Really thinking of making Chiang Mai my permanent home

[expatsupreme]

I am getting older, have travelled the world, but I think I will settle down in CHiang mai, never been there but from reading stuff on net the climate is really nice and people too.

SO climate is most important for me, if somebody has been to Bali Ubud, can it be compared. And also green fields, rice fields in Chiang mai, are there like in Bali?

Bangkok is way too hot for me. But Chiang mai gets colder in winter? I saw on some pics that peolle were using winter clothes, is that real?

Another thing is pollution, is it worse than Bangkok? Pattaya has a nice weather but the crime is nbearable there. I want to live for few years more not get shot by teenage gangs with pistols.

What about swimming, are there any lakes close buy city center, or do you people only use pools?

Also I think the real estate market is more affordable in Chiangmai than in BKK or Pattaya, Am I right?

[daoyai]

Island climates are moderated by the sea, CM is inland so more extreme, colder in winter, hot season, hotter and very dry air, lots of dust from the asian browncloud + deisel soot, and smoke from ag burning in the late winter. A couple small lakes near town to swim. The countyside does have some lovely scenery, rice and water buffalo.... a bit of a cultural wasteland for a city this size.

[puukao]

I think Chiang Mai can definitely feel as hot, or hotter, than BKK for a few months out of the year. Remember that there is very bad pollution (some of the worst in the world) for a few months a year. Yes, definitely worse than BKK for pollution for a few months. I think it gets "cold" maybe just 7 nights a year, nothing to crazy. I wouldn't swim in the waters here, but I've never looked into it. I heard some lakes have 3-eyed fishes. lol. not sure if that's true. Never swim in the moat.

With all that said, I do think CM is a good place for Thailand. The main thing really is: 1. can you handle very hot weather all the time? 2. Do you mind tons of smoke? But it's all relative, and CM is good for SE Asia. Of course, if you have lots of money, this place should not be an option. just my 2 cents.

Positives: laid back, quiet at night (relatively), very cheap, easy to get to mountains, people are friendly, expats are fine, sex tourism doesn't seem that crazy, food is fine, and it definitely has a nice "home" feel and layout like a good town. i've always felt safe here.

other negatives: traffic, construction.

Edited October 21, 2013 by puukao

[hellodolly]

I don't think it gets any hotter than Ubud, But from mid Feb. to mid April the burning season can really pollute the air.

there are other times doing the year a few days here and a few days there but the main brunt of it is late winter early spring. Unless we get an unusually wet season and they can't burn.

All around great city to retire to. The night life is not exactly geared to the older generation unless bar's are there thing. Great Thai and Western restaurants. Give it a month look around. There are a coup;e of lakes but I don;t know if they have swimming in them. I think one has a beach. Plenty of rice fields in the country.

The worst that could happen is you would have a month of experience.

[Sparkles]

Spent quite a bit of time in Bali ,8 years in Bangkok, working, and now 5 years in CM retired.The differences for me Bali extremely high humidity nearly all year round.

Bangkok a city of at least 12 million people, is hotter than CM especially at night,never remember the temperature dropping below 26 in summer,maybe the intense traffic and a zillion air cons pumping out hot air is a contributing factor.

CM from now until the end of February gives us a nice break and elevation may be a factor,Bangkok being at sea level and sinking,I find the dry heat here in April/May draining, a great time ,if finances permit, to get back to Australia. Of the 3 CM is way ahead in relation to climate comfort ,only my opinion, I'm sure some will disagree.

We live well south of the city of CM and the smoke/haze appears to worsen as you head northwards.

[butterisbetter]

I prefer waterfalls and streams to lakes and there are lots of those available for swimming in the area. Beautiful national parks. There's one not far from us, about 1/2 hour, that seems never to have more than a few dozen people at most.

It rarely gets as hot here as it does in Bangkok, although the heat during the late dry season (and pollution season) is intense.

The winter clothes pictures are for real but it's good to keep in mind that the locals think 20 degrees Celsius is very cold. Still, on some winter morning it's gotten as low as 10 degrees centigrade where we are and we're in the valley, Up in the mountains, it can get a lot colder.

[beau thai]

I prefer waterfalls and streams to lakes and there are lots of those available for swimming in the area. Beautiful national parks. There's one not far from us, about 1/2 hour, that seems never to have more than a few dozen people at most.

It rarely gets as hot here as it does in Bangkok, although the heat during the late dry season (and pollution season) is intense.

The winter clothes pictures are for real but it's good to keep in mind that the locals think 20 degrees Celsius is very cold. Still, on some winter morning it's gotten as low as 10 degrees centigrade where we are and we're in the valley, Up in the mountains, it can get a lot colder.

You are right about winter clothes-went to the fun Toyota Motor Sport and concert at 700 stadium last night. Temp probably dropped to about 28c and some folks in winter jackets -- 55555

[expatsupreme]

yes winter jackets

Is the pollution because of cars, factories? Is it so bad you cant go out?

THis worries me. Are the streets all dirty because of smog, like in BKK?

[ericpasansai]

Well you'll make a great addition to Chiang Mai's expat population. a world traveler, nomad, rebel, story teller.

You know now that I think about it Cm is not the place for you. Cold, dirty, pollution, smoke. No swimming, rising crime rate Bali is for you for sure. Stay where you are. You'll thank me one day

[alfieconn]

yes winter jackets

Is the pollution because of cars, factories? Is it so bad you cant go out?

THis worries me. Are the streets all dirty because of smog, like in BKK?

Come and experience the smog for yourself, generally it's not half as bad as people on here make out , i for one never get affected the same as a lot of people.

The smog is caused by the locals burning the fields for your guide.

[FiftyTwo]

I think CMs great, all mod cons, Thai and western food (restaurants and supermarkets).

Plenty of green rice fields a few kilometres out of town. Plenty of green jungle.

I was up on the mountain last week, in the rain, so cold I couldn't feel my hands, but admittedly that is a bit unusual.

Loads of swimming spots, Huay Tung Tao is a popular lake to swim in (entrance 20bht), Ob Khan river also popular.

Several swimming big pools, 700 year stadium, CM university, Chiang Mai land and many smaller attached to hotels and condos.

Buying a condo seems a bit expensive, renting a house or condo is very cheap (usually around 5% of the value per year)

[Chicog]

yes winter jackets

Is the pollution because of cars, factories? Is it so bad you cant go out?

THis worries me. Are the streets all dirty because of smog, like in BKK?

Come and experience the smog for yourself, generally it's not half as bad as people on here make out , i for one never get affected the same as a lot of people.

The smog is caused by the locals burning the fields for your guide.

The smog is caused by half of Asia burning the fields and Chiang Mai being the perfect place for it to collect and mix with the local pollution.

[Ulysses G.]

yes winter jackets

Is the pollution because of cars, factories? Is it so bad you cant go out?

THis worries me. Are the streets all dirty because of smog, like in BKK?

Come and experience the smog for yourself, generally it's not half as bad as people on here make out , i for one never get affected the same as a lot of people.

The smog is caused by the locals burning the fields for your guide.

It does not bother me either. Hot season is what I don't look forward to, but that is all over Thailand.

[hellodolly]

yes winter jackets

Is the pollution because of cars, factories? Is it so bad you cant go out?

THis worries me. Are the streets all dirty because of smog, like in BKK?

Come and experience the smog for yourself, generally it's not half as bad as people on here make out , i for one never get affected the same as a lot of people.

The smog is caused by the locals burning the fields for your guide.

The smog is caused by half of Asia burning the fields and Chiang Mai being the perfect place for it to collect and mix with the local pollution.

The Asian method of forest fire fighting dosen't help either. They send some one out with a garden hose and no place to hook it up. Unless you have breathing problems the smoke is OK. Just mid Feb. to mid April as a rule some times worse some times better.

[ARISTIDE]

Why there are many people who've never been here but wants to settle down here permanently!

[wolf5370]

Got to laugh at some of these replies - why do people who obviously don't live in Chiang Mai answer a question such as this!

Air pollution - a couple of months during burning? <deleted>? Two or three weeks on the bad years, some years hardly notice it at all (this year was bad, last year it rained early so was no worries) - btw it is not a CM thing it is all across central and northern Thailand (and Burma), Indonesia, Malaysia - its the way they clear the fields - more foreigners in CM than those other places, so you'll hear it more.

Weather - its fairly static here year round temperature wise - no real extremes - it gets far more humid (and feels much hotter) in BKK (its also hotter anyway as it is further south). It can get fairly humid after Thai new year (SongKran) - that's Easter time - but gets better when the heavens open. Cool season(we only have 3 seasons - Cool, Dry (or hot), Wet (or rainy)) can drop quite low in the mountains - a few years back there was national news when frost was discovered on the top of Doi Inthanon (Thailand's highest mountain - driveable distance from CM) - it was an inch square of frost and was roped off and hit the news country wide! - usually temp doesn't often fall below 20C at city level at any point (the odd time in the early hours during cool season it might drop as low as 10C) - usual temperatures is 30C - 40C across the year. Right now (10:30pm) my digital thermometer is reading 28.8C (83.8F), its dry and crickets are singing their little legs off outside.

Crime is very low (ignore the idiot that says otherwise) - in fact as Thailand areas with sizeable expat communities go it amazingly low (and low on scams to comparatively). There are always opportunist thieves anywhere - including Bali! - but here you can leave your shopping in a basket on the front of your bike, accidently leave your keys in the ignition, and most likely it will still all be there when you return. Happened to me and several others I know several times - if I did that at home in the UK no chance of it being there when I got back (and shopping would get stolen or just smashed up for the sake of it).

Red light district, sex shows etc - are very hard to find here - not overt at all - one road really has most of the girlie bars, and no sex shows. They do exist, so I am informed, but one has to know where they are to find them (and be Thai/Japanese/Korean). Very tame compared to other Thai expat areas.

Prices are cheaper than BKK - especially house rental - and people generally are friendlier up here (not having a beach - or a true red light district - keep away a lot of the a-hole class of tourist that other areas attract - we get a fair share of back packers, but the kind looking for culture, trekking and short term teaching jobs).

The city is small enough after just few years you will continually bump into people while out (other expats) you know and there are plenty of clubs, pubs and meets to cater for any ilk.

Car pollution in the city can be not so nice some times of the year (usually the hot season) - but no where near as bad as the City! and a lot of us live outside of town, just a few miles and its countryside - and cheap 20b buses to get into town too!

All of Thailand is more expensive than it used to be - and at time like right now, when Bangkokians go into flood panic, prices can get higher for some items for a while (usually a month or so) - for example farm eggs have nearly doubled in price locally as so many are going to BKK to cover the panic buying (same happened for a short while in 2011) (size 2 eggs - per pallet (30) last month 65b this month 99b).

Come here, rent a place, and see how you like it - do at least 2 years renting (I still like many longer term expats still rent years after arriving - I'm on my 5th home here in CM - plus one in BKK when I first arrived).

Good Luck

//Edit: Oh you asked about lakes - there are indeed lakes, and rivers, where you can swim. They are cheap here as they are not well known to tourists so are mostly Thai places - some have thatched roof summer houses on the "beach" so you can eat (restaurants and walking food sellers will cater to you) - some have nothing. A nice place just out of town I go to sometimes has a lovely river that drops through several small waterfalls - it means that fish get trapped in 10-100 meter stretches of river and grow to full size there - so swimming with them you are in continual contact with largish silver fish - they don't bite and are not rough skinned, but a strange feeling (some stretches are free of this) - some are so shallow you can paddle in and watch the Thai kids play.

Edited October 21, 2013 by wolf5370

[amexpat]

yes winter jackets

Is the pollution because of cars, factories? Is it so bad you cant go out?

THis worries me. Are the streets all dirty because of smog, like in BKK?

Come and experience the smog for yourself, generally it's not half as bad as people on here make out , i for one never get affected the same as a lot of people.

The smog is caused by the locals burning the fields for your guide.

Me too. And I have been handling these radioactive ingots packed in asbestos for months now. No problems so far.

[donniereadit]

Why there are many people who've never been here but wants to settle down here permanently!

yep, asking where one should live is an exercise in futility. one persons hell is another persons paradise.

can i goto the bathroom now?

[expatsupreme]

if you rent a house outside the city, do you need to live in gated community, or you will be robbed? At least in Pattaya it is horrible like that. I prefer a house then condo but condo is safer regarding burglaries.

I just want to keep my laptop while I am there in CM not to get stolen by some locals.......

I thought the smog was from cars, but I rather breathe the burnig smoke than car fumes

Removed. Rather too explicit.

I loev pattaya but the crime is the huge deal for me, a deal breaker

Edited October 22, 2013 by Crossy
explicit

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Why there are many people who've never been here but wants to settle down here permanently!

They read a magazine article with places to retire, on $500 a month.

[Dante99]

if you rent a house outside the city, do you need to live in gated community, or you will be robbed? At least in Pattaya it is horrible like that. I prefer a house then condo but condo is safer regarding burglaries.

I just want to keep my laptop while I am there in CM not to get stolen by some locals.......

I thought the smog was from cars, but I rather breathe the burnig smoke than car fumes

Removed. Rather too explicit.

I loev pattaya but the crime is the huge deal for me, a deal breaker

Wonderful, another sex tourist/resident, welcome, next time don't hide in the closet so long.

Can't get enough or cheaply enough in Ubud?

[smooth expat]

Why there are many people who've never been here but wants to settle down here permanently!

They read a magazine article with places to retire, on $500 a month.

$500 a month?! I'd burn up that much just using a TukTuk to get around that place.

[ARISTIDE]

Well enjoy your paradise while you can, soon the Chinese will call CM home too!

Why there are many people who've never been here but wants to settle down here permanently!

yep, asking where one should live is an exercise in futility. one persons hell is another persons paradise.

can i goto the bathroom now?

[jaideecm]

I have been living in Chiang Mai since 1989 and Love it. It has it's good and bad points like every where else however the good points far outway the bad. I have tried to live in Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Rai and a few places in Esan but always was happiest in Chiang Mai. Lots of things to do and most of all I love the people.

Just my opinion,

Randy

[butterisbetter]

if you rent a house outside the city, do you need to live in gated community, or you will be robbed? At least in Pattaya it is horrible like that. I prefer a house then condo but condo is safer regarding burglaries.

I just want to keep my laptop while I am there in CM not to get stolen by some locals.......

I thought the smog was from cars, but I rather breathe the burnig smoke than car fumes

Removed. Rather too explicit.

I loev pattaya but the crime is the huge deal for me, a deal breaker

I live in an ungated community and there have been occasional burglaries here. Our house has bars on all the windows. And we have dogs. So far, after 6 years, no problem.

[expatsupreme]

Why there are many people who've never been here but wants to settle down here permanently!

They read a magazine article with places to retire, on $500 a month.

$500 a month?! I'd burn up that much just using a TukTuk to get around that place.

DUde have you heard, they sell motorbikes in CM, you can save money that way.

I would say 1000 usd would do it per month to have a more than comfortable life for sure.

[Gnasher328]

Smog problem.

Odd, I have bad asthma and sinus problems from a life in heavy industry in the UK. Winter is a nightmare so I thought I'd try one in CM. Although not that pleasant, the smog from smoke there didn't give me too much trouble but as soon as I came home to the cold and damp in mid March it all kicked off again. Staying longer this year.

[hellodolly]

Why there are many people who've never been here but wants to settle down here permanently!

They read a magazine article with places to retire, on $500 a month.

$500 a month?! I'd burn up that much just using a TukTuk to get around that place.

DUde have you heard, they sell motorbikes in CM, you can save money that way.

I would say 1000 usd would do it per month to have a more than comfortable life for sure.

What you say is true but it would not leave you a lot of money for extras and you would eventually be unhappy with the limits put on by lack of cash.

[Ulysses G.]

It depends. Live on 15,000 baht a month for a while - which is possible, but not comfortable - and 30,000 will go pretty far.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

It depends. Live on 15,000 baht a month for a while - which is possible, but not comfortable - and 30,000 will go pretty far.

Of course that's possible; 30K is $1000; can live on that in the USA just fine too.