Does anyone know if there is a community of Japanese in Chiang Mai that would be good for an older retired Japanese couple? Just looking for a quiet place to retire. Or any other part of Thailand with a quiet Japanese community? (not BKK or Pataya or Phuket)

Thanks for any info

Come on guys and gals. Does no one here know anything about the Japanese communities or moo bahns in the CNX area?

Admitedly I knew nothing about it when I was there, except to know there was a consulate. It is a bigger community than I thought. Here is a bit from a search that I just did.

"The Japanese Community is amongst the largest foreign communities in the north with over 1,800 Japanese residents."

http://www.chiangmai-mail.com/083/features.shtml

Maybe Thaivisa is not the right place to ask. I am sure if you or your friend Googled for Japanese web forums about Thailand and posted the same question in Japanese, that might work.

There are Japanese folk living at Hillside Condo on Huay Kaew Road. I have seen them in the restaurant on the ground floor. I will make some enquiries.

Mark

I would have to venture a guess that there are no Japanese 'ghettos' here and they are distributed throughout Chiangmai like the rest of us expats. My wife's sister, who lives one soi away, has a Japanese boyfriend I will ask him though I don't think he ever goes out much. Sits at the computer all day like me.

A few links you might look through. Japanese restaurants would be a good source of information.

http://www.chiangmai-online.com/japanese.html

http://www.sushi.infogate.de/rest/as_thailand_chiangmai.htm

http://www.gmorning.info/Features_Japanese_consulate.htm

Thanks all for your helpful replies thus far.

I hope to find out what areas or moo baans there are where retired Japanese tend to cluster. Especially outside of the downtown area where it might be a bit more quiet and not so pricey.

My friend will also do some Japanese searches.

Thanks again.

seeker

You might want to give Steve Kramer a call at 01-952-7378. His wife is Japanese and she supposedly does a newsletter for the Japanese community in Chiang Mai.

There are some Japanese people around Mae Jo / San Sai, mostly in the new moo baans. The newly opened Ruam Chok branch of Rimping market carries Japanese items. The community seems to be very small compared to Bangkok.

Cheers, X-Pat

I have several retired Japanese friends around CM. We play Mahjongg regularly. I would be only too happy to put your friends in contact with solid members of the community.

Thanks Ajarn for Steve's #. I had a nice chat with him earlier.

It seems that most of the Japanese folks tend to cluster in the various condo complexes and unless you live in them, you might not see them much. They tend to cloister themselves somewhat and stay close to home as the vast majority speak neither Thai nor English. Apparently there will soon be some new condo complexes east of the Ping geared mainly toward the needs of the growing retired Japanese community.

Thanks p1p. I will contact you when this gets closer to happening.

Thanks again to all for the so typically helpful posts from the CM forum!

I have to admit I was proven wrong - and in a good way.

I have to admit I was proven wrong - and in a good way.

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We definitely have a great group here. Friendliest and most helpful forum on Thaivisa and probably in all the world (well, all that I have seen so far).

Does anyone know if there is a community of Japanese in Chiang Mai that would be good for an older retired Japanese couple?  Just looking for a quiet place to retire.  Or any other part of Thailand with a quiet Japanese community?  (not BKK or Pataya or Phuket)

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I know of one nursing/retirement home (they call it serviced apartment though) for Japanese eldery in Bangkok on west Narathiwat Rd. near MAKRO about 15 minutes walk from BTS Chognonsri station. There's a Japanese restaurant, Japanese library, sauna, swimming pool, rehabilitation room and they have Japanese speaking staffs and nurses stationed there 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

http://www.riei.co.jp/riei-thailand/index.html (in Japanese)

Chiang Mai seems to be a popular destination for Japanese retirees seeking cheap retirement life. There are quite a few books on this available in Japanese book stores (in Bangkok) and as Ajahn mentioned, there's more than one free paper available for circulation particularly among Japanese community in CM. I don't know if there's any gated community for Japanese there yet though (although I've heard of a plan to build such Moo Baan at various locations in Thailand).