How Far Out Do You Have To Go From Center Cm To Not Go Mad From...

[OldChinaHam]

the noise, the fumes, the ultra low frequency bass, The Practicing ROCK BAND which just for the heck of it set-up for practice on the roof of one of the buildings near here and started playing at 9:30 this AM, full blast, complete with drums, and a singing stud that sounded like he thought he was still at Woodstock, the original Woodstock?

Because, honestly, I think I have just about had enough at this locale. I don't get no convenience of living in the city, because I do not find CM so very convenient in the first place without taxis passing every 10 seconds. And all I am left with is the downside of too many people in too close quarters.

Where should one look in Chiang Mai to find the following:

1. Decent infrastructure so that internet speeds are high and the system does not fail every time a cloud passes before the sun.

2. Good quality housing of various types.

3. Roads to Chiang Mai which are not clogged with traffic.

4. Absence of Practicing Rock Bands in the morning, noon, and night.

5. Basically just a normal living environment where one can not bee too bothered by one's neighbors, something fit for a recluse perhaps.

I cannot be the only one here who is looking for a place as near as possible to Chiang Mai, without the drawbacks of living very near to Chiang Mai. I know there is a place for us......

Somewhere.

West Side Story-Somewhere

Sometimes it takes months to find the right place to live in a new city. Sometimes it takes years. It is often just a matter of luck.

Does anyone have any constructive thoughts on this subject?

[richard10365]

Just move away from niemenheimen and cmu and you should be ok.

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[OldChinaHam]

Thank you. And also I was hoping for some more specifics. I used to live in Kyoto for a spell, around Momoyama Goryo Mae, and found that the neighbors there were very considerate and caring about noise levels so that each of them could usually hear themselves think. Kyoto is a city of universities too. But CM is not a city without plenty of random high level noise. What exactly is it good for, I am not sure.

And another thing. Even being in the city, this thing which we call the internet is still very often unstable and always seems to peter out or just plain quit just when I am in the middle of posting my next topic on TV.

Seriously though, anyone who wishes for a bit of peace and quiet to practice a few introspective pursuits must be out of luck in some parts of Chiang Mai.

[masuk]

you forgot the bleedin' dogs!!

[OldChinaHam]

That looks like a 'roo, to me.

[masuk]

yair, but it doesn't bark all night!

[OldChinaHam]

Barking, limited barking, I can handle. But limiting blocking of my YouTube I will not tolerate. Yes, not only do we find Rock Bands playing live, but you also get them blocked on YouTube. This is not off topic. I am trying to find a place, somewhere, where YouTube is not blocked by the mismanagement of some barking IT guy who may not know IT from his elbow.

Edited May 24, 2013 by OldChinaHam

[true blue]

you thought of going to meditate in some quite wat,lol.

[OldChinaHam]

Yes I did.

Too quiet for me.

[Cyclist]

Has it ever occurred to you that maybe thailand is not for you? Thailand is a noisy country no matter where you live, be it the tuk tuks, or the dogs, or the loud moterbikes, or the musicians, or the ...... I can go on forever. But as the saying goes "one man's noise is another man's din". Get used to it or leave, up to you.

[market trader]

Funny thing but just tonight as we were driving home from Dukes and told my wife that in my mind we lived in a perfect area. 15 minutes to airport, 20 minutes to Makro Hang Dong or Super highway. 20 minutes to bus station. 20 minutes from The Ram and Sriphat. Local shopping with a larger than average Lotus and a good morning market. We have lived in our Moo Baan which is not large maybe 125 homes for almost one year. Respectful neighbours. There have been only 3 or 4 large parties over the year and they turned off the music at 11 pm.

[highonthai]

Just get out of town!

[OldChinaHam]

Market Trader, I am confident that we all feel pretty much as you about Chiang Mai. This is why it is true that to be able to better appreciate many of the good things that Chiang Mai offers, it might be nice to find a few places where there is not very loud music played sometimes until 3:00 AM. A place that provides some assurance of stable power supply, high speed internet, freedom from inordinately loud music played at levels not acceptable to the large majority of residents in a given area is not an unreasonable desire.

I was just trying to tie the noise in, somehow, to 'desire', and a 'streetcar', but

Edited May 24, 2013 by OldChinaHam

[ktm jeff]

Market Trader I will be moving to Chiang Mai next year, what area are you in please I was looking around North-west.Many thanks

[gamini]

I led an ideal life in Chiangmai for many years. A central condo in town and a small farm in the mountains about an hour from Chiangmai but high up and much cooler. Just spent a few days at a time in each place. Grew my own fruit and vegs on the farm.

[tpthai2]

The center is moving out quickly. Seems the new malls are the determining factor.

Can you buy or do you have a car? PM me...I have some suggestions and happy to share.

No airplanes, no historical flooding, quick access, quiet respectful secure moo-baan if it is

a house that you may be looking to rent. I am not a rental agent or in that business @v@

[hellodolly]

The center is moving out quickly. Seems the new malls are the determining factor.

Can you buy or do you have a car? PM me...I have some suggestions and happy to share.

No airplanes, no historical flooding, quick access, quiet respectful secure moo-baan if it is

a house that you may be looking to rent. I am not a rental agent or in that business @v@

I think he has no transportation as that is one of the things he was whining about no taxi every 10 seconds.

[rene123]

Only you will know what suits you. Noise doesn't bother some people. Any type of noise bothers others. There doesn't seem to be any Thai laws that prevent excessive noise by anyone anywhere.

[cloudhopper]

The quality of life in any city is significantly degraded by air, noise and light pollution IMO, and I only go there for health care or to buy special items. Moo baans in the suburbs are not much better. All I hear at night are wildlife and falling water, and the sky is filled with stars. But if Pai is too far then I suggest you check out Doi Saket, Mae Rim or any number of rural areas 30 minutes away from the big city and design a home there to your liking.

[OldChinaHam]

"the sky is filled with stars."

Seeing stars is nice, although many do not care or do not have time to lie on one of these. Stars would just be an added benefit but not a deal breaker during the burning season or the raining season.

Stars is not the highest priority, just quality rentals with high speed internet, reliable electric and water, maybe close to a telephone sub-station for good telecom services. Transportation is not a problem but I don't want to hire a car and ride any more than about 20 - 25 minutes to CM center. We can joke all we like about escaping to the 'burbs, but it really does become an important issue when we find Rock Bands and Low Frequency Woofers disturbing our peace. Tourists usually like plenty of noise, and so do teenagers, and so do those with behavioral problems, and most drunks in discos, but anyone reading a book normally finds quiet more conducive.

Edited May 24, 2013 by OldChinaHam

[jackr]

How Far Out Do You Have To Go From Center Cm To Not Go Mad From.

1,700kms works well.

You need to get in a moobaan (not a cheap one) well outside the Inner (middle).

[jaideeguy]

Maybe what you're looking for is www.chiangmaiproperty.net

[OldChinaHam]

"moobaan"

For those of us who do not yet know what a moobaan might be (To Me, moobaan sounds like MuBan which just means a sheet of Chinese plywood)

I found this interesting link with an article written by Cassandra:

"What to expect Living in a Moobaan Thailand"

http://voices.yahoo.com/what-expect-living-moo-baan-thailand-these-5588331.html?cat=16

As usual, it is always one's neighbors that make the most difference in one of these places. It can be paradise or droppings from the Bird Of Paradise.

[fcgprg]

Victor Meldrew springs to mind. You are in a country that tolerates noise you will have to accept it or may I suggest it could not be the right place for you.

[canuckamuck]

check out the Doi Sakett area, it might be what you want

[OldChinaHam]

More on Moo Baans from Casandra:

"The Noise Level in a Moo Baan - From my experience, the type of moo baan you live in has a huge impact on the noise level. In the older ones, prices are cheaper so you get people of a lower social level living in them. Nothing wrong with that but, unfortunately, that seems to come with a higher noise level as many still have the 'country values' they grew up with. This can mean karaoke playing at 3am (from several houses competing with each other, not just one)"

Karaoke? I just came from the birthplace of Karaoke!

I must be right at home!

"I suggest it could not be the right place for you."

Really? I come from the land of noise!

Edited May 25, 2013 by OldChinaHam

[OldChinaHam]

Canuckamuck, thank you for your suggestion, "check out the Doi Sakett area, it might be what you want".

Here is a photo I found on Wikipedia for the Doi Saket District, and I can only assume that this is not what you have in mind for me.

Yes, the Doi Saket area looks good but I have not yet been there. Where I come from, the population density is about 630 per km2

And it is very difficult to find many areas where you can enjoy the benefits of semi-country living.

You are right that this is probably what I want if it is not too far, in minutes, from Chiang Mai.

Thanks.

Edited May 25, 2013 by OldChinaHam

[market trader]

Market Trader I will be moving to Chiang Mai next year, what area are you in please I was looking around North-west.Many thanks

East of Chiang Mai. Bor Sang ( Ton Pao) Actually near the old road for Doi Saket . Highway 1014.

Edited May 25, 2013 by market trader

[Pikey]

Some (helpful) points:

Thai's are immune to noise.

Bands/parties are legally supposed to pack it in at midnight

A peaceful daytime environment can turn into a noisy nighttime environment

All Thais have dogs and most of these bark & howl. At. Night.

I've happily lived in the San Sai/Mae Jo area for 6 years. Non-moobaan. Yes, there are sometimes issues but the road connections are as good as can be hoped for.

Get yourself a scooter - preferably a fuel injected auto for ease of use and economy.

3BB works well in my area but it all depends on how close to an exchange you are and availability. 3BB in AP will pull up Google Maps if you give them an address and show you their coverage.

Get yourself a VPN to watch blocked sites.

Accept that CM is growing at a phenominal rate and that what is today a quiet suburb could well get swallowed up by the city within a decade.

Relax and let it wash over you (not easy sometimes, I know )

Cheers,

Pikey.

[cloudhopper]

Canuckamuck, thank you for your suggestion, "check out the Doi Sakett area, it might be what you want".

Here is a photo I found on Wikipedia for the Doi Saket District, and I can only assume that this is not what you have in mind for me.

Yes, the Doi Saket area looks good but I have not yet been there. Where I come from, the population density is about 630 per km2

And it is very difficult to find many areas where you can enjoy the benefits of semi-country living.

You are right that this is probably what I want if it is not too far, in minutes, from Chiang Mai.

Thanks.

That's actually in a very beautiful area along the foothills. But most of Doi Saket district is paddy field and extends for a huge area out South and West from the hills. There are quite a few very nice homes and restaurants but they are scattered far and wide so personal auto transport would seem a must to me. The population is mainly friendly farmers and the area seems to appeal to farangs who want to experiment with hobby farms, ponds, large gardens, orchards, private airstrips and all the other pursuits of happiness that are only feasible in a rural area. It is one of those places (like Pai) that are nicer to live in than visit, but unlike Pai has a much lower risk of fatal overdevelopment IMO, especially the region S of the town.