Dull As Ditchwater

[inthepink]

I've lived in Thailand for a little over seven years and owing to circumstances beyond my control, ended up moving to CM a few months ago. I am honestly at a complete loss as to why anyone would choose to live here though. The town is too large to be quaint and too small to be convenient. Taxi and tuk tuk prices are ridiculous when compared to Bangkok and the nightlife is dismal. There are no decent bookshops selling English language books (not that I have found yet anyway) and when buying Western food products such as Marmite, I've noticed that they too are more expensive here than in Bangkok.

I'm not given to moaning about life in Thailand, quite the opposite really. I just do not understand the appeal of this place. It seems like a reasonable place to be put out to pasture when you are waiting to die (and judging by the age of a lot of the Westerners I see in shopping malls, this is what many people are doing here) but I can't find anything to exicte me. A lot of people hate Bangkok and I can understand why but I honestly never got bored of the place after living there for over six years whereas the first time I moved to CM I left again 7 weeks later as I couldn't stand it.

Aside from traffic and the weather, can anybody tell me why they think CM is a better place to live than Bangkok, for an active foreigner who is not drawing his pension yet? Or...are there any other people living here against their will who agree with me?

I should add that I live about 30kms from the town centre and this does not help at all as I enjoy going for a drink and don't drink and drive nowadays, but the centre of town appears to be full of Kao San road rejects during the day so I'm not so sure that living there would improve matters...

[Gonzo the Face]

I have read all that you have said.

Like everywhere there is good and there is bad here..... which is which depends pretty much on the individual.

To possibly make things better as to way of life for you, let me make a suggestion....

" MOVE "

[inthepink]

I have read all that you have said.

Like everywhere there is good and there is bad here..... which is which depends pretty much on the individual.

To possibly make things better as to way of life for you, let me make a suggestion....

" MOVE "

Yes, I think that's the most sensible option in my case (but difficult to do without losing my partner) and thank you for reading all of my post.

I accept your comments about individual preferences and everywhere having its good and bad points but I'd like to know what the good points are....

[jayjay0]

Well I can certainly respect your rite to feel the way you do.

How ever living 30 kilometers out of town is not exactly living in Chiang Mai. Kind of like comparing apples to oranges.

Not sure what you mean by old in shopping centers waiting to die.

I myself am 68 and just got back from Bali. Planing on going to States and Canada next month. All ready thinking of where to go in January when my boy comes to visit. We have already been to Cambodia, Burma and Indonesian plus traveled around a bit in Thailand. Thinking about China this year. Yes I am waiting to die but so are we all.

Perhaps the clue was your like to drink. Chiang Mai can not compete with Bangkok in that area. If that is your life yes why would any one choose to live in Chiang Mai as compared to Bangkok.

[Gonzo the Face]

Now thats a good thought..

Open a bar ! ! !

You can create your own excitment tailored to your own taste and be close the the drink as is necessary.

OK problem solved

Next problem

... or maybe a fish and chips shop with marmite

[inthepink]

Well I can certainly respect your rite to feel the way you do.

How ever living 30 kilometers out of town is not exactly living in Chiang Mai. Kind of like comparing apples to oranges.

Not sure what you mean by old in shopping centers waiting to die.

I myself am 68 and just got back from Bali. Planing on going to States and Canada next month. All ready thinking of where to go in January when my boy comes to visit. We have already been to Cambodia, Burma and Indonesian plus traveled around a bit in Thailand. Thinking about China this year. Yes I am waiting to die but so are we all.

Perhaps the clue was your like to drink. Chiang Mai can not compete with Bangkok in that area. If that is your life yes why would any one choose to live in Chiang Mai as compared to Bangkok.

Sorry, my comment about waiting to die was tongue in cheek. I am old enough to know how fast the years start to go by and this wasn't meant to be a criticism of older people. I am just frustrated at living the lifestyle of a man in his sixties when I am in my early forties.

Drinking is not "my life" by the way, I go out about once a fortnight on average.

... or maybe a fish and chips shop with marmite

I did actually consider that but it isn't something I have any experience with.

Still waiting to hear any good points about CM........

[jayjay0]

Well I can certainly respect your rite to feel the way you do.

How ever living 30 kilometers out of town is not exactly living in Chiang Mai. Kind of like comparing apples to oranges.

Not sure what you mean by old in shopping centers waiting to die.

I myself am 68 and just got back from Bali. Planing on going to States and Canada next month. All ready thinking of where to go in January when my boy comes to visit. We have already been to Cambodia, Burma and Indonesian plus traveled around a bit in Thailand. Thinking about China this year. Yes I am waiting to die but so are we all.

Perhaps the clue was your like to drink. Chiang Mai can not compete with Bangkok in that area. If that is your life yes why would any one choose to live in Chiang Mai as compared to Bangkok.

Sorry, my comment about waiting to die was tongue in cheek. I am old enough to know how fast the years start to go by and this wasn't meant to be a criticism of older people. I am just frustrated at living the lifestyle of a man in his sixties when I am in my early forties.

Drinking is not "my life" by the way, I go out about once a fortnight on average.

... or maybe a fish and chips shop with marmite

I did actually consider that but it isn't something I have any experience with.

Still waiting to hear any good points about CM........

As my earlier post said I am in my 60s. I am living the life I wish I could have when I was in my 40s.

[jayjay0]

Well as for the good points. That is relative to what you want in life.

The weather is much more pleasant than Bangkok. It is conveniently located to much of the spots to see in Northern Thailand. It has a International airport. It has many quality restraunts. It has Pun Pun's. There is many English movies in decent theaters. There is even plays. Also as any where in Thailand there is a abundance of Wat's. The highest point in Thailand is here also.

That reminds me I was talking to a traveler last night who had been to a elephant camp out that way he said. It was expensive but for a day you were the mahout. Of course you were under supervision. There is museum's. It just comes down to what do you want. My question to you is what does Bangkok have to offer me that Chiang Mai dosen't have. ?

[whiterussian]

You are screwed here if you dont have Thai friends, or hobbies. I avoid your 'center' of town... It is not the real center... Its just a fairly light lit mock up for Farang. Too hot and dusty for me.

I recommend getting a big bike and tour around... some of the coutryside up north from here is awesome, and the villages mind blowing! I'm a loner anyway (as much as I can be with a wife n kid) , so nothing makes me more happy than discovering an awe inspiring view whilst randomly exploring on my bike. When I can't get out on the bike... I am pursuing my hobbies, which at the moment are studies in statistical visualisations, and growing imported plants.

In a year or so, maybe I will buy a paramotor and fly around in the evenings. In the future, maybe I will try and develop another business here (the one I have now is so regular and steady that it's boring). Lots to do, but you will have to make new friends - farang or thai. It's the friends here that make it what it is for me... last night, again my neighbour popped round to give me some free food - surplus from her stall. Everyone in the moobaan knows me after 4 years here, and it just feels like 'home'. The highways are so easy to use here, IF I wanted western food, I could get it in minutes... but I dont. 100% Thai food for 4 years now.

Tonight, it's off to the Thai bar... where the cops fear to venture... sanook!

[amexpat]

I've found plenty of english language books in shops that are decent enough for me. I usually pay about 100 baht.

"the centre of town appears to be full of Kao San road rejects during the day"

I wonder what you consider to be the center of town and how much of CM you have seen.

Anyway, while you are waiting for someone to tell you what is good about CM, maybe you could add some perspective by telling us about life in Bangkok. You know, a few days in the life of inthepink in the Big Mango.

BTW, I personally cannot even think about living 30km out of town.

[carnac]

Try New Orleans

[anselpixel]

Off and on, I've been in Chiang Mai since January, 2010.

I live in an air-conditioned room near Wat Santitham. I have 24 hour key-card security, a restaurant, a swimming pool and a great view of the city.

With all utilities, this costs me about 8K baht a month,

Two blocks away, there's a brilliant French restaurant if I'm in the mood for beef tenderloin (which I was last night), and three blocks away there's an enormous mall with a Western-style grocery, first run movies and a variety of eating establishments.

Everywhere I walk in the evening, there's terrific street food being served for thirty baht or so, and the people I meet are smiling.

I can walk all the way across the city in about an hour, and I do quite often. Along the way, I find countless places to enjoy a cup of coffee, or a few minutes meditation on a shaded bench.

At night, there are clubs all over town where people already know me, and are happy to entertain.

As for transportation, if I'm tired I jump in a songtaew and give the driver a twenty when I hop off. Tuk-tuks are tuk-tuks. I seldom use them. However, I find they charge about the same as meter taxis when I do have occasion to require one.

I can pretty much go anywhere for 100 baht or less. If I want a driver and car for the day, it costs about 1200 baht, with no additional fuel charge.

I don't consider that expensive.

My sense of this is that you're comparing two different things as if they were the same. Living in Bangkok is obviously not comparable to living in the exurbs of a much smaller city.

Living inside the moat in Chiang Mai isn't even comparable to living in Bangkok.

However, it occurs to me you might be happier with life here if you did get a little closer to the action.

After my first three months here, I was sure I had to escape. As I got closer to matching speeds with CM, that anxiety began to fade away.

Now, I'm wondering if I'll ever have enough time to fully explore all the subtleties of this sleepy little city.

[neilrob]

The OP said "still waiting to hear any good points about CM", so here are just a few of the many things I like about Chiang Mai. Obviously some of them depend on what you like to do---for example, if you don't play tennis then the easy availability of courts will not be of interest to you, but the same point applies to other activities. Don't know about Marmite because personally I don't like it.

- Large enough to be a real city with such amenities as a choice of cinemas, good medical care in case of need, many bookshops (if the OP has not found any, then he/she has not really been looking), shops with (almost) anything you might want to buy etc etc

- Small enough to get around easily

- Pleasant weather much of the year

- Remarkable range of excellent restaurants, with all cuisines and a wide range of prices---just last night ate at another excellent place which I had not tried before with very reasonable prices (Oregano)

- Frequent, and good Western classical music concerts

- Easy availability of tennis courts

- Reasonable availability of flights when I want to travel, and an airport which is easy to get to

- Fun backgammon and bridge groups if you like to play these

- Quite often good wine tastings---tonight I'll be going to the Amari for dinner and to sample Spanish wines

- And of course nice people

[Gonzo the Face]

Off and on, I've been in Chiang Mai since January, 2010.

I live in an air-conditioned room near Wat Santitham. I have 24 hour key-card security, a restaurant, a swimming pool and a great view of the city.

With all utilities, this costs me about 8K baht a month,

Two blocks away, there's a brilliant French restaurant if I'm in the mood for beef tenderloin (which I was last night), and three blocks away there's an enormous mall with a Western-style grocery, first run movies and a variety of eating establishments.

Everywhere I walk in the evening, there's terrific street food being served for thirty baht or so, and the people I meet are smiling.

I can walk all the way across the city in about an hour, and I do quite often. Along the way, I find countless places to enjoy a cup of coffee, or a few minutes meditation on a shaded bench.

At night, there are clubs all over town where people already know me, and are happy to entertain.

As for transportation, if I'm tired I jump in a songtaew and give the driver a twenty when I hop off. Tuk-tuks are tuk-tuks. I seldom use them. However, I find they charge about the same as meter taxis when I do have occasion to require one.

I can pretty much go anywhere for 100 baht or less. If I want a driver and car for the day, it costs about 1200 baht, with no additional fuel charge.

I don't consider that expensive.

My sense of this is that you're comparing two different things as if they were the same. Living in Bangkok is obviously not comparable to living in the exurbs of a much smaller city.

Living inside the moat in Chiang Mai isn't even comparable to living in Bangkok.

However, it occurs to me you might be happier with life here if you did get a little closer to the action.

After my first three months here, I was sure I had to escape. As I got closer to matching speeds with CM, that anxiety began to fade away.

Now, I'm wondering if I'll ever have enough time to fully explore all the subtleties of this sleepy little city.

Dang

If I would of known you look like that, I would have been much more soft and tenderer with my whispers......

caveat...... if that is a real woman that is....if not only maybe....

get out more.... expect less, and I think you will be amazed at what is really CM ...... It really is a great place to live.

[nikster]

I don't know - I've always liked Chiang Mai from the first time I set foot here. It's a nice little city. Good vibe. I came from the big cities (grew up in one too), to the country north of Pai, and now back to a small city with CM.

I haven't found a nice farang hangout place to be honest - but I don't really go out much anyway, and I have only really been here a few months. There's lots of hot and happening Thai places in CM. There's the Loi Kroh bargirl area. There's some tourist farang places. It takes a while to get to know a city. To find the hidden gems.

If you love Bangkok, well there's no place like it, you'll have to move back there. Maybe you are just not over the whole "big city" thing yet. I perfectly understand that.

If you try to like CM, at the very least you'll need to move into town. Just rent an apartment on nimman or in the santhitap area. 30km outside doesn't qualify for "I live in Chiang Mai". That's in the country.

[crgram]

As for your comment about books, new ones can be found in Airport Plaza and Carrefour. Gecko near Thapae Gate has a descent supply of used.

Most of your post makes me wonder if interested in any thing but Night Life and western food. Which begs the question why your here in the first place but there is plenty of western food available. You can search the forum for what your looking for, most have been ranked, rated and ranted to death about.

As for night life, Chiang Mai is not known for it and never has been. Which is the answer to your main question. Most people who live and work here prefer it that way. You can find more to do after hours here than in most of Thailand but it's not Bangkok, Pattaya or even Phuket.

I won't bother going in to the cultural and ecological significance of the region but there is a lot to do "out doors" if your interested.

c

[FarangCravings]

Living 30k outside of town is your main problem another is finding some mates, I live 15k outside and its a 15 minute ride into town when I feel like a drink or when its pool night another thing as has been mentioned get some hobbys, I think everywhere you get bored from time to time and I like another poster enjoy jumping on my bike and going on a bike ride for a few days and the North of Thailand cant be beat for that there is some stunning sights.

I think if you moved closer to town get some mates and some hobby i think you would be much happier and as far as nightlife while not Bangkok I can still party till 8am if I wanted to here in CM

[inthepink]

Thanks for all the replies and suggestions. I was expecting more of a flaming to be honest.

@jayjay0. The fact that you wish you could have led the lifestyle you have now, in your forties, maybe means that we are pursuing different interests in life but as far as what does Bangkok have to offer you that CM doesn't have....

Well, sticking to the things you mentioned that Chiang Mai has to offer, Bangkok has a larger airport that is truly international, which I certainly don't consider CM airport to be (yes I know you can fly to China and a few other places but not many). There are more bookshops, more plays and more museums in Bangkok. This isn't a criticism of CM of course as I wouldn't expect it to have the same amenities as the capital city.

Also, Bangkok has service centres for any company you can think of so when your Asus monitor breaks for the third time you do not have to wait 2 weeks for it to be sent away and fixed (personal gripe).

@amexpat I mean a bookshop with the variety of books that you can find in Kinokuniya, Paragon. I have yet to find one that even has as big a choice as Asia Books in Bangkapi Mall. Again, I don't expect a much smaller city to have such things but it is annoying as I read a lot.

When I mentioned the centre of town I meant the area inside the moat. How much of CM have I seen? Well I've seen the area inside the moat (!), the area around CM Uni, the airport shopping mall and the other one with a Sizzler at the bottom and a load of steps leading up to it. I've "investigated" the Loi Kroh / Moon Muang area (yes I know every single expat except me came here for the food and the temples...what can I say? ) and it was quieter than a Monday night in Hertford (that won't mean much to you unless you've been there) . I've been to the new night market but not the old one, been to restaurants by the river and Thai bars that only served Chang (yuk), fairly near the Uni.

I don't know if that's very little of CM as I don't know what I haven't seen, and I'm only talking about the city itself. As to telling you about a few days in my life when I was living in Bangkok, I don't want to bore you any more than I already have.

----------------------

Getting a big bike and touring around, and going to wine tastings are two of my favourite suggestions so thanks to whiterussian and neilrob for those. A move into town is a good idea too.

Moving to New Orleans seems a bit extreme, although I'd love to visit, so I'll pass on that suggestion.

@anselpixel I know I'm not comparing like for like but I think it's still a valid question. CM and Bangkok are both places that you can live in Thailand and I was genuileny interested to know what other people found more attractive about CM.

Having some friends would certainly help but I moan so much that nobody up here likes me.

[QED]

Off and on, I've been in Chiang Mai since January, 2010.

I live in an air-conditioned room near Wat Santitham. I have 24 hour key-card security, a restaurant, a swimming pool and a great view of the city.

With all utilities, this costs me about 8K baht a month,

Two blocks away, there's a brilliant French restaurant if I'm in the mood for beef tenderloin (which I was last night), and three blocks away there's an enormous mall with a Western-style grocery, first run movies and a variety of eating establishments.

Everywhere I walk in the evening, there's terrific street food being served for thirty baht or so, and the people I meet are smiling.

I can walk all the way across the city in about an hour, and I do quite often. Along the way, I find countless places to enjoy a cup of coffee, or a few minutes meditation on a shaded bench.

At night, there are clubs all over town where people already know me, and are happy to entertain.

As for transportation, if I'm tired I jump in a songtaew and give the driver a twenty when I hop off. Tuk-tuks are tuk-tuks. I seldom use them. However, I find they charge about the same as meter taxis when I do have occasion to require one.

I can pretty much go anywhere for 100 baht or less. If I want a driver and car for the day, it costs about 1200 baht, with no additional fuel charge.

I don't consider that expensive.

My sense of this is that you're comparing two different things as if they were the same. Living in Bangkok is obviously not comparable to living in the exurbs of a much smaller city.

Living inside the moat in Chiang Mai isn't even comparable to living in Bangkok.

However, it occurs to me you might be happier with life here if you did get a little closer to the action.

After my first three months here, I was sure I had to escape. As I got closer to matching speeds with CM, that anxiety began to fade away.

Now, I'm wondering if I'll ever have enough time to fully explore all the subtleties of this sleepy little city.

Is that you or your boyfriend in the pic? I think you will fit in nicely with the locals in CM, lol

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Everyone has their own sweet spot in terms of urban vs rural, and how big the town should be. It's just right for me, but I can easily see that some people like mega cities.

Move. You won't lose your partner, or if you do then apparently you don't mean enough to her/him anyways, so no loss either way.

[harrry]

As far as books go you could do worse than the Suriwong Book Centre. Or for used books Gecko books. New books too there and George will be able to tell you the ending of the most obscure book....he won't though as he wants to sell it.

[mrclough]

Rather than suggesting finding something for yourself here's an opportunity for you! Might not be your thing, but, there's a few of us who meet up and go to watch football at Chiang Mai F.C. when they play at home. If it's something you might want to do, your more than welcome to come and join us.

There's another thread for the footy so I wont go into anymore detail on this one but it may be an option to get out for a couple of hours and meet a few new people.

[Fishenough]

WhiteRussians advice is good for some, get out of town. We have been exploring the north as often as possible and constantly find new spots of interest. We've been to the south of Thailand, and Laos, but we really do enjoy all the neat spots within the northwest. Funny enough big bikes here are 200cc to 650cc; humorous as Canadian friends consider a 650 a ladies or starter bike.

For western food get away from the Rimpings, Tops and Robinsons; visit Kasam and other stores that offer better prices and selection on supplies.

[Nienke]

Have you checked out the following book places already? Not as big as the places you've mentioned, but maybe still useful for you.

Silkworm Books

6 Sukkasem Road, T.Suthep, Chiang Mai 50200

Phone (053) 22-6161–3, Fax (053) 22-6643

E-mail: orders@silkwormbooks.com

http://www.silkwormbooks.com

Suriwong Book Centre

54 Sridonchai Road, Chiang Mai 50100

Phone (053) 28-1052–5, Fax (053) 27-1902

Book Tree

Chiang Mai International Airport

1st Floor, Domestic Flight Building

60 Sanambin Road, Suthep District, Chiang Mai 50100

Phone (053) 27-7725

Or order books online and have them send to your house. That's what I do, as none of the books I need are sold here.

Night out in the city: rent a room for the night/morning (or two nights if the hangover is too bad) in one of the many hotels. Problem solved when not wanting to drive after consuming alcohol. (Good on you!)

And for going around internationally: you conveniently drive (or have you driven) to the airport here without being bothered by traffic jams, walk a small distance to check in and plane, get out in BKK (hopefully), walk a marathon to the next plane there and go wherever you wanna go. Easy-peazy ... except for that marathon ...

Edit: of course check out Gecko books as well.

[garycm]

Thanks for all the replies and suggestions. I was expecting more of a flaming to be honest.

@jayjay0. The fact that you wish you could have led the lifestyle you have now, in your forties, maybe means that we are pursuing different interests in life but as far as what does Bangkok have to offer you that CM doesn't have....

Well, sticking to the things you mentioned that Chiang Mai has to offer, Bangkok has a larger airport that is truly international, which I certainly don't consider CM airport to be (yes I know you can fly to China and a few other places but not many). There are more bookshops, more plays and more museums in Bangkok. This isn't a criticism of CM of course as I wouldn't expect it to have the same amenities as the capital city.

Also, Bangkok has service centres for any company you can think of so when your Asus monitor breaks for the third time you do not have to wait 2 weeks for it to be sent away and fixed (personal gripe).

@amexpat I mean a bookshop with the variety of books that you can find in Kinokuniya, Paragon. I have yet to find one that even has as big a choice as Asia Books in Bangkapi Mall. Again, I don't expect a much smaller city to have such things but it is annoying as I read a lot.

When I mentioned the centre of town I meant the area inside the moat. How much of CM have I seen? Well I've seen the area inside the moat (!), the area around CM Uni, the airport shopping mall and the other one with a Sizzler at the bottom and a load of steps leading up to it. I've "investigated" the Loi Kroh / Moon Muang area (yes I know every single expat except me came here for the food and the temples...what can I say? ) and it was quieter than a Monday night in Hertford (that won't mean much to you unless you've been there) . I've been to the new night market but not the old one, been to restaurants by the river and Thai bars that only served Chang (yuk), fairly near the Uni.

I don't know if that's very little of CM as I don't know what I haven't seen, and I'm only talking about the city itself. As to telling you about a few days in my life when I was living in Bangkok, I don't want to bore you any more than I already have.

----------------------

Getting a big bike and touring around, and going to wine tastings are two of my favourite suggestions so thanks to whiterussian and neilrob for those. A move into town is a good idea too.

Moving to New Orleans seems a bit extreme, although I'd love to visit, so I'll pass on that suggestion.

@anselpixel I know I'm not comparing like for like but I think it's still a valid question. CM and Bangkok are both places that you can live in Thailand and I was genuileny interested to know what other people found more attractive about CM.

Having some friends would certainly help but I moan so much that nobody up here likes me.

I lived in BKK and remember that I always felt stuck in town. Meeting friends in daytime had to be in a shopping mall because it was always to hot to stay outside.The big attraction in CNX is, that it takes 10 minutes to get out of town and enjoy nature and wonderful lunch spots. It is true that everything has to be ordered from BKK and takes weeks to arrive and nightlife is boring. But a few times a year I visit BKK, shop, have nice meals and fun. The best of both worlds!

[Jingthing]

The town is too large to be quaint and too small to be convenient.

Kind of like Washington D.C. --

"Washington is a city of Southern efficiency and Northern charm." JFK

[F4UCorsair]

Life is what you make it. A geographical location is what you make it.

I've travelled the world over 40 years and never hated a place. I've lived in five different countries and loved every one, some moe than others. Sure, there have been difficulties, but nothing that I wasn't prepared to tackle and overcome. They exist at home, wherever that is, but perhaps not the same magnitude because of the addditional obstacle, the language.

Step back, take a look what you're doing and what others are doing. Maybe there is something to learn.

[Sansai Sam]

I've lived here for 10 years. I moved here at 41. Between work and functions and parties with friends I often complain about no free time to relax. I don't drink and it doesn't lessen the pleasure. Sometimes I just find it wonderful to stay home and watch television but I can rarely do it. I could not live 30 km out of town either. Your life here is what you make it. At least it doesn't take me 90 minutes to go across town in a taxi. Several of my friends who have lived in Bangkok tell me the selection of imports is better at Rimping than at in BKK. Asia Books and Bookazine have plenty of good books and if I want one they don't have they will mail it to me from BKK. Getting on my bike and riding up into places like Mae Taeng, Chiang Dao or Doi Inthanon is something you would be hard pressed to do in BKK. If you move here and expect things to be as convenient and easy to find as they are in your home country then you have fooled yourself and it's time to go home.

[inthepink]

If you move here and expect things to be as convenient and easy to find as they are in your home country then you have fooled yourself and it's time to go home.

I've been in Thailand for about 7 and a half years, I haven't just moved here. If I have fooled myself at all it was in thinking that CM would be as convenient to live in as Bangkok. That was probably a bit stupid of me but apart from Bangkok, the only other town in thailand that I have lived in was Nakhon Sawan so I think I just assumed that Chiang Mai would be larger than it actually is.

I agree that I have spent way too much time sitting in traffic in Bangkok in the past but at least the cost is reasonable. My gf called a taxi company the other day and they wanted 600 baht to take me into CM town. Now I'm aware that they will have to drive here empty but that is a ridiculous price. I could get a cab from Bangkok to Ayyuthya and halfway back again for that amount (admittedly that would have to be at about 3am though)...A cab from my house in BKK to Ploenchit / Siam Square was about 150 baht and that was 30kms through heavy traffic! It's a bit annoying to find that it is 4 times as expensive in CM for no good reason that I can think of. In fact, with the recent prices that AirAsia have been offering, I could fly from Chiang Mai to Bangkok for the same amount that it would cost me to get a cab into town and back out to Mae Rim (I know someone is going to suggest that I do just that).

Thanks to harry, nienke and mrclough for the footie and book info. I think I've been to the Suriwong bookshop if it is the one with a small collection of paperbacks in English on the right hand side after you go up some stairs.... The selection of Thai books was OK though.

[Thakkar]

Inthepink,

I think I agree mostly with just about everything you say in your opening post. Yet inexplicably, here I am, and happy to boot.

If BKK is a bustling, happenin' place, HK, where I've lived most of my life and where I have many lifelong friends, is even more so. And even more so for me. Whenever I doubt my decision to move here, I go spend a few days in HK and I return satisfied that I made the right choice. I can't explain it, because, as I said, it's inexplicable.

Where's the smiley for 'inscrutable'?