Aliens, are they leaving?,if so why?

[evenstevens]

If you are a single farang living alone in Chiang Mai ( or anywhere else in Thailand ) and like myself you are " not materialistic " ie you rent a nice house for under 3,000 baht and ride a bicycle and don't drink/smoke and keep away from farang food you can live on under 8,000 baht a month " all in " easy!!!!

just seen a pig ,fly by my window

[northernjohn]

I don't agree with any of this " nonsense " of how things are more expensive! If you are a single farang living alone in Chiang Mai ( or anywhere else in Thailand ) and like myself you are " not materialistic " ie you rent a nice house for under 3,000 baht and ride a bicycle and don't drink/smoke and keep away from farang food you can live on under 8,000 baht a month " all in " easy!!!! I think that is very reasonable! don't know many places in the world that you can live on that amount of money! Most of Thailand is 3rd World with 3rd World prices.I read on here about farang renting condos in Chiang Mai City for 9,000 baht a month but when I was there a few weeks ago most were on average at 3,500 baht a month and lovely!!!

Perhaps you are a little out of touch. Many of us are materialistic enough to want to do more than scrape by on bare necessities. there are very few who want to live your life style. Not saying there is any thing wrong with it but it is not for most of us.

How are you fixed at the immigration board?

[ammagic]

Can't help but agree. After a decade in Thailand & fluent Thai ready to give up. Buddhism here is just donating to temples in the hope of gaining future wealth. Came here with an open mind but after all the lying, cheating, stealing & general mediocrity & lack of ambition I have encountered have soured the Thai experience for me. Also leaving. ,

[DaamNaam]

If you are a single farang living alone in Chiang Mai ( or anywhere else in Thailand ) and like myself you are " not materialistic " ie you rent a nice house for under 3,000 baht and ride a bicycle and don't drink/smoke and keep away from farang food you can live on under 8,000 baht a month " all in " easy!!!!

just seen a pig ,fly by my window

Must have plenty of energy, i just seen it fly past my window too.

[Konini]

^^^^^^ another whinger

the airport is always available to yous lot

(first line of post was edited ,for clarafication purposes)

I didn't regard Northern John's post as whinging, rather pointing out what has happened during his time in Thailand. I'm not saying he never has a whinge, just that I didn't read that particular one as whinging.

[Konini]

If you are a single farang living alone in Chiang Mai ( or anywhere else in Thailand ) and like myself you are " not materialistic " ie you rent a nice house for under 3,000 baht and ride a bicycle and don't drink/smoke and keep away from farang food you can live on under 8,000 baht a month " all in " easy!!!!

just seen a pig ,fly by my window

We must live in the same area, because I just saw it too!

Sure, you can get by on 8,000 a month, but for me that's not living, it's existing. Perhaps canarysun was a non-drinking, non-smoking, bicycle-riding type who likes living on nothing but sub 50 baht Thai street food, and if so good on him. But if anyone has had to adjust their lifestyle to be able to survive on that amount, it is a very different scenario.

I'm coming to the opinion that inflation aside - and I have noticed a difference at the supermarkets in the 5 years I've been living here - a sizable number of people simply don't really have sufficient income to live here. When planning our futures, we should always take into account things like inflation and currency fluctuations. Although I've never invested (gambled) on foreign exchange, I would always assume that a 30% fluctuation either way should be budgeted for when investing or living overseas. When we first came to Chiang Mai post-retirement, 10,000 baht out of the ATM would be an AUD$43 transaction on my bank statement. Now it's around AUD$33, a year or so ago it wasaround AUD$30. In the same time period, against the US$ the Aussie dollar has gone from being worth US$0.95 mid 2008 to US$0.61 in late 2008 to US$1.10 in 2011 to about US$0.94 at the moment. I

f you are going to live in another country, fluctuations in the value of your home currency are a very important factor, especially if your income or pension wasn't overly high in the first instance.

Perhaps you can exist on 8,000 month, but I wouldn't want to. Our rent alone is 4 times that amount.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

I'm coming to the opinion that inflation aside - and I have noticed a difference at the supermarkets in the 5 years I've been living here - a sizable number of people simply don't really have sufficient income to live here.

A sizable number of people (99% or the world population) don't have enough money to live anywhere.

And are too busy trying to live each day, let alone plan their futures.

What do you suggest they do, kill themselves or manage the best they can in a place they like?

Edited September 5, 2014 by AnotherOneAmerican

[ericthai]

I don't agree with any of this " nonsense " of how things are more expensive! If you are a single farang living alone in Chiang Mai ( or anywhere else in Thailand ) and like myself you are " not materialistic " ie you rent a nice house for under 3,000 baht and ride a bicycle and don't drink/smoke and keep away from farang food you can live on under 8,000 baht a month " all in " easy!!!! I think that is very reasonable! don't know many places in the world that you can live on that amount of money! Most of Thailand is 3rd World with 3rd World prices.I read on here about farang renting condos in Chiang Mai City for 9,000 baht a month but when I was there a few weeks ago most were on average at 3,500 baht a month and lovely!!!

on /under 8000B a month?? I find that very hard to believe...

I rented a cheap house near my factory to stay 2-3 nights a week. Rent was only 2100B a month. But after you include

elec, internet etc it starts to add up. If you rent a place for 3000B plus Elec 1500-2000B plus internet 1000, plus your mobile 800B that brings you to 6300 - 6800 that only leaves you 1200-1700 a month for food and water that is 40-56B a day No way. I dont go out drinking dont smoke and no way could I live comfortable on 8000B a month. This does not include any traveling or visa costs etc.

[uptheos]

Just received the CCC Classified Ads and there are about 45 properties,houses, condo's apartments etc for rent this week.

The number available just demonstrates a surplus of properties becoming vacant recently and many are OK with a 6 month lease, whereas a couple of years ago it was rare to see so many places on this site, let alone a six month lease. I think people are leaving and I also believe landlords are becoming desperate because of this, just look at any agency and there is a surplus of places the like of which has never been seen before. It is most definitely a renters market at the moment whether it be for the rental cost or length of lease, so a good time to grab yourself a bargain.

[evenstevens]

^^^^^^ another whinger

the airport is always available to yous lot

(first line of post was edited ,for clarafication purposes)

I didn't regard Northern John's post as whinging, rather pointing out what has happened during his time in Thailand. I'm not saying he never has a whinge, just that I didn't read that particular one as whinging.

politely beg to differ

the post in question clearly pointed out his residence rent had increased by 1000 baht a month in four years ..well if that is not whinging..nothing is

currency exhange rates should not be taken into the inflation basket ,.as they can changed dramactically in a matter of minutes

at times it will work for u,other times against u, so why whinge about it

i have been living here(self funded) fulltime for 13 yrs plus,and over this period c/mais inflation has risen quite a bit( in particular the last few years)

but compared to my home city of sydney ,its a mere blip,perhaps the poster should do the same, it,may help to settle his nerves down a bit,instead of whinging

in my view c/mai(,and perhaps biased ), is the nicest and most affordable place in the world to retire in, warts and all

a very nice morning to all

Edited September 5, 2014 by evenstevens

[canarysun]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

I don't agree with any of this " nonsense " of how things are more expensive! If you are a single farang living alone in Chiang Mai ( or anywhere else in Thailand ) and like myself you are " not materialistic " ie you rent a nice house for under 3,000 baht and ride a bicycle and don't drink/smoke and keep away from farang food you can live on under 8,000 baht a month " all in " easy!!!! I think that is very reasonable! don't know many places in the world that you can live on that amount of money! Most of Thailand is 3rd World with 3rd World prices.I read on here about farang renting condos in Chiang Mai City for 9,000 baht a month but when I was there a few weeks ago most were on average at 3,500 baht a month and lovely!!!

on /under 8000B a month?? I find that very hard to believe...

I rented a cheap house near my factory to stay 2-3 nights a week. Rent was only 2100B a month. But after you include
elec, internet etc it starts to add up. If you rent a place for 3000B plus Elec 1500-2000B plus internet 1000, plus your mobile 800B that brings you to 6300 - 6800 that only leaves you 1200-1700 a month for food and water that is 40-56B a day No way. I dont go out drinking dont smoke and no way could I live comfortable on 8000B a month. This does not include any traveling or visa costs etc.

What??? I currently live in Naklua ( Pattaya ) my rent is 2000 baht a month with wifi and Sat Tv included. A bargain? no just standard Thai prices!

When i stayed in Chiang Mai a few weeks back i was staying in one of the villages ( i don't think i would want to live in the city!) a small unfurnished apartment was 1000 baht per month / a house with garden was 2000 baht a month / 3 bedroom with garden at 5,000 a month ! ( i do not drink or smoke ) No way electricity costs 2000 baht a month unless you are using aircon on 24 hours a day! ( aircon is actually very bad for you! ) In Pattaya my water/electric bill is around 500 to 600 baht a month ( in Chiang Mai it is much cheaper in the villages! ) My mobile phone costs me 150 baht a month ( AIS ) A bicycle costs " nothing " ! I buy fresh produce from the local markets " fresh fruit and veg " every day and bake my own bread too! ( delicious may i add ) i spend about 80 baht a day on food,water etc ( all fresh food ) Guys you don't have to be " the sharpest tool in the box " to work out how cheaply you can live!

I found some " stunning " houses for rent ( not advertised ) by riding around on my bicycle and talking to the villagers ( not farang obviously...)

Chiang Mai is ( Officially ) now in the " Top ten of cheapest places to live in the world " did you know that viewers ?

I know some of you live on higher budgets but you guys must be paying " ridiculous " prices for your rents(6,000 plus!),drinking,smoking, using aircon,buying cars and motorbikes,eating farang food and " paying for a Thai lady to live with you " ??????

In the " real world " Chiang Mai is " Cheap as chips " it's all down to the way you live it!

and keeping on the original subject - Farang are not leaving Chiang Mai due to the cost of living!

Regards,

Farang Jaidee ( joop joop )

[hml367]

Just received the CCC Classified Ads and there are about 45 properties,houses, condo's apartments etc for rent this week.

The number available just demonstrates a surplus of properties becoming vacant recently and many are OK with a 6 month lease, whereas a couple of years ago it was rare to see so many places on this site, let alone a six month lease. I think people are leaving and I also believe landlords are becoming desperate because of this, just look at any agency and there is a surplus of places the like of which has never been seen before. It is most definitely a renters market at the moment whether it be for the rental cost or length of lease, so a good time to grab yourself a bargain.

Thank you, Uptheos, for putting something from someone (yourself) that has more than 6 to 10 years (often much less!) to compare with.

I wonder how many may be leaving because of the demographic of foreigners now in Chiang Mai and the differences and wanted changes by relatively new non-immigrants in Chiang Mai. In my opinion the majority of people that may fit in this group would not be ones to complain on ThaiVisa, so the ThaiVisa community has no idea about them unless they may know someone personally in the group.

I think many foreigners in Chiang Mai have a misinformed idea of their worth to the local people and community, aside from the locals that earn money only because of foreigners. There is a far wider and larger Chiang Mai than what is inside the city.

[evenstevens]

canary sun , you have been out in the sun too long

Edited September 5, 2014 by evenstevens

[northernjohn]

Just received the CCC Classified Ads and there are about 45 properties,houses, condo's apartments etc for rent this week.

The number available just demonstrates a surplus of properties becoming vacant recently and many are OK with a 6 month lease, whereas a couple of years ago it was rare to see so many places on this site, let alone a six month lease. I think people are leaving and I also believe landlords are becoming desperate because of this, just look at any agency and there is a surplus of places the like of which has never been seen before. It is most definitely a renters market at the moment whether it be for the rental cost or length of lease, so a good time to grab yourself a bargain.

Have you not noticed there is condos and housing going up all over the city. More rentals available just means that more people are not coming here or they are building them faster than the people are coming here.

[northernjohn]

^^^^^^ another whinger

the airport is always available to yous lot

(first line of post was edited ,for clarafication purposes)

I didn't regard Northern John's post as whinging, rather pointing out what has happened during his time in Thailand. I'm not saying he never has a whinge, just that I didn't read that particular one as whinging.

politely beg to differ

the post in question clearly pointed out his residence rent had increased by 1000 baht a month in four years ..well if that is not whinging..nothing is

currency exhange rates should not be taken into the inflation basket ,.as they can changed dramactically in a matter of minutes

at times it will work for u,other times against u, so why whinge about it

i have been living here(self funded) fulltime for 13 yrs plus,and over this period c/mais inflation has risen quite a bit( in particular the last few years)

but compared to my home city of sydney ,its a mere blip,perhaps the poster should do the same, it,may help to settle his nerves down a bit,instead of whinging

in my view c/mai(,and perhaps biased ), is the nicest and most affordable place in the world to retire in, warts and all

a very nice morning to all

Takes a pretty convoluted mind to think that pointing out reality is whinging. It is merely a statement of fact. I am surprised that it was as low as it was.

You seem to have a real problem with reality being passed on to you. Come down of your high horse and see what it really is.

and a good morning to you

[Oscar2]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

I don't agree with any of this " nonsense " of how things are more expensive! If you are a single farang living alone in Chiang Mai ( or anywhere else in Thailand ) and like myself you are " not materialistic " ie you rent a nice house for under 3,000 baht and ride a bicycle and don't drink/smoke and keep away from farang food you can live on under 8,000 baht a month " all in " easy!!!! I think that is very reasonable! don't know many places in the world that you can live on that amount of money! Most of Thailand is 3rd World with 3rd World prices.I read on here about farang renting condos in Chiang Mai City for 9,000 baht a month but when I was there a few weeks ago most were on average at 3,500 baht a month and lovely!!!

on /under 8000B a month?? I find that very hard to believe...

I rented a cheap house near my factory to stay 2-3 nights a week. Rent was only 2100B a month. But after you include

elec, internet etc it starts to add up. If you rent a place for 3000B plus Elec 1500-2000B plus internet 1000, plus your mobile 800B that brings you to 6300 - 6800 that only leaves you 1200-1700 a month for food and water that is 40-56B a day No way. I dont go out drinking dont smoke and no way could I live comfortable on 8000B a month. This does not include any traveling or visa costs etc.

What??? I currently live in Naklua ( Pattaya ) my rent is 2000 baht a month with wifi and Sat Tv included. A bargain? no just standard Thai prices!

When i stayed in Chiang Mai a few weeks back i was staying in one of the villages ( i don't think i would want to live in the city!) a small unfurnished apartment was 1000 baht per month / a house with garden was 2000 baht a month / 3 bedroom with garden at 5,000 a month ! ( i do not drink or smoke ) No way electricity costs 2000 baht a month unless you are using aircon on 24 hours a day! ( aircon is actually very bad for you! ) In Pattaya my water/electric bill is around 500 to 600 baht a month ( in Chiang Mai it is much cheaper in the villages! ) My mobile phone costs me 150 baht a month ( AIS ) A bicycle costs " nothing " ! I buy fresh produce from the local markets " fresh fruit and veg " every day and bake my own bread too! ( delicious may i add ) i spend about 80 baht a day on food,water etc ( all fresh food ) Guys you don't have to be " the sharpest tool in the box " to work out how cheaply you can live!

I found some " stunning " houses for rent ( not advertised ) by riding around on my bicycle and talking to the villagers ( not farang obviously...)

Chiang Mai is ( Officially ) now in the " Top ten of cheapest places to live in the world " did you know that viewers ?

I know some of you live on higher budgets but you guys must be paying " ridiculous " prices for your rents(6,000 plus!),drinking,smoking, using aircon,buying cars and motorbikes,eating farang food and " paying for a Thai lady to live with you " ??????

In the " real world " Chiang Mai is " Cheap as chips " it's all down to the way you live it!

and keeping on the original subject - Farang are not leaving Chiang Mai due to the cost of living!

Regards,

Farang Jaidee ( joop joop )

RUBBISH!!!

[DaamNaam]

I'm coming to the opinion that inflation aside - and I have noticed a difference at the supermarkets in the 5 years I've been living here - a sizable number of people simply don't really have sufficient income to live here.

A sizable number of people (99% or the world population) don't have enough money to live anywhere.

And are too busy trying to live each day, let alone plan their futures.

What do you suggest they do, kill themselves or manage the best they can in a place they like?

99% of what you say is slightly exaggerated.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

canary sun , you have been out in the sun too long

No, CS is living a realistic lifestyle, similar to many Thais.

I also cook nearly all my own western food at home from primary ingredients, it's a fraction of the western food restaurant prices.

For example,

Bread is very cheap to make, but the vast majority of foreigners pay 5x the cost for someone else to produce an inferior product for them.

(Flour is 24bht/kg, so about 10bht to make a fresh loaf of bread)

CS house and condo rental prices are almost exact for MaeJo and Mae Rim, but I would actually say CS is overestimating the cost of electricity.

With air-con in the hotter days, my monthly bill is 1 ,600bht (5 or us).

In the cooler months that dips below 1,000bht.

[uptheos]

Some people use immigration as a yardstick to gauge whether people are coming or going.

Whilst some people experience lengthy waits, long queues, pre-sunrise starts etc, others seem to breeze in and out at any time of the day with renewals, re-entry's and 90 days reports, all seemingly done in minutes.

So what's the real yardstick for whether people are coming or going, it cannot be based on a persons immigration experience?

I think the vacancies of both new and used properties on a scale I have never seen before and the willingness for owners who are hurting to now give shorter leases, is a better indicator that either people are leaving or Chiang Mai, or it can accommodate a heck of a lot more people.

All I know about immigration is that last month I went for my renewal (online booking), the place was heaving, lots of tourist's getting extensions and 3 out of 4 names called seemed to be from China.

Edited September 5, 2014 by uptheos

[ericthai]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

I don't agree with any of this " nonsense " of how things are more expensive! If you are a single farang living alone in Chiang Mai ( or anywhere else in Thailand ) and like myself you are " not materialistic " ie you rent a nice house for under 3,000 baht and ride a bicycle and don't drink/smoke and keep away from farang food you can live on under 8,000 baht a month " all in " easy!!!! I think that is very reasonable! don't know many places in the world that you can live on that amount of money! Most of Thailand is 3rd World with 3rd World prices.I read on here about farang renting condos in Chiang Mai City for 9,000 baht a month but when I was there a few weeks ago most were on average at 3,500 baht a month and lovely!!!

on /under 8000B a month?? I find that very hard to believe...

I rented a cheap house near my factory to stay 2-3 nights a week. Rent was only 2100B a month. But after you include

elec, internet etc it starts to add up. If you rent a place for 3000B plus Elec 1500-2000B plus internet 1000, plus your mobile 800B that brings you to 6300 - 6800 that only leaves you 1200-1700 a month for food and water that is 40-56B a day No way. I dont go out drinking dont smoke and no way could I live comfortable on 8000B a month. This does not include any traveling or visa costs etc.

What??? I currently live in Naklua ( Pattaya ) my rent is 2000 baht a month with wifi and Sat Tv included. A bargain? no just standard Thai prices!

When i stayed in Chiang Mai a few weeks back i was staying in one of the villages ( i don't think i would want to live in the city!) a small unfurnished apartment was 1000 baht per month / a house with garden was 2000 baht a month / 3 bedroom with garden at 5,000 a month ! ( i do not drink or smoke ) No way electricity costs 2000 baht a month unless you are using aircon on 24 hours a day! ( aircon is actually very bad for you! ) In Pattaya my water/electric bill is around 500 to 600 baht a month ( in Chiang Mai it is much cheaper in the villages! ) My mobile phone costs me 150 baht a month ( AIS ) A bicycle costs " nothing " ! I buy fresh produce from the local markets " fresh fruit and veg " every day and bake my own bread too! ( delicious may i add ) i spend about 80 baht a day on food,water etc ( all fresh food ) Guys you don't have to be " the sharpest tool in the box " to work out how cheaply you can live!

I found some " stunning " houses for rent ( not advertised ) by riding around on my bicycle and talking to the villagers ( not farang obviously...)

Chiang Mai is ( Officially ) now in the " Top ten of cheapest places to live in the world " did you know that viewers ?

I know some of you live on higher budgets but you guys must be paying " ridiculous " prices for your rents(6,000 plus!),drinking,smoking, using aircon,buying cars and motorbikes,eating farang food and " paying for a Thai lady to live with you " ??????

In the " real world " Chiang Mai is " Cheap as chips " it's all down to the way you live it!

and keeping on the original subject - Farang are not leaving Chiang Mai due to the cost of living!

Regards,

Farang Jaidee ( joop joop )

[Berkshire]

It seems to me that the original question was one of rate of loss--Are aliens departing more than usual?; but many of the replies instead address volume--there are a lot of aliens around.

Imagine that you install a swimming pool in your Chiang Mai dream house. Suspecting a leak, you call in the contractor and ask, am I losing water at a higher than normal rate? If he replies, don't worry, there is still a lot of water in the pool, will your question have been answered? Such a reply would probably spark a new topic about "Thai logic."

Actually, a better example would be the contractor coming over and seeing that there's actually more water than usual. Yet, you still complain that I'm losing water!

[ericthai]

canary sun , you have been out in the sun too long

No, CS is living a realistic lifestyle, similar to many Thais.

I also cook nearly all my own western food at home from primary ingredients, it's a fraction of the western food restaurant prices.

For example,

Bread is very cheap to make, but the vast majority of foreigners pay 5x the cost for someone else to produce an inferior product for them.

(Flour is 24bht/kg, so about 10bht to make a fresh loaf of bread)

CS house and condo rental prices are almost exact for MaeJo and Mae Rim, but I would actually say CS is overestimating the cost of electricity.

With air-con in the hotter days, my monthly bill is 1 ,600bht (5 or us).

In the cooler months that dips below 1,000bht.

I agree with you. I dont eat out much and make my own food which my wife buys at the fresh market so my food costs are low.

Also plenty of rentals for cheap prices. My wife's sister rents her house out for 1500B for a 2 bed with Aircon and Sat TV.

However water and elec for 500-600B is impossible. There is a meter charge of 100B for elec. My wife's aunt lives next to us in a village

and she has no aircon and he elec is 600-700B a month. Even in Jan and Feb when I only use fans my elec is 900-1000B.

The only person we know that has a cheap bill is her grandmother who lives behind us. Her is bill is always less than 200B

so she does not even have to pay it. however she has nothing. No tv, no fridg, etc only has a small fan and a radio. She gets up

in the morning and comes and spends the whole day at our house watching TV. We have tried to talk her into moving in but she

says she likes her house.

Anyway I'm not trying to live as cheap as possible. I'm happy with my stuff!!

[mesquite]

I don't agree with any of this " nonsense " of how things are more expensive! If you are a single farang living alone in Chiang Mai ( or anywhere else in Thailand ) and like myself you are " not materialistic " ie you rent a nice house for under 3,000 baht and ride a bicycle and don't drink/smoke and keep away from farang food you can live on under 8,000 baht a month " all in " easy!!!! I think that is very reasonable! don't know many places in the world that you can live on that amount of money! Most of Thailand is 3rd World with 3rd World prices.I read on here about farang renting condos in Chiang Mai City for 9,000 baht a month but when I was there a few weeks ago most were on average at 3,500 baht a month and lovely!!!

How about the noise level in these 3500 THB/mo condos? Any idea?

[dave2]

re

How about the noise level in these 3500 THB/mo condos? Any idea?

here ya go ... typical thai !

expect a little lovely belting her heart out to hotel california on a loud pair of these day or night somewhere in many cheaper condos

just joshin

dave2

ps ... the little man in the blue shorts who walked everywhere and always carried a plastic bag has gone ! ... the man with the hearing aid who looked like pop eye and drank at johns place every night has gone and i know three other ferangs who are leaving coz of ever tightening visa rules !

me ... im 100 % ok with another permission to stay one year and money

but even im having a tidy up / clean out at home !

just in case

[northernjohn]

Some people use immigration as a yardstick to gauge whether people are coming or going.

Whilst some people experience lengthy waits, long queues, pre-sunrise starts etc, others seem to breeze in and out at any time of the day with renewals, re-entry's and 90 days reports, all seemingly done in minutes.

So what's the real yardstick for whether people are coming or going, it cannot be based on a persons immigration experience?

I think the vacancies of both new and used properties on a scale I have never seen before and the willingness for owners who are hurting to now give shorter leases, is a better indicator that either people are leaving or Chiang Mai, or it can accommodate a heck of a lot more people.

All I know about immigration is that last month I went for my renewal (online booking), the place was heaving, lots of tourist's getting extensions and 3 out of 4 names called seemed to be from China.

So you are claiming there is no possible way that there is so many rentals available and people are desperate enough to give deals because the developers have built far more than the market warranted.

Makes no sense to me people leaving Chiang Mai and new housing projects going up all over the city.

[northernjohn]

re

How about the noise level in these 3500 THB/mo condos? Any idea?

here ya go ... typical thai !

expect a little lovely belting her heart out to hotel california on a loud pair of these day or night somewhere in many cheaper condos

just joshin

dave2

ps ... the little man in the blue shorts who walked everywhere and always carried a plastic bag has gone ! ... the man with the hearing aid who looked like pop eye and drank at johns place every night has gone and i know three other ferangs who are leaving coz of ever tightening visa rules !

me ... im 100 % ok with another permission to stay one year and money

but even im having a tidy up / clean out at home !

just in case

The ones leaving because of tightening Visa rules probably never obeyed them to begin with.

do you know for a fact they are leaving Thailand or just not relocating to another place where they are nott so well known and able to blend in better for a while?

Edit

Got any pictures?

Edited September 6, 2014 by northernjohn

[uptheos]

Some people use immigration as a yardstick to gauge whether people are coming or going.

Whilst some people experience lengthy waits, long queues, pre-sunrise starts etc, others seem to breeze in and out at any time of the day with renewals, re-entry's and 90 days reports, all seemingly done in minutes.

So what's the real yardstick for whether people are coming or going, it cannot be based on a persons immigration experience?

I think the vacancies of both new and used properties on a scale I have never seen before and the willingness for owners who are hurting to now give shorter leases, is a better indicator that either people are leaving or Chiang Mai, or it can accommodate a heck of a lot more people.

All I know about immigration is that last month I went for my renewal (online booking), the place was heaving, lots of tourist's getting extensions and 3 out of 4 names called seemed to be from China.

So you are claiming there is no possible way that there is so many rentals available and people are desperate enough to give deals because the developers have built far more than the market warranted.

Makes no sense to me people leaving Chiang Mai and new housing projects going up all over the city.

Well there's a lot of things that make no sense to you

I'm not claiming anything, just stating that there's a high surplus of accommodation and immigration is not a good yardstick to judge by, nothing else.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

I don't agree with any of this " nonsense " of how things are more expensive! If you are a single farang living alone in Chiang Mai ( or anywhere else in Thailand ) and like myself you are " not materialistic " ie you rent a nice house for under 3,000 baht and ride a bicycle and don't drink/smoke and keep away from farang food you can live on under 8,000 baht a month " all in " easy!!!! I think that is very reasonable! don't know many places in the world that you can live on that amount of money! Most of Thailand is 3rd World with 3rd World prices.I read on here about farang renting condos in Chiang Mai City for 9,000 baht a month but when I was there a few weeks ago most were on average at 3,500 baht a month and lovely!!!

How about the noise level in these 3500 THB/mo condos? Any idea?

I have a friend living in one, can't fault it in any way.

Nice views of Doi Suthep too.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

me ... im 100 % ok with another permission to stay one year and money

but even im having a tidy up / clean out at home !

just in case

555@ "Fanny" speakers, only in Thailand!

Edited September 6, 2014 by AnotherOneAmerican

[mesquite]

re

How about the noise level in these 3500 THB/mo condos? Any idea?

here ya go ... typical thai !

expect a little lovely belting her heart out to hotel california on a loud pair of these day or night somewhere in many cheaper condos

just joshin

dave2

ps ... the little man in the blue shorts who walked everywhere and always carried a plastic bag has gone ! ... the man with the hearing aid who looked like pop eye and drank at johns place every night has gone and i know three other ferangs who are leaving coz of ever tightening visa rules !

me ... im 100 % ok with another permission to stay one year and money

but even im having a tidy up / clean out at home !

just in case

How about the guy who walks around in the Japanese soldier uniform?