Maybe only of interest to those of us that live north of the city, but Makro plan to open in Maerim in July opposite Summit Green Valley Golf Course.As Maerim currently doesn't have anything bigger than Tesco/Lotus Express this is good news for some of us and certainly for me as I run a resort. I think the Maerim area is on the 'up and up'. So when do we get a Rimping?

Good news; nice to see some of the local backwaters develop and catch up with the more developed districts like Hang Dong and San Sai.

What's the point, there's a food shortage.........people are already panicking.

July,a bit of Thai wishful thinking??

July,a bit of Thai wishful thinking??

Where are the workers??

As one the ex-pats who has maintained a residence in Mae Rim far longer than most, I fail to see the good in this. I don't want to see Mae Rim turn into another Hang Dong or San Sai. No need to spread such dreariness to yet another district. Mae Rim already has one of the better traditional markets around in kat muang pa, and we have any number of small shops along the main street whose owners go out of their way to be helpful and who have competitive prices to the larger chains. At least they have the decency to situate this store south of town. I just hope they don't connect the parking lot to the back road. Oh well, I'm trying to talk the wife into relocating up to Wat Chan, but without much success as she is delighted at this news.

Double post deleted

As one the ex-pats who has maintained a residence in Mae Rim far longer than most, I fail to see the good in this. I don't want to see Mae Rim turn into another Hang Dong or San Sai. No need to spread such dreariness to yet another district. Mae Rim already has one of the better traditional markets around in kat muang pa, and we have any number of small shops along the main street whose owners go out of their way to be helpful and who have competitive prices to the larger chains. At least they have the decency to situate this store south of town. I just hope they don't connect the parking lot to the back road. Oh well, I'm trying to talk the wife into relocating up to Wat Chan, but without much success as she is delighted at this news.

But people need their marmite and peanut butter!

As one the ex-pats who has maintained a residence in Mae Rim far longer than most, I fail to see the good in this. I don't want to see Mae Rim turn into another Hang Dong or San Sai. No need to spread such dreariness to yet another district. Mae Rim already has one of the better traditional markets around in kat muang pa, and we have any number of small shops along the main street whose owners go out of their way to be helpful and who have competitive prices to the larger chains. At least they have the decency to situate this store south of town. I just hope they don't connect the parking lot to the back road. Oh well, I'm trying to talk the wife into relocating up to Wat Chan, but without much success as she is delighted at this news.

But people need their marmite and peanut butter!

Peanut Butter:

The market mentioned by Johpa has peanuts. It will have an electrical food blender. It may even still still have some cooking oil. Combine the three and hey presto: peanut butter.

Marmite:

The market mentioned by Johpa will have pick up trucks parked in front. Find an old Isuzu KB. Scrape some black crud out of the exhaust. Add soy sauce and K.Y. Lubricating Gel and hey presto: Marmite.

As one the ex-pats who has maintained a residence in Mae Rim far longer than most, I fail to see the good in this. I don't want to see Mae Rim turn into another Hang Dong or San Sai. No need to spread such dreariness to yet another district. Mae Rim already has one of the better traditional markets around in kat muang pa, and we have any number of small shops along the main street whose owners go out of their way to be helpful and who have competitive prices to the larger chains. At least they have the decency to situate this store south of town. I just hope they don't connect the parking lot to the back road. Oh well, I'm trying to talk the wife into relocating up to Wat Chan, but without much success as she is delighted at this news.

But people need their marmite and peanut butter!

Peanut Butter:

The market mentioned by Johpa has peanuts. It will have an electrical food blender. It may even still still have some cooking oil. Combine the three and hey presto: peanut butter.

Marmite:

The market mentioned by Johpa will have pick up trucks parked in front. Find an old Isuzu KB. Scrape some black crud out of the exhaust. Add soy sauce and K.Y. Lubricating Gel and hey presto: Marmite.

I hope you don't run a guest house or resturant

Marmite:

The market mentioned by Johpa will have pick up trucks parked in front. Find an old Isuzu KB. Scrape some black crud out of the exhaust. Add soy sauce and K.Y. Lubricating Gel and hey presto: Marmite.

As one the ex-pats who has maintained a residence in Mae Rim far longer than most, I fail to see the good in this. I don't want to see Mae Rim turn into another Hang Dong or San Sai. No need to spread such dreariness to yet another district. Mae Rim already has one of the better traditional markets around in kat muang pa, and we have any number of small shops along the main street whose owners go out of their way to be helpful and who have competitive prices to the larger chains. At least they have the decency to situate this store south of town. I just hope they don't connect the parking lot to the back road. Oh well, I'm trying to talk the wife into relocating up to Wat Chan, but without much success as she is delighted at this news.

Jopha, I agree with you.

Across from Summit Green Valley Golf Course I find no sign of construction except on the smallish plot next door to the new Hooters.

So Khun Bluweyze where again will it be and what is the source of your information?

Across from Summit Green Valley Golf Course I find no sign of construction except on the smallish plot next door to the new Hooters.

So Khun Bluweyze where again will it be and what is the source of your information?

The source of my information is the Makro sales representative visiting me to tell me of the news and to inform me of the location and proposed date. Whether or not it opens by July I have no idea, but don't shoot the messenger You are fully entitled to believe it is as genuine as the new Hooters and you can wait and see

As one the ex-pats who has maintained a residence in Mae Rim far longer than most, I fail to see the good in this. I don't want to see Mae Rim turn into another Hang Dong or San Sai. No need to spread such dreariness to yet another district. Mae Rim already has one of the better traditional markets around in kat muang pa, and we have any number of small shops along the main street whose owners go out of their way to be helpful and who have competitive prices to the larger chains. At least they have the decency to situate this store south of town. I just hope they don't connect the parking lot to the back road. Oh well, I'm trying to talk the wife into relocating up to Wat Chan, but without much success as she is delighted at this news.

But people need their marmite and peanut butter!

what good is penut butter if you can't put it on toast with mayonnaise. Preferably with dill pickles also.

Across from Summit Green Valley Golf Course I find no sign of construction except on the smallish plot next door to the new Hooters.

As in the international chain with girls in tight outfits?

Loi Khro watch out ! ! ! !

Not another Hooters-thread, whatever happened to the good old days, pizza-vs-burgers wars and-the-like ?

Bloody great, and the last thing I want so see across the street from where I live

But people need their marmite and peanut butter!

Yes, but those of us who prefer a more Thai lifestyle and thus hide out up in Mae Rim need our laap dip and the meat and produce sold at Makro and the other national outlets is not fresh enough for our needs.

Greater Chiang Mai City is growing very rapidly and would be an even greater magnet if there were another ring road or two added - or perhaps out-in alternatives. Clearly, rapid transit schemes will be successfully opposed, so traffic situations at bottleneck locations will increase. Based on only 15 months of observation, I speculate that many of us will be astonished at the differences in just five years. All aspects of a "small" big town will have evaporated. And barring an economic crisis brought on by politics, the growth will continue, no matter the color of government's shirt.

Of course, while property prices brought on by new construction is increasing, the housing situation here remains soft (except for new). Must be that investors are optimistic, as there is a lot of money in play. Or that the Tsunami that got Angel City closer than we think.

Greater Chiang Mai City is growing very rapidly and would be an even greater magnet if there were another ring road or two added - or perhaps out-in alternatives.

I would strongly suggest turning the outer ring into a nice highway first, like the middle one. The road surface is being patched up, but it's nowhere near pristine anymore. It needs being turned into a 6 lane divided highway with tunnels. But that looks like tough titties with the current government; will need a government more favourable to the North first.

And then secondly the New Sankamphaeng Road needs to go 6-lane.

And thirdly the Canal Road needs to be turned 6 lane all the way to Sanpatong, to provide a nice addition to the Hang Dong road. Adding a tunnel/ramps where the Canal Road intersects with the Mae Rim road would be nice too.

Clearly, rapid transit schemes will be successfully opposed, so traffic situations at bottleneck locations will increase. Based on only 15 months of observation, I speculate that many of us will be astonished at the differences in just five years. All aspects of a "small" big town will have evaporated. And barring an economic crisis brought on by politics, the growth will continue, no matter the color of government's shirt.

The old town area still looks like a small town. Local government has been excellent and successful in channelling development away from it. Truly excellent job, especially by Thailand standards. Rapid transit is tough because there's no clear commercial/business center anymore. But yes, bus lines could be much (MUCH) better.

Across from Summit Green Valley Golf Course I find no sign of construction except on the smallish plot next door to the new Hooters.

So Khun Bluweyze where again will it be and what is the source of your information?

The source of my information is the Makro sales representative visiting me to tell me of the news and to inform me of the location and proposed date. Whether or not it opens by July I have no idea, but don't shoot the messenger You are fully entitled to believe it is as genuine as the new Hooters and you can wait and see

I think the sales rep. might have misinformed you as to the true location.Heading toward Maerim from C.Mai take the the first soi to the right after 3BBB office.

Gotlost-Where are the workforce?See those two guys standing next to the pile driving rig,that's it,to the right of shot was fifteen suits and a couple of Benz.

Shot taken on the 16th.,the day before one man and a tractor leveling the fill which was not compacted and doesn't that usually come back and bite them later on.

Sounds like another insane traffic bottleneck to me>>>..what Maerim needs is a bypass, as the 4 congested lanes that are squeezed down to 2 lanes [with vehicles double parked in the outside driving lanes are crowded enough.

Across from Summit Green Valley Golf Course I find no sign of construction except on the smallish plot next door to the new Hooters.

So Khun Bluweyze where again will it be and what is the source of your information?

The source of my information is the Makro sales representative visiting me to tell me of the news and to inform me of the location and proposed date. Whether or not it opens by July I have no idea, but don't shoot the messenger You are fully entitled to believe it is as genuine as the new Hooters and you can wait and see

I think the sales rep. might have misinformed you as to the true location.Heading toward Maerim from C.Mai take the the first soi to the right after 3BBB office.

Gotlost-Where are the workforce?See those two guys standing next to the pile driving rig,that's it,to the right of shot was fifteen suits and a couple of Benz.

Shot taken on the 16th.,the day before one man and a tractor leveling the fill which was not compacted and doesn't that usually come back and bite them later on.

You most have one heck of a magnifying glass or a very good imagination for the workers.

Sounds like another insane traffic bottleneck to me>>>..what Maerim needs is a bypass, as the 4 congested lanes that are squeezed down to 2 lanes [with vehicles double parked in the outside driving lanes are crowded enough.

Agreed - it's a pain going through - so either that or just bulldoze the site (Mae Rim) and move it up the mountain somewhere.

Although may seem ambitious with opening date, these warehouse-type places go up really quick. After all, it's only a concrete floor, a bunch of pillars and roof, some flashing and a bit of aircon and shelving. There's only one level apart from any small office space. Anyway, screw Makro, there's enough of them; more interested in when the new mall will be finished out on the Inner.

Sounds like another insane traffic bottleneck to me>>>..what Maerim needs is a bypass, as the 4 congested lanes that are squeezed down to 2 lanes [with vehicles double parked in the outside driving lanes are crowded enough.

Agreed - it's a pain going through - so either that or just bulldoze the site (Mae Rim) and move it up the mountain somewhere.

Although may seem ambitious with opening date, these warehouse-type places go up really quick. After all, it's only a concrete floor, a bunch of pillars and roof, some flashing and a bit of aircon and shelving. There's only one level apart from any small office space. Anyway, screw Makro, there's enough of them; more interested in when the new mall will be finished out on the Inner.

How about the new Hooters??

But people need their marmite and peanut butter!

Yes, but those of us who prefer a more Thai lifestyle and thus hide out up in Mae Rim need our laap dip and the meat and produce sold at Makro and the other national outlets is not fresh enough for our needs.

Don't you live in the states ?

Don't you (Johpa) live in the states ?

Indeed, I currently live Stateside, but have maintained the homestead in Mae Rim since the 1980s, and where I use to reside full time for many years. I now make an extended visit annually.

Again, my wife, who spends half her time at our Mae Rim home, is ecstatic about the news of a Makro closer by. Yet I am of a different nature, and wish only to move further up into the hills, further west to Wat Chan or maybe northwest over to Yang Moen as I assume that within a few years there will be some similar modern shopping supermarket in Samoeng township.

Across from Summit Green Valley Golf Course I find no sign of construction except on the smallish plot next door to the new Hooters.

So Khun Bluweyze where again will it be and what is the source of your information?

The source of my information is the Makro sales representative visiting me to tell me of the news and to inform me of the location and proposed date. Whether or not it opens by July I have no idea, but don't shoot the messenger You are fully entitled to believe it is as genuine as the new Hooters and you can wait and see

I think the sales rep. might have misinformed you as to the true location.Heading toward Maerim from C.Mai take the the first soi to the right after 3BBB office.

Gotlost-Where are the workforce?See those two guys standing next to the pile driving rig,that's it,to the right of shot was fifteen suits and a couple of Benz.

Shot taken on the 16th.,the day before one man and a tractor leveling the fill which was not compacted and doesn't that usually come back and bite them later on.

You most have one heck of a magnifying glass or a very good imagination for the workers.

Your right small, not imagination,there's actually 3, assuring July deadline will be achieved.

OK.. Typical standing around and doing nothing. July???