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Chiang Mai as Thailand's heaven for backpackers

webfact

By webfact
in Chiang Mai News

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webfact Grand Master Member

webfact

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Chiang Mai is Thailand's heaven for backpackers

By English News

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CHIANG MAI: -- In the northern province of Chiang Mai's provincial seat, backpackers from around the world compete to stay at guesthouses in the Chiang Mai Gate area due to modest room prices ranging from Bt80-300/night.

Recently, Price of Travel conducted the latest survey for the Backpacker Index for 2014 of 124 world cities ranked from the cheapest to the most expensive.

Asia’s cheapest city is Pokhara in Nepal with a daily backpacker index of US$14. Hanoi came second place at US$15.88, while Chiang Mai of Thailand is ranked third of US$17.66.

Living a backpacker lifestyle in Chiang Mai, a British tourist said he was renting a room for one week -- a room with a fan without facilities and shared bathrooms -- which he said could help him conserve his money and stay longer in town.

"Oh, Chiang Mai's a very cheap city, but it also has a very good quality. Compare Chiang Mai to Phuket or Koh Samui, Koh Chang. There's no comparison. You're paying a lot of money and you're not getting very much. But here you can get a real quality of life, and everything is far more cheap," said the English tourist.

Restaurants in the Chiang Mai Gate area offer inexpensive food, resulting in even low spending for tourists. A hamburger costs only Bt35 and Phad Thai, one of Thailand's famous dishes among foreigners, costs only Bt40.

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With easy lifestyles, backpackers in Chiang Mai spend Bt500/day or US$15.62/day on average, including food of no more than Bt300/day together with accommodation of Bt200/night.

A German tourist commented that commuting around town in also cheap.

"In terms of transportation, we also rent bikes, motorcycles or use red taxis. In comparison to Germany, it's very cheap," said a German tourist.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand's Chiang Mai Office indicated that there are about 200,000 backpackers, or 10 per cent, of 2 million foreign tourists entering the province annually. Most of them are independent travellers from Europe and opt for cheaper lifestyles compared to other tourists in this northern province who spend Bt3,000/day on average.

Although Chiang Mai has tried to upgrade its image from a being a low-cost tourist destination to that of an upscale world class destination to welcome travellers with higher purchasing power, the province has its outstanding charm which cannot help but attract all types of tourists to get a glimpse of its beautiful and unique identity.

Price of Travel is a database of travel costs in the world's main travel destinations. The site features over 110 cities, with information for each listing accommodation, transportation, attraction, food, and drink prices.

While Asia dominates the lower cost segment of the list with the first 11 spots, Price of Travel says Europe dominates the expensive part at the bottom. Switzerland's Zurich is ranked at the top as the most expensive city of US$122.22/day. (MCOT online news)

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-- TNA 2014-03-13

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uptheos Star Member

uptheos

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Backpackers spend money in Chiang Mai albeit they're mostly on a budget. They probably contribute more to the local economy, than the hi-so Chinese shepherded to Robinsons, Promenada and restaurants that pay representatives good commission.

Why shouldn't they be cheap charlies, after all they're probably travelling around the world and visiting places that the cheap charlie callers can only dream of. I think a lot of ex pats are stuck in Chiang Mai for whatever reason (usually woman related) and basically jealous of backpackers freedom and ability to keep moving and having fun.........come on guys you remember fun. biggrin.png

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iainiain101 Gold Member

iainiain101

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Asia’s cheapest city is Pokhara in Nepal with a daily backpacker index of US$14. Hanoi came second place at US$15.88, while Chiang Mai of Thailand is ranked third of US$17.66.

With easy lifestyles, backpackers in Chiang Mai spend Bt500/day or US$15.62/day on average, including food of no more than Bt300/day together with accommodation of Bt200/night.

So clearly you can save USD 2.04 per day as a backpacker if you use the 'average' rather than the 'daily backpacker index'!

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jaideecm Senior Member

jaideecm

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The so called "old city" inside the moat is called by the locals "Farang Town". Now a days the only Thai people there are shop owners and service workers. Most middle and high end visitors are staying away from the inner city. They are opting for the 1200 baht per night and up boutiques resort located 3 or more kilometers from the city. They are enjoying private tours to Doi Inthanon, Lampang, Chiang Dao, Thaton, Mae Salong and Mae Hong Son. The backpackers also took over the town of Pai where the middle and high end tourists are now avoiding.

In summary everyone no matter their budget are enjoying the Chiang Mai area.

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masuk Gold Member

masuk

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Chiang Mai is great both for both backpackers and others.....biggrin.png and a hell of a lot cheaper than BKK, Phuket, Samui etc.....whistling.gif

As ex-backpackers travel in their later years, they become 'flash packers', and remember the nice places and return to rent more up-market hotels, spend more, do more expensive tours..

It's all good for the economy.

Been there, done that.

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2020 Senior Member

2020

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I can't believe nobody has made the connection with another post, but at under $16 USD a day average spend.....

IT IS POSSIBLE TO RETIRE HERE FOR 500 BUCKS A MONTH! cheesy.gif

Life goes full circle. As a youngster you're a backpacker, onto middle life with all the trappings and then when you retire, become a backpacker all over again!

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kimbathewhitelion Gold Member

kimbathewhitelion

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Any real tourist or person with a brain viewing this post should take a look at the more recent "Smoke" post in the Chiang Mai forum. Foreigners, like the 'Thais' in business only want business, that is your money, they care less about your health.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

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Ricky from Brisbane Explorer Member

Ricky from Brisbane

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I love the OP!

Photo of a couple of older romance tourists, with the younger object of their romance tourism at breakfast.

And a caption about backpackers ...... couldn't they find a photo of backpackers in CM?

Thats just a photo of them waving to the backpackers on the street who didnt want to pay 50 baht for breakfast. Maybe those 3 were throwing the backpackers food or something.

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uptheos Star Member

uptheos

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I love the OP!

Photo of a couple of older romance tourists, with the younger object of their romance tourism at breakfast.

And a caption about backpackers ...... couldn't they find a photo of backpackers in CM?

Thats just a photo of them waving to the backpackers on the street who didnt want to pay 50 baht for breakfast. Maybe those 3 were throwing the backpackers food or something.

Coming from an isolated island in the middle of nowhere, backpacking to see the world wouldn't be your thing I guess.

I mean who would back pack across Oz?

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Ricky from Brisbane Explorer Member

Ricky from Brisbane

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I love the OP!

Photo of a couple of older romance tourists, with the younger object of their romance tourism at breakfast.

And a caption about backpackers ...... couldn't they find a photo of backpackers in CM?

Thats just a photo of them waving to the backpackers on the street who didnt want to pay 50 baht for breakfast. Maybe those 3 were throwing the backpackers food or something.

Coming from an isolated island in the middle of nowhere, backpacking to see the world wouldn't be your thing I guess.

I mean who would back pack across Oz?

Yeah they are everywhere over here like flies on a rubbish bin and really they dont care about no one else but haveing a cheap time and you and me can subsidise that fun and pick up their rubbish and let them use public toilets for hours while they have showers and stuff. Im not saying they dont have a good time becasue of course they have a good time. always enough money for beer and drugs over here.

im sure they are different in chiang mai and spend a lot of money and dont cause no problems and are always nice and polite with local peoples

Those bacpackers are really lovely people or so all those old ex-backpackers keep telling me

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Old Stud Senior Member

Old Stud

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I think that 500 baht a day number for backpakers is bs. I've lived in the old city for 2 1/2 years and see these backpackers everyday. What do you think they do at night, sit in their 200 baht rooms and study maps? They are out in the bars getting sh*tfaced, they're getting massages, buying things at the markets, spending money. Most of them like to smoke, they rent scooters at 200 baht a day, or bikes, they go on tours . . . these kids are spending money, don't kid yourself.

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uptheos Star Member

uptheos

Posted
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I love the OP!

Photo of a couple of older romance tourists, with the younger object of their romance tourism at breakfast.

And a caption about backpackers ...... couldn't they find a photo of backpackers in CM?

Thats just a photo of them waving to the backpackers on the street who didnt want to pay 50 baht for breakfast. Maybe those 3 were throwing the backpackers food or something.

Coming from an isolated island in the middle of nowhere, backpacking to see the world wouldn't be your thing I guess.

I mean who would back pack across Oz?

Yeah they are everywhere over here like flies on a rubbish bin and really they dont care about no one else but haveing a cheap time and you and me can subsidise that fun and pick up their rubbish and let them use public toilets for hours while they have showers and stuff. Im not saying they dont have a good time becasue of course they have a good time. always enough money for beer and drugs over here.

im sure they are different in chiang mai and spend a lot of money and dont cause no problems and are always nice and polite with local peoples

Those bacpackers are really lovely people or so all those old ex-backpackers keep telling me

I have to admit being a back packer in my young days and I was thrifty. Without being so I could not have afforded to see most of the world, though backpacking across an island that is mostly desert and an ex penal colony, really never held much interest for me. I don't recall dumping rubbish or causing damage to people's property though, perhaps it was something to do with the way I was brought up? In the 60's I did indeed do drugs, never stole for them though always paid or were given to me. Heck if I could go back to that wonderful time of roaming the world and taking drugs, I'd do it in a heartbeat. I'm sure current backpackers don't spend much in Chiang Mai or anywhere else for that matter, otherwise they couldn't see the world at such an age. Those I see look quite happy and contented gaining experiences that people like yourself will miss out on forever and I hope that we will never see the end of these bright youngsters, who no doubt will one day become the bankers, lawyers and politicians that we all love and admire. Fair dinkum?

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IsaanUSA Gold Member

IsaanUSA

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Hub of Cheap Charlies tongue.png

what is a cheap charlie?

miser
ˈmīzər/
noun: miser; plural noun: misers
1.
a person who hoards wealth and spends as little money as possible.
synonyms: penny-pincher, Scrooge, pinchpenny; More
informalskinflint, money-grubber, cheapskate, tightwad, piker
"one wonders how happy a miser could ever be"
antonyms: spendthrift
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