Depression In Chiang Mai.

[gennisis]

Not often that I go into town,but I was very surprised at the lack of traffic and people walking about.

My Thai driver told me that many of his buisness friends are very worried at the low visitor count.....Hotels and restaurants must be feeling the pinch.

[Ulysses G.]

It is much better now than it was for a month after the fiasco on May 19. However, every year Western tourism seems to go downhill from the middle of August until nearly October - at least for me.

It is to be expected, but most likely it will be the worst August/September in many years. It is probably time for most businesses to spend some savings that are hopefully left over from last high season.

* The Duke's and Marco's are both doing better than ever, but they are the exception, rather than the rule.

Edited August 10, 2010 by Ulysses G.

[lannarebirth]

I have heard anecdotal evidence that some tourist related businesses have been doing well these past few months. I'm pleased for them. My own observations are that many of the shops and eateries I frequent have a pretty distinct dropoff in business. The upside is they seem to adopting a much more friendly and service oriented disposition towards customers. That's nice, I hope it continues.

[eek]

Ive unapproved several comments. Please note that regardless of politics affecting the tourist season or not, there are ways to bring up and discuss the issue/concern regarding politics in a less inflammatory manner. I request members do not use this thread as a place to air political views for the sake of it. Please keep comments relevant to the OP and in a considered manner. Thank you.

If you disagree with my stance on this, you may pm me.

[iainiain101]

It is much better now than it was for a month after the fiasco on May 19. However, every year Western tourism seems to go downhill from the middle of August until nearly October - at least for me.

It is to be expected, but most likely it will be the worst August/September in many years. It is probably time for most businesses to spend some savings that are hopefully left over from last high season.

* The Duke's and Marco's are both doing better than ever, but they are the exception, rather than the rule.

We ate in Casa Antonio this evening and it was full by 7pm, booking is advised. A mixture of Thais, expats and tourists.

Iain

[WinnieTheKhwai]

The fewer tourists the better. I'm loving it!

Depression? What depression? Pattaya, Samui and Phuket, now THAT'S depression!

[jazzbo]

The Chiang Mai Guest House I stayed at 4 nights last week -- due to the style of accomodation favored by my traveling friend -- was the only one in the neighborhood with a 'No Vacancy' sign every night ... favored by the French and Dutch ... so it can happen...

[moe666]

When I was in CM in April the people I talked to tuk-tuk drivers and a smal travel shop owner were worried about a down turn in Thai visitors over the summer. The owner of the internet shop I use had been trading items over the web to make ends meet since his business has been down. He has had his shop over 5 years so a good track recorder.

[slapout]

Other than visual, my sure fire way of calculating tourism numbers is via the noodle stalls. When the meat portions go down, the tourist count is down. This does not work outside the main tourist area of CM, for instance, past the first ring road. This seems to mark the local residence dominated market boundary. Now I realize that the vegetarians are not included nor can/will they want to disprove my theory, but for some of the culinary experts, on the CM scene, it may give a new adventure in appraisal of noodle stalls.

[Beetlejuice]

I recently had a couple of friends from New York visit me here in Chiang Mai.

They are doing a tour of Thailand and the plan was that after intending to stay for a week in Chiang Mai they were to go back to Bangkok and then onto Phuket. Both my friends enjoy the temples and a few other things renowned to Chiang Mai, but they do look forward to the nightlife, beer bars, nice restaurants and GIRLS.

Spending only 4 days and nights here my friends became bored. After visiting the night bazaar, many of the temples, elephant farm and Umbrella factory they decided Chiang Mai was expensive and a dead loss. They cut their Chiang Mai visit short by 3 days and took off to Bangkok. My friends said, we are looking forward to Nana Plaza and other places like Soi Cowboy.

Perhaps this is the general opinion of Chiang Mai by many visitors and this is why the numbers of tourists have dropped. Maybe the city needs an injection of vibrant new life and needs to get rid of it`s strong conservative, unadventurous policies.

I have several friends from the UK, US and Spain that are regular visitors to Thailand, but over the last few years have given Chiang Mai a miss.

Edited August 11, 2010 by Beetlejuice

[eek]

If your friends were Iooking for Nana PIaza/Soi Cowboy styIe entertainment, im not surprised they found Chiang Mai boring. I have to say I disagree that Chiang Mai shouId up its "vibrancy" in this way (if thats what you mean when suggesting Chiang Mai shouId drop its "conservative" poIicies). What Chiang Mai may gain in tourists (particuIarIy what kind of tourists), it wouId IikeIy Iose in expats. The fact that Chiang Mai has a more "normaI" feeI about it, is what attracts tourists and expats who want a more "normaI" hoIiday/Iiving experience. Iife here is certainIy not boring..but depends on what you are Iooking for.

(Sorry..used the word "normaI" for want of a better word)

[bkkjames]

If your friends were Iooking for Nana PIaza/Soi Cowboy styIe entertainment, im not surprised they found Chiang Mai boring. I have to say I disagree that Chiang Mai shouId up its "vibrancy" in this way (if thats what you mean when suggesting Chiang Mai shouId drop its "conservative" poIicies). What Chiang Mai may gain in tourists (particuIarIy what kind of tourists), it wouId IikeIy Iose in expats. The fact that Chiang Mai has a more "normaI" feeI about it, is what attracts tourists and expats who want a more "normaI" hoIiday/Iiving experience. Iife here is certainIy not boring..but depends on what you are Iooking for.

(Sorry..used the word "normaI" for want of a better word)

Perhaps all CM needs is another lil Panda?

[Ricardo]

If your friends were Iooking for Nana PIaza/Soi Cowboy styIe entertainment, im not surprised they found Chiang Mai boring. I have to say I disagree that Chiang Mai shouId up its "vibrancy" in this way (if thats what you mean when suggesting Chiang Mai shouId drop its "conservative" poIicies). What Chiang Mai may gain in tourists (particuIarIy what kind of tourists), it wouId IikeIy Iose in expats. The fact that Chiang Mai has a more "normaI" feeI about it, is what attracts tourists and expats who want a more "normaI" hoIiday/Iiving experience. Iife here is certainIy not boring..but depends on what you are Iooking for.

(Sorry..used the word "normaI" for want of a better word)

Perhaps all CM needs is another lil Panda?

Tell 'Big Daddy' to stop scoffing the Oreos, and start watching those 'special' videos again ?

[Beetlejuice]

If your friends were Iooking for Nana PIaza/Soi Cowboy styIe entertainment, im not surprised they found Chiang Mai boring. I have to say I disagree that Chiang Mai shouId up its "vibrancy" in this way (if thats what you mean when suggesting Chiang Mai shouId drop its "conservative" poIicies). What Chiang Mai may gain in tourists (particuIarIy what kind of tourists), it wouId IikeIy Iose in expats. The fact that Chiang Mai has a more "normaI" feeI about it, is what attracts tourists and expats who want a more "normaI" hoIiday/Iiving experience. Iife here is certainIy not boring..but depends on what you are Iooking for.

(Sorry..used the word "normaI" for want of a better word)

There are no rights or wrongs here and neither agree nor disagree at what you say. Much depends on how we view the situation and on what side of the fence you are on.

If you are in the entertainment and tourist side of business, is it better to have a steady flow of tourists with plenty of holiday money to splash around and to provide them with more of what they want type of entertainment enterprises so that they have choices and will provide more money for the businesses, or to concentrate on the lesser number of regular ex pat customers that are on limited budgets according to their incomes?

Surely the annual decreases in the Chiang Mai tourist figures suggests something is wrong and the TAT needs to rethink it`s strategies regarding Chiang Mai.

[IanForbes]

I have to agree with eek here. There is more than enough of a "roudy night life" in Chiang Mai if that is what you want. But, Chiang Mai offers other things and thank goodness for that.. There is no sense trying to turn Chiang Mai into another Pattaya. One Pattaya is all that's needed in this world. Pattaya is a great place for cheap prices, thousands of bars and thousands of bar girls... if that is what you want.

I subscribe to the Asia Bugle on-line news source for the bar scene in Asia. It has continually mentioned how the Soi Cowboy and Nana Plaza area has gone down hill in recent years. I have to agree and haven't been back since it became over priced and turned out a poor product. Most of the traffic has moved on to Pattaya where you get a better bang for your buck. The bar scene at Patong Beach in Phuket is another loser. If you want beaches, there are better places, and if you want an active night life with lots of women then Pattaya is better. Why would Chiang Mai try to compete in that market?

Chiang Mai has always been an expat and residential town, with just enough night life to keep the locals happy. There is always a high and low season of tourists. The recent squabbles between red shirts and yellow shirts didn't help things but the high season will return in another two or three months... like it always does.

[gotlost]

With Chiang Mai Mail going from a weekly to a bi weekly paper that should tell you something about the economy in Chiang Mai. Its D-O-W-N.

[anonymouse]

I'm no Thaksin apologist but the business I owned seemed to go down the pan from around the time Thaksin was ousted in the coup in 2006 which I eventually closed in 2008 and it seems to have got worse since then.

I don't see much promotion for the North of Thailand a fair bit for phuket and the south. Very few people over here in the UK seems to have heard of Chiang Mai.

[gotlost]

I'm no Thaksin apologist but the business I owned seemed to go down the pan from around the time Thaksin was ousted in the coup in 2006 which I eventually closed in 2008 and it seems to have got worse since then.

I don't see much promotion for the North of Thailand a fair bit for phuket and the south. Very few people over here in the UK seems to have heard of Chiang Mai.

I'm with you on this one. September 19, 2006 was the start of the down turn. Promotion for the north of Thailand, NONE. The few business that are doing well deserve to be commended. The other business that are struggling only time will tell.

Edited August 11, 2010 by gotlost

[lannarebirth]

I'm no Thaksin apologist but the business I owned seemed to go down the pan from around the time Thaksin was ousted in the coup in 2006 which I eventually closed in 2008 and it seems to have got worse since then.

I don't see much promotion for the North of Thailand a fair bit for phuket and the south. Very few people over here in the UK seems to have heard of Chiang Mai.

I'm with you on this one. September 19, 2006 was the start of the down turn. Promotion for the north of Thailand, NONE. The few business that are doing well deserve to be commended. The other business that are struggling only time will tell.

What you may have also noticed since then is that commercial construction continues unabated. In fact I think it is even picking up. Presumably all those Bangkok "Yellow Shirts" expanding their family holdings.

[jackr]

Spending only 4 days and nights here my friends became bored. After visiting the night bazaar, many of the temples, elephant farm and Umbrella factory they decided Chiang Mai was expensive and a dead loss. They cut their Chiang Mai visit short by 3 days and took off to Bangkok. My friends said, we are looking forward to Nana Plaza and other places like Soi Cowboy.

If they think CM's expensive, I hope they have budgeted well for the 'kok... Nana Plaza indeed.

[Donnyboy]

I'm no Thaksin apologist but the business I owned seemed to go down the pan from around the time Thaksin was ousted in the coup in 2006 which I eventually closed in 2008 and it seems to have got worse since then.

I don't see much promotion for the North of Thailand a fair bit for phuket and the south. Very few people over here in the UK seems to have heard of Chiang Mai.

wheres the UK?

[Donnyboy]

Spending only 4 days and nights here my friends became bored. After visiting the night bazaar, many of the temples, elephant farm and Umbrella factory they decided Chiang Mai was expensive and a dead loss. They cut their Chiang Mai visit short by 3 days and took off to Bangkok. My friends said, we are looking forward to Nana Plaza and other places like Soi Cowboy.

If they think CM's expensive, I hope they have budgeted well for the 'kok... Nana Plaza indeed.

well, they may have blown their budget there

[Ulysses G.]

There is PLENTY of good nightlife for degenerates in Chiang Mai. It is not Bangkok or Pattaya, but a lot more fun than most places. If that is ALL one is looking for, they might be disappointed, but most people have other interests as well.

[gotlost]

There is PLENTY of good nightlife for degenerates in Chiang Mai. It is not Bangkok or Pattaya, but a lot more fun than most places. If that is ALL one is looking for, they might be disappointed, but most people have other interests as well.

Its a bummer when the best Chiang Mai has to offer for comparison to Soi Cowboy is Loi Khro Road and the three discos we have they wouldn't even let them in NEP. They just demolished the likes of them on the ground floor.

Edited August 12, 2010 by gotlost

[WinnieTheKhwai]

There is PLENTY of good nightlife for degenerates in Chiang Mai. It is not Bangkok or Pattaya, but a lot more fun than most places. If that is ALL one is looking for, they might be disappointed, but most people have other interests as well.

Its a bummer when the best Chiang Mai has to offer for comparison to Soi Cowboy is Loi Khro Road and the three discos we have they wouldn't even let them in NEP. They just demolished the likes of them on the ground floor.

The above should be 'gogos', not discos right? Otherwise it doesn't make sense.

What's nice about Chiang Mai nightlife is the very large and virbrant non-tourist majority. Plentiful, and MUCH cheaper than Bangkok.

I'll say it again: If the Pattaya types stay away then that can only be described as a blessing.

Edited August 12, 2010 by WinnieTheKhwai

[gotlost]

There is PLENTY of good nightlife for degenerates in Chiang Mai. It is not Bangkok or Pattaya, but a lot more fun than most places. If that is ALL one is looking for, they might be disappointed, but most people have other interests as well.

Its a bummer when the best Chiang Mai has to offer for comparison to Soi Cowboy is Loi Khro Road and the three discos we have they wouldn't even let them in NEP. They just demolished the likes of them on the ground floor.

The above should be 'gogos', not discos right? Otherwise it doesn't make sense.

What's nice about Chiang Mai nightlife is the very large and virbrant non-tourist majority. Plentiful, and MUCH cheaper than Bangkok.

I'll say it again: If the Pattaya types stay away then that can only be described as a blessing.

You are correct WTK its GOGO's:lol: and kepp the Pattaya rift wraft away.

[F4UCorsair]

If your friends were Iooking for Nana PIaza/Soi Cowboy styIe entertainment, im not surprised they found Chiang Mai boring. I have to say I disagree that Chiang Mai shouId up its "vibrancy" in this way (if thats what you mean when suggesting Chiang Mai shouId drop its "conservative" poIicies). What Chiang Mai may gain in tourists (particuIarIy what kind of tourists), it wouId IikeIy Iose in expats. The fact that Chiang Mai has a more "normaI" feeI about it, is what attracts tourists and expats who want a more "normaI" hoIiday/Iiving experience. Iife here is certainIy not boring..but depends on what you are Iooking for.

(Sorry..used the word "normaI" for want of a better word)

There are no rights or wrongs here and neither agree nor disagree at what you say. Much depends on how we view the situation and on what side of the fence you are on.

If you are in the entertainment and tourist side of business, is it better to have a steady flow of tourists with plenty of holiday money to splash around and to provide them with more of what they want type of entertainment enterprises so that they have choices and will provide more money for the businesses, or to concentrate on the lesser number of regular ex pat customers that are on limited budgets according to their incomes?

Surely the annual decreases in the Chiang Mai tourist figures suggests something is wrong and the TAT needs to rethink it`s strategies regarding Chiang Mai.

Well perhaps TAT do need to rethink CM promotion, but surely the last thing CM needs is Soi Cowboy type activities?? One of the really nice things about CM is that it doesnt' have nearly as much of that crap, and I liken it to Ubud in Bali versus Kuta, Ubud bing significantly quiter, attracting more tourists and expats who want to experience a different culture, versus the yobbos who want booze and whores in Kuta, just somewhere else to gt drunk.

Edited August 12, 2010 by F4UCorsair

[Ulysses G.]

Chiang Mai is chock full of bars and massage parlors and almost every single one has a number of available women. I'm no prude, but how many more do we really need?

[gotlost]

WE need more? NOT. Just quality.

[Ulysses G.]

Just quality.