I just got back to CM for the first time in three years and there seem to have been a lot of changes since the last time I was here.The increase in traffic is obvious but several of my favoutite haunts have disappeared.I used to eat a lot at a small Italian restaurant near the Irish Pub but it,s gone now and my favourite bookstore ,Gecko books seems to have drastically reduced in size.The bars on Loi Kroh seem pretty low key now.I know it,s not yet high season but what,s going on in my once loved CM?

Some call it progress.

Wait 'til you visit CNX Immigration....

Some call it progress.

Wait 'til you visit CNX Immigration....

Yes, the convivial wait on line that usually begins at 5AM would surely come under the rubric of 'nightlife."

Yes i noticed changes 3 months back from previous visits in 2012, lot busier and not as quaint.

Gecko Books has gotten smaller?

It's to do with a military government destabilizing the country.

Threatening to close bars within 300m of schools, etc.

Business owners tend to run.

Western tourists don't come.

But on the bright side you can learn to speak Chinese pretty quickly.

LOL.

Jesus Christ on a stick.

Three years.

Dondorondo..."When I returned in April after one year in the USA I noticed that the number of soi dogs seems to be down. A culling of the herd perhaps?"

Yes your are right...maybe it is because of the Chinese !

Yes Plenty of Chinese

With No Road Rules

Always asking for cheaper meal prices

Must be cheaper in China

Gecko Books has gotten smaller?

yes, they use to occupy the main floor of 2 shop house. Now they have only 1 shop house as the landlord opened a new store in the other area. They sell hand bag to chinese tourists.

The same landlord also took back the Gecko space across from the main store about 1 or 2 years ago.

.

There is no change in the cemeteries. A visit might be worthwhile, to get things into perspective.

Which city in this world is not undergoing changes??? Grow up.

There is no change in the cemeteries. A visit might be worthwhile, to get things into perspective.

Which city in this world is not undergoing changes??? Grow up.

Whats with you???? No need to be rude or sarcastic. Nothing in the OP that called for such a comment.... Suggest you step back and reevaluate who needs to grow up..... He simply made a comment on how much CM has changed since here last.

i notice that many of the old shophouses have been turned into boutiques,cafe bakeries, spas and guesthouse/hotels. Seems the whole of the city center and spreading outward is now mainly tourist oriented. Nice to see some of the small manufacturing and repair shops still in business, there is even a blacksmiths shop near me.

Almost forgot....... welcome to the forum Warthogblues..... Please don't be put off by a poster who probably was having a bad day... Look forward to seeing future posts from you

G

I wish I had taken lots of photos of the area of Chiang Mai where we moved to 7 years ago. Back then our moo ban had 11 houses in it, with 3 of those still under construction. Now it has over 100. Back then there were only 3 other moo bans within 5 miles of ours. Now there's about a dozen. Back then the only thing around us was rice paddies. Now there Home Pro's, Home Expert, Home Mall, tile companies, 4 large paint companies, a small mall, Promanada Mall, and of course, the always present 7/11's. Back then, highway 121 had little traffic in our area. Now you can sit at the exit of the moo ban for 10 minutes or more during morning and evening rush hour to try and get out. Now we're trying to sell our house and move a little farther out into something smaller. (If anyone is interested, PM me and I'll send you details.)

Changes in Chiang Mai? Yeah, a lot of them, and there's no escaping it. But I guess that's "progress".

It's to do with a military government destabilizing the country.

Threatening to close bars within 300m of schools, etcou have to be kidding>

So that is why Chiang Mai has changed!

Gecko Books has gotten smaller?

yes, they use to occupy the main floor of 2 shop house. Now they have only 1 shop house as the landlord opened a new store in the other area. They sell hand bag to chinese tourists.

The same landlord also took back the Gecko space across from the main store about 1 or 2 years ago.

.

I noticed that; it must be one of the weirder sights! A "posh" handbag store juxtaposed between 2 secondhand book stores.

Yes Plenty of Chinese

With No Road Rules

Always asking for cheaper meal prices

Must be cheaper in China

It is cheaper food in China...i know a few Chinese here who carnt believe how expensive food is in Thailand.....

But on the bright side you can learn to speak Chinese pretty quickly.

and soon Hindu if the fabulous Ms. Popcorn gets her way ...

There is no change in the cemeteries. A visit might be worthwhile, to get things into perspective.

Which city in this world is not undergoing changes??? Grow up.

Whats with you???? No need to be rude or sarcastic. Nothing in the OP that called for such a comment.... Suggest you step back and reevaluate who needs to grow up..... He simply made a comment on how much CM has changed since here last.

Some old curmudgeons seem to think that a so called 'newbie' needs to go through an initiation which usually involves a bit of nitpicking.

As you develop a carapace that is required to be a member of TV you learn to it ignore it.

But stay with us, there are a lot of good and informative members.

Yes Plenty of Chinese

With No Road Rules

Always asking for cheaper meal prices

Must be cheaper in China

No it's not cheaper!

Road rules seem to be a bit more organised there, but the horns, the horns!!!!

More bad news,

The CM governor is enforcing the Loi Kroh bar closures later this month.

More bad news,

The CM governor is enforcing the Loi Kroh bar closures later this month.

No that's gonna set the cat amongst the pigeons. ...Some folk will be happy to see them go and others will be pist to bits.

A lot of annoyed unemployed people and loss of businesses in the area will take a while to recover.

Some call it progress.

Wait 'til you visit CNX Immigration....

After hearing about that place a lot on here....I just had to go and see it the next time I went there...it was becoming like a "Tourist Attraction" for me. I was there about two months ago and like the good tourist that I am....I whipped out my trusty camera and snapped away from every angle to my heart's content. Very proud of myself I was, that's how I would describe my mood upon arriving back in Jomtien...like I imagine I would feel if I got a snap of the Niagara Falls. But alas, it wasn't to last long....I have since learned through the very knowledgeable TV grapevine.....that the bl---y place has closed down and a new one opened....Bad luck to this here thing called "progress". Now I have to start from scratch all over again.

More bad news,

The CM governor is enforcing the Loi Kroh bar closures later this month.

Another rumour or fact?

But the fact is the governor has little say in all this. It's what the big man in Bangkok wants that's going to happen and the governor is not going to overrule him.

Yes I heard the same tonight lol. The governor is just a pawn. If he doesn't toe the line then he will be job hunting too.

Yes Plenty of Chinese

With No Road Rules

Always asking for cheaper meal prices

Must be cheaper in China

It is cheaper food in China...i know a few Chinese here who carnt believe how expensive food is in Thailand.....

And the Beer and cigarettes ... etc

More bad news,

The CM governor is enforcing the Loi Kroh bar closures later this month.

Why would that be bad news? The bad news in CM is that it's growing rapidly...too rapidly. More people, more tourists, more expats, more development, more traffic, more pollution. Just more of everything. I know this doesn't fit in with your agenda that the sky is falling and nobody is coming to CM, but the exact opposite is what's happening.

More bad news,

The CM governor is enforcing the Loi Kroh bar closures later this month.

Why would that be bad news? The bad news in CM is that it's growing rapidly...too rapidly. More people, more tourists, more expats, more development, more traffic, more pollution. Just more of everything. I know this doesn't fit in with your agenda that the sky is falling and nobody is coming to CM, but the exact opposite is what's happening.

I agree, Berkshire.

Many foreigners in the last 8 to 10 years touted how great Chiang Mai is and how nice to live here - then complain about traffic, Immigration, sidewalks, bike lanes, availability of "things from home", not enough cinemas, too many cinemas playing the same movies, etc., etc.