~~ Let's Start With Your Impression Of Chiangmai~~

[Candyflip]

Hello all,

I am very happy with the new local forum here, I would like to start with an impression of Chaingmai. How do you like it?

I myself have long personally history about the city. I used to live in Bangkok since I was born, but my uncle who I am very close to is originally from Chaingmai. Since I was 5 years old , I had been to Chaingmai almost every year. Ofcourse things had changed alot by time, but the spirit of old city has never changed. People are still so kind ( way much better than Bangkoker), the natural resource is still beautiful. It is still a city that you can just chill and have fun. The weather is lovely, not too hot.

We have 2 houses in CM. One in town and another is outside, small but nice with longan ( lumyai) tress. It is just so relax to be there, gathering with old friends from university sometimes barbeque, chitchat with local villagers, go to wat with them on religious days.

I can really see myself go back living there. What about your guys? How do you like Chaingmai?

[cdnvic]

I like it because it's just the right size. Big enough to have most things a big city has but small enough to get around without too much trouble. Our place in Bangkok is in the north (near impact arena) and to get in and out of the city is a real chore, wheres here I can get from one side of town to the other in 20min.

I love the night bazzare and Arunsun(sp?) market areas, if only to kick back and chuckle at the 70yr old men and their 18yr old girlfriends while having a cold beer and a falafal sandwich. People seem more relaxed than Bangkok, and there seems to be more a sense of community here as well.

Oh, and I can get 8 spring rolls for 20B

cv

[supernov]

Sa was dee krup,

My 'pan ra ya' is from Chiangmai and last year I have spent approximately 6 weeks there. I have to agree that the atmosphere in CM is so much friendlier than in BKK but that might be because BKK is the industrial hub of the country and the locales we went to.

So my impression of Chiangmai is this... a pretty large city (I think ~1.7 million people) where the traffic is very congested and chaotic BUT where the people are very courteous, friendly and sociable, the sights are extradordinarily beautiful, a place I have alot of very good family and friends and where I can see myself living someday. I also still remember being amazed about how chaotic traffic was (like it was a road race) but feeling very comfortable and surprised by how very few

"angry/aggressive" drivers there were like I experience "here".

During my two 3-week trips I primarily avoided all tourist areas and wanted to see the 'real' Thailand. I was not disappointed at all. Everywhere I went I was made to feel at home and part of the gang. Of course I generated ALOT of laughter because of my very limited and very often mis-pronounced thai but the fact that I kept trying and did not expect who I was with to speak English seemed to make all of the difference. The funny part was as soon as I started to pickup a few phrases, etc they all would change the dialect!

Since coming back to the US we have had approximately 25+ visiting thai's stay with us and as a result they say that I am not farang anymore. I really feel like I have alot of family all over Chiangmai and other areas of Thailand now. While each person in different my overall impression is that CM is where my extended family lives and it feels like a second home.

We will also be going back very soon so I will be able to give you an updated opinion soon.

P'Keith - Virginia/USA

[KevinN]

That is a very easy question to answer"What do you like about Chiang Mai" NOTHING!!

"I also still remember being amazed about how chaotic traffic was (like it was a road race) but feeling very comfortable and surprised by how very few

"angry/aggressive" drivers there were like I experience "here"."

That is because there are no hand guns allowed in Thailand.

[lamphun]

That is a very easy question to answer"What do you like about Chiang Mai" NOTHING!!

When you're tired of Chiang Mai you're tired of life, or at least a sad character.

For those of you in the south, Chiang Mai is a different country. Not the Land of Smiles.

[Thetyim]

I dislike CM, have never had an enjoyable visit there.

The city is run by the Mafia

[KevinN]

LAMPHUN;You could make a trip over to gods country,prettier mountains,less traffic and less farang to put up with,but then if you have to be around all the farang culture and food and get lonesome with just Thais for company,maybe you could go to the very nice airport there in CM and catch a plane back to farangland.

I lived in the CM area for the first year I was here,til I got to getting around and found some very nice areas,but we do not have USDA CHOICE meat and a lot of farang language spoken in a lot of places,but we make do with Thai beef,pig and chicken,plus a lot of really nice shrimps,fresh avacados,mangos and fresh roast coffee,not that instant shit that you buy at big C.

[Jeepz]

Ah, KevinN, you are making me so ansy to get over there. Avacados, fresh coffee (okay I don't do instant coffee by choice anywhere), shrimp, pig, beef. I fear I will shortly be slobbering on my keyboard. Still, you moved away from Chiang Mai. I look forward to the occasional chat in English, buying books in the self same language, and catching a flick that I can understand. So Chiang Mai sounds good to me.

Obviously others don't have quite so rosy a view of it. And I suppose that is true of any place you name on the face of the earth. So it goes.

Jeepz

[CM451]

I like CM. I have lived from North to South in Thailand and find it the best. I don't live close to town, I live south of the airport and the new city bus service from here is excellent. It's big enough to have everything you need and small enough to not be a crazy city. I've met some very nice Thai's and Farrang.

When I first came to Thailand I visited CM and stayed downtown, I wrote it off as a mini BKK, so I can understand the negative comments, the next time I came I saw it lot different, driving myself around instead of doing a tourist type visit.

As far as driving goes, it's not bad at all.... the drivers will use the horn more than other places I've been in Thailand, (it's a CAR place) but all in all it 1000% than a Phuket for example. (where the roads suck and are populated by way too many motorcycles.)

In CM I found a beautiful, two story, quiet,new (never been lived in I should say) house, convenient transportation and close to great shopping.... for 5000b rent a month, less than 1/2 of the next cheapest place I've lived in thailand.

The weather kicks ass too. Yea, I guess I like CM

CM451

[lamphun]

KevinN

Looks like you had a bad experience crossing Thapae Road.

You might have put two and two together from my acronym and realise I live in Lamphun so not a whole lot of Farangs here.

God's country ? fresh Shrimp and Advocado - sounds like New Zealand.

Well maybe CM isn't everyones choice and agreed some aspects of town are a bit of a disgrace. traffic on Thapae Road, the seedy night bazaar, the ripoff restaurants in Anusarn Market and yes the local council. But balance this with CM4511's post. Cheap good housing, good shops, schools, great countryside. Golf. Motorcucles. Nightlife.

I lived in Bangkok for three years. That wasn't living.

[KevinN]

LAMPHUN; Very nice place to live,close to the big elephant camp and far enough from the CM area to be comfortable and cleaner air.

I still stay at a guest house out off of Thapae road when I have to come to CM for a few days,or stay at the house of a freind out close to San Sai.

My wife works in the NONG MAENA school and she brings home very large avacados that are grown in the KHAO KHO hill area,They do not have the flavor of the HASS that are grown in calif. and Mex. but are quite good.

JEEPZ will have quite a surprise the first time that he bites into a Thai beef steak I fear,even took my dog awhile to get used to the terxture and flavor of the stuff.But you learn to make do.

I also payed 5000 baht per month for a near new 4 bedroom house with fence and a lot of land in a gated community out near San Sai and there was a large commercial swimming pool in the compound where my daughter learned to swim.

It is a lot better place than anywhere in the far south but still to crowded for my liking.

[khunphilip]

What I like about Chaingmai the weather the food and the beautiful women who have always a smile for you.feel 20 years younger here than UK never want to leave

PHIL

[KevinN]

Beautiful women all over thailand,and I think I have better weather than CM,not as crowded and cleaner air,less traffic,as good a food as you will get anywhere,as I don't like thai food.

You will find pretty women even in the hill villages,cept maybe the real long necks,I don't care for that either. I just rode my motorcycle to town to therapy and on my way thru the village,every Thai that was outside hollered and waved at me,You don't get more friendly than that.all ya gotta do is come into the village and ask where the american farang lives and everyone will tell you where my house is.Coarse my father in law is X headman and everyone knows him and he lives next door and is on the council and one of my bro in laws is stumping for headman in the next election,so I am well connected.

every part of the country has some good points and some bad,just the farther south you go the bad starts to out number the good.

[Kringle]

The ONLY thing I did NOT like about Chiang Mai was the attitude that most of the transport guys have about farangs: SCALP THEM. Other than that, I think it's a good place and I'm looking to buy a place up there after I sell the place I have now. Gotta go with my own design though, I don't think you can find anyone in Thailand that can build something square. I'll just build my own one story place about 3000 sq. ft. and with enough land that I can run NAKED!

[Maverick]

LAMPHUN;You could make a trip over to gods country,prettier mountains,less traffic and less farang to put up with,but then if you have to be around all the farang culture and food and get lonesome with just Thais for company,maybe you could go to the very nice airport there in CM and catch a plane back to farangland.

I lived in the CM area for the first year I was here,til I got to getting around and found some very nice areas,but we do not have USDA CHOICE meat and a lot of farang language spoken in a lot of places,but we make do with Thai beef,pig and chicken,plus a lot of really nice shrimps,fresh avacados,mangos and fresh roast coffee,not that instant shit that you buy at big C.

Poor old Kevin N - doesnt like thai food and misses his US steak, pig, horse etc -oh but he is well connected (what does that have to do with this post anyway?). Gods country is normally associated with Australia but its clear Kevin N is your a-typical American - if your looking for him he is the 20 stone yee hah in the singlet chewing on a donkey in [Lamphun/ Nakhonsawan/Tak/Issan].

[adjan jb]

Did anyone get a questionnaire from Chiang-Mai university ?

[adjan jb]

Supernov is wrong. There are only 200 000 people in CM City.

(1.7 million in the whole province)

[KevinN]

Hey MAV; You gotta speak a little clearer for me to understand you,I do not know what a singlet is,I don't know how much 20 stone is,I guess it depends on the size of the rock how much it weighs,If 6 feet 1 inch and 170 lbs. is what you mean,then you got that part right.. If australia is gods country then why all the ads for immigrants to the country? and I do not miss american beef,altho I would if I had to eat the Aussie imported stuff that I tried one time in CM.and your knowledge of thai geography is not to good if you think Khao Kho is in Issan.

[cdnvic]

Supernov is wrong. There are only 200 000 people in CM City.

(1.7 million in the whole province)

And all 1.7 million have a reunion on Chungpuak rd at about 4:30pm daily

cv

[Larry]

Kringle...

I've been in CM 12 times, and have a little apt. there. I found that Rot Daeng (Red Bus) drivers are usually helpful and do not scalp anyone. They take their 10 baht without a problem. Late at night or outside the central area, you may have to pay 20, but that's only fair. Tuktuks are another thing entirely.

[adjan jb]

Supernov is wrong. There are only 200 000 people in CM City.

(1.7 million in the whole province)

And all 1.7 million have a reunion on Chungpuak rd at about 4:30pm daily

cv

All 1.7 million live in Mae Rim

[Maverick]

Hey MAV; You gotta speak a little clearer for me to understand you,I do not know what a singlet is,I don't know how much 20 stone is,I guess it depends on the size of the rock how much it weighs,If 6 feet 1 inch and 170 lbs. is what you mean,then you got that part right.. If australia is gods country then why all the ads for immigrants to the country? and I do not miss american beef,altho I would if I had to eat the Aussie imported stuff that I tried one time in CM.and your knowledge of thai geography is not to good if you think Khao Kho is in Issan.

Singlet = shirt with no sleeves cut up to shoulders often worn by resident farangs and with thai GF tottering next to them on high heels, ultra tight jeans and skimpy top.

I didnt say Australia was Gods country just that I heard aussies say that (i am not from those parts)

I admit I never heard of Khao Kho but it sounds like back of beyond and not where I would espect to find western speciality foods. If you choose cheapsville I guess thats what you will get.

[Guest The Judge]

Not quite how KevinN was described to me, recently. The chap I was talking to said he was skinny as a rake, and knew a thing or two about building. I confess it was secondhand though.

[francois]

Chiang Mai

now a real town, once a large village quiet around 7pm ...

but, even with all these changes it is still a village, and we love it this way.

this very special way people from the north have to live, so pleasant, so "sabai sabai"

I do love to live here!

I have spent most of my time here, had a farm in Fang, still coming back to Chiang Mai

for a week-end or simply taking a break

I have been in a few places, but nowhere I had this feeling, "cool", something in the air that makes you come back ...

and for those who did not like, pity for you, may be you like bigger town, crasier life, or just the opposite, quiet and no noise and not too many faranf around ... many places like this ... I spent one year in the east, no farang at less than 35kms ... no fun!

for me and for many others, it's simply the nicest place to live here in Thailand

we just love it, and we have hardly the right words to explain the why ...

francois

[ThaiPauly]

Imported U.S Beef, try the place that says it does "the best Steaks in C.M" run by a yank its on Loy Kroy near the girlie bars and the moat.

I like Chaing Mai because you can actually breathe reasonably clean air and it's cooler which suits me, four moths of the year are like the best ever English Summer Days (which are few and far between in England) and FOUR WHOLE MONTHS of them sitting by my pool.....heaven

[meadish_sweetball]

I love CHiang Mai because:

1. It is easy to get around.

2. You can choose between Western stores/food/style and Thai. There are enough places where you don't bump into a lot of farang for it to be worthwhile living here.

3. There are nice natural areas within easy distance from the city, without the rest of the city being there too (problem with bangkok).

4. People are generally nicer and have more time for you than Bangkok people, but they still don't make a big fuss out of you being there, as they imight in a smaller, more remote place.

5. The love of my life lives there.

6. Songkran.

BUT, let's not kid ourselves.

The air in the city is not particularly clean, mainly due to the frequent forest fires. Actually, Chiang Mai has the highest rate of respiratory diseases in the whole country. So the air could definitely be improved.

All in all it's a great place.

[Maejo Man]

.and your knowledge of thai geography is not to good if you think Khao Kho is in Issan.

LAMPHUN; Very nice place to live,close to the big elephant camp and far enough from the CM area to be comfortable and cleaner air.

Nor is yours KevinN if you think the elephant camp is near Lamphun....Try Lampang

[Fore Man]

Folks, I liked browsing all your interesting comments....but I too lived elsewhere in the LOS (BKK and Pattaya) and BELIEVE ME there is no comparison to CM. My Thai wife and I grew really weary of the gazillions of motorbikes in Pattaya...that made it sheer hel_l to drive around on what should have been pleasant errands about the city. CM has its share of bikes, but they are mostly confined to the city center. They are not like the hordes of 'mosquitos' we endured everywhere in Pattaya, zinging carelessly in all 360 points of the compass. And since when has Pattaya completed a major new traffic artery like our Middle Ring Road that rivals the best in Southern California?

We also found a major difference in the temperment of the locals who for the most part are very courteous and who don't seem to be trying to gouge us all the time. My (Lanna) Thai wife explained to me that Northern folk are a lot kinder and gentler, and I must confess that for the most part she is dead on right.

Now...all that bein' said...when will CM bury its overhead electrical lines and become a modern city, while still maintaining its lovely charm? The only ireal downside we have seen so far seem to be the pick-up truck drivers and Thais driving big Fortuners who act as if they were Mario Andretti at the Indy 500. Why is everyone in such a hel_l-bent hurry out on CM's roads? I thought this was a more languid culture and that there was no Thai equivalent to 'manana'?

Good forum guys!

[Serge]

Supernov is wrong. There are only 200 000 people in CM City.

(1.7 million in the whole province)

And all 1.7 million have a reunion on Chungpuak rd at about 4:30pm daily

cv

All 1.7 million live in Mae Rim

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If only the roadworks at the intersection of the Superhwy were completed, it would not feel that 1.7 millon people live in Mai Rim.

[Rinrada]

And So easy to get to....

I can leave my office at 6-00pm and be on the 21-30 to Bangkok stopping only to catch a quick beer at D.M arrivals before getting the shuttle up to what must be one of the nicest,cleanest and most efficent wee airports in the country.(world)

Half an hour drive out to S.K.P and if all goes well light the B.B.Q.around ...6-00pm...door to door...and all in... only about.. 24hours

When they get that new Highlands Golf Club open (5 minutes drive) I will even have a new local bar to try out..