My Stay in Chiang Mai, Thailand
Posted on: Tue, 2007-03-06 15:12
Offline
My Stay in Chiang Mai, Thailand
I'm doing something different this year. I'm retired, and spend most of my time outside the US. It's cheaper, and in lots of ways, easier.
I've been in Chiang Mai, Thailand for over four months now, and I thought I should post something about it before I leave.
Chiang Mai is in northern Thailand, and is a major tourist destination for Thais as well as foreigners. There seems to be a wat (temple) on every block, the hill surrounding the city are beautiful and in habited by interesting tribal groups, and the city is a handicraft center.
As a place to stay long-term, it has a lot of advantages. Furnished apartments are available on short-term leases, and some guesthouses offer long term rates. A motorcycle or bicycle is the best way to get around, and they can be rented easily. In addition to Thai food, you can get almost every cuisine imaginable. There are tons of used book shops. These things are important if you are going to be somewhere for a long time.
In addition, medical and dental care is good and cheap. Chiang Mai is a major medical tourism destination.
However, I do wish in a way that I had moved on earlier, as I stayed long enough to get bored, and probably won't want to come back again.
Sounds like a fun place to be.
Maybe you could give us some tips on how to survive for an extended period of time in another country. I would like to know how you find accomodation. Surely you are not going to rent a hotel room all this time?
TT
If you are willing to reconsider your standards, and not demand a room that looks exactly like every other hotel room in the world, you can spend very little on a place to stay. Chiang Mai is cool, even cold, at night, so I didn't need air-conditioning. I had my own room with a private bath, a fan, and a wardrobe for my clothes for prices varying from $5 to $8 per night. You can lower costs by agreeing to a longer stay and paying up front. For instance, I paid $7 per night for a $12 room because I paid for two full months in advance.
I am paying about $50 per day rent on my apartment
Ouch! You can live pretty well here for what you spend on rent alone. Lowering of standards would probably not be required.
The problem usually is that the income you can earn in expensive places is generally higher. So, if you can manage to save ten per cent of your take home for travel, you can do a lot. If you manage to save ten per cent of your take home as an ESL teacher here in Thailand, after a year in a job that pays a thousand US a month, you can maybe buy a plane ticket home.
Thailand is indeed one of the most beautiful countries to visit in Asia, but just like in any other tourist destination, we tend to get bored easily, especially if we already thoroughly explored the place.
After Thailand, where next? How about Morocco and check out the fantastic attractions in Marrakech city?
I've moved on to Georgetown, on Penang, in Malaysia. Morocco is one of the places I'd like to revisit, though. I was there for a little over a week at the end of my Africa overland adventure. I think I've mentioned how excited we were to reach civilization!
So, if you can manage to save ten per cent of your take home for travel, you can do a lot. If you manage to save ten per cent of your take home as an ESL teacher here in Thailand, after a year in a job that pays a thousand US a month, you can maybe buy a plane ticket home.
Well spoken and very true. I can easily go and spend a bit of money on good hotels and good food when I am on the road traveling. Unfortunately I don't have a lot of vacation.
BTW: The rent went up again
Andre
Travel Photos
CHIANG MAI
“Nopphaburi Si Nakhon Ping Chiang Mai” (new town) was established by King Mengrai in 1292. Two hundred years later, the city was subdued by a Burmese invasion and became Burma's vassal state in 1558. In 1774, Chiang Mai was liberated by King Taksin and became part of Siam and once again capital of Lanna (a million rice fields) an independent princedom, tributary to Bangkok. Today, Chiang Mai is the largest city of northern Thailand possessing unique cultural characteristics surrounded by truly magnificent natural beauty. Chiang Mai is also a centre of learning, art, antiques, and the ancient tradition of Lanna. An increasing number of tourists, both Thai and foreign, visit again and again, impressed by the hospitality and talent of the people, reflected in various silk, silver, sa paper products, hand made cotton and silk, wood carving, ceramics and other handicrafts – and, of course, the food.
Recently, Chiang Mai people were proud that their city was voted to be one of the top five destination cities in the world. (Ref. Travel+Leisure Magazine, U.S.A.)
Guide Thailand Travel >> http://guidethailand.blogspot.com
Chaimai >> http://www.tatchiangmai.org/index/index_eng.php
Chang Mai is a lot of fun, but it sure has changed. My first trip there was about 15 years ago for a film shoot and it was still a fairly sleepy town with one good hotel, the Hilton, and it wasn't even that good. I was back again last year and wow! Many many changes.
Vicki, I so know what you mean. I went there the first time in 1989. It was so different this time.
I went to Penang in the same year, and I'm finding that it has changed, but in fairly good ways. I'm enjoying it a lot. There seem to be fewer tourists, and a lot more ex-pats. The only shopping center on the island back then is now pretty run down, but there are several fantastic new ones out in the suburbs.
Interesting. Where are the majority of expats from? Britain???? From living in the UK, I know that Thailand has become a far more popular destination for them than for Americans.
Cindy, Vicki, altough I have never been in Thailand I too know what you mean. It is always a big let down for me to return to a place just to see that it has been overrun by tourism.
Unfortunately in today's world, thats true for most places.
Andre
http://www.aguntherphotography.com
It's how it gets overrun, too. It's nice to know that the people who live there are doing well, so although I didn't like the traffic, I tried to remember that for all these people to own motorcycles and cars signifies a big improvement in the economy. It didn't help.