working on my budget - Part 2 "clarification"

[louse1953]

16 hours ago, 55Jay said:

No.  Please tell us where you are at.

 

If it's lack of nightlife you seek, you've chosen Chiang Mai wisely.  Your entertainment budget will be minimal. 

 

Sorry, you're from Jersey so you may not understand what I meant.  I mean, if it's lack of nightlife ya'all seek, ya'all dun chosen Chiang Mai wisely.  Ya'all's ennertainmint budget ought to be minimal.  Ya'all.

I didn't think NJ was that far south,youall.

[louse1953]

16 hours ago, tonray said:

 

Yes and when I awoke this morning it was 1 degree C. Very cold

Brass monkeys,ka ching.

[elgordo38]

8 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Hidden gems are what makes the rest of it worth staying in LOS ( Thailand ). 

However, to find them you need your own transport. Having your own transport introduces a whole new level of risk as the traffic is barking mad. Good insurance is essential. To ride in LOS you need a m'bike licence from your own country and an international driving permit.

Traffic in C M is basically a traffic jam from morning to late at night, but a m'bike lets you scoot to the head of the jam at every traffic light. Just be aware you are low on the foodchain of drivers in cars.

C M has loads of temples. The one I like best is on the hills near the Flora gardens ( towards Hang Dong from the airport )- NOT Doi Suthep.

The Flora gardens ( Royal project ) is brilliant, but take a hat- it's damn hot out there.

The reservoir north of C M is a nice place to picnic with a lady friend.

 

North of C M are loads of hidden gems. There is a lake that you can stay on a houseboat.

Cave lodge is brilliant as is the cave and the birds in the evening.

Chang Dao is great for scenery and the cave.

Tub Tao cave - excellent.

Mae Hong Song is nice for a visit- loads of places around there.

South to Lamphun and Lampang. Great temples. The temple from Rambo 3 film is near Lamphun.

 

Heaps more if you are prepared to get out and look.

 

Hundreds of restaurants,  but the best are on the outskirts of the city and difficult to find/ get to.

 

About as good as it gets. Make sure your motorbike insurance is ironclad. So many do not realize the short falls till they reach a hospital bed. 33 wow that would be surely turning back the hands of time for me. You will have fun here I have lived here for 7 years and there is something for everybody. At 33 explore thats what being 33 is all about. Your really asking on a site loaded with old guys so expect slanted advice. Don't try to cover all the bases you will drive yourself crazy. 

[louse1953]

I was just thinking young Dirk seems a bit green,fair enoughwe all have to start sometime.Then i thought about a mentoring service,dinkum.Some of you nice CM members show him the ropes.If it doesn't clik,just walk away.He maybe kind enought to offer lunch or a few frothies.We could have mentors in each city/town.

[ResandePohm]

16 hours ago, dirkjones said:

No im telling you to tell me what it is that you personally live to do .  where do you visit what do you think are the hidden gems.

There is a group in CM called Internations. Google them and join them (costs nothing) They are an international group of expats from everywhere. They have many activities both social and adventurous. They will not only show you around but also give you a good social life.

[KhonKaenKowboy]

21 minutes ago, ResandePohm said:

There is a group in CM called Internations. Google them and join them (costs nothing) They are an international group of expats from everywhere. They have many activities both social and adventurous. They will not only show you around but also give you a good social life.

Seen the ads with the black woman drinking a big glass of wine with her new expat friends....seems like these groups are full of conartists and the delusional that believe them...and they only meet at tourist ripoff coffee shops and restaurants..never ever at a good drink promo.

 

Hey Joisey, why don't you get a METV for six months and skip sitting in class with dirty backpacker visa runners with body odor that would knock the buzzards off a manure cart.

[ToddinChonburi]

Do you like to eat cheap Thai food or will you eat farang food ? This will effect your budget big time. I can live easy on 60 baht per meal for Thai food. A good farang meal can easily cost 300 baht or more.  Renting a motorbike is a good idea.  I think you will have a hard time on only a 40,000 baht buget. But good luck and let us know how it goes. 

 

       From a former Minnesota man !!

[Elkski]

Op  forgot to say he doesn't drink alcohol, smoke, and eats vegetarian. And OP forgot to say he uses the evil dating sites and has line  and has a few lassas's  lined up.   

Ya'all, is pretty much only a Texas thing so obviously that one guys humor fails miserably.   Be grateful you got 3-4 helpful posts out of 2 pages.   

What I don't understand is why choose Chiang Mai and why only one place for 6 months?  Seeing Thailand without all the trash on the beaches? May skew your opinion of the place.   I guess as some of your entertainment in CM you could Google the internet for pictures of the rest of Thailand you're missing. 

 

I mean going to Thailand and only staying in Chiang Mai is like going to the USA and only visiting Jurssey. Or only visiting Kansas, or Texas.  Heaven forbid.  

 

There are some of those cool mountain top Buddha's and temples in the North and rain Forrest's and river rafting north of Phitsanulok. 

Are your telling your thai lady friends about your non lodging/essentials budget of 20k?  Do you ask the ladies about budget advice?   You don't say your career.   I'm guessing many of these TV old men wish they had visited when they were 33.  But of course all the stories say Thailand is in Ruins now but forty or fifty years ago it was da bomb.   

Edited March 31, 2017 by Elkski

[cooked]

‎฿40 000 a month is plenty for a single man,

Don't get worried about finding an apartment before you get here, have a taxi driver take you to a budget hotel, have him come back next day and show you reasonably priced lodgings, ask around. ‎฿8000 to ‎฿10 000.- is way over what I would pay if I was single, I would think more around the ‎฿5 - 8000.- mark.

I live on ‎฿50 000 a month with my wife, grandchild and although we have to be careful we live well.

As others have said, just get here and worry about the rest then.

[whoareyou]

Op  forgot to say he doesn't drink alcohol, smoke, and eats vegetarian. And OP forgot to say he uses the evil dating sites and has line  and has a few lassas's  lined up.   
Ya'all, is pretty much only a Texas thing so obviously that one guys humor fails miserably.   Be grateful you got 3-4 helpful posts out of 2 pages.   
What I don't understand is why choose Chiang Mai and why only one place for 6 months?  Seeing Thailand without all the trash on the beaches? May skew your opinion of the place.   I guess as some of your entertainment in CM you could Google the internet for pictures of the rest of Thailand you're missing. 
 
I mean going to Thailand and only staying in Chiang Mai is like going to the USA and only visiting Jurssey. Or only visiting Kansas, or Texas.  Heaven forbid.  
 
There are some of those cool mountain top Buddha's and temples in the North and rain Forrest's and river rafting north of Phitsanulok. 
Are your telling your thai lady friends about your non lodging/essentials budget of 20k?  Do you ask the ladies about budget advice?   You don't say your career.   I'm guessing many of these TV old men wish they had visited when they were 33.  But of course all the stories say Thailand is in Ruins now but forty or fifty years ago it was da bomb.   

Won't happen, he may think he wants chiang mai but after realizing its gods waiting room he will be out of there within 3 weeks.. This I GUARANTEE!

[dogpatch55]

15 hours ago, KhonKaenKowboy said:

Agree with Tonray on Happyland.  One of the finest collections of good looking employed women I have ever seen....sure some of the Unis are mind blowing with good lookers, but hey, while some are on the game, they are just a bit young (however quite legal).  But, it's not on the BTS....it is on a 6.5 THB bus route, though.  Outstanding food and a decent mall.

So  where in  BKK  is happyland??   As  for  CM  I  liked it  there,  has the nightlife  gone  down  that  much  in  the last  few years??

[tonray]

33 minutes ago, dogpatch55 said:

So  where in  BKK  is happyland??   As  for  CM  I  liked it  there,  has the nightlife  gone  down  that  much  in  the last  few years??

 

Soi HappyLand is in BangKapi near the BangKapi Mall...one of the best food scenes in Bangkok

 

It is not on the BTS / MRT line but is well served by buses...but my favorite way to while away an afternoon is to take the MRT to Petchaburi station, stroll to ASOK pier and grab the boat to BangKapi Mall (about 25 minutes). Get off at the pier right behind the mall and walk thru the Mall. Across the Street is HappyLand and another less glitzy shoppinhg arcade with many used clothes, a GREAT food center (Happy Land Food Center) and all around are vendors selling some of the best cholesterol raising stuff this side of Pluto.

 

Next to the Mall BangKapi is also the Tawanna market, so one can easily spend a day in the area browsing and relaxing. If one wants some real photo ops, on the other side of the canal from the mall about a 10 minute walk is a real airplane graveyard...one of those outrageous BKK things that defy explanation.

Edited March 31, 2017 by tonray

[Flustered]

Could some Moderator either merge the three threads on the same subject or lock two of them?

[joecoolfrog]

19 hours ago, dirkjones said:

lol does everybody know where nj is at? lol

Well I'm from England and if I met somebody who didn't know where New Jersey was , I wouldn't be asking them for advice ?

[joecoolfrog]

19 hours ago, tonray said:

I am visiting friends and family in NJ this month...I can attest it is indeed in the United States. It is very cold here now....Chiang Mai will be warmer (although I have never been there but have lived in Bangkok for almost 3 years). 

 

 

I was in Chiang Mai for New year before last , was about 2° , my girlfriend ( from Bangkok ) refuses to go back !

[vhartling]

I haven't read through all the replies so not sure if you have already received this info. To keep up to date with everything that happens socially in Chiang Mai send an email to Steve at  [email protected] and ask to be put on his mailing list. It is incredibly comprehensive. There are lots of different clubs to join such as hiking clubs, book clubs etc. where you can meet other ex-pats of all ages and backgrounds. Most of the clubs are free or cost very little. The other events vary greatly in cost, ranging from free to very expensive. I am an older woman so my social interests would be quite different than yours but I do enjoy a couple of evenings out a week and several lunch dates with friends. My entertainment budget of about 3000 baht per week is more than adequate. 

[bazza73]

If the  OP goes to the blog Chiang Mai_Wandering, he will find there a reasonably comprehensive discussion of the various restaurants in Chiang Mai I have been to in my nom de plume Uncle Bazza.

 

Caveat: Restaurants in Chiang Mai can close or move on, so the list is not up to date.

[williet98248]

21 hours ago, 55Jay said:

No.  Please tell us where you are at.

If it's lack of nightlife you seek, you've chosen Chiang Mai wisely.  Your entertainment budget will be minimal. 

 

Sorry, you're from Jersey so you may not understand what I meant.  I mean, if it's lack of nightlife ya'all seek, ya'all dun chosen Chiang Mai wisely.  Ya'all's ennertainmint budget ought to be minimal.  Ya'all.

Well, pretty obvious that you are not from New Jersey.  Ya'all is common in the south east.  Carolinas,  Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana, etc.  As in "Ya'all come back now, ya heah."  or "Ya'all goin' shoppin'?"  The stereotype for the north east would be more like, "I live on toity toid street."  Or the upper class who would speak a BBC Standard English as in, "I am going to pahk my cah in the Aihpoht cah pahk and travel around the wuld on the aihplane."  At least all Americans can understand each other no matter what part of the country they are from. There are only four or five ACCENTS in the US and no dialects.   The UK has something over 120 DIALECTS of English.  People from south London may not even understand people from north London.  We Americans speak American English just as Indians speak Indian English and Canadians speak Canadian English , etc.  Many UK English speakers have a speech impediment in which they are incapable of pronouncing the letter 'R'.  So called 'Standard English'.  Or as they would say,  "Standahd English".

[55Jay]

3 hours ago, williet98248 said:

Well, pretty obvious that you are not from New Jersey.  Ya'all is common in the south east.  Carolinas,  Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana, etc.  As in "Ya'all come back now, ya heah."  or "Ya'all goin' shoppin'?"  The stereotype for the north east would be more like, "I live on toity toid street."  Or the upper class who would speak a BBC Standard English as in, "I am going to pahk my cah in the Aihpoht cah pahk and travel around the wuld on the aihplane."  At least all Americans can understand each other no matter what part of the country they are from. There are only four or five ACCENTS in the US and no dialects.   The UK has something over 120 DIALECTS of English.  People from south London may not even understand people from north London.  We Americans speak American English just as Indians speak Indian English and Canadians speak Canadian English , etc.  Many UK English speakers have a speech impediment in which they are incapable of pronouncing the letter 'R'.  So called 'Standard English'.  Or as they would say,  "Standahd English".

He's not from Jersey. Probably not even USA.  LOL.

[dirkjones]

22 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Hidden gems are what makes the rest of it worth staying in LOS ( Thailand ). 

However, to find them you need your own transport. Having your own transport introduces a whole new level of risk as the traffic is barking mad. Good insurance is essential. To ride in LOS you need a m'bike licence from your own country and an international driving permit.

Traffic in C M is basically a traffic jam from morning to late at night, but a m'bike lets you scoot to the head of the jam at every traffic light. Just be aware you are low on the foodchain of drivers in cars.

C M has loads of temples. The one I like best is on the hills near the Flora gardens ( towards Hang Dong from the airport )- NOT Doi Suthep.

The Flora gardens ( Royal project ) is brilliant, but take a hat- it's damn hot out there.

The reservoir north of C M is a nice place to picnic with a lady friend.

 

North of C M are loads of hidden gems. There is a lake that you can stay on a houseboat.

Cave lodge is brilliant as is the cave and the birds in the evening.

Chang Dao is great for scenery and the cave.

Tub Tao cave - excellent.

Mae Hong Song is nice for a visit- loads of places around there.

South to Lamphun and Lampang. Great temples. The temple from Rambo 3 film is near Lamphun.

 

Heaps more if you are prepared to get out and look.

 

Hundreds of restaurants,  but the best are on the outskirts of the city and difficult to find/ get to.

 

Thanks so much for your tips.. and suggestion. Thanks this helps me alot.

[dirkjones]

14 hours ago, louse1953 said:

I was just thinking young Dirk seems a bit green,fair enoughwe all have to start sometime.Then i thought about a mentoring service,dinkum.Some of you nice CM members show him the ropes.If it doesn't clik,just walk away.He maybe kind enought to offer lunch or a few frothies.We could have mentors in each city/town.

thanks  for understanding. 

[dirkjones]

17 hours ago, Trujillo said:

So now you have 2 threads dedicated to the same thing -- YOU. 

 

Perhaps you can open a 3rd thread explaining why you opened this new one about YOU. 

No offense intended, yet I read every comment people left, and it was a lot of questions based on missing information that i didn't include. and a misunderstanding of what i really wanted people tell me. so i wrote a new post including all of the above. Sorry if writing a second post on the same topic is not ok..

[dirkjones]

14 hours ago, ResandePohm said:

There is a group in CM called Internations. Google them and join them (costs nothing) They are an international group of expats from everywhere. They have many activities both social and adventurous. They will not only show you around but also give you a good social life.

Thank you so so much. This helps alot. 

[dingdongrb]

NJ....  Why would anyone confess to living there.....   

[Sandy Freckle]

I'm not remotely interested in moving to Thailand permanently..., but I am interested in staying in northern Thailand or some such 'other' convenient and warm places during our S/W Australian winter..., so, I've been taking note of much of the info being passed on here. 
Thanks to y'all.     

[dirkjones]

12 hours ago, Elkski said:

Op  forgot to say he doesn't drink alcohol, smoke, and eats vegetarian. And OP forgot to say he uses the evil dating sites and has line  and has a few lassas's  lined up.   

Ya'all, is pretty much only a Texas thing so obviously that one guys humor fails miserably.   Be grateful you got 3-4 helpful posts out of 2 pages.   

What I don't understand is why choose Chiang Mai and why only one place for 6 months?  Seeing Thailand without all the trash on the beaches? May skew your opinion of the place.   I guess as some of your entertainment in CM you could Google the internet for pictures of the rest of Thailand you're missing. 

 

I mean going to Thailand and only staying in Chiang Mai is like going to the USA and only visiting Jurssey. Or only visiting Kansas, or Texas.  Heaven forbid.  

 

There are some of those cool mountain top Buddha's and temples in the North and rain Forrest's and river rafting north of Phitsanulok. 

Are your telling your thai lady friends about your non lodging/essentials budget of 20k?  Do you ask the ladies about budget advice?   You don't say your career.   I'm guessing many of these TV old men wish they had visited when they were 33.  But of course all the stories say Thailand is in Ruins now but forty or fifty years ago it was da bomb.   

Chiang Mai won't be only place in Thailand i visit. its just the place i'll be living.. yet in 6 months i'll visit Other places Outside.

a non thai Friend who's been living in Chiang mai told me around 11pm yesterday that 8k should typically be more than enough for entertainment in a month. another friend in Chiang mai made it clear that she thought my budget would hard for me, because i'm Western and thinks i'm going to want to do mainly western things.. 

 

[Ace of Pop]

This dialect thing is Fun .Im English,but lived away that long my posts don't sound clear to some because I think sort of Dumb Latino Portuguese.Told Imegration in CM the forms were funny ,so the nice man filled it in,and got me a Coffee.Those days are gone now in CM. Yet if I go back 30 years later it doesn't seem much more busy to me.Budget back then didn't matter,a Beer was 18 Bht,good Hotel 350 .id say 1000 per day now if single[emoji481]?[emoji1434]



Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[balo]

5 hours ago, dingdongrb said:

NJ....  Why would anyone confess to living there...

Why all this negativity about NJ ? Never been there but isn't it the birth place of  Bruce Springsteen ? Cant be that bad then.

 

Edited April 1, 2017 by balo

[dingdongrb]

11 minutes ago, balo said:

Why all this negativity about NJ ? Never been there but isn't it the birth place of  Bruce Springsteen ? Cant be that bad then.

 

Just like anywhere, NJ has it's nice parts but for the most it sucks....  (my opinion)

 

-Real-estate prices are much higher than they should be.

-Traffic is horrendous with rude drivers.

-Most folks are downright mean and disrespectful.

-High crime.

-High taxes.

-Drugs and gangs most everywhere.

 

I've never lived there but have been there many times to know it's a place I wouldn't want to live. I have friend and relatives still living there as well as some that have moved away. There are many many other places in the USA that I would rather be from, currently living, or visiting.....  (Again, my opinion)

 

 

[retarius]

If 30-40,000 isn,t enough then stay for a shorter period. I think you will struggle unless you can speak Thai or have a g/f to interpret for you. Here's a tip: if you speak to them in English and they don;t understand you, don't increase the volume and repeat what you said. Most Thai's aren't deaf, but many like the vast majority of Americans speak only their native tongue. If you smile a lot they are often willing to help, if you yell, then likely as not they will screw you.