Question for those who have lived in Thailand for a few years

[321Rich]

If you could turn the clock back a few years, and do it all over again — Would you be living in the same city or some other area of Thailand? Also, lets frame this scenario by saying you are now 70 years old, fully retired with both a pension and higher than average Social Security benefit. You do not drink excessively, do not smoke, and have no need for bar girls or the beach. Bangkok is not an acceptable answer and on the other end of the spectrum, 50 kilometers out in the boonies is also not what I am looking for (as a diabetics, I need to be closer to medical facilities.)

— I visited Chiang Mai last month and was impressed with the city but I am not so sure about the air quality. Thanks in advanced for any helpful suggestions.

[ukrules]

I would suggest Hua Hin. It has a beach but you don't need to go there.

The other places like Pattaya, Phuket and some of the smaller islands where foreigners often live all have their own problems. Some of them are lawless hellholes.

[mesquite]

There is no perfect place. Visit them all and decide.

[NeverSure]

The good news about tourist areas is the selection of food, meaning international food, and shopping. The bad news is of course everything else, LOL. IMHO I'd also look at Pattaya but well back away from the tourist areas. Then you might find you have great shopping and restaurants compared to some other places and you might still be out of the mess most of the time.

I agree with Mesquite in that I'd spend a lot of time looking around.

[Ricardo]

One little-mentioned advantage of Pattaya/Jomtien, is that you don't need a 1-hour flight, to reach Swampy and your onward international-journey, I didn't appreciate the time/cost of this when we were originally choosing where to live in Thailand.

[cyberfarang]

For the elderly that do not drink, not interested in the seaside, think that oral sex is talking about it and the last french snog they had with a bird was back in 1974, Chiang Mai is the ideal place for you.

No need to smoke, because during certain months the pollution is so high that`s it is the equivalent of smoking 100 cigarettes a day.

If I could turn the clock back would I do it all again? NO, not even at gunpoint.

BTW, did I mention that Chiang mai has the worse immigration facility in the whole of Thailand, not for for meek or the infirm.

[ramrod711]

I like Chiang Mai,and have travelled extensively in Thailand. My favorite places to vacation are all south of Hua Hin, Prachuap, Bang Saphan and the beaches near Chumpon. I also like Koh Samui for a week or so, but wouldn't live there. But vacationing and residing are entirely different things, and I'm always happy to get back home to Chiang Mai.

[chiang mai]

The air quality can be very poor for between six and eight weeks each year, the rest of the time it's good or better. The change in seasons make it a great place to live for many westerners although it can get very hot in the "hot season".

To answer the OP's question directly and I very nearly fit his description exactly (I'm only 66), yes, I would not hesitate to do the same thing over again. The Immigration issue is very poor currently although using an agent can circumvent the issues. And health care here is good, we live north of Chiang Mai by about 25 kms and I can get to decent hospitals in under thirty minutes, I can get to a large government hospital in fifteen (I also am diabetic). And the Provincial Hospital in CM is excellent being attached to the CMU medical training facility.

If it seems as though I'm trying to sell Chiang Mai I'm not, I'm simply giving you my answer. But for somebody who has never lived here before, the best answer is to take your time and travel around and see where suits you personally.

[Saan]

If you have a respiratory problem, forget Chiang Mai. For over two months of the year, and it seems to be getting longer, the air is almost unbreathable. There is smoke in the air now and it will go on building until the rains come - if the rains come.

Apart from that small problem it is a lovely place.

[chiang mai]

Historically I'm prone to bronchitis although I haven't had an attack with the exception of the first year I was here, eleven years ago.

[FolkGuitar]

I wouldn't hesitate for a moment. Although I prefer to vacation elsewhere (smaller islands with uncrowded beaches and good scuba diving,) I find that Chiang Mai offers me everything I require in a 'home base.' I'll turn 70 at my next birthday, and can understand your questions about this area. There is a wide choice of medical facilities, even wider choice for shopping and entertainment, yet at the same time, if you chose your home location wisely, it still retains the 'feel' of a small town. Shop keepers are friendly, on the street Thais you meet will smile and nod as you pass, and there are many different expat communities that you have the option of joining if that is your wish.

Air quality 'can' be a problem for some. It does get bad for four to six weeks every year. The degree of 'bad' varies though, and I find that wearing an N95 filter mask (the sort you can purchase in most home centers or larger pharmacies) for 2-3 weeks during that time is sufficient to insure comfort and health. While it 'looks' bad, it's not necessarily life threatening for the entire burning season, and once that clears up, the air quality for the rest of the year combined with the mountain lifestyle make Chiang Mai a very pleasant place to live year round.

[Trujillo]

I know there is a lot of hyperbole on the seasonal air quality due to slash and burn, but frankly, I don't notice it at all.

Sure, you don't have the visibility and some years it's pretty thick, but I never have any symptoms, irritations or negative effects (other than lamenting not being able to see the mountains).

IF you have some respiratory problems, then maybe it's an issue to consider, but if not, the smoke from burning (not burning tires or piles of plastic bags) is only a temporary thing.

This is March 2012. It has not been this intense since. Take this as a worse-case scenario.

[LannaGuy]

I moved Chiang Mai years ago but the traffic is now a nightmare and you can't move for Chinese. Is there somewhere better within Thailand? I think not but if the Philippines had the infrastructure and the security I'd be there not here but it doesn't so it's academic. Live outside the city and Chiang Mai still has tons to offer and, in my view, beats the other Thai cities hands down but perfection? only in the dreams of romantics and idealists.

[fiddlehead]

Sounds like you could afford Phuket.
Not all of Phuket is near the beach.
Has good hospitals (5 of them)

Infastructure is good compared to most of Thailand.

I would suggest Paklok area or Cape Yamu for you if you don't like beaches.
Pretty much in the middle of the island, yet far from the hustle and bustle of Phuket town or Patong or other beach towns.

You should list your hobbies for a more exact location.

[worgeordie]

I came to Thailand a long time ago,visited various areas from Phuket ,to Chiang Rai.

but settled in Chiang Mai as I felt comfortable here,30 years ago it was a lot different,

much quieter,not everything was available and you had to take a trip to Bangkok,or

they would order for you,and would arrive from Bangkok,now you can find anything

you could what from the many Malls here.

Food is important for me,and there are so many options and choices of restaurants,

and ingredients if you like cooking at home,the weather has seasons,and not just

hot and humid all the time.the only downside is the out of control building and the

worry if the utility companies can cope with the increase,then theres the traffic!.

Nowhere is perfect,but Chiang Mai,is good enough for me,and i will die and be

buried here,so I am not leaving.

regards Worgeordie

[StefanBBK]

My vote goes to Hua Hin.

[321Rich]

OP here:

— My whining about the air quality in Chiang Mai is not a deal-breaker. Like Mesquite points out above, no city is perfect. I have fought fires in the past and the smell of vegetation burning is certainly not as dangerous as burning car tires and other plastics. What I mean by that is Chiang Mai seems to still be a desirable place to call home. And, no, I do not have any sort of respiratory problems. I’ve lived and worked right outside the Kennedy Spaced Center in Central Florida for about 30 years and NASA (and others) do “controlled burns” every year so I am very familiar with the smell of wood burning.

— I also like the fact that there are a lot of active expat clubs in Chiang Mai including Photography (one of my previous professions).

— It’s not a stretch to claim that I live near the beach now since the inland waterway is about two miles away with the Atlantic Ocean another couple of miles over. Playalinda Beach is near by… that is the only “nude” beach on government property that I know of in America! (Google it or better yet, search for it on YouTube for censored nude pictures!)

Thanks for posting.

[trainman34014]

It all depends on the individuals requirements and what one dreams that a retirement base needs to be the 'perfect' place.

The sticks to the South of Chiang Mai suit me fine with just a 30 minute drive to everything most of us could want. Having an International Airport within 15 klicks is a huge bonus in my opinion and the annual 'smog' doesn't really cause me the bother it seems to cause others. In the nearly nine years i have lived here traffic problems have increased and the march of concrete is relentless, but wherever i have lived on the Planet concrete has followed me everywhere and unless you are happy to live in the wilds of Alaska or the middle of the Desert i don't think it can be escaped from.

Of course; your happiness can also be affected by who you live with and not just by where you live. I am perhaps lucky as i have a lovely Thai wife with a sensible and hard working family and many good friends both Farang and Thai. Those things together with a nice area to live in make my personal retired life 'perfect'......for me.

[mesquite]

Chiang Mai, March 2015

[Atum]

If you have the funds for an annual 7-week vacation from about Feb 20 through Songkran, then Chiang Mai is a VERY good place to live.

Also it seems to me that the traffic south of the city is slightly better than north or east of the city, but I'm not an expert on this, just my opinion.

[lannarebirth]

If you could turn the clock back a few years, and do it all over again — Would you be living in the same city or some other area of Thailand? Also, lets frame this scenario by saying you are now 70 years old, fully retired with both a pension and higher than average Social Security benefit. You do not drink excessively, do not smoke, and have no need for bar girls or the beach. Bangkok is not an acceptable answer and on the other end of the spectrum, 50 kilometers out in the boonies is also not what I am looking for (as a diabetics, I need to be closer to medical facilities.)

— I visited Chiang Mai last month and was impressed with the city but I am not so sure about the air quality. Thanks in advanced for any helpful suggestions.

Were I in your position( which I am) I would live in Mae Rim 10 months per year and either go abroad or to the Andaman beaches the other 2 months per year.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

If you could turn the clock back a few years, and do it all over again — Would you be living in the same city or some other area of Thailand?

Same city/area, without any other area even coming close.

Also, lets frame this scenario by saying you are now 70 years old, fully retired with both a pension and higher than average Social Security benefit. You do not drink excessively, do not smoke, and have no need for bar girls or the beach. Bangkok is not an acceptable answer and on the other end of the spectrum, 50 kilometers out in the boonies is also not what I am looking for (as a diabetics, I need to be closer to medical facilities.)

Now you're making it complicated.. I thought this was about ME?!

On the plus side, it establishes that it wasn't intended as a circle-whine topic from the get-go, although it'll turn into one regardless.

Plan your yearly holiday (domestic or otherwise) in March.

One little-mentioned advantage of Pattaya/Jomtien, is that you don't need a 1-hour flight, to reach Swampy and your onward international-journey,

Right, it's a 2 hour bus ride. I guess if you fly to Europe it could be a consideration. But with more and more international flights out of Chiang Mai this difference is rapidly vanishing. (Chiang Mai -> Hong Kong/Korea -> USA is no different from 'Pattaya -> Bus to Swampy -> Hong Kong/Korea -> USA' and probably even better.)

It's one of those things why Chiang Mai is getting better all the time. (And some things get worse, but overall I'm very happy with the progress. If this was 1982 then one better appreciate local schools for the kids or McCormick for medical services, Thai dubbed movies and a peculiar interpretation of non-Thai food because that was pretty much it. HOWEVER if anyone craves that experience, then there are plenty places to choose from all over the North and North East.)

[ttthailand]

I would think about hospitals, safety (crime rate), and places to go. I would suggest Hua Hin, Udon or similar place. I like Bangkok as I can get everywhere by BTS, most areas are safe, hospitals are the best in Thailand, and malls and food places are everywhere. You can jump on bus or drive to beach areas once in awhile for a change in two hours. Bkk also has many single ladies, non bar girls, who are looking for nice farang man. Avoid Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Phuket etc as crime is up and many crazies running around. My opinion for what it's worth.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Avoid Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Phuket etc as crime is up and many crazies running around. My opinion for what it's worth.

Without a source, not a whole lot.

[mania]

Coming up on 4 years here in CM I think I would pick the same city if I had to do it again but we also already owned a condo here

As others have said though it has really gotten crowded in recent years compared to 7 years ago or so & that can be a problem at times & makes you wonder

But that aside I am a little curious given what you said you "dont need" what made you choose Thailand/Chiangmai?

[Trujillo]

I am wondering why the OP would pick Thailand. Why not Malaysia or Indonesia, for example?

[TheAppletons]

I am wondering why the OP would pick Thailand. Why not Malaysia or Indonesia, for example?

Pretty easy (and inexpensive) to get a long term visa, comparatively speaking.

[Mousehound]

Maybe I have blinkers on. "crime is up" if it is, surely it is relative to the increase in population? I would rate CM as a very safe place for its size. The invasion from the North is the only real downer. And this might have an upside - we might start getting more, and better, quality Chinese restaurants.

[cyberfarang]

My honest opinion, Chiang Mai is a great last hunting ground for elderly retirees. The health facilities are reasonable, keeping in mind that the old people with long term health issues medical can be expensive. The government hospitals are cheaper but do have there limitations and many insurance companies either won`t insure the over 60s for medical policies or charge silly money per year. Best to look into this before you arrive.

For the elderly.

PROS:

Chiang Mai is safe, medical care is good for those who can afford it, lifestyle is not as fast and furious as in other Thailand cities, and the natives seem friendlier then in other places. There are a few groups where old people can meet and easy to make friends.

CONS:

Chiang Mai immigration has become a nightmare and can be a stressful experience, the pollution has become so bad in certain areas that in my area new born babies are being sent up to Chiang Rai with their mothers for the first 3 months of their lives. Cost levels in Chiang Mai are catching up with the rest of Thailand and cheap is not so cheap any more.

[JimMagee]

I lived in the NorthEast, Nakhon Phanom area for several years. Now I live in Vientiane, Laos. If I had know how nice life is here in Vientiane, I would have moved here much sooner. Life is easier here, visas are easier, western amenities are plentiful. I'll never live in Thailand again. A nice place to visit, but Thailand makes everything more difficult for foreigners. Compared to Laos, Thailand is anti-foreigner. If you want to start a business, do it in Laos, not Thailand.