Chiangmai is getting expensive and slowly changing ....these days

[LawrenceChee]

It's been a while since i posted here ....used to be all the restaurant postings and places I been for eating :-) it's still a good life here in CM and I am still discovering new restaurants every day.

For the last 6 years, I have seen prices creeping up and while there is still considerable value in comparison to the homes I have elsewhere in the world, I won't use the word laid back or cheap anymore and the airport has gotten a lot busier with more shops added in the last year for the last min duty free shopping.

Having shopped at Rimping & Tops almost weekly / at times local markets ...its noticeable most things have gone up in pricing and the service which used to be very personable has dropped a notch here with the younger generations seemingly unwilling to go the extra mile or perhaps just tired from the crowds we are seeing these days,

Still love CM, wont be leaving anytime soon....but feeling a tad nostalgic ...

[Dante99]

Nostalgic for 6 years ago? It has been going on for 50 years, probably more.

[1FinickyOne]

Just move further out into the countryside and you will find things somewhat cheaper and people a good bit friendlier. It seems the fewer farang in the area, the friendlier the people tend to be toward the few of us here...

As to prices, yes, there has been inflation but most of that has to be worldwide - right? I do remember 15 years ago filling the entire cart to overflowing levels at Big C for under 1500 baht and now, I can walk out with a bag in each hand for the same 1500 baht if I buy some of the good stuff...

Of course, the farmers don't seem to be getting much more...

[masuk]

Have to agree with you Lawrence, and yes, I did appreciate your reviews of restaurants around town.

As for price increases, we think they're inevitable, but items such as Australian wine, cheese, canned fruit have gone up in price. I'm no economist, but as the Aussie dollar has devalued more than 20% in recent years, it seems odd that the prices of goods have gone up.

There is a free trade agreement between Australia and Thailand I believe, yet goods such as wine which arrive Duty Free, increase by 300% by the time they get to Chiang Mai. This is not a nation-wide phenomenon, as the same wine is around half that price in the Jom Tien area.

The traffic in Chiang Mai hardly rates a mention! The cars are bigger, one in three is a red van, Huay Kaew Rd is jammed from 3.30 onwards. Nice having ring roads, but you've got to get there first.

I can see that the Bangkok solution might have to be applied, if ever the money was there, and overhead highways installed. Ugly as sin, but it's that or bring in a 'business centre fee', same as bigger cities around the world.

Good public transport would be a possible answer, but Luke Skywalker would be needed to clear the way.

[NancyL]

No, he's right. There's been a change just in the past five years. Everything has become much more busy. Little touches of service have disappeared. Small stuff, but it adds up. For the most part, they no longer put your bags into your cart at Tops. The cashiers at Rim Ping often don't give that pretty little wai when they hand you your change. (The cashiers at Tops always were a little lazy about this).

When you go into the TV or household goods area of Central Dept store you can wander for hours and no one hovers, pointing to the item you're looking at making "helpful" observations like "blue" or "on-off". This used to annoy me, but now I miss it. The other day we went to Power Buy (part of the Central group) to purchase a clothes washing machine, same thing where Hubby and wandered around the store looking at every clothes washer (it should have been evident we were serious shoppers) and when we finally found someone who would make eye contact they had to go find the store manager to locate someone able to understand our poor attempts at Thai. Apparently he was the only one in the store who spoke English. Used to be more staff in places like this spoke English or at least made an attempt.

It's as if everyone is busier, more adsorbed in their phones, maybe studying Chinese now instead of English. I don't know. But there's definitely a different vibe.

[Oscar2]

"service which used to be very personable has dropped a notch here with the younger generations seemingly unwilling to go the extra mile or perhaps just tired from the crowds we are seeing these days,"

the younger generation is totally useless and brain dead for the most part, faces glued to mobiles, reading shallow worthless garbage. you go in somewhere to do business and 80% of the time they don't want to put down the mobile and do the job they are getting paid to do.

i went to a friend's pharmacy last week. he wasn't in but had a girl there who i assume was a recent CMU graduate based upon her uniform. she was the only one in and had her earplugs in, watching something on her iPhone, laughing. there were 2 customers; me and a woman. she failed to notice either of us standing at the counter and we could not get her attention because the earplugs. the woman walked out. i rang my friend on his mobile as i stood there and told him the situation. he thanked me and said he saw the same thing when he came in the day before. she was fired a day or two later.

[hml367]

No, he's right. There's been a change just in the past five years. Everything has become much more busy. Little touches of service have disappeared. Small stuff, but it adds up. For the most part, they no longer put your bags into your cart at Tops. The cashiers at Rim Ping often don't give that pretty little wai when they hand you your change. (The cashiers at Tops always were a little lazy about this).

When you go into the TV or household goods area of Central Dept store you can wander for hours and no one hovers, pointing to the item you're looking at making "helpful" observations like "blue" or "on-off". This used to annoy me, but now I miss it. The other day we went to Power Buy (part of the Central group) to purchase a clothes washing machine, same thing where Hubby and wandered around the store looking at every clothes washer (it should have been evident we were serious shoppers) and when we finally found someone who would make eye contact they had to go find the store manager to locate someone able to understand our poor attempts at Thai. Apparently he was the only one in the store who spoke English. Used to be more staff in places like this spoke English or at least made an attempt.

It's as if everyone is busier, more adsorbed in their phones, maybe studying Chinese now instead of English. I don't know. But there's definitely a different vibe.

What happened to your flawless Thai, NancyL? So many times you have commented on how well you speak and read Thai.

As for the OP's observation, I think the attitude, understanding, and expectations of many foreigners are different than in the past.

To get a real feel, one should experience and compare outside the city also.

EDIT: I am not saying the OP's observation is wrong.... just that many things have changed on both sides.

[LawrenceChee]

I agree....

I love heading to Jia Tong Heng for my fix of Chinese when I am not heading to Fujian and the service there have been going downhill ...was there yesterday for a meal and the youngsters were hating their jobs, they hate it when the customers call them, they give you a forced smile when they have to refill the cups of tea and when the bill came, it took forever and it seems they even hate collecting money !

In the supermarket these days, the old timers are still polite but I believe with the expansion of Rimping to almost every corner of CM, their best people are scattered and now the vibe is not easy going but a quick service especially at the Rimping Cafe.

I am starting to explore more old time places to eat as those places still have great service and great food and while the place looks run down, the atmosphere is distinctly old CM and makes one slows the pace down...

Inlaws live in maerim and in those old neighbourhoods, the place is still slow although the amount of tour buses is annoying...I work in the trade but I love slow sustainable trade...this pace is outstripping the experience and on the Chinese we chat channels, they are also talking about it and saying the mags tango is not tasty, the people not as friendly and all saying tsk tusk are overpriced. They still love coming though but latex pillows have lost it flavour ;P

[true blue]

"service which used to be very personable has dropped a notch here with the younger generations seemingly unwilling to go the extra mile or perhaps just tired from the crowds we are seeing these days,"

the younger generation is totally useless and brain dead for the most part, faces glued to mobiles, reading shallow worthless garbage. you go in somewhere to do business and 80% of the time they don't want to put down the mobile and do the job they are getting paid to do.

i went to a friend's pharmacy last week. he wasn't in but had a girl there who i assume was a recent CMU graduate based upon her uniform. she was the only one in and had her earplugs in, watching something on her iPhone, laughing. there were 2 customers; me and a woman. she failed to notice either of us standing at the counter and we could not get her attention because the earplugs. the woman walked out. i rang my friend on his mobile as i stood there and told him the situation. he thanked me and said he saw the same thing when he came in the day before. she was fired a day or two later.

sincerely hope karma comes to bite you back one day,pathetic farang should be ashamed of your self.

[true blue]

No, he's right. There's been a change just in the past five years. Everything has become much more busy. Little touches of service have disappeared. Small stuff, but it adds up. For the most part, they no longer put your bags into your cart at Tops. The cashiers at Rim Ping often don't give that pretty little wai when they hand you your change. (The cashiers at Tops always were a little lazy about this).

When you go into the TV or household goods area of Central Dept store you can wander for hours and no one hovers, pointing to the item you're looking at making "helpful" observations like "blue" or "on-off". This used to annoy me, but now I miss it. The other day we went to Power Buy (part of the Central group) to purchase a clothes washing machine, same thing where Hubby and wandered around the store looking at every clothes washer (it should have been evident we were serious shoppers) and when we finally found someone who would make eye contact they had to go find the store manager to locate someone able to understand our poor attempts at Thai. Apparently he was the only one in the store who spoke English. Used to be more staff in places like this spoke English or at least made an attempt.

It's as if everyone is busier, more adsorbed in their phones, maybe studying Chinese now instead of English. I don't know. But there's definitely a different vibe.

typical American attitude to the natives why are they not treating my like royalty after all im a bigoted white American,with more money than you,i deserve respect and first class service, TIT.its there country and its you who should be giving them respect,

[TheSiemReaper]

I always enjoy watching someone go off the deep end because someone else observes something and wishes it were different.

Back to the topic in hand - of course Thailand's changing; it's become a much richer country. Thanks in part to the contributions to the economy by many folks posting on Thaivisa. But human development always lags economic growth and once there was a limited service sector attracting a handful of dedicated "cream of the crop" people and now there's a much bigger service sector with much less freedom to pick and choose the workforce. That's all that's happened really. Better economy = more expense and less service. At least in the short-term. In the long-run it means more expense and slowly improving service as companies begin to move away from price competition and quality of product competition and on to service based competition. No big deal.

[amykat]

and on the Chinese we chat channels, they are also talking about it and saying the mags tango is not tasty, the people not as friendly and all saying tsk tusk are overpriced. They still love coming though but latex pillows have lost it flavour ;P

Is this a bunch of new slang or auto correct or what??

[DLang]

No, he's right. There's been a change just in the past five years. Everything has become much more busy. Little touches of service have disappeared. Small stuff, but it adds up. For the most part, they no longer put your bags into your cart at Tops. The cashiers at Rim Ping often don't give that pretty little wai when they hand you your change. (The cashiers at Tops always were a little lazy about this).

Outrageous.

The little people not bowing and worshiping us.

They should be accused of stealing and locked up for their disrespect.

[LawrenceChee]

Apologies typed too fast

What I mean was on the WeChat channels similar to our WhatsApp ...the Chinese are saying mango tango is not delicious , the tuks tuks are overpriced and the latex pillow is not comfortable and should not buy

But they still love Chiangmai and would keep coming ...

[DaddyWarbucks]

No, he's right. There's been a change just in the past five years. Everything has become much more busy. Little touches of service have disappeared. Small stuff, but it adds up. For the most part, they no longer put your bags into your cart at Tops. The cashiers at Rim Ping often don't give that pretty little wai when they hand you your change. (The cashiers at Tops always were a little lazy about this).

Outrageous.

The little people not bowing and worshiping us.

They should be accused of stealing and locked up for their disrespect.

The facts are credible enough.

What is objectionable is the ​Memsahib ​attitude.

[LawrenceChee]

No, he's right. There's been a change just in the past five years. Everything has become much more busy. Little touches of service have disappeared. Small stuff, but it adds up. For the most part, they no longer put your bags into your cart at Tops. The cashiers at Rim Ping often don't give that pretty little wai when they hand you your change. (The cashiers at Tops always were a little lazy about this).

Outrageous.

The little people not bowing and worshiping us.

They should be accused of stealing and locked up for their disrespect.

I don't mean the service has gone down in a disrespectful way and I believe Nancy was putting the same points , perhaps words misinterpreted

I have spent years in the Indochina area - Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia before I discovered Chiangmai.

My initial stay here was filled with lovely memories. It was not meant that the people were bowing etc but the atmosphere was unlike Bangkok or Phuket.

There was a gentleness of the people you meet daily ....from the guys at first Rimping riverfront to the Khao Soy Lamduan ...people had a smile to the face, the city traffic was not crazy and the people were willing to help you with the trolleys not because we are kings but because this was Chiangmaj and people were friendly and thought this was a great service

I remembered my first security guard at the first condo I stayed at , I always had a smile for him , spoke to him With a hullo and a cold soda drink during the hot season ....he always had a smile for me , when he saw me coming back with groceries, he would volunteer to help and always shared pictures of his family with me.

I teach my Son to salute the Guards at the moobaan , say thank you to the street vendors etc as I want him to have manners and not a style of entitlement.

Even in Fujian when he is fussed upon as he is a regular like dad, I have never allowed him to believe the lovely team there was to serve him but the warm smiles there makes the lunch always a great experience

The price has been creeping up , the roads more crowded ...so I'm ranting a little and turning nostalgic I miss the small things and the friendly smiles and the Chiangmai pace of life

You can still find it but you have to drive further and hope the Chinese have not found it

[NancyL]

I wasn't just talking about lack of respect toward white people, but customers in general. The clerks at Tops and Rim Ping used to wai and place bags in the carts for everyone, not just us foreign customers.

And yes, I speak Thai, but my accent is bad. I read the language much better and basically Hubby and I were "helping ourselves" in the appliance shop by reading the Thai signs to compare products. It was interesting that the young clerks weren't making eye contact and certainly weren't following us around like they used to. When I tried to talk with one in Thai to ask a question, he just ran off and got the manager. No attempt to try to figure out what I was saying. Again, this is an indication of a decline in service level. Used to be that you got "extra credit" for initiating a conversation in the Thai language and sales clerks would take the time to figure out your question. They didn't flee from you!

[worgeordie]

One thing for sure the prices of anything (except fuel,but going up again),

will only rise,at rates above what the Govt. puts its inflation figures at .

There has been massive changes in the 28 years I have lived here,some

for the good,many for the worse,but I suppose its the same the World over.

I think it would be a nightmare returning to some of the places and countries,

that were so beautiful,mostly free of tourists,just very pleased I did all my

travelling so long ago.

regards Worgeordie

[MissAndry]

As places get popular with foreigners, they put the foreigner prices up. That's the number one rule in the world of ghetto living.

If you stop shopping/living/eating at establishments aimed at the foreign market, I'm sure you will find everything as cheap as before.

My little 2 bedroom house in San Sai at 3,500bht a month, it's hardly expensive.

@Nancy

Lazada have everything at good prices with free delivery, no need to interact/speak with the locals.

It's not as if they know anything about the products they are selling, even if you do manage to attract their attention.

[true blue]

I wasn't just talking about lack of respect toward white people, but customers in general. The clerks at Tops and Rim Ping used to wai and place bags in the carts for everyone, not just us foreign customers.

And yes, I speak Thai, but my accent is bad. I read the language much better and basically Hubby and I were "helping ourselves" in the appliance shop by reading the Thai signs to compare products. It was interesting that the young clerks weren't making eye contact and certainly weren't following us around like they used to. When I tried to talk with one in Thai to ask a question, he just ran off and got the manager. No attempt to try to figure out what I was saying. Again, this is an indication of a decline in service level. Used to be that you got "extra credit" for initiating a conversation in the Thai language and sales clerks would take the time to figure out your question. They didn't flee from you!

bet your American slang is worse than your so called thai speak, no wonder they run a mile away from you,though to be honest they don't like being helpful,because they don't speak English well enough, And they don't like to lose face.in front of there work mates,

[Oscar2]

geez....

i understood what LawrenceChee meant - yes the tuk tuks are overpriced and can you believe how many Russians and Chinese fell for the 5K Bath latex pillow scheme/scam?

and i understood what NancyL meant.....even my wife who is Thai complains how Thai people are not as friendly and helpful here anymore...."getting more and more like Bangkok" she always says...nothing about imperialism or disrespect...

i'm sure others understood too but always looking for an argument every chance they get.

[amexpat]

typical American attitude to the natives why are they not treating my like royalty after all im a bigoted white American,with more money than you,i deserve respect and first class service, TIT.its there country and its you who should be giving them respect,

That says a lot - about you and those who like you.

[NancyL]

Well, one good thing came out of this thread. I've never bought anything on Lazada and I just visited their website and see that perhaps that would have been a better alternative than going to Power Buy. More selection and they list the product dimensions. That was our biggest concern. The opening in the bathroom was designed around the previous munchkin-sized 12-year old clothes washer that gave up the ghost.

End the end, there were only two machines at Power Buy that would fit in the opening. Or so we think, they haven't actually delivered yet! I may be using Lazada after all. I see where there are some machines smaller than what we bought.

[rawhod]

My guide to prices in Chiang Mai has always been the cost of pork mince.

In January 2010, when I first came to live in Chiang Mai, the price of lean pork mince was 75 Baht for 1 Kilo. Now the price is 75 Baht for 1/2 Kilo.

[KhonKaenKowboy]

geez....

i understood what LawrenceChee meant - yes the tuk tuks are overpriced and can you believe how many Russians and Chinese fell for the 5K Bath latex pillow scheme/scam?

and i understood what NancyL meant.....even my wife who is Thai complains how Thai people are not as friendly and helpful here anymore...."getting more and more like Bangkok" she always says...nothing about imperialism or disrespect...

i'm sure others understood too but always looking for an argument every chance they get.

Since it's a US Holiday, I am going to agree with Oscar's posts on this matter. No one needs to bow down to me, or even call me "Sir." I do expect people to do the jobs they are being paid to do, at whatever wage, to do them in a civil manner. Grunting, and ignoring customers is impolite in any language. Again, it's the "soft bigots," who tell us to expect less than we would from other humans..."they are Thai."

I agree with Lawrence and Nancy, too, although the home improvement people leaving you alone is an improvement itself. But, I agree the good, classic places, that I would crave for, when in the States are more than slowly disappearing. As far as restaurants and bars..the number has been cut in half in only a few years. Too many "brain dead" staff, when a few caring, competent ones would be fine. Places getting squeezed on rent. Owners with obvious gambling debts. And don't get me started on warm, old beer in a dirty glass...it's much more of a standard and not an exception. I know of one place in the entire province that will consistently do a beer right, and that is my LG refrigerator in my 20K USD condo.

A few Saturday evenings ago, I did about a 5 Km walk through Su Thep. I did not see one place that was worth stopping at for a casual beer. I just about decided that I would move to Bangkok and leave the Chines to enjoy Lanna slowness and underachievement. Chiang Mai will always be a special place, but I'm tired of dealing with bullcrap.

[Sparkles]

No, he's right. There's been a change just in the past five years. Everything has become much more busy. Little touches of service have disappeared. Small stuff, but it adds up. For the most part, they no longer put your bags into your cart at Tops. The cashiers at Rim Ping often don't give that pretty little wai when they hand you your change. (The cashiers at Tops always were a little lazy about this).

Outrageous.

The little people not bowing and worshiping us.

They should be accused of stealing and locked up for their disrespect.

I can live without the wai unless its genuine and not company policy which it mostly is.The equivalent in Australia,in the supermarkets, is "have a nice day" delivered with a monotone voice with no eye contact.

Then again if I was on my feet for that long I would probably be the same.

[Puwa]

anijang, anijang, anijang

[MissAndry]

My guide to prices in Chiang Mai has always been the cost of pork mince.

In January 2010, when I first came to live in Chiang Mai, the price of lean pork mince was 75 Baht for 1 Kilo. Now the price is 75 Baht for 1/2 Kilo.

If your guide to prices in Chiang Mai was the cost of chicken mince, it would have been a totally different outcome.

[Mark123456]

I wish shop assistants would start ignoring me. I have never enjoyed shopping for electrical goods in Thailand because as soon as I stop for more than 1 second in front of an appliance, somebody sidles up to me and starts telling me things I don't want to know. I understand they are paid to annoy customers but even when you ask them nicely to leave you alone, they continue to follow you around the shop (or me at least). I haven't noticed any change in this behaviour yet.

*Just to be clear, this happens in my home country too but they usually leave you alone when requested.

[dcnx]

No, he's right. There's been a change just in the past five years. Everything has become much more busy. Little touches of service have disappeared. Small stuff, but it adds up. For the most part, they no longer put your bags into your cart at Tops. The cashiers at Rim Ping often don't give that pretty little wai when they hand you your change. (The cashiers at Tops always were a little lazy about this).

When you go into the TV or household goods area of Central Dept store you can wander for hours and no one hovers, pointing to the item you're looking at making "helpful" observations like "blue" or "on-off". This used to annoy me, but now I miss it. The other day we went to Power Buy (part of the Central group) to purchase a clothes washing machine, same thing where Hubby and wandered around the store looking at every clothes washer (it should have been evident we were serious shoppers) and when we finally found someone who would make eye contact they had to go find the store manager to locate someone able to understand our poor attempts at Thai. Apparently he was the only one in the store who spoke English. Used to be more staff in places like this spoke English or at least made an attempt.

It's as if everyone is busier, more adsorbed in their phones, maybe studying Chinese now instead of English. I don't know. But there's definitely a different vibe.

typical American attitude to the natives why are they not treating my like royalty after all im a bigoted white American,with more money than you,i deserve respect and first class service, TIT.its there country and its you who should be giving them respect,

1. Their, not there.

2. Respect is earned.

3. Proper service is expected.