Tell Me About Living In Cm As A 20 Something Year Old.

[codysweet02]

Hey all,

I am 26 and just recently came over to Thailand from Chico in Northern California (mountains, not the beach). I've been in BKK for 2 weeks and was going to get an apartment here, but not so sure I really want to spend the next 4 months here. I am thinking (hoping) CM may be a better fit for me?

I practice Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and there is a gym in CM I can practice at so that is a big plus for me. Other than that, I am really looking for a good nightlife, but not the type I have found so far in BKK. I lived in a college town back home before I moved here, and am looking for that similar type of experience. Some good pubs and clubs which have lots of Thai girls in them, but that are not working girls. The gogo bars are all good and well, but I would much prefer being able to hit on Thai university girls as opposed to girls who just got off of work at Nana Plaza lol.

I'm really just looking for a place that I can settle down in for 3-4 months that isn't as crazy as BKK, meet some good friends who like to go out and have a good time, get a few drinks, and go chase some Thai Uni girls around and just have fun. This may sound shallow, but I am 26 and new to Thailand so try not to tear me apart here hah.

I *THINK* CM fits this from what I have read, but wanted to get an inside opinion. All input you can give is much appreciated.

[alfieconn]

Not many of that age in CM cs , now if you were asking about living in CM as a 60 or 70 something then your thread would be in and undated with replies .

But saying that i'm sure that there are a few of the 60 or 70 somethings who practice Jiu Jitsu

Edited March 13, 2011 by alfieconn

[pjclark1]

Other than that, I am really looking for a good nightlife, but not the type I have found so far in BKK. I lived in a college town back home before I moved here, and am looking for that similar type of experience. Some good pubs and clubs which have lots of Thai girls in them, but that are not working girls. The gogo bars are all good and well, but I would much prefer being able to hit on Thai university girls as opposed to girls who just got off of work at Nana Plaza lol.

A Condo in Santhitham road would suit you very well.

Outside the usual elderly white male comfort zone, but a very busy student area.

Nearby are many bars aimed at young Thais, Orchid, Share, Blossom, to name but a few.

They often have live rock groups in the evenings and beer is cheap, 3 large Chang classic for 140bht.

But

The bars have lots of female students working serving and pouring drinks (men don't pour drinks in Thai bars),

Thai male students tend to go out with other men and do serious drinking.

You will need to speak some Thai to interact with the girls.

The night life in CM is great if you speak a little Thai, but not so good for the typical elderly white monger with no game.

[Ulysses G.]

If you are young and handsome and do not speak Thai, you might not have to pay, but it is very unlikely that University girls are going to come on to you. Off-duty sex workers very well may, but they are not going to admit that that is what they do for a living, so be careful with your heart.

[newbie001]

There are plenty of 20 something year olds in CM. The majority of them are English teachers.

As stated before unless you speak Thai, you will only be able to date a certain type of woman. The ones that want to date/marry foreigners. That is what you should avoid. Even though they might not be professionals, they have an agenda.

Also the other problem is that you are only here for 4 months. Most women will not want just a short term relationship. The ones that do are pretty much as the above group.

I guess it is no different than guys coming here with yellow fever.

So if your goal is just to come here for a few months and use a few Thai college students for your pleasure, they will do the same to you. But they won't be the same type of woman that you will meet in your home country.

You can have a casual relationship with a woman back home and build into a fulfilling mutually giving relationship. Here the woman that will have casual relationships have an agenda. Take others advice and don't get saddled with some woman trying to improve her economic situation.

If you had planned on staying at least a year, I would suggest taking a few classes at the University and meeting a few women not in a bar pick up joint. Typically starting slow here is best for the good relationships. Most guys that I know dating or married to successful Thai women from middle class educated families usually had to date a while before getting too intimate.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

If you are young and handsome and do not speak Thai, you might not have to pay, but it is very unlikely that University girls are going to come on to you. Off-duty sex workers very well may, but they are not going to admit that that is what they do for a living, so be careful with your heart.

Only if you make the mistake of going to the sexpat bars where sad old retired folks dwell. I liked PJClark's reply on this one. I'd do Nimmanhaemin area if you have the money, but almost just as good (if not better) is indeed the Santitham area.

[Greenside]

Not many of that age in CM cs , now if you were asking about living in CM as a 60 or 70 something then your thread would be in and undated with replies .

But saying that i'm sure that there are a few of the 60 or 70 somethings who practice Jiu Jitsu

There are probably quite a few who chase Thai Uni girls around, though.

[ha55ha]

I'm 27 and lived here for almost 2 years now and I think CM is a great place for young people to live. Lots of cool hangout bars, decent clubs, nice uni girls etc etc. As people have said, it definitely helps if you can speak Thai if you want to meet some university girls

Check out the west side of town - Nimman Road, Santhitam, infront of CMU and behind CMU if you decide to stay. Lots of nice apartments around and plenty of things to do.

[Ulysses G.]

If you are young and handsome and do not speak Thai, you might not have to pay, but it is very unlikely that University girls are going to come on to you. Off-duty sex workers very well may, but they are not going to admit that that is what they do for a living, so be careful with your heart.

Only if you make the mistake of going to the sexpat bars where sad old retired folks dwell.

Off-duty sex workers often go into non-sexpat bars and other normal places when they are off-duty. There are a bunch of them that hang out at a certain health club in town with a swimming pool looking for naive victims.

[TacoBoy]

Stay in Bangkok, Pattaya, or Phuket if you are looking for nitelife and fun times to suit a 20 something year old. Especially if you want to compare Chico style to Thailand.

Chiang Mai is ok, but the night scene is nothing similar to Bangkok, Pattaya, or Phuket.

Face the facts, being a male you will always be expected to support a female. Especially in Thailand where working wages are low.

But then there is the "Cougar" scene.

An unfortunate truth is Thai college girls are into pretty thai boys. If you can't speak thai, then you are at a disadvantage meeting local college girls. Even the ones looking for foreigners.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

If you are young and handsome and do not speak Thai, you might not have to pay, but it is very unlikely that University girls are going to come on to you. Off-duty sex workers very well may, but they are not going to admit that that is what they do for a living, so be careful with your heart.

Only if you make the mistake of going to the sexpat bars where sad old retired folks dwell.

Off-duty sex workers often go into non-sexpat bars and other normal places when they are off-duty. There are a bunch of them that hang out at a certain health club in town with a swimming pool looking for naive victims.

Yes, though it tends to be very centered in the downtown area, places like Hot Shot, Fabrique, Mandalay, Spicy and perhaps some pubs in the downtown and riverside area. Once you get to Santitham it'd be a freak exception to meet an off-duty Loi Kroh girl. (Not that this would be the end of the world, mind. )

[jdinasia]

I think a 20-something will find Chiang Mai to be quite different than a 50+ something. Life and times in Thailand are changing and those of us that have been around many years if not many decades will have had different experiences than those that show up today.

To the OP --- honestly if you can't find what you are looking for in BKK, then you probably won't find it in CNX. If you are in BKK and situate yourself near RU etc .. you will get everything you could get up here with more options particularly when it comes to night-life.

What you can't get in BKK that you can get here, is the ability to be in or out of the expat-nightlife scene in 15 minutes. I can be on my bike and into the ThaPae rd/Loi Kroh Rd area in 10 minutes. Santitham?-- 10 mins, Nimanheyman-- 10 mins, Central Airport Mall -- that's further ... 15 mins. Railway station 15 mins (where a MMA gym is)

In other words ...Chiang Mai is a city --- but it is still a relatively small city.

[TacoBoy]

Spicy and the bunch are nothing more than pint sized versions of Tharmae coffee shop pick up joint in Bangkok.

Like a sardine squashed into a small tin. Chiang Mai has nothing to compare to BKK, Pattaya, and Phuket in the way of nitelife.

If you really want to meet real local girls, you will need to go to home town (country) Thailand and go to the Disco scenes there.

Otherwise, best to stick with BKK, Pattaya, and Phuket

Edited March 13, 2011 by TacoBoy

[Ulysses G.]

Yes, though it tends to be very centered in the downtown area, places like Hot Shot, Fabrique, Mandalay, Spicy and perhaps some pubs in the downtown and riverside area. Once you get to Santitham it'd be a freak exception to meet an off-duty Loi Kroh girl. (Not that this would be the end of the world, mind. )

How about an off-duty Pandora girl, a karaoke girl, an escort girl or a Saiyuri girl? They tend to move in different circles.

[Mestizo]

If you are young and handsome and do not speak Thai, you might not have to pay, but it is very unlikely that University girls are going to come on to you. Off-duty sex workers very well may, but they are not going to admit that that is what they do for a living, so be careful with your heart.

Ugh. This worn out old sexpat line is such a B.S cop-out. I am middle-aged, fat, ugly, and speak only a tiny bit of Thai, yet I still meet normal uni girls and have a good time when I hang out in Santitham areas. Using that line paints all Thai girls as superficial and materialistic, which is not normally the case outside of the P2P scene. Thai girls are the same as girls the world over. If you are decent guy, who can make a girl laugh, and treat her right, then alot of times the girls can look past the rough exterior and empty pockets. I think PJClark said it best with "The night life in CM is great if you speak a little Thai, but not so good for the typical elderly white monger with no game". The people that say things like this just lack any sort of game and are unwilling to accept their own faults/ character flaws.

To the OP: You'll never really know if you will enjoy Chiang Mai until you try. I would recommend hopping on a plane, train, or bus and come visit for a long weekend. Spend some time exploring around town during the day and then spend the evenings bar hopping. To get a good overall sampling of night life, I would recommend the following:

Upscale'ish Night Clubs: Monkey Club and Warm Up on Nieman

More laid back Thai places: Time Bar and Oxide Pub in Santitam

Younger local expat places: Cafe Del Sol, North Gate, and the Reggae Soi

Live Music with good mix of both farangs and Thais: Riverside

This obviously is by no means a comprehensive list, but in any given weekend (Friday and Saturday night) you should be able to visit most of those places and come way with a good opinion of what Chiang Mai has to offer night life wise. As far as girls go, if you don't have problems meeting them back home, then with a bit of effort, you wont have trouble here either.

Hope this helps,

-Mestizo

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Yes, though it tends to be very centered in the downtown area, places like Hot Shot, Fabrique, Mandalay, Spicy and perhaps some pubs in the downtown and riverside area. Once you get to Santitham it'd be a freak exception to meet an off-duty Loi Kroh girl. (Not that this would be the end of the world, mind. )

How about an off-duty Pandora girl, a karaoke girl, an escort girl or a Saiyuri girl? They tend to move in different circles.

Oh, right, of course. But that's the same all over Thailand, and not really a reason not to venture outside of the tourist scene. Lot's of young office workers about as well, who will have some more money and confidence compared to student-age people.

[Ulysses G.]

Ugh. This worn out old sexpat line is such a B.S cop-out.

How long have you lived here? That makes a big difference.

Do you really think a newbie will waltz in and immediately start meeting nice University students? I have met pretty much no one that has been able to do that without a lot of experience in Thailand.

[jdinasia]

Ugh. This worn out old sexpat line is such a B.S cop-out.

How long have you lived here? That makes a big difference.

Do you really think a newbie will waltz in and immediately start meeting nice University students? I have met pretty much no one that has been able to do that without a lot of experience in Thailand.

I have 2 employees that both do well (one is 36 but looks 28- and the other is 29.) One is VERY new to Thailand and the other has spent over a year here.

Then again they don't hang in the Tha Pae/tourist area at all, and both are friendly and have decent smiles. I moved here 8 years ago and at the advanced age of 39 and did well Times, they are a changin'.

[rakchaingmai]

I came here as a 24 year old and life was good back then (and still is)i stayed out of the tourist areas and liked santitam alot got to know a few girls there(time) and they are always friendly to me and still are.

I also like fine thanks (canel road)once a month if i got some money or the restaurant nong fluke is also good for finding nice normal thai girls .

Bar 51 in jed yod.

Been here since i was 24 and am now 31 married with a kid .

Had lots of friends come visit me and they also loved chiang mai so there is plenty to do here but if you are looking for a short fix of craziness then you are better off some where else but if you want to go not to crazy and also chill out the rest of the time then chiang mai can be the perfect place for you.

[boney]

Highly recommend Warm up. You can also try Hotshotts that has some good western and Thai live music and with some good disco during intervals. But thats more of a pick up joint when the bars in loi kroh close as is Spicy.

Another recommendation is The living room, near Spicy, nice and relaxed and you may hit there with some uni girls or some working girls but also has some tourist girls that go there.

There is the diplomat that is totally thai but you may be lucky.

Everyone has already remarked on a lot of good places and venues

Good luck.

[jackers]

Hmm well from what I've learned in being less well off countries, is that a number of the natives see foreigners as rich, no matter what that person earns in their home country. So I would say that's something to bear in mind before hand.

[pjclark1]

Highly recommend Warm up. You can also try Hotshotts that has some good western and Thai live music and with some good disco during intervals. But thats more of a pick up joint when the bars in loi kroh close as is Spicy.

No pros from Loi Kroh in Hotshots

1) Hotshots finishes at 2 am

2) Loi kroh finishes at 2 am

Unless a LK girl is in Hotshots with her 'bar fine', she won't be there.

Plenty of regular girls in hotshots plus a few freelancers

On the other hand, only Thai pros are in Spicey.

I'm was always surprised that young white girls went to Spicey, they can't know what the Thai girls (and a few Russians) are up to, or maybe they don't care!

[Mestizo]

Ugh. This worn out old sexpat line is such a B.S cop-out.

How long have you lived here? That makes a big difference.

Do you really think a newbie will waltz in and immediately start meeting nice University students? I have met pretty much no one that has been able to do that without a lot of experience in Thailand.

3 years, but that is really irrelevant. I've been going there since about the time I moved here. Made some really good close Thai friends and they introduce me to these places.

-Mestizo

[Mestizo]

I came here as a 24 year old and life was good back then (and still is)i stayed out of the tourist areas and liked santitam alot got to know a few girls there(time) and they are always friendly to me and still are.

I also like fine thanks (canel road)once a month if i got some money or the restaurant nong fluke is also good for finding nice normal thai girls .

Bar 51 in jed yod.

Been here since i was 24 and am now 31 married with a kid .

Had lots of friends come visit me and they also loved chiang mai so there is plenty to do here but if you are looking for a short fix of craziness then you are better off some where else but if you want to go not to crazy and also chill out the rest of the time then chiang mai can be the perfect place for you.

Ah yeah, I like your style. All those places are really good times. The "Nong Fluke" place you mention, I think I heard it as "Wan Fuk"... Good spot. Not sure how long its been since you went to Time Bar, but its moved locations across the street and hugely expanded. Way better than it was a year or two ago. The band that plays in Bar 51 is really good too.

The great thing about Chiang Mai, is that if you look hard enough, you can still find a fair bit of craziness. And when you really get the itch, BKK is only a short flight or overnight train away.

-Mestizo

[Semper]

OP, many of the replies are from people 20 or 30 years older than yourself.

Including this one.

Edited March 13, 2011 by Semper

[mcgriffith]

Hey codysweet02,

Come on up, check it out!

More than half of the replies seem to be framed though the experience and outlook of the old guys on the forum (of which I am one).

I have a few friends, young dudes in their 20's 30's who have a great time on the party scene.

They go to places like Warm Up, Monkey Club and Fine Thanks and hook up all the time.

Out on the west end, past Santitham, nearer to CMU....lots of reasonable apartments for rent, student night markets, etc. It's a pretty vibrant student night life scene in my neighborhood near CMU (I don't participate, I just hear it every night through my windows).

BTW, my mother lives in Chico, CA on E. 8th St. next to Bidwell Park. My 26 yr old son is itching to come here, but I told him to stay in school a bit longer.

Because once he comes here...it's all over. He'll never go back....

Welcome to the forum, and best of luck to you!

[blakegeee]

Im 29, lived here nearly 6 years, and I prefer Chiang Mai over any other place in Thailand. True, its not the craziest place for a party but it has a good selection of scenes and it doesn't take too long to get the hang of it. Depending where you go, places can range from the feeling of a small village type pub to a Unni neighbourhood club. Best yet, just come up here for a week and see how you like it! These are lots of old dudes around for sure but you'll meet younger people too, and find that a lot of the old guys are cool as well.

Oh ya, as far as the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, I highly recommend Bryan at Golden Triangle IMA

Jiu Jitsu in Chiang Mai

Edited March 13, 2011 by blakegeee

[rakchaingmai]

I came here as a 24 year old and life was good back then (and still is)i stayed out of the tourist areas and liked santitam alot got to know a few girls there(time) and they are always friendly to me and still are.

I also like fine thanks (canel road)once a month if i got some money or the restaurant nong fluke is also good for finding nice normal thai girls .

Bar 51 in jed yod.

Been here since i was 24 and am now 31 married with a kid .

Had lots of friends come visit me and they also loved chiang mai so there is plenty to do here but if you are looking for a short fix of craziness then you are better off some where else but if you want to go not to crazy and also chill out the rest of the time then chiang mai can be the perfect place for you.

Ah yeah, I like your style. All those places are really good times. The "Nong Fluke" place you mention, I think I heard it as "Wan Fuk"... Good spot. Not sure how long its been since you went to Time Bar, but its moved locations across the street and hugely expanded. Way better than it was a year or two ago. The band that plays in Bar 51 is really good too.

The great thing about Chiang Mai, is that if you look hard enough, you can still find a fair bit of craziness. And when you really get the itch, BKK is only a short flight or overnight train away.

-Mestizo

I went to Time bar last week .

hope my wife don't read this 555.

[Diablo Bob]

These are lots of old dudes around for sure but you'll meet younger people too, and find that a lot of the old guys are cool as well.

Oh ya, as far as the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, I highly recommend Bryan at Golden Triangle IMA

Jiu Jitsu in Chiang Mai

We might be "OLD", but we aren't dead! :jap: You would probably be surprised to find out some of the crap we did in our younger days, things that you would go to jail for in this politically correct era.

[CheGuava]

We might be "OLD", but we aren't dead! :jap: You would probably be surprised to find out some of the crap we did in our younger days, things that you would go to jail for in this politically correct era.

Those years are long gone. Get yourself in jail RIGHT NOW and I'll issue some respect!

Edited March 14, 2011 by CheGuava