Klan, University Area including Nimmanhaemin, Huay Kaew, Santitham, Suthep Road, etc.

Downtown?................

Thapae, Chang Klan, University Area including Nimmanhaemin, Huay Kaew, Santitham, Suthep Road,

These areas are all over town

I hate to be a wet blanket, but I have always considered "downtown" as the night market area.

For shopping usually only when I need to run an errand or need to train owner and dog which I then combine with running errands. Shopping isn't really my favorite pastime (sp??).

~

Being a country-boy, I go into town as infrequently as possible. Isn't that what wives are for??

As far as what constitutes 'downtown', I am with Winnie completely - or basically the border of where the white-knuckle driving begins...

I live out on the way to Mae Jo but find myself coming into town often - perhaps 4-5 times a week. There is always something I need to do.

Try to avoid it like the plague. One big rat race.

Friday night, Noots Bar (next to Foxy Lady) for pool, then Santhitam plaza for bulk Chang, then Hotshots for dancing

One or two other days, MoonMuang Soy2 for breakfast and pool (not always in that order)

Nowhere naughty as the wife loves to play pool and dance so always comes.

I'm stuck in a bit of a rut .... comes with getting old I think.

Every single day. I live in one of the aforementioned areas. In fact a lot of us do. It's a residential neighborhood. As an extra benefit, we get to avoid all of the "white knuckle driving".

"Just visiting a Big C, Carrefour, Makro or Tesco does not count. The Airport and Airport plaza also doesn't count."

Those are places I would avoid.

Just out of curiosity, what are the results of this poll going to tell us?

When I'm in Chiang Mai (5 months each year) I go in every day, or several times a day. But, I'm not sure where I qualify as living. I'm exactly 2 km from the Chiang Mai gate. I usually walk in during the day and ride in at night when visiting my favorite pubs. I prefer walking because I can see more. On a bike I'm too busy trying not to get killed, to see anything. A 5 to 12 km walk is quite normal for me... unless I'm in a hurry to get somewhere.

As for the purpose of this poll, I was wondering how many people who live in the Chiang Mai area are still very much 'married' to the town area, and how many are happy to live in the suburbs, villages and developments without the urge to go downtown all the time.

I used to go into town as a matter of course every single day, but find that on many days I don't nowadays. A big part of that is that it's not really necessary anymore, with plenty food, shopping and entertainment options available that are definitely out of town.

I think that the definition of "town" being related to heavier traffic is an excellent idea. It is exactly how I think of it when I'm considering an optional trip. (Though if anyone has figured out a way to get to the Airport Mall without white knuckles...).

Had a townhouse within the walls and would hit Nimm a few times a week.

I pretty much did 90% of my living "downtown"

A good portion of the heavier traffic is skirts on bikes. I like living in town.

Living in suburban farangland meant whenever I needed anything, I got in the car. Not for me.

"...'downtown' is the area well within the Superhighway / Aom Muang Road." I have no idea where that is.

Now that I live in a little house on the rice paddy, south of Sankampheng, I drive west for maybe 9 km before crossing the river. That means I end up in Santitam, Chang Puak, Neimenheiman, Tuskers, Huay Kaew, etc.

"...'downtown' is the area well within the Superhighway / Aom Muang Road."

I have no idea where that is.

http://Maps.google.com It's what you might call the inner ring, though it's of course not a complete ring.

Now that I live in a little house on the rice paddy, south of Sankampheng, I drive west for maybe 9 km before crossing the river. That means I end up in Santitam, Chang Puak, Neimenheiman, Tuskers, Huay Kaew, etc.

Cool; so again for the purposes of this poll: you live out of town, but when driving west and ending up at any of the places you mention, you're then downtown.

Had to go with the first option as I live in Chang Puek. But, it's misleading as outside the local district area I now very rarely go to "downtown" as in Night Bazzar, Thapae, inside moat etc. A few years ago the more Farang orientated venues seemed attractive, now their appeal has faded completely.......

Much happier hanging around local places. Even shopping has become a chore, but fortunately the domestic staff take care of that

Thanks, good point. I think you selected the right option though, the poll is more about downtown-urban vs 'out there' than it is about Farang oriented or not. Chang Puek is urban, downtown. (Especially when compared to where I live. )

I live just outside the Superhighway, so in the context of the poll "out of town", although pretty close. I find myself coming in to "downtown" almost every day to meet friends, eat, socialise, etc. I think WtK's definitions of what is downtown and what is out of town are about as spot on as possible, for such difficult to define concepts.

I live out at Mee Chok but I have to go to Chang klan every day to take my daughter to school at Watchirawit, then most days its off to the Baan Bakery for a snack before going home.

Map was of North America.

I'm on Nimman and I consider myself out of town! Even having to define the BigCs, Macro, Carrefour as not downtown shows just how far out some folks here live!

I call downtown anywhere close to the moat or the main part of the river. Include KSK - probably not the Airport Plaza.

Map was of North America.

Right..... o--kay... Baby steps: it's Google Maps.. You're supposed to enter something like 'Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai, Thailand' before clicking "Search Maps". (Once for the town, once for the province)

It's just lke with Google Search or Google Images, you don't actually get porn until you enter 'porn'.

Got it. I learned from a native that the superhighway was simply the...superhighway. What's Aom Muang Road?

 Never noticed heavy traffic apart from Huay Keaw Rd, esp in evenings around Rincome.  When I lived up that way, always took the back sois to get around the problem.  & that was in a pickup truck, not a motorbike.  That was a few years back.  Is it a lot worse now? 

when I first arrived in CM, I lived within the moat area and over the years, I moved further away in steps and now live in Doi Saket and go into CM city less than once a month. CM was designed for motorcycles and I now have a truck that doesn't fit so well on the narrow sois and I just don't need the agrivation of the traffic.

I live in the Mae Tang area and get into CM 2 or 3 times a month, let some steam off, I like CM, getting in only a few times a month I don’t get sick of it, it’s all good. Sorry nothing to drip about.

Traffic? I lived inside the old city and drove a car. Never had a problem with traffic.

As for farang attractions, I agree the Thai ones are more fun, thus the reason my wife and I were around Nimm. a lot.

Traffic? I lived inside the old city and drove a car. Never had a problem with traffic.

As for farang attractions, I agree the Thai ones are more fun, thus the reason my wife and I were around Nimm. a lot.

I agree. I drive a car into downtown every day, at different times of day. People who complain about traffic in CM presumably have spent their life in villages. If you think CM has traffic, try, to take a few examples London, Bangkok, Los Angeles etc., etc. Now there's traffic!

Traffic? I lived inside the old city and drove a car. Never had a problem with traffic.

As for farang attractions, I agree the Thai ones are more fun, thus the reason my wife and I were around Nimm. a lot.

I agree. I drive a car into downtown every day, at different times of day. People who complain about traffic in CM presumably have spent their life in villages. If you think CM has traffic, try, to take a few examples London, Bangkok, Los Angeles etc., etc. Now there's traffic!

I agree as well, I live 6km out off town on the 118, I go into town almost every day for this and that, by car and motorbike...depending on what I feel like....I think the traffic is ok, not that busy really and never had any issues 'negotiating' other road users.

I suppose it depends on what you are used to?

The only time I find it busy is around 5pm when everyone is heading out of town......but nowhere near as bad as traffic on the A13 at the same time coming out of London!

...Offtopic potentially inflammatory posts deleted.