What's so great about Chiang Mai?

[MaeJoMTB]

^^

Sad to be you.

[MESmith]

Thai people are very friendly and have made us most welcome here especially in the community we live in

I have found my neighbors in the mooban -- a small one -- to be aloof and snobbish. They have been here forever and think that myself (and maybe the other two aliens in the area) are interlopers. I have never had anyone say, "Hi" to me. And before you jump to conclusions, I am quiet and unassuming and polite. If I dropped in the street of a heart attack, I doubt anyone would give a shit.

The Thai "friendliness" is a hoax. I was recently in the US for a month and the people there ... no, any high school student could give master classes on politeness.

One neighbor up the soi has a small ma and pa shop and they have put in a pipe along the outside of their wall that takes their kitchen and cutting waste and funnels it to the next house down from them. They toss rubbish in the (now) dirt gutter and have a nice colony of rats there. The woman who runs the place and lives there is a true earth pig. I have heard that their neighbors across the soi have complained to the tessaban and they come out and waggle their finger, she tidies up and then pollutes as usual.

My landlord, after owning this property for 29 years, decides that the mango trees are "too big" and severely pollards them. He wanted to cut them down at the base, but I dissuaded him. He cut down completely a large longan tree because he could.

On my soi and the next one there are six houses vacant and either for sale or rent. One is a "condo on the ground" with a small carpark; no soil only the house. She is firm on 8,000 baht a month, which is laughable. Probably why it's been for rent for years.

The "superhighway" is undergoing massive refurbishment and the Maejo road intersection is being converted to an underground throughway and that's supposed to take three years. Haha...

If you want to own your own house, not possible (that means the land too -- who the hell would spend the money to build a house on land they don't own? "My wife/girlfriend loves me! I trust her." Oh boy. ...)

Thais are if nothing else, largely selfish and don't care about you. If I had a nickel for every Thai who gave their word to me (time to meet, work to do, etc.) and then broke it, I'd be rich.

Thais have a litter mentality (not as bad as the Indians or the Egyptians) and my mooban is always gathering rubbish. Just last week someone dumped a bag of trash by the side of the road, by a house, and the solution? Pick it up? No. Set it on fire.

The list goes on.

I stay here because it happens to be where I am now; things are cheap; you can rent companionship for a song and then tell them to get the hell out and do another; there used to be a cool season but that's pretty much gone now; and you can break the rules in SE Asia and pretty much nothing happens.

I am thinking of an exit strategy even now. It's an interesting place and if you don't give a shit about your environment and the year after year of humidity and oppressive heat and a people who have an average IQ of about 85, then it's great. You can get a girlfriend who is massively out of your league and you can even marry them, but you will never know if it's true or you are just a "big customer." I've seen several "solid" years-long relationships dissolve because the woman just got bored, or sick of the guy or found a bigger fish. "I will stay with you because you 'take care' of me and I don't want to continue working in some pissant job making nothing or working in a bar. I love you!"

Most of the foreigners I see have women who can't speak English to save their life. Then the foreigner dumbs down so now he's speaking like a knuckle-dragging neanderthal. Loneliness is one thing, but having a person around you who can't discuss current events or even locate England on a map is mindboggling. But so many men don't recognize this as a downside. Sex soothes many evils. So that's a plus, I guess.

Chiang Mai is fine if you don't care about the downsides. I know some men have "gone native" and move to some shitkicker village and live with the extended family who don't speak English (and most foreigners can't seem to be bothered to learn it, let alone read and write) and have fun counting chickens and setting traps for catching frogs. Hoo ho! My retired life is so good!

Oh yeah, and there's Kad Suan Kaow, where you can have fried rice and a Chang in the food court. All that's missing is the pigeons to feed.

Cutting it fine for post of the year Love it

[bangmai]

I suppose someone started this thread, so the numerous depressives here, can sit here and vent, as opposed to finally ending their prolonged misery. I'm sure I could make some valuable contributions to this thread, but I've got a den of Tiger girls waiting for me. The "IQ problem" seems to be about 10 points better, west of Canal Rd, without sacrificing looks whatsoever. HNY, everyone!

[alfieconn]

Taking into consideration increasing house prices, rents, medical fees, labour costs and noise levels, I think the same could be said for the whole of Thailand, only that Chiang Mai is no longer as good value for money as in other regions.

Number one, immigration has become a nightmare the worst in the whole country, the pollution in Chiang Mai is bad, early closing of bars and general lack of things that maybe taken for granted in other regions. I am becoming disillusioned with Chiang Mai and would not recommend settling here.

Would be interested in what they are ?

Can`t answer that for you because it depends on what each person likes doing and availability of what some people enjoy. My main concerns are the present immigration situation and worsening pollution each year. Over the last 3 years my girlfriend and me have suffered from permanent coughs, wake up every morning choking my lungs up. A lot of what I used to enjoy has gone into decline in Chiang Mai. Different strokes for different folks.

Well in your opinion what are they ?

[thrilled]

If you live in Chiang Mai your easily satisfied.I see some things higher than Bangkok.I visit the city every now and then.I'm getting

To the point that I might even stop doing that.

[curtklay]

Chiang Mai's attraction is what it used to be. Even as recently as 5 years ago, it had all the livability it was touted to have. But it has changed dramatically due to everyone wanting those qualities. Now it's just another overcrowded big city with all the same problems; pollution, traffic, crime, and unfriendly people. It still has it's good points, but they keep getting harder to find.

[cyberfarang]

^^

Sad to be you.

Unfortunately, hate to say this, don`t like to say this, but I have to go along with you.

This could describe anywhere not only Chiang Mai. Get on alright with the neighbours, but after all they are only neighbours, usually polite but if they did not talk to me often I really couldn`t care less. For the most part we do get on, no major problems, they leave me alone and I leave them alone, I don`t go looking for trouble and turn a blind eye to most of what they do. Just want a peaceful stress free life. One of my neighbours has 2 young children and every year on New Years day I give the parents 1000 baht to spend on their kids, from the heart because they are a nice family.

I think a lot of expats suffer from the festive season blues this time of year, maybe it`s because Christmas in Thailand is not the same as being back home with old friends, families and all that.

Personally, I blame bangmai for not giving out the phone number of his nurse, because every Christmas I like to get my teeth into a fresh young bird, fed up with the old boiler I`m stuck with for the rest of the year.

[DaamNaam]

Thai people are very friendly and have made us most welcome here especially in the community we live in

I have found my neighbors in the mooban -- a small one -- to be aloof and snobbish. They have been here forever and think that myself (and maybe the other two aliens in the area) are interlopers. I have never had anyone say, "Hi" to me. And before you jump to conclusions, I am quiet and unassuming and polite. If I dropped in the street of a heart attack, I doubt anyone would give a shit.

The Thai "friendliness" is a hoax. I was recently in the US for a month and the people there ... no, any high school student could give master classes on politeness.

One neighbor up the soi has a small ma and pa shop and they have put in a pipe along the outside of their wall that takes their kitchen and cutting waste and funnels it to the next house down from them. They toss rubbish in the (now) dirt gutter and have a nice colony of rats there. The woman who runs the place and lives there is a true earth pig. I have heard that their neighbors across the soi have complained to the tessaban and they come out and waggle their finger, she tidies up and then pollutes as usual.

My landlord, after owning this property for 29 years, decides that the mango trees are "too big" and severely pollards them. He wanted to cut them down at the base, but I dissuaded him. He cut down completely a large longan tree because he could.

On my soi and the next one there are six houses vacant and either for sale or rent. One is a "condo on the ground" with a small carpark; no soil only the house. She is firm on 8,000 baht a month, which is laughable. Probably why it's been for rent for years.

The "superhighway" is undergoing massive refurbishment and the Maejo road intersection is being converted to an underground throughway and that's supposed to take three years. Haha...

If you want to own your own house, not possible (that means the land too -- who the hell would spend the money to build a house on land they don't own? "My wife/girlfriend loves me! I trust her." Oh boy. ...)

Thais are if nothing else, largely selfish and don't care about you. If I had a nickel for every Thai who gave their word to me (time to meet, work to do, etc.) and then broke it, I'd be rich.

Thais have a litter mentality (not as bad as the Indians or the Egyptians) and my mooban is always gathering rubbish. Just last week someone dumped a bag of trash by the side of the road, by a house, and the solution? Pick it up? No. Set it on fire.

The list goes on.

I stay here because it happens to be where I am now; things are cheap; you can rent companionship for a song and then tell them to get the hell out and do another; there used to be a cool season but that's pretty much gone now; and you can break the rules in SE Asia and pretty much nothing happens.

I am thinking of an exit strategy even now. It's an interesting place and if you don't give a shit about your environment and the year after year of humidity and oppressive heat and a people who have an average IQ of about 85, then it's great. You can get a girlfriend who is massively out of your league and you can even marry them, but you will never know if it's true or you are just a "big customer." I've seen several "solid" years-long relationships dissolve because the woman just got bored, or sick of the guy or found a bigger fish. "I will stay with you because you 'take care' of me and I don't want to continue working in some pissant job making nothing or working in a bar. I love you!"

Most of the foreigners I see have women who can't speak English to save their life. Then the foreigner dumbs down so now he's speaking like a knuckle-dragging neanderthal. Loneliness is one thing, but having a person around you who can't discuss current events or even locate England on a map is mindboggling. But so many men don't recognize this as a downside. Sex soothes many evils. So that's a plus, I guess.

Chiang Mai is fine if you don't care about the downsides. I know some men have "gone native" and move to some shitkicker village and live with the extended family who don't speak English (and most foreigners can't seem to be bothered to learn it, let alone read and write) and have fun counting chickens and setting traps for catching frogs. Hoo ho! My retired life is so good!

Oh yeah, and there's Kad Suan Kaow, where you can have fried rice and a Chang in the food court. All that's missing is the pigeons to feed.

Cutting it fine for post of the year Love it

100% agreed. Post of the year in my book.

[Dibbler]

Look around you dude and compare with what you have in CM with what it's like back home, then stop spouting off about Thailand!

[roo860]

talk about crowded.

Had a look in Makro this early afternoon to buy some bits and pieces. Was chocka full. Fresh pork section was heaving, like pork was going to be outlawed tomorrow .People stocking up like it was pre-Armageddon. Trolley driving resembling the vehicle equivalent around town. Checkout queue was at least orderly.

#cantwaitfornewyearstobeover

.well it is new year.

[Trujillo]

Sad to be me?

I did not say I was unhappy. Just pointing out the obvious, to me anyway. I am sure there are plenty of other places in SE Asia that are better than CM. It's been an interesting run. But often things are what you make of them; however that silk purse is not easy to make of a sow's ear.

Post of the year? Haha...And just 2 hours under the gun

edit//

Look around you dude and compare with what you have in CM with what it's like back home, then stop spouting off about Thailand!

Are you talking to me? Am I the "Dude" now? Cool!

You assume that I am some newbie and I have a "back home." I have not lived in my home country for just over 30 years now. Closing in on 10 of those in Thailand. But really; are you postulating that CM is better than any "back home" in the world? Uh, ok. Sorry your "back home" is so awful.

Edited December 31, 2015 by Trujillo

[cyberfarang]

Taking into consideration increasing house prices, rents, medical fees, labour costs and noise levels, I think the same could be said for the whole of Thailand, only that Chiang Mai is no longer as good value for money as in other regions.

Number one, immigration has become a nightmare the worst in the whole country, the pollution in Chiang Mai is bad, early closing of bars and general lack of things that maybe taken for granted in other regions. I am becoming disillusioned with Chiang Mai and would not recommend settling here.

Would be interested in what they are ?

Can`t answer that for you because it depends on what each person likes doing and availability of what some people enjoy. My main concerns are the present immigration situation and worsening pollution each year. Over the last 3 years my girlfriend and me have suffered from permanent coughs, wake up every morning choking my lungs up. A lot of what I used to enjoy has gone into decline in Chiang Mai. Different strokes for different folks.

Well in your opinion what are they ?

I`m not going to be cornered into this one. This is Thai Visa and whatever I say you are going to knock me down for it and say it`s me that is the problem.

I will say that for me Chiang Mai is now lacking in certain things that I used to enjoy in the past, a lot has changed. You can interpret that anyways you like.

[Trujillo]

Over the last 3 years my girlfriend and me have suffered from permanent coughs, wake up every morning choking my lungs up.

Seriously, that can't be from the weather or pollution or this would be on the news every day. I'd look into a health check-up. Unless you are a chain smoker, coughing every morning isn't right. The air isn't that bad even at the worst of times.

[MaeJoMTB]

I'm out in the neighbours garden eating food and drinking beer. Weather is perfect. How many times did I do this in the UK ....... Never!

[gamini]

for me it is the only place in Thailand except Bangkok, where I can meet people with the same education, culture and background as mine. I have lots of friends in Chiang Mai who I can relate to. In other places, except Bangkok I find there's very few expats who are well educated, most of them seem to be either working class Brits from the Northern England, or ugly Farangs covered with tattoos and walking around in thier underclothes, or sexpats who cant find a decent looking girl in thier own country. .

[stoneyboy]

I'm out in the neighbours garden eating food and drinking beer. Weather is perfect. How many times did I do this in the UK ....... Never!

Really,you must have led a very sheltered life then.

Street parties were once the norm,as are bbq to this day.

Either that or no one liked you.

People in the streets at the stroke of midnight singing and joining arms for auld lang syne,pouring out of pubs etc.

I think you may have had one to many Leo's.

Happy new year.

[eyecatcher]

I'm out in the neighbours garden eating food and drinking beer. Weather is perfect. How many times did I do this in the UK ....... Never!

Cant be that good if T.V is diverting your attention.

[cyberfarang]

I'm out in the neighbours garden eating food and drinking beer. Weather is perfect. How many times did I do this in the UK ....... Never!

You`re telling porkys, you are typing away on your computer adding posts.

If you are out having fun, then shame on you for not inviting us miserable old has beens contemplating how sad we are and trying to remember how long it has been since we french snogged a bird.

[MaeJoMTB]

I'm out in the neighbours garden eating food and drinking beer. Weather is perfect. How many times did I do this in the UK ....... Never!

Really,you must have led a very sheltered life then.

Street parties were once the norm,as are bbq to this day.

Not at 11:24 in the evening.

Edited December 31, 2015 by MaeJoMTB

[northernjohn]

I hear you.

For me the Immigration is not a problem. It is a once a year event and I am retired so it is not as though I have no time. If I want I can pay some one and did do so to do it. 90 day are a good excuse to get out and about. The really big bitch I have about Chiang Mai now is they are no longer bringing in two and some times three good movies a week. My movie interests are still the same.

As for the smog I can not say if it is getting worse or not. But I can say I am getting older and less able to handle physical things than I used to. Also my interests are changing. So far they have not changed enough that I would go looking for another place in Thailand or any other country. But I do admit my aging is part of the loss of what used to be attractions.

Immigration doesn`t bother me that much either, except concerned if it could get worse in the future and it`s still worse then anywhere else in Thailand. This is comparing Chiang Mai with other regions.

In England they have the National Health Service, which is atrocious. A person has to be on death’s door before receiving treatment and the over 55s are written off. Private heath care is reserved for the well off, not affordable to the average working person.

In the past my family lived in local authority housing and rented accommodation, it was not until the 1960s when family members progressed enough and were able to buy their own homes. My parents bought their first home, a 3 bedroom house for £900 in the late 1960s, it’s valued at £380000 today. I bought my first house in 1981. Laugh when people mention housekeepers. Never had or could afford a housekeeper in England, so why would anyone expect to have one in Thailand? Unless they are very elderly or infirm. Seems like more a thing or keeping up appearances to me.

We can’t compare the cost of health care and accommodation or property prices with those in our own countries. It’s a whole different system. In the UK I could work and the incomes are more or possibly receive government handouts to help with accommodation requirements. In Thailand I have choices. If I get ill can use the government hospitals, then not much worse off when under the National Health Service or go to private care if I have the money. I can buy or rent upmarket if I have the money. It is a mistake to compare living in Thailand with our own countries. We can choose how we want to live. I actually love Thailand, I’m one of the lucky ones suits me fine only I think that Chiang Mai is not what it used to be, but on the other hand us old farty asses could say that about anywhere.

I think a prescription for 2 nightly doses of bangmai`s nurse for one week would make me see Chiang Mai in a whole new light and may stop me declining more into a moaning old bleeder, but I would still recommend certain other regions for retirement over and above Chiang Mai for a better lifestyle.

I agree with you . In an earlier post I tried to get people to compare apples to apples and stop trying to compare apples to oranges. Here is a repeat of that post.

"He compared the cost of housing to the states that would include utilities also when he said medical costs are rising was he talking about the public hospitals that have been here for years or the Brand New state of the art equipment ones? As for the cost of maid and gardeners it has been high for years. Is he comparing every thing to Bangkok or maybe a small village in Issan. Pretty hard to judge any thing based on things you don't like about the city. Need some thing more concrete to compare to."

As you can see I tried to get people to compare apples to apples and wound up with people comparing apples to oranges.

[BB1955]

I ve been here in Chiang mai 6 years , thinking now is long enough , would be nice closer to the ocean.

[cyberfarang]

2 minutes to go until it`s 2016.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE, and may 2016 be a be a healthy and prosperous year for you all, including myself.

[elgordo38]

Taking into consideration increasing house prices, rents, medical fees, labour costs and noise levels, I think the same could be said for the whole of Thailand, only that Chiang Mai is no longer as good value for money as in other regions.

Number one, immigration has become a nightmare the worst in the whole country, the pollution in Chiang Mai is bad, early closing of bars and general lack of things that maybe taken for granted in other regions. I am becoming disillusioned with Chiang Mai and would not recommend settling here.

I think we scared him off. I watch the rest of the world on TV and its not getting any better anywhere. My rent is reasonable and we have a pool mostly empty, medical fees hm I have some coverage and what I read about public hospitals seems reasonable, labor costs hmm locked myself out of the condo last night the locksmith was 200 bahts other than that I never hire anyone. Yes noise levels are a sore spot especially the roaring rice rockets up and down the street. Pollution is bad at times but not as bad as Beijing. I feel safe and yes immigration is a nightmare and now the 90 mail in system seems to be breaking down still waiting for mine back. They received it over 10 days ago according to my track and trace. Bars closing early good close em all down. We could use a better local transportation system but Bangkok has a tight fist on the purse strings unless Bangkok is in need of something here nothing is done until it threatens tourism and then its Shazam things get done fast. I am to old to chase rainbows any more. I have tried Mexico, Costa Rica both worse. Accept the world for what it is Shangrai-la and Eutopia are long gone.

Edited December 31, 2015 by elgordo38

[Oscar2]

Thai people are very friendly and have made us most welcome here especially in the community we live in

I have found my neighbors in the mooban -- a small one -- to be aloof and snobbish. They have been here forever and think that myself (and maybe the other two aliens in the area) are interlopers. I have never had anyone say, "Hi" to me. And before you jump to conclusions, I am quiet and unassuming and polite. If I dropped in the street of a heart attack, I doubt anyone would give a shit.

The Thai "friendliness" is a hoax..................................................

what a miserable sod you are. i would hate to walk in your shoes. i get up each day and enjoy my life.

[Trujillo]

what a miserable sod you are. i would hate to walk in your shoes. i get up each day and enjoy my life.

Yikes!

You didn't read my subsequent post, or you did.

By "sod" I assume you are not talking about a bit of turf, and while I might be called a bastard by some, it's not because of what I see around me. I am not making this up or hyperbolizing. Because my neighbors are distant and one is a ground sloth doesn't make me a miserable sod. Don't kill the messenger.

I get up each day and enjoy my life too, in spite of the distractions.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

I ve been here in Chiang mai 6 years , thinking now is long enough , would be nice closer to the ocean.

Try it for a couple weeks. Especially if it's one of the places where tourism is everything (unlike Chiang Mai, where it's just part of what goes on).

It's seriously tedious to be seen as a walking ATM 24/7 in places like Pattaya, Hua Hin, most of Phuket, etc, etc.

That said, I can think of places near to the sea that aren't the above, and those would be the one I'd look into.

BTW: What will happen to your restaurants if you make the move? I like them, don't go!!

[amexpat]

And CM has this lovely river called Denial

“Smog for a couple of weeks out of the entire year? I wear a mask and go about my normal day.”

Those two weeks are called February and March. Sometime there are more.

“The air isn't that bad even at the worst of times.”

Are all those people at the hospitals every year faking it? Oh, right - only those with preexisting conditions.

Besides the burning, we are in a bowl that traps the unregulated vehicle emissions. But, yes it is better that Beijing so no problem here.

[ggt]

The pollution is actually a good thing...as it helps hide the signs around town that say: "Get Rid of Beer Bars"...which really means...get rid of foreigners...

[bangmai]

Agree about the beaches. I'll take CM over HH or Patts any day of the week. It does seem like at the beach resorts, everything involves helping the farang part with his money. It's ok in small doses, but gets old quickly. I would probably even take Udon, KKN, Korat over those places, or even Chiang Rai. Phuket, Samui? No thank you. You could have a debate on who's worse, the "local" Thais or the farang. As stated above, there is a lot more to CM than tourism. Tourism is a big business, but it's not the only business.

[JaseTheBass]

I must say that it's great to be back in Udon for a week after nearly 2 years in Chiang Mai - there's even a decent restaurant in town now! Only 15 more years of slog in CM before I can escape.