Hi all,

General & quick question.

How many Farang would you estimate to live permanently in Chiang Mai?

don't know but they are everywhere. even in the smallest, most remote villages you will find a farang or two. i would guess no one really knows as so many of them are hiding out and evading their own governments so they don't register with consulates, etc. so many of them are loners, or have been living here for years without a visa, etc. no one really knows.

Well, my own guess is 25,000, based on rumour & hearsay & a wild guess !

Well, my own guess is 25,000, based on rumour & hearsay & a wild guess !

There's one living in my wife's house. Extrapolate from there

I read it's closer to 43,000!

I moved to a nice quiet village some months back, 20 km from Chiang Mai.. Of the ten or so families in this block, about half are Thai.

This topic has been discussed a few times and only guesses have resulted. I've tried my best to ask google, but he won't tell and immigration doesn't reveal anything. Maybe one way would be to count the number of falangs passing thru the ques on a given day at immigration and factor in the 90 dayers and tourists extending??

It is definitely growing and I would say that Ricardo's guess is a little conservative if you take into account all the falangs in hiding.

Well, my own guess is 25,000, based on rumour & hearsay & a wild guess !

There's one living in my wife's house. Extrapolate from there

Hope this guy is...you?!

Well, my own guess is 25,000, based on rumour & hearsay & a wild guess !

There's one living in my wife's house. Extrapolate from there

Hope this guy is...you?!

I was going to say my house, but that would unleash the "you can't own a house in Thailand" brigade

Well, my own guess is 25,000, based on rumour & hearsay & a wild guess !

There's one living in my wife's house. Extrapolate from there

Hope this guy is...you?!

I was going to say my house, but that would unleash the "you can't own a house in Thailand" brigade

don't know but they are everywhere. even in the smallest, most remote villages you will find a farang or two. i would guess no one really knows as so many of them are hiding out and evading their own governments so they don't register with consulates, etc. so many of them are loners, or have been living here for years without a visa, etc. no one really knows.

Have to laugh

Several years ago, we met the publisher of a German language newspaper in CM (i believe he has migrated from here) He said there were about 40,000 expats loving here of which 15,000 are German-speaking i.e. including Austrian, Swiss. I would imagine that the number now would easily be 60,000 and up.

"Chiang Mai is home to over 30,000 Foreigners! These happy and contented folk people have transitioned their lives from their home country to a warm and sunny Northern Thailand, where they live in peaceful serenity among friendly, caring people with the closeness to nature that is central to the Thai way of life".

http://www.retireinchiangmai.com/htm/

Indeed we (especially us on TV) are 'contented folk people', who live live in peaceful serenity.

At a guess, immigration do 8000 - 10000 extensions a year, based on between 30 and 40 a working day.

Of the foreigners I know staying more than 6 months a year, 75% extend at immigration annually. My guess would be 12-15,000. Many more short term starters each year.

"Chiang Mai is home to over 30,000 Foreigners! These happy and contented folk people have transitioned their lives from their home country to a warm and sunny Northern Thailand, where they live in peaceful serenity among friendly, caring people with the closeness to nature that is central to the Thai way of life".

http://www.retireinchiangmai.com/htm/

Indeed we (especially us on TV) are 'contented folk people', who live live in peaceful serenity.

What are folk people

"Chiang Mai is home to over 30,000 Foreigners! These happy and contented folk people have transitioned their lives from their home country to a warm and sunny Northern Thailand, where they live in peaceful serenity among friendly, caring people with the closeness to nature that is central to the Thai way of life".

http://www.retireinchiangmai.com/htm/

Indeed we (especially us on TV) are 'contented folk people', who live live in peaceful serenity.

What are folk people

Indeed! But apparently we are a couple of them.

I was on the first flight from Ubon to CM last year, just for a look. McD's was full of farang, so was everywhere else.

I was on the first flight from Ubon to CM last year, just for a look. McD's was full of farang, so was everywhere else.

Isn't that "living in peaceful serenity among friendly, caring people with the closeness to nature that is central to the Thai way of life".

I was on the first flight from Ubon to CM last year, just for a look. McD's was full of farang, so was everywhere else.

Isn't that "living in peaceful serenity among friendly, caring people with the closeness to nature that is central to the Thai way of life".

Well, yeh.

I was going to say my house, but that would unleash the "you can't own a house in Thailand" brigade

You can sort of, under Usufruct law, but not the land it stands on.

I was on the first flight from Ubon to CM last year, just for a look. McD's was full of farang, so was everywhere else.

You came all the way from Ubon to visit McD's? 555 Better burgers at Sunee Grand's bistro.

I was on the first flight from Ubon to CM last year, just for a look. McD's was full of farang, so was everywhere else.

Isn't that "living in peaceful serenity among friendly, caring people with the closeness to nature that is central to the Thai way of life".

Well, yeh.

Perhaps central to Central would now be more accurate.

Immigration doesn't really know how many foreigners are in Chiang Mai (city, metro statistical area, or province) Neither do the consulates. Many have been in this area for a long, long time and indeed never report to immigration. There are a lot of reasons for it. Many are probably "hiding" from their governments, as has been suggested above, because they will lose pensions and benefits from their home countries. Some do not have passports anymore! Now, with all of the publicity about how wonderful Chiang Mai is, it appears that many more "legitimate" retirees are coming to Chiang Mai (or using that immigration office). The office can certainly count them, but it only can guess about how many others.

Well, I remember 8 years ago driving my car to immigration and parking without problems inside. Fat chance of that happening these days. I chose CM as it had the schools and facilities, as heading back home for a few years assuming I return I'll see what the situation is like then, as schools will no longer be an issue may setup somewhere else.

Thanks for the input guys.

It took me 25 years to escape Farangland, now it appears Farangland has followed me here.

How many farangs now living in Chiang Mai? Too many.

Hope they raise the visa extension money requirements by about 400% and cut down the numbers.

How many Farang would you estimate to live permanently in Chiang Mai?

No numbers, but too many.

I still think it depends on where you are living, and it does not have to be out in the sticks either. I am in Wat Ket now for a few months. I am out and about every day. Last Farang I talked to in person would be well over two weeks ago (family overseas and friends by phone). Occasionally I will see a lost tourist, perhaps one or two Europeans on my street every day......but no long termers.

For parts of Hang Dong and Sansai that I have visited friends (before one returned to Oz and another shuffled off this mortal coil), there were heaps and heaps

At a guess, immigration do 8000 - 10000 extensions a year, based on between 30 and 40 a working day.

Of the foreigners I know staying more than 6 months a year, 75% extend at immigration annually. My guess would be 12-15,000. Many more short term starters each year.

Consider this then: if there are 15,000 for example and there are 150 CM tv members, then the chances of meeting someone from this forum are 1 in 100

On the basis that I speak/meet a "new" farang each month; it could actually be 8 years before I meet any of you.

How fantastic is that

At a guess, immigration do 8000 - 10000 extensions a year, based on between 30 and 40 a working day.

Of the foreigners I know staying more than 6 months a year, 75% extend at immigration annually. My guess would be 12-15,000. Many more short term starters each year.

I live here year round. I don't visit immigration. I doubt I'm the only one.

At a guess, immigration do 8000 - 10000 extensions a year, based on between 30 and 40 a working day.

Of the foreigners I know staying more than 6 months a year, 75% extend at immigration annually. My guess would be 12-15,000. Many more short term starters each year.

I live here year round. I don't visit immigration. I doubt I'm the only one.

You are most certainly not. I know of two others who are here without current Visa's, one doesn't have a Passport either. Not my business so good luck to you all.

At a guess, immigration do 8000 - 10000 extensions a year, based on between 30 and 40 a working day.

Of the foreigners I know staying more than 6 months a year, 75% extend at immigration annually. My guess would be 12-15,000. Many more short term starters each year.

I live here year round. I don't visit immigration. I doubt I'm the only one.

You are most certainly not. I know of two others who are here without current Visa's, one doesn't have a Passport either. Not my business so good luck to you all.

Some of us don't legally need to visit immigration on the type of visa we have