An escape to fantasy land

[watgate]

Just wondering, now that Chiang Mai has once again made the list of top ten retirement countries in the world to retire to, if there will be another exodus here of individuals and families looking to avail themselves of a cheap way of life, free from the afflictions and burdens of life back where they live? An escape to a seeming plethora of indescribable pleasures manifested by the opportunities to enjoy one's life in a veritable "garden of eden" as evidenced by the descriptions of Chiang Mai written by the all knowing writers of travel magazines.

[daoyai]

.....it's all true !!! cheap rent and so much PiZZA !!!

[Costas2008]

"Just wondering, now that Chiang Mai has once again made the list of top ten retirement countries in the world"

Please tell me what is the capital of Chiang Mai?

Never was good in geography.

[watgate]

For those folks who are a little slow I better spell it out for them so they can better comprend the salient points. Thailand, and more specifically Chiang Mai within Thailand, was ranked in the top ten of countries to retire in. Hope this clears up any confusion.

[searcher22]

Chiang Mai (Thailand) ranks among the top ten retirement destinations in the world.

[northernjohn]

Chiang Mai (Thailand) ranks among the top ten retirement destinations in the world.

Yes I am quite sure some travel magazine has Chiang Mai in the top ten.

Be interested in what they rate Thailand as a country to retire to.

[Suradit69]

Chiang Mai has once again made the list of top ten retirement countries in the world to retire to,

Chiang Mai isn't a country.

if there will be another exodus here of individuals and families

Assuming "here" means the country of Chiang Mai, why would there be an exodus?

Possibly an influx or mass arrival??

An escape to a seeming plethora of indescribable pleasures manifested ...

A plethora of something is certainly being manifested. Probably caused by too many cruciferous vegetables in your diet. Beano might help.

[puukao]

I cannot imagine there are many clowns who read something and then RETIRE because of an article. Well, i guess it only takes a few hundred in a world of 7 billion to notice a difference at your local coffee shop. Anyhow, I simply need good weather, good meat, good air, quiet times, and people not looking at me like a sex tourist when i retire. I would rank CM as one of the best places to visit (November to February) for a week, but to retire? retire in hawaii before CM, that is for sure.

[cardinalblue]

If air quality matters, it is much better in the rainy season (july - sept) than jan and feb. Sure it's cooler but the increasing haze is there...I don't get the part that air pollution is only in the months of march/april...

And it's much greener and refreshing now around CM than in the cool season...

Sure, Hawaii is a better place to retire/live IF you have the money and don't need access to cheap girls....But most retirees don't have the former and a few are addicted to the latter...

Hawaii is not for your average commoner....

CB

[robertthebruce]

Hawaii or CM. DEFINETLY. No comparisons, Hawaii wins hands down million times over... It's cleaner and that's just for starters...

But, each to our own....

[stgrhe]

I wouldn't regard Chiang Mai as a "Garden of Eden" because of its very bad air polution during parts of the year. Best air in Thailand you will find in Prachuap Khiri Khan province.

[Emster23]

"Chiang Mai (Thailand) ranks among the top ten retirement destinations in the world." That ought to drive a few nails into coffin.... Regarding Hawaii, I have friend who lived here, now back in Hawaii. Posted article "Paradise is expensive. To live comfortably in Hawaii, you'd need a salary of over $122,000, as of late. Dinner and a movie in Honolulu will cost you around $75, which is a little high. Your grocery bill may be on the higher end in this area as well, with the price of bread and eggs averaging over $4 each." Most expensive state in USA. http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2014/09/13/cheat-sheet-most-expensive-states/15455129/ Imagine what you could do with $122,000 a year here. Or what your honey could do with it, more like it....

[Gonzo the Face]

" Just wondering, now that Chiang Mai has once again made the list of top ten retirement countries in the world to retire to, if there will be another exodus here of individuals and families looking to avail themselves of a cheap way of life ".....

You say AGAIN, Please give us a credible link verifying your above statement....... I do nit consider MAD Mag as a credible source by the way...... By credible I mean some source that does not have a 'country' of Chiang Mai , interest in promoting

[alfieconn]

Hawaii or CM. DEFINETLY. No comparisons, Hawaii wins hands down million times over... It's cleaner and that's just for starters...

But, each to our own....

Strange as my friend comes to Cm from Hawaii twice a year for 3 or 4 months and is extremely disappointed that he can't live here all year round !

[dotpoom]

"Just wondering, now that Chiang Mai has once again made the list of top ten retirement countries in the world"

Please tell me what is the capital of Chiang Mai?

Never was good in geography.

It's a pity someone didn't inform all those "knowing" magazine travel writers......that Chiang Mai is not a country.............yet!

[Thakkar]

Damn those new immigrants, commin' over here and eatin' our som tam, fondling our soi dogs an' being all immigranty like.

We need to stop the good news 'bout this place gettin' out, man.

T

[cardinalblue]

Doi Saket is the capital...

Come on guys get with it...

If your friend really wants to live here why doesn't he? Watch what they do not what they say...

He probably really enjoys his Hawaii and CM part time living...anyone from Hawaii would not put up with the smoky season...he would be thinking "where in the hell are my trade winds?"

CB

[Diplomatico]

" Just wondering, now that Chiang Mai has once again made the list of top ten retirement countries in the world to retire to, if there will be another exodus here of individuals and families looking to avail themselves of a cheap way of life ".....

You say AGAIN, Please give us a credible link verifying your above statement....... I do nit consider MAD Mag as a credible source by the way...... By credible I mean some source that does not have a 'country' of Chiang Mai , interest in promoting

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/10-best-places-retire-overseas-142702453.html

[hml367]

Doi Saket is the capital...

Come on guys get with it...

If your friend really wants to live here why doesn't he? Watch what they do not what they say...

He probably really enjoys his Hawaii and CM part time living...anyone from Hawaii would not put up with the smoky season...he would be thinking "where in the hell are my trade winds?"

CB

Kilauea volcano has been erupting since 1983. When Kilauea started in 1983, Mauna Loa, which is the larger mountain that Kilauea is located on, erupted at the same time. Mauna Loa has since been relatively quiet. The air quality on the Big Island has been very unhealthy since then. They call it vog. The volcano often spews some "Pele's Hair" (volcanic glass http://geology.about.com/library/bl/images/blpelehair.htm) which the finer particles stay in the air and are breathed into the lungs.

[wisemonkey]

Hawaii or CM. DEFINETLY. No comparisons, Hawaii wins hands down million times over... It's cleaner and that's just for starters...

But, each to our own....

Comparing cities like that is a bit silly, at the end of the day its subjective. Different for everyone, everyone values things differently, cleanliness, cost of living, freedom, activities available, types of people, etc etc. For me anywhere can be amazing with the right company. One thing I do not like about Thailand is the lack of cleanliness, and disregard for the environment, its especially hard for me coming from Australia which is pretty pristine, however the people here that I meet (expats and thais) dont seem to be as caught up in the rat race as back home, and place more importance on living and enjoying your time being concious in a human body rather than being miserable and stressed in a job for 20+ years so you can have a house that you are hardly in due to the amount of work you have to do to get it which seems to be the norm back in western cultures. I am willing to take a hit on the cleanliness to be around more relaxed and happy people... others may not be the same, its all subjective cant compare.

[Greg Nixon]

I saw the article and posted it on Facebook. It was about Thailand and they may have mentioned Changmai in passing as one of several locations in Thailand. Get real promoting Thailand as a paradise does no favour to potential retirees. It is inexpensive. It has several major disadvantages.

The infrastructure leaves much to be desired - water supply problems including potable water.

Electrical disruptions.

Television disruptions.

Poor municipal maintenance including sidewalks, parks and roads.

Reluctance on the part of the populace to speak other languages besides Thai makes accessing goods and services difficult.

Corrupt police force who can be bribed to see things your way. It is always the foreigners fault because they are rich and the police are always ready to take advantage.

No adherence to the rules of the road.

Excess spending on temples and monuments makes an already financially stressed population even poorer.

Living in Thailand is like living in North America in the 50's but with more modern technologies available but less security.

Having said all that, " I still chose to live here because it suits me. I have a caring wife and loving daughter.

the roads, curbs and sidewalks are of a poor standard but I can live with that. God forbid I should stop watching where i am stepping.

I have adjusted to utility disruptions and have learned to modify my behaviour.

I have learned enough Thai to get by day to day and plan to kern a lot more.

Although the corrupt police have cost me 50,000 THB , I consider it a one time cost.

I drive with greater caution.

Ignore the temples except on social gatherings on holidays. Good politics.

I would inform anybody wishing to come here about the positive relaxed lifestyle but warn them of potential problems.Thailand is certainly not for everyone. I think there are pockets of luxury such that anyone could enjoy their retirement here.

[TPI]

Chiang Mai is a rat hole! I'm not trolling! The traffic has got to be the worst in the world, there are hardly any footpaths that you can walk on safely, you take your life in your hands trying to cross major roads inside the city, the Dr's are so second or third rate that flying home for health care is a reasonable option. Every Thai in the city sees all falang as an easy mark!

As you can tell I don't live there. After 3 years of making excuses, trying to understand, allowing for low IQ & low EQ, I'd finally had enough and left for friendlier climes.....Lamphun, Uttaradit, Phrae, Rong Kwan, Nan all of these towns are far far better to live in with all of the resourses nessessary for the good life! They even have pizza's!

[Berkshire]

Every Thai in the city sees all falang as an easy mark!

I can't believe you're talking about Chiang Mai. On second thought, if all you do is hang out on Loy Kroh, I can see how you would have that attitude.

[off road pat]

If air quality matters, it is much better in the rainy season (july - sept) than jan and feb. Sure it's cooler but the increasing haze is there...I don't get the part that air pollution is only in the months of march/april...

And it's much greener and refreshing now around CM than in the cool season...

Sure, Hawaii is a better place to retire/live IF you have the money and don't need access to cheap girls....But most retirees don't have the former and a few are addicted to the latter...

Hawaii is not for your average commoner....

CB

You'll be surprised how many Ex-pats from Hawaii live in Chiang Mai....... and how many visit yearly for a few months......

[off road pat]

Damn those new immigrants, commin' over here and eatin' our som tam, fondling our soi dogs an' being all immigranty like.

We need to stop the good news 'bout this place gettin' out, man.

T

Yeah, we don't need more ex-pats in CM, .........

And by the way don' believe the magazines, all they want to do is sell paper.....I once read a magazine that was righting about the 20 best restaurants in the world......and I was eating twice a week in one of them on Koh Samui.....and although it was good but I have been to hundreds of restaurants that were better...all over Thailand and all over the world.....and were not listed as one of the best in any magazine, its just bulls...t.....the journalist had a good feeling and the view was great......but that doesn't make it one of the 20 best in the world.....just one of the 20 best he has been.....

[Gonzo the Face]

Chiang Mai is a rat hole! I'm not trolling! The traffic has got to be the worst in the world, there are hardly any footpaths that you can walk on safely, you take your life in your hands trying to cross major roads inside the city, the Dr's are so second or third rate that flying home for health care is a reasonable option. Every Thai in the city sees all falang as an easy mark!

As you can tell I don't live there. After 3 years of making excuses, trying to understand, allowing for low IQ & low EQ, I'd finally had enough and left for friendlier climes.....Lamphun, Uttaradit, Phrae, Rong Kwan, Nan all of these towns are far far better to live in with all of the resourses nessessary for the good life! They even have pizza's!

thank you for leaving CM....... see everyone, things are improving already.

[northernjohn]

Chiang Mai is a rat hole! I'm not trolling! The traffic has got to be the worst in the world, there are hardly any footpaths that you can walk on safely, you take your life in your hands trying to cross major roads inside the city, the Dr's are so second or third rate that flying home for health care is a reasonable option. Every Thai in the city sees all falang as an easy mark!

As you can tell I don't live there. After 3 years of making excuses, trying to understand, allowing for low IQ & low EQ, I'd finally had enough and left for friendlier climes.....Lamphun, Uttaradit, Phrae, Rong Kwan, Nan all of these towns are far far better to live in with all of the resourses nessessary for the good life! They even have pizza's!

thank you for leaving CM....... see everyone, things are improving already.

I liked the part where they allowed for a lower IQ and EQ. I am sure he will be very happy there. Probably feel rite at home.

[CMHomeboy78]

Chiang Mai is a rat hole! I'm not trolling! The traffic has got to be the worst in the world, there are hardly any footpaths that you can walk on safely, you take your life in your hands trying to cross major roads inside the city, the Dr's are so second or third rate that flying home for health care is a reasonable option. Every Thai in the city sees all falang as an easy mark!

As you can tell I don't live there. After 3 years of making excuses, trying to understand, allowing for low IQ & low EQ, I'd finally had enough and left for friendlier climes.....Lamphun, Uttaradit, Phrae, Rong Kwan, Nan all of these towns are far far better to live in with all of the resourses nessessary for the good life! They even have pizza's!

Chiang Mai is a rat hole? ...well, if you say so.

Every rat smells his own hole.

[ggt]

If you peer thru the haze that surround Chiang Mai a good bit of the year...and look closely at the signs posted on utility polls...you will see how the locals view your presence there..."TAKE BACK CHIANG MAI FROM THE FOREIGNERS BEER BARS!"...and if you are following a gaggle of Chinese tourist...be careful where you step...

[Ulysses G.]

If you peer thru the haze that surround Chiang Mai a good bit of the year...and look closely at the signs posted on utility polls...you will see how the locals view your presence there..."TAKE BACK CHIANG MAI FROM THE FOREIGNERS BEER BARS!"...

Well one local anyway. Probably the same guy that made all the posters protesting "Spicy" a few years ago - even though it is mostly Thai.