Where To Live And Smoke

[alanphuket]

Hi,

As this is my first post please forgive me if these questions have already been answered. I'm seriously thinking of moving from Phuket to C.M. Where are the best areas to live ? As each may have theire own view perhaps I should ask where are the areas I should avoid ?. Secondly I've been told that for 4-5 months every year smoke from burning vegetation is a real problem. Is this true ? I'll be renting a house long term - any suggestions on rental companies. TIA Alan

[kaptainrob]

We recently made the same move and spent 3 months renting a FF new apartment in the city ... was so comfortable and central to everything we were reluctant to leave.

Took us all of 3 months to find our preferred long-term rental house and got to know CM like the back of my hand.

What seem important criteria to you may be totally opposite to ours which included: quiet, leafy, central, handy to major shops, garden ... etc.

[Sparkles]

As Rob recounts rent first, get to know the area, and then make a decision.Smoke is a problem for a couple of months no denying that .affects some people more than others.We are in Hang Dong, south of the city, and don't find it a major problem.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Secondly I've been told that for 4-5 months every year

That's incorrect. 4-5 weeks I can believe. Personally I would say about 3 weeks, but everyone will perceive it differently so that's why you get told varying lengths of time.

Only way to find out if and how much it affects you is being here in March. Or you can debate the statistics (there are detailed measurements going back a decade) and health effects until the cows come home.

Personally I think March is a really good month for a holiday by the sea, or in some other part of the world. Coincides with Thai school holidays too.

[CMweb]

You should first short term rent and then decide the place you like, have a look thru our rental options

http://www.buyrentchiangmai.com

[barefoot1988]

are you coming with a family and do you have a vehicle with you? 4-5 months on the smoke part is really a exaggeration, im staying around the old city the smoke are all gone within a month

[CMX]

That 3-4 months notion had to have been related to heat, not smoke. It is true that in the hot season there is a haze everywhere, but not one that relates to smoke, as is the case around March.

Using the search function of our forum will bring you quite a bit of information and many opinions about housing options, but as is true of most opinions above, I hold with the idea of living here in a temporary lodging and finding your own preferences with regard to a place to settle in.

[lizardtongue]

Smoke is/can last a couple of months the pollution however is all year!

[LawrenceChee]

A few weeks in march mate max and i am usually out if it's really bad ...so take Winnie suggestion head back to the beach or jump to a nearby place if it really affects u

Unless u have serious medical condition it's unpleasant but not unbearable for 3-4 weeks

I like the hang dong area best after moving to different places it's quiet and near to everything with the highways the drive is great

[Mapguy]

At first, OP, I thought you meant smoking tobacco! SIlly me! Most of that nastiness has now significantly diminished. A rather remarkable social change, really! Much less luck, for many reasons, on seasonal burning of land.

Here is the most recent comprehensive local discussion thread of the seasonal (basically mid-February through mid-April) air pollution problem.

PM<10 air pollution ( presently the really significant problem) is never healthy in the short or long term, but the severity from year to year varies in intensity and duration. The year 2011 was remarkably clear. It was not really close to the norm. Last year, there were an number of really dangerous days, as you will read. All that does not consider ongoing pollution, particularly from increasing vehicular traffic.

Where to live in the Chiang Mai area relative to the pollution ? I think the fairest answer is that it is fairly pervasive ( principally for topographical reasons), but local circumstances understandably vary. if you are to the immediate leeward side of burning rice paddies or are unfortunate enough to live next to trash and scrub-burning neighbors, then you could suffer greatly. Of course idling in traffic in back of belching song tao or trucks is an experience to endure all year long.

Going to the beach during the "season" is not a bad idea for rich independent people of some means. But it is really unfortunate that people who work here, have children in school here --- or are just poor --- must suffer. And many do.

[hellodolly]

At first, OP, I thought you meant smoking tobacco! SIlly me! Most of that nastiness has now significantly diminished. A rather remarkable social change, really! Much less luck, for many reasons, on seasonal burning of land.

Here is the most recent comprehensive local discussion thread of the seasonal (basically mid-February through mid-April) air pollution problem.

http://www.thaivisa....012-chiang-mai/

PM<10 air pollution ( presently the really significant problem) is never healthy in the short or long term, but the severity from year to year varies in intensity and duration. The year 2011 was remarkably clear. It was not really close to the norm. Last year, there were an number of really dangerous days, as you will read. All that does not consider ongoing pollution, particularly from increasing vehicular traffic.

Where to live in the Chiang Mai area relative to the pollution ? I think the fairest answer is that it is fairly pervasive ( principally for topographical reasons), but local circumstances understandably vary. if you are to the immediate leeward side of burning rice paddies or are unfortunate enough to live next to trash and scrub-burning neighbors, then you could suffer greatly. Of course idling in traffic in back of belching song tao or trucks is an experience to endure all year long.

Going to the beach during the "season" is not a bad idea for rich independent people of some means. But it is really unfortunate that people who work here, have children in school here --- or are just poor --- must suffer. And many do.

I agree

the season can run for two months all though it generally dosen't. Also it is not always rice fires there are a lot of forest fires that are pretty much left to there own to burn out all the way from Chiang Mai to Lao and China Depends on there size. Last year there was none and that was because it rained throug out the season.

Best to come around the first of Feb. and decide if it is acceptable to you unless you are one of those who are financially well enough off to take a month holiday. As for what area is best to live in. Well judging on what I know of you that would be like asking how long is a piece of string.

Some love the freedom and security of a condo. Some love the remoteness of a country home along with land for gardening some like to have a house on each side of them maybe 3 meters apart. All are good if that is what you like. For security my money is on a condo for least amount of security a remote house. What do you want and what are you willing to give up?