Alternatives To Chiang Mai In Southeast Asia

[Andreas84]

I see Chiang Mai as a nice city; quite beautiful, the costs of living is decent, there are all kinds of facilities available (medical etc, should one need it), a rich cultural life and a good community of foreigners, lots of alternative health treatments and courses, good supplies of healthy/organic food etc. I like the possibility of staying in a western standard 130 m2 apartment, for about 20-25.000 baht a month, etc. I believe there are few places in the world, where all these things can be found, at a similiar cost.

Despite all of this, I am considering to move elsewhere in the near future. Are there other cities in South-east Asia (or in Asia, or in the world!), whic offers the things listed above, with a similar living cost? Would be very interested to get feedback on this. I have been thinking about countries like Vietnam, the Philippines etc, just as examples. But I guess the main difference could be that the availability of healthy food and alternative treatments/courses/meeting places etc, might be less. It could also be interesting to know if there are other cities/areas in Thailand, which might offer many of the same things. I know there are a lot of beautiful places in the south etc, but if my aim is to live there for at least a few months, rent a decent condo etc, it is probably not so suitable? Maybe Pattaya could be something, but I guess it is much more expensive? 

If anyone has input on places I could check out, I would be interested also in links showing condo rentals etc, if possible.

[Ulysses G.]

In general, the Philippines is very dangerous, so I would rule that out right away. Decent medical care in both Vietnam and Cambodia is as expensive as the US - unless something has changed since I was there last - and rents in both places are higher than Thailand. 

Just a guess as I have not been traveling for awhile, but maybe Malaysia or Laos might compare with Thailand as far as quality of life for a reasonable price? 

[FarangCravings]

Rent in Vietienne Laos seems expensive but it makes it up in the beer prices which are REAL cheap

not many goats in Vietienne though if ya into that

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

check this thread out. Good information.. 300 posts and counting

alternatives to Thailand for expats

[jayinoz]

In general, the Philippines is very dangerous, so I would rule that out right away. Decent medical care in both Vietnam and Cambodia is as expensive as the US - unless something has changed since I was there last - and rents in both places are higher than Thailand.

Just a guess as I have not been traveling for awhile, but maybe Malaysia or Laos might compare with Thailand as far as quality of life for a reasonable price?

Yes I find their is a huge amount of competition in CMai to keep prices down. Loas is comparable yet not as active, or lively. If peace and quiet is what u are after Loas, South China is a good bet (Cooler also typically). Taiwan was OK some years ago, not sure about prices now.

Look up the Cost of Living Index by city, then query the expats who live there, then check them all out. I have not found a place that has so much things for Farangs to do, eat, buy, etc for a smaller city than CMai. Yet the heat wave took it out of me this year, Loas may have been a good getaway from March till June.

Philipinos try to move to Thailand- so that saids something.... it a step up. Cambodia a step down, do not even attempt Burma IMO. Vietnam has its charms, yet more costly in general. Malay is more costly and as hot as hel_l.

Some mates enjoy Indoneasia, I have only checked out the Bali area. Some parts maybe comfortable. Obviously BKK not on your list- too big, hot and crowded. Yet more work if u still working.

Good luck in the hunt.......

[BarnicaleBob]

I have heard a lot about Udon, if you google rentals there, you will find that they seem to be a bit cheaper than Chiang Mai. Udon has grown a lot in the past few years and can serve all your basic shopping needs and most medical needs. There is also a very large Falang population in Udon including many Falang stores and restaurnats. If you are need of boarder runs, you can make it to Laos by bus or train in about an hour from Udon.

[elektrified]

'...there are all kinds of facilities available (medical etc, should one need it), a rich cultural life and a good community of foreigners, lots of alternative health treatments and courses, good supplies of healthy/organic food etc. I like the possibility of staying in a western standard 130 m2 apartment, for about 20-25.000 baht a month, etc. I believe there are few places in the world, where all these things can be found, at a similar cost..."

Prague, Czech Republic if you fancy living in Europe. Although the cost of living has gone up a little in the last few years, it is still quite reasonable compared to any other major city in Europe.

[greasemonkey]

Two alternatives to C.Mai for me would be Udorn (already mentioned) and Phitsanaluk in central thailand. Been a few years, but on last visit found it easy to get around, helpful and fiendly people, few fallang tourists, decent food, accomodation etc. Cheaper than C.mai, plenty to do, picturesque.......

Phitsanaluk had a more country town feel than Udorn.

Made c.mai look like BKK, I would choose it over Chiang Rai as an alternative. Just my Opinion.

Edited June 12, 2010 by greasemonkey

[jaideeguy]

The Philppines does an equivilent to CM.....Baguio City, the summer capitol of the Phil and 2nd largest city on Luzon. I lived there for 5 yrs and enjoyed the cool climate at around 1,000mtrs, but I hear it has gotten a little more crowded and poluted since I was last there 10 yrs ago. It is a college city/town and art cultural center.

No place is perfect, but if I had to return to Phil, that's where I would live.

[Lizard2010]

Anyone tried Bali??

[F4UCorsair]

Bali is becoming very expensive, and I'd say much moreso than CM.

I lived in Bali seven years ago, but in a village called Goblek, a long way from the tourist areas, with almost no services bar a local market. Rent was very low, about A$15 a week for a single bedroom place with bathroom and kitchen and food was very chep. A couple could live under those circumstances for $50 a week, but closer to the action it would be several times that.

The drawback was that it was a 2 hour drive to Kuta, and not much to do. I was waiting on development approval for a project in Bedugul (which didn't come after 3 months).

[Andreas84]

Thanks everyone, for useful input. That city in the phillipines might be interesting :-)

[Aikido]

I found Nong Khai quite and cheap if you look around you can rent houses/apartments for around 5,000 a month, theres lots of good places to eat including a great vietnamese place in the centre foods fantastic and cheap as chips.

[MJo]

In general, the Philippines is very dangerous, so I would rule that out right away. Decent medical care in both Vietnam and Cambodia is as expensive as the US - unless something has changed since I was there last - and rents in both places are higher than Thailand.

Just a guess as I have not been traveling for awhile, but maybe Malaysia or Laos might compare with Thailand as far as quality of life for a reasonable price?

In general Philippines is not dangerous. There is areas to avoid as there is areas to avoid in Thailand as well.

What is lacking in Phils is the tourism infrastructure. More difficult to move around and less westerners around.

Baguio is probably the closest to CM you can find in Phils. Maybe Cebu or Bohol could be close in cost but health care options are more limited and climate is more hot and humid for sure.

[cliokchi]

Hi andreas,

have you ever heard of bandung in west java 1 hr out of jakarta

very nice old colonial city with many art deco buildings ,very pleasant climate

all veggies and fruit organic locally available

it's located at 1000 mtrs which makes it for cool nights

another area in east java is malang and tretes many hotsprings

hope u are succesfull in finding your spot

kindest regards

cliokchi praow chiangmai province

[BlackArtemis]

As GreaseMonkey stated, Phitsanaluk is wonderful. My wife and I have family there and we love to visit. A hotel room that wold cost 900b in CM costs 300b in Phitsanaluk. There is a bit of a night life, great food, but they do complain about not having as much as CM. However I was told that the local mall never subtitles any movies they only Dub them, so if you like going to the movies, but a big screen and stay home!

Can anyone add any input about Krabi town? I'm talking no beach view etc. For the islands it was cheap when we visited and much nicer than Phuket and other islands.

[el jefe]

All of the suggestions were missing at least one of the OP's requirements (expat community, rich culture, excellent medical facilities, very low cost of living, etc). There are dozens of cites that will qualify if we eliminate one factor. Paris, Rome, London, Shanghai, and New York come to mind (he didn't limit his search to SE Asia).

If there was a place that met all of them, we'd be there instead of here in CM!

[tigerbeer]

penang could be a place to consider.

[LemanRus]

Penang - hot/humid with seabreezes. Ordinary beaches.

I loved Penang in the 60's

Hated it in the 80's

Went back to have a look in April and loved it again. There is even a proper bus service with a small free route. English is widely spoken. Completely multicultural and food to die for. (Of course I love Chiangmai). Check out these bookmarks I apologize as they are a little eclectic.

Why Stay In Penang?

Welcome to Lestari Heritage Network

Penang Bed & Breakfast

Download Rick Stein's Far Eastern Odyssey - Part 4 of 6 (6 August 2009)[PDTV(XviD)] Torrent - KickassTorrents.com

Main Page - WikiStreetFood, the free Malaysia food database

and Malaysia does have a long term visit pass Malaysia My Second Home

but I would not stay anywhere else in West Malaysia!

[BlackArtemis]

All of the suggestions were missing at least one of the OP's requirements (expat community, rich culture, excellent medical facilities, very low cost of living, etc). There are dozens of cites that will qualify if we eliminate one factor. Paris, Rome, London, Shanghai, and New York come to mind (he didn't limit his search to SE Asia).

If there was a place that met all of them, we'd be there instead of here in CM!

Alternatives To Chiang Mai In Southeast Asia

He did in the title.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Very few places in the world give me that Chiang Mai feeling.

Within SE Asia, close contenders (but failing for different reasons) could be Luang Prabang in Laos and Melaka in Malaysia.

Within Thailand... I don't really see the benefit of Udon over Chiang Mai; it's roughly similar, but less of everything. The same applies to every other place in the North and North East. To actually gain things that you don't have in Chiang Mai you'd probably be looking at Southern Thailand. And then Trang, specficially. (Has history, not too big, not too touristy).Incredibly scenic coastline & islands.

Edited June 17, 2010 by WinnieTheKhwai

[LanxangBillybob]

I enjoyed my 3 years in Vientiane, it's a nice city. Great restaurants. Rent's a little more expensive as mentioned. Cost of living may be about 10-20% higher than Chiang Mai. Also you don't want anything to do with hospitals there. For minor health problems you go to Nong Khai. Semi-serious or worse go to Udon.

[Soulwy]

You enjoy CM, what is the reason you are looking for a CM-twin city? Change of scene, or not happy enough?

I loved the Philippines, mainly because of the people, joyful and easy to connect with. It has a South American feel. And boys are so charming! They carried my suitcase (stairs) without being asked, paid for my tricycle ride... I was shocked...

Yes, you see security with weapons in the banks, but I was never scared. But...it is a bit cut off, the infrastructure is terrible, the storms (tyfoons)...and the food (I love Korean and Japanese food) is not as easy to get as in CM.

But the nature...oh my goodness... but again, yeah the people...I fell in love with them.

( I was in Manila, heard great stories about Baguio and Cebu)

Bali...I had for 1/2 year, just before I came to CM (couple of months ago)...If you like interaction and a vivid culture Bali is the place. Cost of living is definetely higher, no public transport, food limited (again Korean and Japanese food ;-) and more expensive, for medical care I wouldn't choose Bali (although there are good facilities).

I hated the street dogs, they chase you in the streets, and there were too many people I knew who got bitten by them (me too). They are still a big issue (rabid dogs)

I stayed in 4 places (North, South, Mid and East), but I decided Bali was not the island I wanted to stay. For a quiet life with facilities of a city and with people treating me nicer and more sincere... Chiang Mai it is. (yet, from Feb-May I don't want to stay in North Thailand because of the smoke)

If you are into Indonesia...you could go to other places like Sumatra , Bandung, Sulawesi. I think Bali has become a "spoiled child" with all the attention and loads of tourists.

Edited June 17, 2010 by Soulwy

[el jefe]

All of the suggestions were missing at least one of the OP's requirements (expat community, rich culture, excellent medical facilities, very low cost of living, etc). There are dozens of cites that will qualify if we eliminate one factor. Paris, Rome, London, Shanghai, and New York come to mind (he didn't limit his search to SE Asia).

If there was a place that met all of them, we'd be there instead of here in CM!

Alternatives To Chiang Mai In Southeast Asia

He did in the title.

This was part of the original post:

"Are there other cities in South-east Asia (or in Asia, or in the world!), whic offers the things listed above, with a similar living cost?"

Prague was suggested too.

Some of us read more than just the titles.

[Andreas84]

 Thanks everyone, many good suggestions!

[thrilled]

Udon thani/nong khai is the area to live in.Just google it and go read.Prices are low,and the night matket is quite good also.And no problem with western food and shopping etc,

[tommybkk]

Davao city in the Philippines is the 3rd city of the country. This is the only comparable alternative to Chiang Mai except that there are not so many foreigners in Davao. Davao is a much bigger city than Chiang Mai. There are no tuk tuk's in Davao but there are airconditioned taxi's for about the same price. Philippine culture is different from Thai culture and everyone speaks english. Food is better in Thailand than in the Philippines in my opinion but you get more for less in the Philippines. You can rent a good apartment with 2 bedrooms 1 bathroom and 1 guest-toilet (about 100 m²) for about 150$ a month in Davao city. If you want a Western style condo with gym, swimmingpool, laundry and convenience store you will be paying about 400$ a month inside the city ofcourse. If you want to rent outside of the city you will have a 3 or 4 bedroom house with swimming pool for less than 500$. The beach is just a taxi ride away.

There are armed security guards at almost any business entrance in the Philippines. I lived in Cebu city before, the first thing that surprised when I arrived there was how dirty it was on the other hand the first thing that surprised me about Davao city is how clean it is. I will be moving to Davao city soon.

My love for Chiang Mai is still big but it's simply a boring place. They say that Davao is the most livable city in the Philippines and I agree. A ticket from Bangkok to Manila to Davao will cost you about 135€

Edited June 26, 2010 by tommybkk

[Ulysses G.]

Yes, have you?

I have also have met a number of expats over the years who told me that they want to move here because it is so much safer. 

[jaideeguy]

Yes......... CM is safer, cleaner, better infrastructure, roads, public transport, food etc

I know, as i am an escapee from the Phil for just those reasons. Visited Davao and can say that it is one of the better cities, but still has a long way to go to compare with CM.

[cdnvic]

In general, the Philippines is very dangerous, so I would rule that out right away. Decent medical care in both Vietnam and Cambodia is as expensive as the US - unless something has changed since I was there last - and rents in both places are higher than Thailand.

Just a guess as I have not been traveling for awhile, but maybe Malaysia or Laos might compare with Thailand as far as quality of life for a reasonable price?

The Philippines is not dangerous. It's just like any other city in Thailand. Mr. Idiot, have you even been to the Philippines?

Have you spent a week without posting rights before? I give regular warnings that name calling will not be tolerated, so don't act shocked that your "add reply" button doesn't work.