Did You Ever Visit Chiang Mai?

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Question to Pattaya expats. Bangkok expats or those in other places outside of the North can answer too. If you visit frequently, what do you like about it? If you visited once but disliked it, why?

I'm wondering about people's preferences, and why they choose to live in a particular region.

I live in Chiang Mai, so I voted N/A. I might do the reverse of this poll in the Chiang Mai forum.

[glanville63]

I've been there twice and found it deadly boring. Spent three days there each time. I live 20 km from Pattaya, about 20 minutes from the centre. I wouldn't want to live in Pattaya, it's too sleazey but if you want to go to the cinema, have a nice meal, do your shopping etc etc, it's all there. No, I can't see me moving to Chiang Mai.

[JoePai]

I've been there twice and found it deadly boring. Spent three days there each time. I live 20 km from Pattaya, about 20 minutes from the centre. I wouldn't want to live in Pattaya, it's too sleazey but if you want to go to the cinema, have a nice meal, do your shopping etc etc, it's all there. No, I can't see me moving to Chiang Mai.

Not sure which Chiang Mai you visited but I can tell you there are 2 multiplex cinemas (I like the Airport Plaza one), restaurants which are every bit as good as anything ytou could find in Pattaya and enough shopping opportunities that you could never exhaust in a life time !

Oh, and I live in Pattaya

[saengsureeya]

I live in Pattaya too, and if it wasn't for economical reasons I'd move up North.

[Michaelaway]

I live in Pattaya too, and if it wasn't for economical reasons I'd move up North.

Whoa. Many (a majority?) things are cheaper than Pattaya up North (ie: in Chiang Mai), aren't they? Rents and buying property being the primary examples...

[thaimate]

We visited for a holiday ,found it very nice but dont think i would live there.

[gmac]

I may move there eventually if Pattaya gets on top of me, but no immediate rush.

[machans88]

I moved from pattaya to jomtien,i just got a bit over the whole pattaya lifestyle.I really enjoy jomtien,but i think its still overpriced.

I am in chiang mai at the moment on a fact finding mission,so far so good.

The climate is cooler and the lifestyle is definitely more laid back here,i'm 43 with thai gf and i think if you were single and had no other interests other than bar and bgs then chiang mai is not the place for you.

If however you enjoy golf ,outdoors.funky little cafes and boutiques and realized the thai girls are smiling at you to be friendly and not sizing you up for a quick short time behind the dumpster, then chiang mai is worth a look

[Rumcabal]

I moved from pattaya to jomtien,i just got a bit over the whole pattaya lifestyle.I really enjoy jomtien,but i think its still overpriced.

I am in chiang mai at the moment on a fact finding mission,so far so good.

The climate is cooler and the lifestyle is definitely more laid back here,i'm 43 with thai gf and i think if you were single and had no other interests other than bar and bgs then chiang mai is not the place for you.

If however you enjoy golf ,outdoors.funky little cafes and boutiques and realized the thai girls are smiling at you to be friendly and not sizing you up for a quick short time behind the dumpster, then chiang mai is worth a look

I made the move up North a few months ago. I was not bored with Pattaya, I was more like 'numbed' from the scenes I witnessed daily. Decided it was best to get out.

It hasnt been the easiest move. There are many things about Pattaya that I found better/more convenient than Chiang Mai. Baht buses everywhere for one, same with motorbike taxi's for two, everywhere open 24-7 for three, proximity to airport for 4, being called the sexiest man on the planet for 5. But I'm slowly adjusting to the different lifestyle and pace of life here and I'm just about at the point now where I'd say I'm preferring Chiang Mai. Friendly locals, less yobs, less scams, far less chang swilling string vest wearin' old sexpats convinced they are the 'backbone of the Thai economy', nice restaurants, beautiful scenery. Yep I'm slowly coming around to Chiang Mai...

[timekeeper]

wouldn't go there

too red for me........

[Thaifan2]

I made the move from Jomtien to Chiang Mai over a year now .My belief is that Chiang Mai is better for living long term ,but Pattaya is still great for a holiday .

I now have a Thai wife and step daughter .If single i would go back to Pattaya to live again ( i still own 2 Condos down there ,and now a house in Chiang Mai .)..am trying to sell the Condos in Jomtien .

[fredob43]

I moved from pattaya to jomtien,i just got a bit over the whole pattaya lifestyle.I really enjoy jomtien,but i think its still overpriced.

I am in chiang mai at the moment on a fact finding mission,so far so good.

The climate is cooler and the lifestyle is definitely more laid back here,i'm 43 with thai gf and i think if you were single and had no other interests other than bar and bgs then chiang mai is not the place for you.

If however you enjoy golf ,outdoors.funky little cafes and boutiques and realized the thai girls are smiling at you to be friendly and not sizing you up for a quick short time behind the dumpster, then chiang mai is worth a look

I made the move up North a few months ago. I was not bored with Pattaya, I was more like 'numbed' from the scenes I witnessed daily. Decided it was best to get out.

It hasnt been the easiest move. There are many things about Pattaya that I found better/more convenient than Chiang Mai. Baht buses everywhere for one, same with motorbike taxi's for two, everywhere open 24-7 for three, proximity to airport for 4, being called the sexiest man on the planet for 5. But I'm slowly adjusting to the different lifestyle and pace of life here and I'm just about at the point now where I'd say I'm preferring Chiang Mai. Friendly locals, less yobs, less scams, far less chang swilling string vest wearin' old sexpats convinced they are the 'backbone of the Thai economy', nice restaurants, beautiful scenery. Yep I'm slowly coming around to Chiang Mai...

Agree with all you say left Pattaya 6 year's ago still go back there at time's. Go's more down hill every time. Tried C/M got to much for me after a while. Now left and found a place that suit's me better. Less Farang, traffic, Less night life (Lady bar one's) maybe just getting old. But still have the vest's with get it here on them. Not to mention the ear ring's. Oh + the stick on tattoo's. Take them with me when I go to Pattaya so I dont feel out of place. Leave them at home when I pop up to C/M though.

[RabC]

We visited for a holiday ,found it very nice but dont think i would live there.

Same thoughts but there wasn't an option on the poll for that.

[QED]

Been there 3 times and liked it, will visit again but no plans to live there.

My only complaint is that the baht buses are too small. We came late last year for the annual 10 a side rugby tournament, you can't fit a rugby team in 1 baht bus so I was invariably on the roof/ hanging off the back. 2nd night there when partcularly drunk I went flying off the back on a sharp bend and ended up in hospital with 6 stitches in the back of my head. Hospital staff were nice though

[Ulysses G.]

My belief is that Chiang Mai is better for living long term ,but Pattaya is still great for a holiday .

My feelings exactly.

[brabo2180]

Visited CM 4 times in the last 30 years, last time in 2010.

All attractions have become very "touristy" and expensive with farang and Thai entry prices.

I currently still live in Farangland but will be moving to Pattaya in a few years.

I plan to look for a bungalow on the "Dark Side".

[just_another_guy]

I lived in CM back in 2004 for nearly a year. Pretty spread out so you need transportation unless you live inside the waterway channel that surrounds a major part of the city.

It was cheaper than BKK or Pattaya or the major islands and the natives were still happy to do business with you and I never had snarling waitress or waiters or sales people.

Never was short changed and the life style is a lot more relaxed than Pattaya & Bkk.

A lot of greenery outside the city and a ring road that surrounds the city was seldom busy making it fairly easy to get from one end of the city to the other without driving through town but remember this was 6 years ago. I haven't been back since so it may have changed.

Pleasant memories with CM, but the yearly burning of the fields with(what seemed like 4 or 5 months)made the air quality unacceptable to me personally.

I have since moved back to the Pattaya area for another couple of years and then made my current choice of living in the bowels of Issan where I have resided for nearly three years.

One's happiness factor really depends on what environment you are comfortable in. And the only way you can properly judge that is actually spending a month or so in a new area.

But that is just my humble opinion having lived here in the Land Of Surprises.

[backfromouterspace]

Chiang Mai is a bit too bannock. Too many Thais there.

[PhilHarries]

I went there once back new year '95 and it was a nice change from Pattaya, very quiet, very clean and very very laid back. I always planned to go back but like many plans I never seemed to have the time for it. I lived on the "Dark Side" in Pattaya and that is about right, close enough to visit for an evening but far enough to make it an effort. I too lived in Pattaya for economic reasons, nothing to do with the price of things but my job was up the road near Sriracha.

If I ever return to Thailand I may give CM / CR a go as these days when I return to Pattaya a week is about enough then I'm happy to get in that cab to Camp Swampy.

btw if you think the traffic in Pattaya is manic try a weekend in TP Ho Chi Minh.

But the great thing about this place, VN, is that it is still Asian, not just a USA/European clone with sunshine.

[Michaelaway]

Chiang Mai is a bit too bannock. Too many Thais there.

Chiang Mai is a bit too bannock. Bannock- whatz that mean...?

Too many Thais there. Heard that one before; understand it, but... soooooooooo foolish!

Where (TF) do you live...?

[WaatWang]

OK so this may seem very lame but it's been my experience and you asked for opinions! I have gone to Chiang Mai two times in the last three years for a visit. I love it up there and we were seriously contemplating moving up there as it's cooler (temps), beautiful scenery, quieter, and would save us a lot of money. But as a farang woman, I find it difficult to find a western toilet when in public places. Maybe the locals can help me out with this and I was just going to the wrong places, but seems like even in the large shopping establishments (Big C, Tesco, etc) there are only "squatty potties" to be found. For men, I can imagine this is not as big a deal but it's enough of an annoyance for me that I decided Chiang Mai wasn't for me. I do still enjoy going there on holidays, though!

[jombom]

Chiang Mai is a bit too bannock. Too many Thais there.

Actually there are not that many Thais there. The people speak Lanna, the normal cuisine is Lanna, and the culture/music etc is largely Lanna. There are many ethnic minorities, such as the hill tribes and Chinese peoples.

Chiang Mai is ok to visit, but for me, it is too far from the sea, and the air quality at this time of the year can be very poor.

[raro]

interesting poll! Been there once, liked it for being more relaxed than Pattaya. Unfortunately nothing to get there for the business I am in and too far from the sea. Still, the Guitarman Pub would be a reason to move up.

[PattayaParent]

On my way back from there now.

Missus doesn't like Pattaya, she doesn't like Chiang Mai more.

[Thaifan2]

On my way back from there now.

Missus doesn't like Pattaya, she doesn't like Chiang Mai more.

Where does she like ?

[PattayaParent]

On my way back from there now.

Missus doesn't like Pattaya, she doesn't like Chiang Mai more.

Where does she like ?

Sukhothai