Comparison Cm & Cr

[LawrenceChee]

Mates

I have been living for vacations 4 mths In a year in Thailand in a planned eventual retirement here long term

Been mostly at CM an passing through CR when I go for the usual visa runs

What am I missing in CR...for those staying here long term is it much better than CM

I am an easy going lad..as long as there is a small mall with McD , Tesco. Or the likes and a local market where I can walk to I am mostly happy

Is it significantly cheaper here in CR

Thanks and appreciate the comment

[pomchop]

OK having just spent last five days in CM but live in CR here are a few of MY observations and opinions that may or may not agree with others..

1. CM lot more traffic. It can be very dangerous and not very pleasant just trying to walk across the road especially near the old city...lot of very narrow little lanes everywhere that are nice to walk down but not so nice when motorbikes and cars are also trying to pass. Driving in CM much more stressful and hassles than CR.

2. CM a LOT more tourists everywhere and businesses that cater to tourists. Guesthouses, hotels, etc in abundance all around the old city area. Very cheap rates promoted and fairly easy to find decent room for 400 baht or less with a/c, tv, wifi, etc. Lot of more upscale hotels with big signs promoting sub 1000 baht room rates. Not sure re long term apt or house rental rates but i would guess approx same as chiang rai or maybe slightly more in CM.

3. Way more bars, bar girls, massage places, hello handsome man, motorbike rentals, touts, etc. in CM than CR.

4. Much bigger selection of farang friendly restaurants in CM and some incredibly good and incredibly cheap....lots of bars with 50 baht beers and 50 baht meals.

5. Confusing CM songtaeow system but lots and lots of various routes that i suppose can get you most anywhere if you can figure it out. As best as i could figure out the min fare seems to be 20 baht. Also lots of tuk tuks that seemed to charge fairly high prices at least to farangs but that seems fairly normal for tuk tuks many places..

6. Overall i found the people of CM to be very friendly and helpful especially the regular everyday non tourist business thais. and especially if you speak or try to speak at least a little thai.

7. CM airport, bus and train station offer more transport options than CR for sure. Green Bus runs a nice service from CM bus station. Overnight trains offer decent alternative to flying but seem to be consistently late....and I did learn that the green bus vip service from CM to CR goes first to the new bus station BUT then continues on to the OLD bus station...of course most tourists would prefer the OLD bus station but many don't seem to know that they can stay on the bus for few more minutes so they get off at the new station and then have to take songtaoew to the old station...not sure if all green buses do this or just the vip bus?

Overall CM is just a much bigger city that certainly has way more tourists and tourists related business than CR....the selection is larger in CM but along with the "bigger" seems to come much more traffic, more dependence on tourists money than CR and maybe farangs not quite as "alien" as we can sometimes be in CR..

[brianmarinus]

Compare CM and CR wood be like comparing night and day,I think.

CM is a big city, and living there, must be like in every other big cities-alot of everything, and a busy life for most people+alot of tourist around all the time.

CR is a small city, and everything is very down to earth, and easy going-no stress here-unless you really want it.

Prices are going up here to,but still ( I think) we are alot cheaper then CM,Bangkok and other big cities-for how long it last,as CR Province,is still the fastest growing Province in Thailand-I dont think it become bigger in size,but they build all ower the province-name it,and they build it, somewhere in this province.

I for sure,would never choose CM-and if you are easy going,as you told,I think CR must be the right place for you.

Just my opinion!

[Paul888]

I think pomchop has summed up Chiang Mai pretty well, and as for Chiang Rai, have just bumped the "good things" topic back to the first page.

No better place to start.

[LawrenceChee]

Thanks ! Will explore the place and stay a little longer to discover the charms

[maidu]

Some of the big shots in C.Rai want it to become more like C.Mai. Too bad. Chiang Rai, to me, is getting more congested, and suburbs and housing estates are popping up like mushrooms after the rain, but it's still better than C.Mai for a variety of reasons, not least; friendlier people.

I wouldn't mind if C.Rai city planners (is that an oxymoron?) would sit down with a map of the city, and do a better street plan for traffic flow, instead of making so many one-way streets. Better than that, a group of outsiders doing the revamp.

C.Mai has more restaurants and varieties of cuisine. Tons more girlie bars. More places to buy decent yogurt. Don't swim in the canals though, unless you have a death wish.

I once saw, up close, a C.Mai vendor grab a lily white fat farang woman's arm and start screaming at her. He kept shouting 'you stole this watch. I call police. You go jail!' Her trembling husband immediately started forking over 1,000 baht bills. When the wallet was empty, the vendor let go of the woman's arm. When the farang couple were five meters away, the vendor grinned and chuckled with his buddies.

[Thighlander]

way too much EuroTrash in CM. The excess of tourists has actually worked in the farangs favor though. Beer promotions galore. Lots of good dentists advertising, also. Possibly better noodle shops in CR, but overall some of the best food deals in Thailand are in CM.

I think CM is a good place to find a non-prosi thai lady, because in the smaller cities only prossies would be seen with a farang.

Edited July 29, 2012 by Thighlander

[MilesCh]

My opinion to sum it up: CR is like CM 20 years ago. Although I must admit I've only been to CR 4 times in the past several years, 3 of those trips were by long tail boat from Thatong -- generally taking a 2-day trip stopping in a small village overnight. Have always stayed at the same hotel in CR, walking distance from the river and very nice and very comfortable, called the Moon & Sun Hotel and the owner/mgr is Kitty. Two blocks behind it is a very nice nightclub named Cabbages & Condoms whose profits are 100% donated to fighting aids and they give out free condoms. A block down the street from C&C is another night club, open air Thai style, also quite nice. The market has decemt Thai evening entertainment until about 2300. It appears that the population is almost 100% from Chiang Rai, not as in CM which has changed to being from all over Thailand - where even the rodang (red truck) drivers can't find their way around. Two weeks ago one driver picked me up and proceeded in the correct general direction and eventually stopped and asked another rodang driver where to go. The 2nd rodang driver had to ask a tuktuk. So I simply got out and found another rodang who knew where to go to this major intersection which I pronounced in semi-decent farang Thai.

[villagefarang]

Last time I looked we had a nice little mall with a McD and other assorted junk food outlets. Lots of local markets as well but I would suggest having alternative means of transportation to just walking. Passing through and living somewhere are very different. Unless you actually give it a try you won't know and we can't tell you.

[mania]

We have only spent a day in Chiang Rai but it was very nice.

Will have to try & get there & stay for a few days & have a better look around.

We live in Chiang Mai & like it but less hustle & bustle would be ok with us

in the long run now that we live here full time.

[TommoPhysicist]

To add to the existing comments.

I found the Thai food quality in CR generally very poor. Very low quality meat used everywhere I tried.

(I've not had the same problem in CM)

Edited July 31, 2012 by TommoPhysicist

[LawrenceChee]

Thanks for the advice I wi definitely swing up and stay for a week or two and get a feel

[villagefarang]

In case you missed this from the Two Days and Two Nights Topic, here are a few images of Chiang Rai.

There is so much to see and do, it is difficult to know where to begin. Here is a tiny selection of images.

White Temple

Doi Mae Salong

Elephant Camp

Black Village

Doi Tung

Central Plaza

Doy Din Dang

Chivit Thamma Da

Mekong River

Hot Springs

[woralak]

In case you missed this from the Two Days and Two Nights Topic, here are a few images of Chiang Rai.

There is so much to see and do, it is difficult to know where to begin. Here is a tiny selection of images.

White Temple

Doi Mae Salong

Elephant Camp

Black Village

Doi Tung

Central Plaza

Doy Din Dang

Chivit Thamma Da

Mekong River

Hot Springs

Top notch pics VF, sometimes ya just gotta give credit where it's due.

[Paul888]

I think CM is a good place to find a non-prosi thai lady, because in the smaller cities only prossies would be seen with a farang.

<deleted>? Am I the only person here who actually reads posts?

Chiang Rai is a smaller city, so.......... what exactly are you trying to say here Thighlander?

[Thighlander]

I think CM is a good place to find a non-prosi thai lady, because in the smaller cities only prossies would be seen with a farang.

<deleted>? Am I the only person here who actually reads posts?

Chiang Rai is a smaller city, so.......... what exactly are you trying to say here Thighlander?

For those of us, who like to go out with thai girls, who aren't in the "bar business" it is pretty difficult in the smaller towns. After all, a proper thai woman does not date a farang. However, CM is so inundated with farangs, that it is a lot easier to land a date with a nurse or teacher.

[skybluestu]

I think CM is a good place to find a non-prosi thai lady, because in the smaller cities only prossies would be seen with a farang.

<deleted>? Am I the only person here who actually reads posts?

Chiang Rai is a smaller city, so.......... what exactly are you trying to say here Thighlander?

For those of us, who like to go out with thai girls, who aren't in the "bar business" it is pretty difficult in the smaller towns. After all, a proper thai woman does not date a farang. However, CM is so inundated with farangs, that it is a lot easier to land a date with a nurse or teacher.

And this pearl of wisdom is based on experience or hearsay or.....?

[jubby]

Classic ....... A pearl even ...... Wisdom ? ........ better check again that my wife doesn't have a Ball sack and is indeed a proper Thai woman.