Chiang Mai Vs. Bangkok?

[retiredaamt]

Wow. Thanks again. Lots of good info. A few more questions just out of curiosity at this time. Is there a bowling alley in Chiang Mai? How about a place nearby to go fishing? What's the trip to Bangkok by train like?

Thanks Again.

Mike and Somsri.

There is a bowling alley accross moat from Chiang Mai Ram Hospital. There may be more but that is the only one I have seen. We have the Ping River that run through Chiang Mai. Not sure how successful the fishermen are but I see alot of Thai's fishing there. It is a muddy river and not sure about the cleanliness of it. Trips to Bangkok will take you approx. 12 hours. You can take the morning trip and see the country side or there is a night train with sleepers. The train is noisy, and slow. The path is through the mountians and and the tracks are not the best in the world. My wife and I have taken the trip many times with no problems. You will probably want to bring your own food on the trip. Hope this helps. Just ask and I will try to get the answers.

[CMSteve]

Wow. Thanks again. Lots of good info. A few more questions just out of curiosity at this time. Is there a bowling alley in Chiang Mai?

There are two.

***Only 1 at the moment. Bully Bowl in KSK is open. The other (Lanna Bowl) on Jiang Hua Lin is closed for renovations

How about a place nearby to go fishing?

Have.

What's the trip to Bangkok by train like?

Lengthy.

***Averaging about 3 hours late from the scheduled times. Approx 16hrs.

[skills32]

That is true. I don't see all the negativity from real live people that is expressed on the Internet.

That is because we have better things to do with our life.

[MALJR]

Has anyone driven from Chiang Mia to Bangkok? How long is the drive? Anything interesting along the way?

[KRS1]

Has anyone driven from Chiang Mia to Bangkok? How long is the drive? Anything interesting along the way?

7.5 hours...going through the mountains is nice, after that the view is pretty boring.

In ayuddhya theres a temple where theres so many fish at the pier its quite a sight to see, other than that, meh...Maybe a few dams along the way and caves if you are into that, with the occasional hot spring that pops up now and then.

i think you'd prefer retiring in Chiang Mai, BKK is just to go out and party what ever age you are...BKK is also better for work, work options for foreigners in CNX is very bleak and low paying.

[Ricardo]

Wow. Thanks again. Lots of good info. A few more questions just out of curiosity at this time. Is there a bowling alley in Chiang Mai? How about a place nearby to go fishing? What's the trip to Bangkok by train like?

Thanks Again.

Mike and Somsri.

There is a bowling alley accross moat from Chiang Mai Ram Hospital. There may be more but that is the only one I have seen.

<snip>

The other one is Bully-Bowl, top-floor of Central Kad-Suan-Kaew.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

And the old UFO Bowling in Nong Hoy has also been closed for some time.

[Gladiator]

Has anyone driven from Chiang Mia to Bangkok? How long is the drive? Anything interesting along the way?

As per KRS1... about 8 hours depending how fast or slow that you drive and how many stops that you make.

A couple of things. On the whole the road is in quite good condition but stay sharp between Nakhon Sawan and Tak as the road is in poor condition, has been for a long while and not doubt will be for some time.

I tend to fuel up at PTT stations both for the use of the 7-11 and the western toilet facility. It is designated as for those who have a disability, which i genuinely do have, but I am sure that no one would mind otherwise.

Others, I am sure will indicate places of interest, but if driving north look out for Ghost Mountain = 50 KM,s north of Nakhon Sawan on the way to Kampaeng Phet. It is indeed a strange an wonderful geological sight. rising right out of the blue in the middle of what can only be called a plain.

Good luck

[inthepink]

Positives:

CM doesnt have a Nana place (off to a contraversial start)

CM doesnt have the disgusting Morchit bus station

CM is infinately easier on the budget

CM has great access to equally as many interesting places as Bkk

beer is dangerously cheap

always someone on the forums able to help with anything problem you have from food to ear wax removal

its green, water around,mountain ranges, waterfalls, gardens

negatives;

CM doesnt have a skytrain

CM has an unnecessarily long songran

CM has severe air pollutants in the new year

CM has farang conflicts between expats and backpackers

not as easy to run away or hide from a clingy girl

a pain to have to fly to bkk to get home

its black, urban, high rise, polluted, hi so and expensive.

my bote CM

I can't say that I've found the price of beer any cheaper in CM than it is in comparable bars and shops in Bangkok. And what's all this about conflicts between expats and backpackers? I haven't come across that - are you joking or making a serious point?

[LarryBird]

If you enjoy peace and quite, isolation, social scene and nightlife virtually zilch, other farangs that wouldn’t give you the time of day if passing, nice smiling polite Thai people, heavy pollution, low crime rates, crap Internet and low cost of living, than you’re love it here in Chiang Mai.

Medical facilities are reasonable, but obviously there are a lot less options here than in Bangkok.

This about sums it all up and I’ll leave it up to you to sift through the good, the bad and the ugly from my list.

ding ding ding ding.. --- my internet's pretty good, though!

[MALJR]

Again thanks to all for some most useful information. The only real worry I see is the pollution during the month of March.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Again thanks to all for some most useful information. The only real worry I see is the pollution during the month of March.

Yes; it's best to take a holiday actually that time of year.

[keo]

Stickman summed it up quite well in his latest blog post about Chiang Mai...

If you're looking for a truly international city with the hustle, bustle and excitement of a modern Asian metropolis on the move, world class dining options, every type of nightlife option imaginable, fantastic shopping and a big, diverse expat population, Bangkok fits the bill. If you're looking for a quiet but convenient life, a more natural environment, the chance to easily escape into the countryside and a low cost of living, Chiang Mai might just be for you.

http://www.stickmanbangkok.com/StickmanWeeklyColumn2012/Moving-to-Chiang-Mai.htm

[MALJR]

Stickman summed it up quite well in his latest blog post about Chiang Mai...

If you're looking for a truly international city with the hustle, bustle and excitement of a modern Asian metropolis on the move, world class dining options, every type of nightlife option imaginable, fantastic shopping and a big, diverse expat population, Bangkok fits the bill. If you're looking for a quiet but convenient life, a more natural environment, the chance to easily escape into the countryside and a low cost of living, Chiang Mai might just be for you.

http://www.stickmanb...-Chiang-Mai.htm

LOL..... Well that didn't help much. Just made me wish Chiang Mai was closer to Bangkok.

[anselpixel]

If you enjoy getting out at night and walking shoulder to shoulder with several thousand people you'll never see again, Bangkok is the place to be.

If the intimacy puts you off, you can flag down a ridiculously inexpensive taxi and sit unmoving in traffic for a couple of hours. When that gets old, you can rejoin the several thousand people hoofing it to the nearest Skytrain stop.

Chiang Mai is a lovely place to retire. Hop on a plane and in one hour you can be in Bangkok when the mood strikes. Easy, and inexpensive.

Also, regarding the really nasty air: that's all too true, but many expats save a bit aside and spend a month down south at the beach during that time.

Edited August 7, 2012 by anselpixel