Best area / zone / neighborhood to live in CM

[scottiejohn]

For Nancy L

 

Before you go off to pastures new, have you considered asking the Mods on TV (CM) to pin an article from you on just what you believe the minimum requirements a ‘retiree’ needs before they finally retire here?  I know you have stated your thoughts on many posts before but maybe a ‘pinned’ post, similar to the ‘Dying at home in Chiang Mai’ pinned thread would be useful. Also a list of what questions a future potential ‘retiree’ should ask both themselves and those of us on this Forum could also be very beneficial to all.

 

This is not a ‘dig’ at the OP but a serious comment to help others. I have also done this here in the public Forum, rather than a PM to you, so you are not accused of ‘hogging the limelight’ etc.

As said earlier I may disagree with you on the ‘agents’ discussion but I have great respect for your charity work and knowledge re ‘destitute retirees’ etc here in CM.

[NancyL]

1 hour ago, WinnieTheKhwai said:

I think it's more than a little creepy that he seems to spend time stalking your posts, but doesn't manage to provide relevant basic info that would make it feasible to answer the question / contribute to the topic in a meaningful way.

 

 

Oh, it's not the first time I've been stalked here on ThaiVisa.  One of my other stalkers "Liked" the post where the OP revealed the results of his research.

 

 

[KhonKaenKowboy]

Asking  about places to live, without stating a budget is as silly as pretending not to have a budget.

Edited May 25, 2017 by KhonKaenKowboy

[NancyL]

10 minutes ago, KhonKaenKowboy said:

Asking  about places to live, without stating a budget is as silly as pretending not to have a budget.

That's why The Residences at Four Seasons Resort was offered up as a first suggestion.  Personally, I'd prefer a suite at Le Meridien.  They do rent by the month, you know.  I'm more of a city girl now.  I had decades of country living in the U.S. and never have liked horses.  I understand there's one that visits the Four Seasons from time-to-time.

[NancyL]

1 hour ago, scottiejohn said:

For Nancy L

 

Before you go off to pastures new, have you considered asking the Mods on TV (CM) to pin an article from you on just what you believe the minimum requirements a ‘retiree’ needs before they finally retire here?  I know you have stated your thoughts on many posts before but maybe a ‘pinned’ post, similar to the ‘Dying at home in Chiang Mai’ pinned thread would be useful. Also a list of what questions a future potential ‘retiree’ should ask both themselves and those of us on this Forum could also be very beneficial to all.

 

This is not a ‘dig’ at the OP but a serious comment to help others. I have also done this here in the public Forum, rather than a PM to you, so you are not accused of ‘hogging the limelight’ etc.

As said earlier I may disagree with you on the ‘agents’ discussion but I have great respect for your charity work and knowledge re ‘destitute retirees’ etc here in CM.

Oops, just saw this.  Definitely something to think about.  There is much information on www.LannaCareNet.org, esp this page:  http://www.lannacarenet.org/lessons-learned-at-the-end-of-life/   We've scheduled another seminar for early July, but haven't confirmed location yet.  The page will be updated soon.

 

Before anyone retires here, they should round up these documents, scan them on a USB and, ideally, either bring the documents with them (If they anticipate never returning back to their home country) or deposit them with a trusted individual:  http://www.lannacarenet.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/LCNChecklist2016September.pdf

 

At one time or another, I've had to track down these documents for LCN clients.  For example, many Americans don't realize they could qualify for VA benefits even if they served in the military for just a few years.  There are pensions and other benefits available to people over age 65 and pensions for their widows, even if the widow never lived in the U.S.  But, and this is a big if, we need to have basic military records and marriage and divorce records for all previous marriages.  

 

Another example of a problem -- keep all your old passports.  If you decide to repatriate and go to close your 800,000 baht Thai bank account, you may have problems if you've gotten a new passport and the old one was used to open the account and your signature has changed due to illness, etc.  Esp. if you've started to lose some of your mental capabilities.

 

I could go on.  This is way beyond the scope of this thread.  But I wonder if the OP is thinking about issues like this.

 

 

[sfokevin]

Rather than having a pinned thread on "Dying in Thailand"... we need a sub forum 

[WinnieTheKhwai]

3 hours ago, Wandr said:

It is hard to tell why so many people on this forum have become so vitriolic. That is not all. They are combative for no reason, seem to have a feeling of possession about things that are not their's...well I can go on and on.

The point about this thread is, the OP never asked for advice on where he should live, which everyone has assumed, and then railed against him for not providing personal information.

All he asked for were some opinions from people about different areas. X could have said "I like this area because of the cherry trees" and Y could have said "I dislike this area because there are no cherry trees". Taken together it may have provided a useful body of information for all of us.

 

"I would like to here from people that have had there boots on the ground there for a while, as to where the best area to live is, and why ?"  

 

That's simply not answerable and many people have pointed that out.   And even stated why it's not answerable: "Would you like us to guess if you're a single retired gentleman, or a young family with children, and if you prefer a big space with a yard or city living, or..? " Others added that planning on having a car or having to rely on public transportation makes a big difference. 

 

I don't have an opinion on the best area to live other than what is perhaps less feasible for most people: Best area to live for me would be a nice modern 5 bedroom house on about a rai of land inside the old city. (Modern house, but architecturally blending in with Lanna-Thai themes.) Enough space for family and guests, nice big kitchen, a yard to relax in and do some gardening, close to lots of "Real Chiang Mai" life (temples, markets, restaurants, coffee shops), and after going out at night I can just walk back home. Bliss.

 

In the real world though you end up having to choose because you can't have all of the above.  So a typical choice would be to live in town with less space, or out of town with lots of space.  This completely depends on personal situation / personal preference. 

 

BTW I'm also working on the next best thing:  a small place in the city AND a couple rai of garden home with mountain views.  Then I don't have it all in a single place but can move depending on mood, change of scenery, etc. That's the theory anyway.   And as for where for both places: Samoeng loop is scenic but getting quite expensive. But mountains are all around so take your pick and get some land in any direction; I went South-West but that's also because family lives there and because you hit scenic parts relatively close to town.   And for in town it really has to be the Old City, or as close to it as possible.  Now have a place that's within 1 km from the City Pillar so I'd say that's par for the course.

 

But even with that though I wouldn't claim that's the best for everyone.  Lots of people would prefer a condo on Nimman.  Lots of other people would prefer a house in gated community half way to Hang Dong. 

 

Edited May 25, 2017 by WinnieTheKhwai

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Oh and one more thing: local conditions make a world of difference.  You can be on a small soi in/near the old city and with insane traffic right through the soi all the (&*#$(*&#$ time, or it can be a (dead-end) soi that hardly gets any traffic.   It can be near a nasty/noisy apartment building or workshop or it can be just grandmothers going about their lives quietly.   The whole area can flood badly after a little more rain than usual, or it could remain high and dry.  Parking a car is mostly not difficult in most places downtown, but there are definitely exceptions.  Temples may be nice to be near (and in the old city area chances are that you WILL be near one) but they do ring their #$(&$*# bell at 5am in the morning.  Some people take a lot of pride in the cleanliness and general upkeep of their soi/area, but just as easy you can turn a corner have have old mattresses and refrigerators stacked sky-high.  Oh and then there's the local community headman or head-lady, some of whom think they're DJ's and are on the loudspeakers with all kinds of silliness. 

 

So, IT DEPENDS. :)     I could probably do a similar list for gated communities and condominiums because those too really aren't all created equal. 

Edited May 25, 2017 by WinnieTheKhwai

[Ruffian Dick]

What about: "What part of CM do you like in and what do you think of it?"

How's that, M8?

[Wandr]

11 hours ago, WinnieTheKhwai said:

 

"I would like to here from people that have had there boots on the ground there for a while, as to where the best area to live is, and why ?"  

 

Please read that again.

What is he saying? He is asking people what THEY think is the best area to live in, and why.

He is not saying "make me a tailor-made recommendation about the best area for me".

So you can say "I like XY area because no board members live there". You can even say "I don't like AB area because too many board members live there".

Or you can say nothing and go on your merry (hopefully) way.

What you cannot insist on is that he provide personal information so that you can make him a personalized recommendation.

And then act aggrieved when he chooses not to.

This advice is not just for you but for so many others on this board: get a life. Find a hobby. Take a walk.

Stop harassing other people.

 

[donglingcha]

1 hour ago, Wandr said:

Please read that again.

What is he saying? He is asking people what THEY think is the best area to live in, and why.

He is not saying "make me a tailor-made recommendation about the best area for me".

So you can say "I like XY area because no board members live there". You can even say "I don't like AB area because too many board members live there".

Or you can say nothing and go on your merry (hopefully) way.

What you cannot insist on is that he provide personal information so that you can make him a personalized recommendation.

And then act aggrieved when he chooses not to.

This advice is not just for you but for so many others on this board: get a life. Find a hobby. Take a walk.

Stop harassing other people.

 

Hey! You and your feelgoodery have no place 'round here. Go on, get!

 

[NancyL]

2 hours ago, Wandr said:

Please read that again.

What is he saying? He is asking people what THEY think is the best area to live in, and why.

He is not saying "make me a tailor-made recommendation about the best area for me".

So you can say "I like XY area because no board members live there". You can even say "I don't like AB area because too many board members live there".

Or you can say nothing and go on your merry (hopefully) way.

What you cannot insist on is that he provide personal information so that you can make him a personalized recommendation.

And then act aggrieved when he chooses not to.

This advice is not just for you but for so many others on this board: get a life. Find a hobby. Take a walk.

Stop harassing other people.

 

Please read the OP again.  He said he's planning a move to CM soon and then asked people for advice as to the best area to live and why?

 

He wasn't looking for us to submit creative writing exercises describing where we live, why we like it, the benefits and shortcomings of the places where we live.

 

He clearly was asking for advice about a good place for himself, ahead of his upcoming relocation to Chiang Mai.  So, it's reasonable for us to want to know more about him (single/married, kids, pets, OK with using motorcycle, anticipated budget) to be able to make an informed recommendation.  We only started to get a little peevish when he refused to provide such basic information about himself.  Still hasn't been forthcoming and he has some of the best CM TV forum regulars paying attention, trying to help.  We just don't like to be jerked with and we don't have time to do a creative writing exercise about why our condo building or moo baan is so fantastic if it clearly isn't something appropriate for him.

 

[CNXBKKMAN]

The OP had 1 post to their username when first posted . Rightly or wrongly a warning flag of a troll post. Asked a question that has huge, varied and unlimited answers. OP can't be bothered to add a few sentences about there own preferences, hobbies, number of kids blah blah but expects people to spend time reeling off tomes of good advice. That is why I declined to join this thread until now. But since I have responded here is basic answer....

        Come to CM stay anywhere is the city centre. Anywhere, don't worry about whether it's old city, Nimman area. Stay at a Hotel/ accommodation that offers monthly rates. Move after 1 month to some other place if you like. Explore the city, day trip to Hangdong, Doi Saket, Mae Rim maybe stay overnight in a nice resort or guest house? After a few months you can rent somewhere you like for 12 months? When you have done 12 to 24 months of this you can come on here and share advice. This is not some BS reply, this is what anyone coming to CM needs to do. You need to put your own boots on the ground and experience the place first hand. Only you know what is best for you. 

[KhonKaenKowboy]

This reminds me of a students saying "help me," but can't be bothered phrasing  a question.  More than a few years here and I can tell if a question is worth an answer.  A lot of the pensioners, and others know nothing more than how to jerk people around.  Google it.  Don't have a computer.  Go to an internet shop.  Don't know how.  How do I receive money.  Start with a bank account.  But why should!d I have a bank account.  Folks, these are cries for help they are not simple requests for information.  The problems I have encountered with helping people here, is that a) they seem more I interestted in arguing with you.  their actual problems are much, much more serious than needing a place to live.  And then when you do put effort into helping them, getting a few beers out of them is about as probable as Cleveland winning the Super Bowl.  A lot of the older baby boomers are products, actually byproducts, of sixties liberalism, and haven't a fookin clue about economics, finance, or common sense....otherwise, I don't think they would be big fans of Bernie or Hillary.  Air is just too scarce to be bothered with these people.  OTOH, I will still help registered Republicans.  Just ask in a straightforward manner, and don't offer me a warm beer.  Remember Cool Hand Luke..."You just can't reach some people."

Edited May 26, 2017 by KhonKaenKowboy

[kurtmartens]

2 hours ago, CNXBKKMAN said:

 

        Come to CM stay anywhere is the city centre. Anywhere, don't worry about whether it's old city, Nimman area. Stay at a Hotel/ accommodation that offers monthly rates. Move after 1 month to some other place if you like. Explore the city, day trip to Hangdong, Doi Saket, Mae Rim maybe stay overnight in a nice resort or guest house? After a few months you can rent somewhere you like for 12 months? When you have done 12 to 24 months of this you can come on here and share advice. This is not some BS reply, this is what anyone coming to CM needs to do. You need to put your own boots on the ground and experience the place first hand. Only you know what is best for you. 

That is the best advice so far.  My wife and I did a little of the same when we moved up here from Bangkok.  Came up several times for long weekends, stayed in different areas and explored ... and then moved to the area we thought fit us best.  And moved again 12 months later to a new area after we had our first kid.

 

 

[Wandr]

4 hours ago, donglingcha said:

Hey! You and your feelgoodery have no place 'round here. Go on, get!

 

Touched a nerve, did I? What was it? Something about getting a life?

I am not "getting" anywhere. And neither are you.

You cannot tell the truth to "get". It will get you every time you look at the mirror. That's whats happening to you, in case you didn't realize it.

[Wandr]

3 hours ago, NancyL said:

Please read the OP again.  He said he's planning a move to CM soon and then asked people for advice as to the best area to live and why?

 

He wasn't looking for us to submit creative writing exercises describing where we live, why we like it, the benefits and shortcomings of the places where we live.

 

He clearly was asking for advice about a good place for himself, ahead of his upcoming relocation to Chiang Mai.  So, it's reasonable for us to want to know more about him (single/married, kids, pets, OK with using motorcycle, anticipated budget) to be able to make an informed recommendation.  We only started to get a little peevish when he refused to provide such basic information about himself.  Still hasn't been forthcoming and he has some of the best CM TV forum regulars paying attention, trying to help.  We just don't like to be jerked with and we don't have time to do a creative writing exercise about why our condo building or moo baan is so fantastic if it clearly isn't something appropriate for him.

 

Some people look at white, and insist it is black. Not much can be done about them, and that is what you are doing. Here is the original post:

 

" I'm planning a move to Chiang Mai soon, and would like to here from people that have had there boots on the ground there for a while, as to where the best area to live is,  and why ?   "

 

He is asking for what YOU think is the best area. Leave it at that. Don't try to run his life.

Creative writing exercise? Is someone twisting your arm to write something? You don't have anything sensible to say, why don't you go knit booties, or whatever it is that you do. In other words, get a real life.

 

Some people genuinely want to help others, without seeking anything in return. Others try to help others simply to validate their own lives. Which category do you wish to be in?

 

[metisdead]

Off topic bickering posts and replies have been removed.  I see some very helpful posts here that are met with denigrating remarks.  Please keep it civil or this topic will likely be closed. 

[JaseTheBass]

I think the best area in Chiang Mai is near KSK because I can walk to work, its quiet and Tops is nearby.

Does that help?

Sent from my Cray II supercomputer