Is There A Problem In Paradise

[Gonzo the Face]

Just a few minutes ago came back from a Trusty Crusty run for some great French Bread and very obvious to the eye ...... the town is like a ghost town....even the people who usually man the various stalls are conspicious by the lack of numbers.

...and even up Loi Kroi and thru the Nite market so few people so few vendors.... BUT from Loi Kroi and thru the Night Market there seemed to be more police in sight. ....and thats not normal , especially on such a hot day...

Has anyone heard any rumor of protest of difficulty? ... or then again maybe its the heat.

Gonzo

[realthaideal]

Or worldcup maybe ? But I noticed the same thing the last couple nights riding into town, around the moat, and also down the Night Bazaar - it's just super quiet. Not alot of folks around here.

[Benjie]

I've just come back from 5 days holiday in CM, in particular staying around the night bizarre. It wasn't very busy but I'd hardly call it a Ghost Town. I'm not sure when the high season is or how busy CM normally is but it felt as busy as I expected for when the world cup is on.

[uptheos]

I thought this post was about Paradise not Chiang Mai.

Yes, it is very quiet around town - probably the WC.

[Thailand]

I've just come back from 5 days holiday in CM, in particular staying around the night bizarre. It wasn't very busy but I'd hardly call it a Ghost Town. I'm not sure when the high season is or how busy CM normally is but it felt as busy as I expected for when the world cup is on.

I think you meant bazaar but your version probably fits the bill.

World cup? How's that going,haven't seen a match yet-I trust England are rising to the challenge.

Anyway who wants it, just saw Tiger at Pebble Beach hit the most amazing shot to the 18th hole,that's more my style.

[Yunnie]

Well it is Sunday. Most families stay home. I like that they arent around... I feel safer on the roads. lol Also giving that WC is playing, evenings wont be as busy too.

[davidgtr]

2 hrs ago the traffic police cruised town on several streets asking people to clear the roads - a VIP from Malaysia? was in town & no roadside parking today! Sick. There are many red cones set up on the streets at the moment to indicate no parking. Moon Muang Road & Singharat are two that have been cleared. Maybe Rathawithi too? All pretty stupid IMHO.

[crazyawm]

мало народа - много кислорода :D:D

or in english

little people - many oxygen

or you like megalopolis ? =)

[jackdawson]

CM is just so 1999

no one goes there anymore

[gotlost]

Chiang Mai has been a ghost town since April, its just that some people are now just noticing and recognizing the fact. No tourist, no expats, no punters, no money.

[Gonzo the Face]

Chiang Mai has been a ghost town since April, its just that some people are now just noticing and recognizing the fact. No tourist, no expats, no punters, no money.

.... that may be so GL, but what city even larger ones can you name that has 2 PUN PUN's

[johnsjourney]

They are all in Carrefour, Tesco Lotus, Airport Plaza.

Just back from Carrefour, was seething with people.

Times change. Weekends are for shopping now.

[Thailand]

They are all in Carrefour, Tesco Lotus, Airport Plaza.

Just back from Carrefour, was seething with people.

Times change. Weekends are for shopping now.

Free aircon!

[thequaife]

Heat + World cup

[jaideeguy]

Today [sunday] I just made a rare trip into town.....night bazaar area and saw few white faces and a lot of hungry taxi drivers and on the way home to Doi Saket, it was a totally different story at Big C.....parking lot was overflowing and place was packed.

could be a combination of factors.....price of fuel, hot weather drives people into superstores and malls, the few tourist have been scared off, and what's that game that everybody on the planet is watching??? fruitball?? or sucker??

[martijn12345]

Very busy in Lotus. Yesterday wanted to check something in Airport Plaza. There was a traffic jam waiting in line about 30 minutes just to park your car. I can garantee a waiting list inside at FUJI and Swensons as well.

It's easy. It's hot, so Thais go out for shopping malls and supermarkets. Hence farang try not to go there as it's busy. It's hot outside so CM residents stay inside. Tourists aren't here as Thailand is dangerous and about 20% more expensive for european (not sure about dollar - baht rate) tourists compared to last year. Also people stay either at home, or travel to South Africa, cause of futbon

But as far as I've heard, tourists are coming back later this year, and over the whole year there might still be a rise in tourism compared to last year (credit crisis). Beats me how Thailand pulls that off in the light of what's happened. But since I kinda make my living in this field, I'm just praying for it to be true.

Edited June 20, 2010 by martijn12345

[Ulysses G.]

There are some tourists in town, but they do not seem to be big spenders.

I go to a variety of vegetarian restaurants about town as an antidote to The Duke's and Butter is Better. None of them is overly expensive, but I have been surprised how few farangs are in the medum priced ones and how many are in the really cheap Thai places where I usually see only Thais. They are not packed, but have many more foreign customers than usual and many of them are sporting strange haircuts, nose rings and beads.

All I can say is thank heaven for backpackers, barflies and traveling missionaries as they are almost the only tourists around. 

[Sparkles]

How must the hotels/resort industry be doing? This morning we went to the very nice,and reasonably priced, Doi Kham resort,south of CM, there was no one staying there apart from a very small day conference going on. The receptionist eyes lit up when we walked in, just to check the rates, amd we were greeted with the

"special promotion" offer, buy one night get one free. "how long does the promtion last ?" I asked. "until the end of the year" she said.Obviously the owners are resigned to hanging in for the long haul. Being a resort owner myself, in a past life, you can't reduce your overheads by much , Gardens have to be tendered. Staff have to be in the restaurant,the only thing you save on is housekeeping. Tough times and the residual effect of the mayhem in Bangkok is really biting.

[LanxangBillybob]

May to August - low season.

[gotlost]

May to August - low season.

There have been low seasons and there have been lower seasons and this year will go down as one of the lowest of low seasons:ermm:.

[greytown]

How must the hotels/resort industry be doing? This morning we went to the very nice,and reasonably priced, Doi Kham resort,south of CM, there was no one staying there apart from a very small day conference going on. The receptionist eyes lit up when we walked in, just to check the rates, amd we were greeted with the

"special promotion" offer, buy one night get one free.

The place looks nice.

Edited June 20, 2010 by greytown

[johnsjourney]

Thais, earning hard assets from farming etc, can afford to shop more than they used to, and we can afford to shop less than we used to, those of us without our incomes or savings in hard assets. It is a decade trend already, and I'd urge businesses to go for Asian customers rather than rely on the old ways for a good few more years to come.

Supermarkets have had free aircon for years, that can't be it surely, although I do it myself when the power goes out.

Edited June 20, 2010 by johnsjourney

[Thaifan2]

I spent about an hour today in the center and it was super hot .Was glad to get home to the A/C .WHEN DOES THIS fuc_kING HEAT EASE UP ?

[twofortheroad]

May to August - low season.

May and June may well be low season but July and August are quite good months for european tourist trade. May and June (so far) have been more like a 'no season'.

Edited June 20, 2010 by twofortheroad

[roger1999]

Walking Street near Tha Phae was packed tonight. Thousands and thousands of people, just like every Sunday, I guess.

[whiterussian]

I don't understand how you guys feel the heat!!?

I can honestly say I haven't noticed the heat to be oppressive in years now. No A/C in use at my house... permanent padlom naturally.

Thinking back, I did spend until about 2pm wrapped in my bathrobe as a sarong. (I should really buy a traditional Thai one after 4 years of nearly exposing myself to the neighbourhood on a regular basis)

Then I did a bit of gardening and chatted to the neighbours in my spongbob squarepants boxer shorts...before a trip to big C in jeans so as to maintain my elite status as a natural born white fella.

you boys are doing something wrong if you live here and suffer.

If a sarang is just too far out.. may I suggest Thai fisherman pants (plenty of room for your natural testicular radiators to err.. radiate)

[millwall_fan]

May to August - low season.

May to August - low season.

There have been low seasons and there have been lower seasons and this year will go down as one of the lowest of low seasons:ermm:.

This is the low season - its always our lowest month here at The Olde Bell. Having said that, business is up 25% on last year. There are the plenty of young people around, just finished school or university. As UG says, they're not free spending, but my sales of Chang have gone through the roof and a cocktail I've called 'Chiang Mai Sunrise' - Lao Kao (spell?), White Rum, Grenadine and Lemon Juice at 60 baht a pop are going down a storm! As are a range of value meals at 125 baht each. All I can say is its working for us!!

[Shotime]

What do you expect? It may take some time before any decent people will return to LOS. They should first change that slogan. I have no idea to what.

[nikster]

To recap: It's the low season. Tourist arrivals are way down thanks to the reds - I was in Swampy 2 weeks ago and it was pretty much empty, never seen so few people in there. It's dam_n hot so the locals go to the malls. Even I go to the mall. The heat this year is different, I spend all day in air con now, never did that or felt the urge to do that the last 5 years. WC is going on makes even more people stay at home.

I think these are all very good reasons, and probably all of them contribute. Only the Israelis are undeterred...

[cmdream]

:whistling:Went to Mae Rim this morning to visit friends. Sunday is a good day to ride the motorcye. I take the back roads thru the villages all the way. Thought I would stop at Tiger Kingdom to see my camel lookalike. Good grief Charlie Brown ! There were at least 150 Thai police including the riot squad with shields, helmets and the big black S.W.A.T. van parked in front. The place was crawling with cops. I just put on my best smile and drove around the parking lot and back out to the road wondering what that was all about. Any body here know?