What Do You Dislike About Chiang Mai. (2020)

[orang37]

Moderators note:

Posts transferred from 16yr old topic recently resurrected. Posts recently made transferred here to make it current.

********

 

 

What I dislike most is the fifteen seconds it takes me to block posters who post vague "impersonal"  topics about what they dislike about Thailand, Chiang Mai, Thais, etc.  About the so-called "good old days." 

 

Equally nauseous is hearing expats unload their recent frustrations with whatever: for that there is social distancing aka avoidance.

 

The sense of "entitlement" to special treatment by expats living here, immune by virtue of the almighty dollar/pound/mark, etc. staggers me.

 

~o:37;

 

[connda]

How about the level of overt racism where Thai authorities will force foreigners who live in an adjacent province to quarantine for 14 days if they cross the provincial border based on nothing other than their ethnicity as a non-Thai.  And then understand that that racism is deeply seeded and that foreigners as a whole are both feared and loathed by those who run this province as well as those who run this country.  Or step it up a notch as that same racism is used to break up Thai-foreigner family as all foreigners with families are locked out of the country? 

I don't like the racism toward non-Thais.

[1FinickyOne]

On 2/29/2004 at 11:45 AM, silverhawk_usa said:

How about some PARKING in Chiang Mai.

I agree and this is a near daily problem if going into town... the no parking 3-6 pm - well, I understand it but where do you park?

[1FinickyOne]

17 minutes ago, connda said:

will force foreigners who live in an adjacent province to quarantine for 14 days

It would be the same for my wife leaving CM and going back to the village... she is Thai... 

 

Sorry you see so much racism - I've been here 20 years and don't encounter it... hmmmm? 

[pineapple01]

 Fan Room Digital Nomads and Ferangs on Race Bikes.

[cardinalblue]

Easy - air pollution; traffic; lack of public transportation; lack of dog parks and the amount of litter/garbage dumping on roadsides and open space....

 

top prize - The dependency on u turns and then having them facing each other...criminal design 

Edited May 23, 2020 by cardinalblue

[mr mr]

8 hours ago, orang37 said:

What I dislike most is the fifteen seconds it takes me to block posters who post vague "impersonal"  topics about what they dislike about Thailand, Chiang Mai, Thais, etc.  About the so-called "good old days." 

 

Equally nauseous is hearing expats unload their recent frustrations with whatever: for that there is social distancing aka avoidance.

 

The sense of "entitlement" to special treatment by expats living here, immune by virtue of the almighty dollar/pound/mark, etc. staggers me.

 

~o:37;

 

you dug up a 16 year old thread to say that ?

[taotoo]

5 hours ago, mr mr said:

you dug up a 16 year old thread to say that ?

And blocked a poster that died 10 years ago!

[Dante99]

7 hours ago, mr mr said:

you dug up a 16 year old thread to say that ?

I don't think he dug up the thread.  There was a post before his which dug it up then were edited out for some reason.  Perhaps several posts deleated by edits.

[Tarteso]

What Do You Dislike About Chiang Mai.
 

Cough! cough! smog cough!..season

[pineapple01]

Back in the Day you could sit outside with fellow ferangs drinking. it was quite a Clicky Set then too, if a scruffy ferang walked by that clearly was under performing on Forbes Richest List it was a rare event. Now its the opposite. Its crawling with Millennial Mouths talking about where to find the cheapest of everything. Even the 20 somethings had disposable money back then.

[Lacessit]

I moved from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai at the end of February. I disliked the air pollution in CM, but it's just as bad in CR. A bigger range of choices in Chiang Mai.

One major difference in Chiang Rai is the Immigration office. Compared to the clusterf##k that is Chiang Mai Immigration, it's heaven. I've also noticed fruit and vegetable prices in the day market are a fair bit cheaper for stuff that is in season.

[Logosone]

Obviously the months from Feb to May are the worst cause you can't open the windows or go for a run due to air pollution.

 

The rest of the year when there is good air quality I still have the Thai neighbours cooking outside everyday wafting smoke across. This has got to be a local Chiang Mai thing, I can't imagine people in Bangkok cook outdoors. Inconsiderate neighbours is a problem here. 

 

Far more dogs in the Moo here than in the streets of Bangkok. Again inconsiderate dog owners. 

 

No Cinnabon outlet in the malls is a huge problem.

 

Food is excellent here, and the choices are diverse, however, the absence of some of the major Japanese and Singaporean restaurant chains is a minus. No Japanese Spaghetti or quality Dim Sum in Chiang Mai. 

 

[Logosone]

On 2/24/2004 at 8:38 PM, cdnvic said:

Add my vote on the drivers. The only thing that makes driving here easier than Bangkok is that the roads are less crowded. The drivers (mostly the men, not as much the women) are brainless idiots who would be road mash in 5 minutes in any other country.

The traffic police are just plain lazy. In the last two months including the laughable new years 'crackdown' I have not seen one traffic stop.

Funny enough, there's always plenty of cops around whenever the deputy vice minister of whatever needs a motorcade to go out for dinner.

cv

 

Vis a vis Bangkok it is a curious combination of less traffic but worse drivers. However, women are just as bad drivers in Chiang Mai. I had a woman ram me from behind as I gently braked because road workers had not put cones further away than 1 metre from the actual work. She then proceeded to pretend she was severely injured and got an ambulance to take her away. Saw her two days later at the police, not a scratch on her then or before and walking around healthy as a puppy. At least she admitted it was her fault.

 

I routinely see women on mobile phones or doing their face while being beeped by impatient traffic. So I wouldn't say women are better drivers. They're all awful drivers, scooter teens, pick up cowboys, women. The driving in Chiang Mai is worse than in Africa, and yes police are nowhere and do nothing.

 

 

[ChakaKhan]

2 hours ago, Lacessit said:

I moved from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai at the end of February. I disliked the air pollution in CM, but it's just as bad in CR. A bigger range of choices in Chiang Mai.

One major difference in Chiang Rai is the Immigration office. Compared to the clusterf##k that is Chiang Mai Immigration, it's heaven. I've also noticed fruit and vegetable prices in the day market are a fair bit cheaper for stuff that is in season.

Do you get the cute chinese girls in sun dresses, adidas shoes, yankee hats, like we do in Cm. I keep telling myself Im gonna make the switch to CR from Cm but as you noted, less choices. Immig sounds tempting tho

[mr mr]

2 hours ago, Dante99 said:

I don't think he dug up the thread.  There was a post before his which dug it up then were edited out for some reason.  Perhaps several posts deleated by edits.

i don't see any of that on my screen. i saw a post from 2004 then his looked to be next. if there was another poster my comment is directed at them then. lol

 

who digs up a 16 year old thread ? 

[Puwa]

5 hours ago, taotoo said:

And blocked a poster that died 10 years ago!

Wow has it been 10 years already? Didn't p1p go out on a motorbike? Or do I have him confused with another?

[rebo]

On 2/23/2004 at 11:21 PM, Candyflip said:

Bicycle lane would be nice too !

Ooh, they have. Good for lottery vendors, fruit sellers, BBQ booths, garland dealers ...

[taotoo]

4 hours ago, Puwa said:

Wow has it been 10 years already? Didn't p1p go out on a motorbike? Or do I have him confused with another?

Not sure, but his last forum visit was 10 years ago.

[Stadtler]

It's polluted.

[Brightly]

OK...

Pollution

 

Lack of road safety

 

Two-tier pricing

 

I have other minor quibbles, but when I even entertain the thought of returning to my home country, I practically have a panic attack.

 

C.M. is quite far from perfect, but I’m quite content and hope to finish out my days here.

 

 

 

[EricTh]

What I dislike about Chiang Mai are three things.

 

• The extreme heat during March-May which is hotter than Bangkok and Southern Thailand (correct me if I am wrong).
• The hassles to get a visa extension at immigration office in Chiang Mai. I heard other immigration offices are better.
• Terrible traffic jams during rush hour

 

Other than that, everything is ok even the pollution.

 

Edited May 24, 2020 by EricTh

[Lacessit]

6 hours ago, Logosone said:

 

 

 

Food is excellent here, and the choices are diverse, however, the absence of some of the major Japanese and Singaporean restaurant chains is a minus. No Japanese Spaghetti or quality Dim Sum in Chiang Mai. 

 

You are not getting out very much. There's an Oishi Ramen on the top floor of Central Festival, a Chinese restaurant close to Mahidol Road in Chiang Mai Land, ditto a French restaurant in the last soi there.

Number 98 on the Old Lamphun Road has a very good and inexpensive Japanese restaurant in the back.

Personally, my favorite when I was in Chiang Mai was KhunPa out in San Kamphaeng. I hope they have survived the lockdown, did a pork tenderloin in black pepper which is the best I have had anywhere.

[Bill97]

7 hours ago, Logosone said:

 

 No Japanese Spaghetti or quality Dim Sum in Chiang Mai. 

 

No Japanese Spaghetti, what a bummer.

 

It is the Afghani Sashimi that is really missed.

[orchis]

the complainers.

[ThaiPauly]

I find it strange that the posters back in 2004 never saw the pollution as an issue.

 

I moved here the end of 2004 and pollution wasn't bad enough to be of any concern to me, and it wasn't until about 3 years later that I really started noticing it and since about 2007/8 it's been getting worse every year until now this year was a really bad year with some people losing their lives to battle the flames.

 

Also there are STILL people burning,  ridiculous.

[holy cow cm]

CM is my home as has been for over 20 years. My kids were born here and I love CM. Air is <deleted> at many months but I will still never trade living anywhere else. Hope things get better, but if they don't, I am still here till I pass away or they kick me out of Thailand. . 

[jak2002003]

Lived here full time many years. Live it. Would not choose anywhere else to live. 

 

Only one big thing I don't like is the pollution from burning in the hot dry season...that seemed to be improving a few years back, bit last year's it's the worst I can remember it and goes on for longer.

[Logosone]

On 5/24/2020 at 3:46 PM, Lacessit said:

You are not getting out very much. There's an Oishi Ramen on the top floor of Central Festival, a Chinese restaurant close to Mahidol Road in Chiang Mai Land, ditto a French restaurant in the last soi there.

Number 98 on the Old Lamphun Road has a very good and inexpensive Japanese restaurant in the back.

Personally, my favorite when I was in Chiang Mai was KhunPa out in San Kamphaeng. I hope they have survived the lockdown, did a pork tenderloin in black pepper which is the best I have had anywhere.

Well, let's see, last week and this week I got out to

 

1. Tong Tem Toh,

2. Khao Soi Islam

3. Solao

4. Khao Soi Mae Manee

5. Khao Soi Lam Duan

6. The Swan (Burmese Restaurant)

7. Idin Klin Krog

8. Suan

9. Kilang Roti Ikhwan

10. Khun Mor Cuisine

11. Mitmai (Yunnanese)

 

So I get out plenty, Wooloomooloo. They were all very good btw.

 

Oishi Ramen? See like all Australians you are a culinary illiterate. When I say Japanese Spaghetti I do not mean Ramen, I mean chains like Yomenya Goemon. They make some of the best pasta in the world. All over SE Asia, but not Chiang Mai.

 

Chiang Mai has good food, great restaurants, great variety, but it's very cheapy cheapy downmarket. That's an advantage, but it's also a disadvantage.

 

No really good dim sum place, not even a reliable chain like Crystal Jade.

 

And I tried all the Chinese restaurants, they're okay, not really top notch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[orchis]

20 hours ago, ThaiPauly said:

I find it strange that the posters back in 2004 never saw the pollution as an issue.

 

I moved here the end of 2004 and pollution wasn't bad enough to be of any concern to me, and it wasn't until about 3 years later that I really started noticing it and since about 2007/8 it's been getting worse every year until now this year was a really bad year with some people losing their lives to battle the flames.

 

Also there are STILL people burning,  ridiculous.

yes, you're right in 2007 it was the first time we decided not taking customers to doi suthep because of bad air pollution.

Edited May 27, 2020 by orchis