need advice

[kevvy]

Hi

My wife and I want to move to CM or CR next year , and want to know what all the ex pats think of these 2 areas . We are not into going to bars and drinking , good restaurants we love . I like camping and nature , love fishing and peaceful life. we dont want to live in the city as we want to build a good home with some space. Like to know about the internet , hospitals air quality . I know this is a hard question but any advise will help as we will be there in December to look around.

thank you for all the replies and help you can give us

kevvy

Edited August 12, 2013 by kevvy

[villagefarang]

Chiang Mai probably has more restaurants and better hospitals. The entire North suffers during the burning season so pretty much a tossup there. Land is probably still cheaper in Chiang Rai but going up all the time.

Internet is heavily dependent on your location.

Both places are good as a base from which to go out exploring nature.

Coming now would give you an idea about rain and flooding potential in certain areas.

December will give you a glimpse into the seasonal tourist traffic in both areas and a taste of cooler weather.

March would give you an idea about the smoke problem.

With the present rate of development, what one thinks of today as rural, may not feel that way a few years down the road.

Clearly those of us who live in Chiang Rai, do so because we prefer it here. For some Chiang Mai is too big and crowded, while for others Chiang Rai is too small. It is a very subjective call as to what you want. You have the right idea about coming up for a look around but remember, a look around and living here are very different things.

[kevvy]

VF yes we will come up in the different seasons, just know have to get out of where I am now.

thanks VF

[villagefarang]

I think it would be great to hear from some of the newer guys. Might provide a fresher perspective on what draws people to Chiang Rai these days.

[harrry]

ChiangMai has more condos which may suit people better than renting houses. ChiangRai has better access to the countryside. Chiangrai has taxis for a meter fare which they use from 35 baht. Chiangmai has taxis for a non meter fare from 100 baht.

[Fiddlesticks]

Having now lived in both places, here is my take:

CM has the better restaurants, hands down. No comparison to CR.

If you are looking to buy a preexisting house or rent a nice house, then go to CM.

If you like night life and shopping, then CM is the place.

If you want western food, bakeries, western breakfasts, good wine selections, greater selection of western groceries, then again, it's CM.

If you want to feel more like you are living in Thailand and not the West then CR is the better place.

If you hate traffic, CR is the better alternative.

If you want easy access to beautiful countryside, then I vote CR.

If you want a slower pace then, IMHO, go to CR.

If you don't want to be tripping over farang, then CR is better.

In short, CR seems more laid back but there certainly are fewer western conveniences and goodies in the Rai. Personally, I like CR better. I can always make the trip to CM when I have the urge for good western food and a bit more entertainment (clean, family entertainment I mean).

[harrry]

Having now lived in both places, here is my take:

CM has the better restaurants, hands down. No comparison to CR.

If you are looking to buy a preexisting house or rent a nice house, then go to CM.

If you like night life and shopping, then CM is the place.

If you want western food, bakeries, western breakfasts, good wine selections, greater selection of western groceries, then again, it's CM.

If you want to feel more like you are living in Thailand and not the West then CR is the better place.

If you hate traffic, CR is the better alternative.

If you want easy access to beautiful countryside, then I vote CR.

If you want a slower pace then, IMHO, go to CR.

If you don't want to be tripping over farang, then CR is better.

In short, CR seems more laid back but there certainly are fewer western conveniences and goodies in the Rai. Personally, I like CR better. I can always make the trip to CM when I have the urge for good western food and a bit more entertainment (clean, family entertainment I mean).

Not sure this applies since Central came on the scene.

[kevvy]

ChiangMai has more condos which may suit people better than renting houses. ChiangRai has better access to the countryside. Chiangrai has taxis for a meter fare which they use from 35 baht. Chiangmai has taxis for a non meter fare from 100 baht.

thanks

i want to live in a new house which we will build , and have some land with nice views. we are leaning towards CR . i think the country side and fishing will make our decision

[kevvy]

I think it would be great to hear from some of the newer guys. Might provide a fresher perspective on what draws people to Chiang Rai these days.

i think you are my greatest inspiration VF. just love your house with all the space , by next year will have finished my 38 house village and will have enough to move to a better area of Thailand . the peace and quite will be so good . really looking forward to it .

[harrry]

ChiangMai has more condos which may suit people better than renting houses. ChiangRai has better access to the countryside. Chiangrai has taxis for a meter fare which they use from 35 baht. Chiangmai has taxis for a non meter fare from 100 baht.

thanks

i want to live in a new house which we will build , and have some land with nice views. we are leaning towards CR . i think the country side and fishing will make our decision

Let us know when you get here. One big consideration. If your wife does not come from the North she may not be happy here.

Edited August 12, 2013 by harrry

[kevvy]

Having now lived in both places, here is my take:

CM has the better restaurants, hands down. No comparison to CR.

If you are looking to buy a preexisting house or rent a nice house, then go to CM.

If you like night life and shopping, then CM is the place.

If you want western food, bakeries, western breakfasts, good wine selections, greater selection of western groceries, then again, it's CM.

If you want to feel more like you are living in Thailand and not the West then CR is the better place.

If you hate traffic, CR is the better alternative.

If you want easy access to beautiful countryside, then I vote CR.

If you want a slower pace then, IMHO, go to CR.

If you don't want to be tripping over farang, then CR is better.

In short, CR seems more laid back but there certainly are fewer western conveniences and goodies in the Rai. Personally, I like CR better. I can always make the trip to CM when I have the urge for good western food and a bit more entertainment (clean, family entertainment I mean).

thanks fiiddlesticks your comments you made are so informative , i definitely like the quite pace

[kevvy]

ChiangMai has more condos which may suit people better than renting houses. ChiangRai has better access to the countryside. Chiangrai has taxis for a meter fare which they use from 35 baht. Chiangmai has taxis for a non meter fare from 100 baht.

thanks

i want to live in a new house which we will build , and have some land with nice views. we are leaning towards CR . i think the country side and fishing will make our decision

Let us know when you get here. One big consideration. If your wife does not come from the North she may not be happy here.

harry will be coming in december to try and find some land and look around , then be back in march, and then again in july . by then we will get a feel for the area , my wife went to CM university when she was younger and loved it , but now she also wants a quite life. thanks harry

[kevvy]

ChiangMai has more condos which may suit people better than renting houses. ChiangRai has better access to the countryside. Chiangrai has taxis for a meter fare which they use from 35 baht. Chiangmai has taxis for a non meter fare from 100 baht.

thanks

i want to live in a new house which we will build , and have some land with nice views. we are leaning towards CR . i think the country side and fishing will make our decision

Let us know when you get here. One big consideration. If your wife does not come from the North she may not be happy here.

harry will be coming in december to try and find some land and look around , then be back in march, and then again in july . by then we will get a feel for the area , my wife went to CM university when she was younger and loved it , but now she also wants a quite life. thanks harry

she was a farm girl from Sukhothai

[harrry]

i want to live in a new house which we will build , and have some land with nice views. we are leaning towards CR . i think the country side and fishing will make our decision

Let us know when you get here. One big consideration. If your wife does not come from the North she may not be happy here.

harry will be coming in december to try and find some land and look around , then be back in march, and then again in july . by then we will get a feel for the area , my wife went to CM university when she was younger and loved it , but now she also wants a quite life. thanks harry

she was a farm girl from Sukhothai

No problem. Northern people are not too bad really but their culture is a bit different and some people might have trouble fitting in. Farm background plus CMU should solve that.

[Fiddlesticks]

ChiangMai has more condos which may suit people better than renting houses. ChiangRai has better access to the countryside. Chiangrai has taxis for a meter fare which they use from 35 baht. Chiangmai has taxis for a non meter fare from 100 baht.

thanks

i want to live in a new house which we will build , and have some land with nice views. we are leaning towards CR . i think the country side and fishing will make our decision

I think you are making the right decision. If you want to build and enjoy the beauty of Northern Thailand then CR is the better alternative. Look forward to having you join our great group of TV'ers.

[kevvy]

ChiangMai has more condos which may suit people better than renting houses. ChiangRai has better access to the countryside. Chiangrai has taxis for a meter fare which they use from 35 baht. Chiangmai has taxis for a non meter fare from 100 baht.

thanks

i want to live in a new house which we will build , and have some land with nice views. we are leaning towards CR . i think the country side and fishing will make our decision

I think you are making the right decision. If you want to build and enjoy the beauty of Northern Thailand then CR is the better alternative. Look forward to having you join our great group of TV'ers.

Thanks fiddlesticks

[kevvy]

harry....

yes she is excited to go back north , I am happy for her . we will do alot of traveling there in the next 6 months ...thanks .

[sceadugenga]

Look at it this way, it's about how you enjoy where you live.

If you like the quietness of Chiang Rai you can drive to Chiang Mai in a couple of hours if you miss anything else.

You can fly to Bangkok in less time, take time out for a couple of nights and fly back.

There is good food here, I can think of half a dozen places serving good local cuisine, you just have to know where they are, they are not tourist spots.

For Western food... cook it yourself. All the ingredients are now available.

If you want all that 24/7 then live in Chiang Mai, there's plenty of nice spots out of town

[kevvy]

Look at it this way, it's about how you enjoy where you live.

If you like the quietness of Chiang Rai you can drive to Chiang Mai in a couple of hours if you miss anything else.

You can fly to Bangkok in less time, take time out for a couple of nights and fly back.

There is good food here, I can think of half a dozen places serving good local cuisine, you just have to know where they are, they are not tourist spots.

For Western food... cook it yourself. All the ingredients are now available.

If you want all that 24/7 then live in Chiang Mai, there's plenty of nice spots out of town

Thanks

I was a aprentice chef in my younger days and done it for 3 years and then wanted to party and not do cooking . i wish i stayes at it as i love to cook . my wife has not cooked a thai meal in all the years we have been married heheh.

i am very excited to be moving north when the time comes. thanks again , and i will enjoy talking to you soon

cheers

kevvy

[puukao]

CM likely has better hospitals, if that is important. Reading the OP's post, I would advise CR. More peaceful, you won't get the crowds like Sunday Market, and traffic in CM is a concern to many. However, CM just has a great vibe. walking in old town is like a home-away-from-home, and even all the tourists don't bother me much. I just hope pollution isn't much worse in CR in march and april. that really got me the last few times I was in CM. I was relatively happy with internet in CM, but sometimes will be slow at peak hours. ah, not a deal breaker for me.

i'm sorry, but I will go back to the pollution. CM for a few months was really, really bad. I mean possible long-term health problems if you deal with that year-in and year-out. IF CR is say 10% worse, that would mean 2-3 months every year of living with a facemask. it's hard to explain....almost like being in a prison for a few months. particles in the air so dense that only a few places in the world are worse. sorry about being negative on this, but it's not a minimal thing (to me). IF you can get away 2 months out of the year, then it's fantastic.

Edited August 12, 2013 by puukao

[metisdead]

Some rather nonsensical and incoherent posts of a trolling nature have been removed.

[sceadugenga]

I'm surprised people start drinking so early...

[GirlDrinkDrunk]

Having now lived in both places, here is my take:

CM has the better restaurants, hands down. No comparison to CR.

If you are looking to buy a preexisting house or rent a nice house, then go to CM.

If you like night life and shopping, then CM is the place.

If you want western food, bakeries, western breakfasts, good wine selections, greater selection of western groceries, then again, it's CM.

If you want to feel more like you are living in Thailand and not the West then CR is the better place.

If you hate traffic, CR is the better alternative.

If you want easy access to beautiful countryside, then I vote CR.

If you want a slower pace then, IMHO, go to CR.

If you don't want to be tripping over farang, then CR is better.

In short, CR seems more laid back but there certainly are fewer western conveniences and goodies in the Rai. Personally, I like CR better. I can always make the trip to CM when I have the urge for good western food and a bit more entertainment (clean, family entertainment I mean).

Not sure this applies since Central came on the scene.

He makes 9 points. Central nullifies them all?

[harrry]

Having now lived in both places, here is my take:

CM has the better restaurants, hands down. No comparison to CR.

If you are looking to buy a preexisting house or rent a nice house, then go to CM.

If you like night life and shopping, then CM is the place.

If you want western food, bakeries, western breakfasts, good wine selections, greater selection of western groceries, then again, it's CM.

If you want to feel more like you are living in Thailand and not the West then CR is the better place.

If you hate traffic, CR is the better alternative.

If you want easy access to beautiful countryside, then I vote CR.

If you want a slower pace then, IMHO, go to CR.

If you don't want to be tripping over farang, then CR is better.

In short, CR seems more laid back but there certainly are fewer western conveniences and goodies in the Rai. Personally, I like CR better. I can always make the trip to CM when I have the urge for good western food and a bit more entertainment (clean, family entertainment I mean).

Not sure this applies since Central came on the scene.

He makes 9 points. Central nullifies them all?

yes:

CM has the better restaurants, hands down. No comparison to CR.

possibly more of them and maybe one or two are better

If you are looking to buy a preexisting house or rent a nice house, then go to CM.

Western style houses for rent and condos are more common in CM than CR but the house in CR wilol probably be cheaper and arguably better environment.

If you like night life and shopping, then CM is the place.

Probably as CM is full of bars packed with willing people for hire male and female. CR has much fewer as we do not need them.

If you want western food, bakeries, western breakfasts, good wine selections, greater selection of western groceries, then again, it's CM.

Arguably with the wine selection at TOPs and bread at at Central and other places and access to imported wine at Tachilik across from MaeSai CR could be better. My breakfast could easily be bacon, sauseges hash browns eggs maple syrup pankakes and toast if I wanted to clog up m

y arteries.

If you want to feel more like you are living in Thailand and not the West then CR is the better place.

Here we can live our lives in daily contact with local people and few live in the western ghettos that CM has. Central provides an oportunity to mix with the very friendly local population and see a little of the more modern Thailand.

If you hate traffic, CR is the better alternative.

Central does have a bit of a parking problem but not a patch on that at Airport Plaza and there is nowhere here you can get stuck in trafic like on HueKau Road in ChiangMai.

If you want easy access to beautiful countryside, then I vote CR.

CR does have beautiful countryside just a kilometer or so from Central which has provided a good meeting place for people to meet up when going on local trips.

If you want a slower pace then, IMHO, go to CR.

Slower here possibly but that just gives time to enjoy it...even in Central people move in a normal manner...not that bbig city rush that they do in CM malls.

If you don't want to be tripping over farang, then CR is better.

Yes we have very few farang lying in the gutters after a hard night out to trip over. Central meets the need of many of us to meet and mix without ending up in the state some seem to have to in ChiangMai.

In short, CR seems more laid back but there certainly are fewer western conveniences and goodies in the Rai. Personally, I like CR better. I can always make the trip to CM when I have the urge for good western food and a bit more entertainment (clean, family entertainment I mean).

There are good modern western conveniences in Central which are kept clean enough for those to enjoy their food in them if they must. What better family entertainment could there be than taking the family to Central and enjoying the food. buying an ice cream and seeing a movie together.

So this should show you how Central has made a slight difference to the lives of people in ChiangMai.

On second thoughts maybve too many of you have moved here allready. CM has more of everything for you.

Edited August 13, 2013 by harrry

[kevvy]

CM likely has better hospitals, if that is important. Reading the OP's post, I would advise CR. More peaceful, you won't get the crowds like Sunday Market, and traffic in CM is a concern to many. However, CM just has a great vibe. walking in old town is like a home-away-from-home, and even all the tourists don't bother me much. I just hope pollution isn't much worse in CR in march and april. that really got me the last few times I was in CM. I was relatively happy with internet in CM, but sometimes will be slow at peak hours. ah, not a deal breaker for me.

i'm sorry, but I will go back to the pollution. CM for a few months was really, really bad. I mean possible long-term health problems if you deal with that year-in and year-out. IF CR is say 10% worse, that would mean 2-3 months every year of living with a facemask. it's hard to explain....almost like being in a prison for a few months. particles in the air so dense that only a few places in the world are worse. sorry about being negative on this, but it's not a minimal thing (to me). IF you can get away 2 months out of the year, then it's fantastic.

thanks for the great advise as well as all the others ...

[harrry]

CM likely has better hospitals, if that is important. Reading the OP's post, I would advise CR. More peaceful, you won't get the crowds like Sunday Market, and traffic in CM is a concern to many. However, CM just has a great vibe. walking in old town is like a home-away-from-home, and even all the tourists don't bother me much. I just hope pollution isn't much worse in CR in march and april. that really got me the last few times I was in CM. I was relatively happy with internet in CM, but sometimes will be slow at peak hours. ah, not a deal breaker for me.

i'm sorry, but I will go back to the pollution. CM for a few months was really, really bad. I mean possible long-term health problems if you deal with that year-in and year-out. IF CR is say 10% worse, that would mean 2-3 months every year of living with a facemask. it's hard to explain....almost like being in a prison for a few months. particles in the air so dense that only a few places in the world are worse. sorry about being negative on this, but it's not a minimal thing (to me). IF you can get away 2 months out of the year, then it's fantastic.

thanks for the great advise as well as all the others ...

Polution is a problem. In both Chiang Mai and Chiangrai. It can be solved by using airfilters and staying inside on the worst days but the problem exists elswhere. http://www.stateoftheair.org/2012/assets/state-of-the-air2012.pdf even Hawaii had 53.8 unacceptible days according to the report and it is only number 7 in the US.

I do not know a time when Chiangrai had anywhere that number of particulate pollution days. Our ozone is much less than many cities too,

[geezer2]

Hi Kevvy..may I ask where you are moving from I presume from somewhere in Thailand??

[kevvy]

We are moving from chon buri about 40 mimutes from pattaya business will soon finish and time to retire

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Manassas]

Interesting thread. We are just settling in the CR area. The main reason is my wife has land and family in a little village outside the town and wants to retire here. We can really retire anywhere we please but have settled on CR. We toyed with beach locations but we both get bored after a week of that. While I have many friends who live in Bangkok, I don't care for it. CM has the amenities discussed but we are pretty much stay-at-home types. After several visits we decided CR suited us (me) well. But we enjoy rural living, tinkering in the garden, fishing, exploring the little villages. And I am lucky to enjoy her family. We also have the convenient commuter flights from CR. For very little money and a couple of hours we can be in BKK or a beach town anytime we want. I guess it's a very individual lifestyle choice. I just hope it doesn't grow too much more in my lifetime!

[sceadugenga]

A very healthy attitude, if you feel like a change you jump in the car or on a plane and go somewhere else.

I think we've finally summed up the true meaning of retirement.