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  • Home
  • Countries

    Top Destinations:

    Whether you’re looking for fun and sun, a peaceful retirement, or the chance to earn some extra income, you’ve got a real world of opportunity open to you… In short, we’ve done our best to narrow down your best options, but only you can decide the right country for you.

    • Spain
    • Portugal
    • Panama
    • Belize
    • Colombia
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    • Mexico
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    • Montenegro
    • Browse All Countries

    Best For:

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    • Investing in Real Estate
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    • Gun Laws In The World
    • English-Speaking Countries
    • Safest Places For Retirement
    • Best Places In Latin America
  • Budgets

    How Much Will It Cost You To Live Overseas?

    The only honest answer is, we have no idea. And neither does anyone else. The only one who can answer that question is you. Here’s the most important thing to understand about budgeting your new life overseas…

    Super Cheap

    • Chitré, Panama
    • Santa Marta, Colombia
    • Phuket, Thailand
    • Dumaguete, The Philippines

    Cheap

    • Medellin, Colombia
    • Boquete, Panama
    • Kyrenia, Cyprus
    • Hua Hin, Thailand
    • The Algarve, Portugal

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    • Valencia, Spain
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Home Countries Thailand

What Sets Chiang Mai Apart From The Rest Of Thailand?

Laid-Back, Plugged-In, And Friendly

by Bart Walters
Oct 26, 2023
in Thailand
0 0
View of Chiang Mai, in Thailand. retirement life

AdobeStock/somchairakin

I first visited Chiang Mai in 2002, and it was sleepy beyond imagination.

“I’m not old enough to live in Chiang Mai,” was what I said back then.

The frenetic city life in Bangkok still had me under its spell. The half-speed pace of the northern capital was just too slow.

Nearly two decades later, it seems Chiang Mai and I have met in the middle.

I’ve slowed down to a respectable pace for a 50-something and Chiang Mai has blossomed to earn its longtime nickname “Rose of the North.”

Now I visit Chiang Mai often to connect with old friends and enjoy the relaxing pace. Sometimes I succumb to the laid-back yoga-hippy vibe and do nothing. Sometimes I head uptown to hear live jazz. Every part of town is different. The people are friendly, the weather is perfect, and the cuisine is legendary. The best thing of all… nobody is in a hurry.

I’ve lived over half my adult life overseas. Chiang Mai is my top pick for anyone considering an overseas retirement in Asia.

Chiang Mai, Thailand at Royal Flora Ratchaphruek Park
Alamy/Sean Pavone

Here Are A Few Things That Set It Apart From Other Parts Of Thailand…

1. It’s not Bangkok

With a population of just over 1.2 million, Chiang Mai is not a big city by Southeast Asian standards. Big sister Bangkok boasts 12 million inhabitants, a figure considered an understatement by folks who live there.

Chiang Mai only has a few buildings that could be considered high-rise, even those are less than 30 floors. Chinese-style shop-house architecture is the order of the day, with some modern developments mixed in. Roads are fairly good, but the popularity of Chiang Mai as a getaway spot strains the infrastructure on big holiday weekends.

The city viewed from a higher elevation looks like a collection of neighborhoods that grew into each other to fill in the river valley. Chiang Mai is pretty busy, but it’s by no means Bangkok busy.

2. It’s more than a vacation spot

While many tourists visit Chiang Mai, foreigners living there don’t have the feeling they are tourists.

In the big seaside resort towns like Pattaya and Phuket, large expat populations have formed. They enjoy the permanent vacation lifestyle but will always feel like tourists.

In Chiang Mai, foreigners live all over town, they experience many different lifestyles, and they connect to Thai culture in a more meaningful way. Chiang Mai is not a “tourists-who-stayed” kind of town.

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3. It’s plugged-in

Many expats and retirees have chosen to live on some of Thailand‘s island paradises like Koh Samui or Koh Chang. Chiang Mai is the opposite of an island. Rather than suffer island-style isolation, residents enjoy total connection to the rest of the world. Internet connections are high-speed and reliable, great roads lead in every direction, and an ever-expanding international airport is at your disposal. The overnight train to Bangkok is a trip everyone should take at least once.

Chiang Mai is plugged-in and connected to all of Asia and the rest of the world.

4. There’s no big party scene

Nobody comes to Chiang Mai for the nightlife. Bars and restaurants close around midnight, and everything gets wrapped up before 2 a.m.

For example, there is no real red-light district, but there are plenty of friendly pubs and a surprising number of live music venues.

But if all-night go-go bars or dance clubs featuring famous DJs is your thing, Chiang Mai will disappoint.

What It Really Costs… And Who Comes Here

Chiang Mai is a wonderful city and you get a lot of lifestyle for your money. But it’s not as super-cheap as elsewhere in this country and this region can be… despite what you may read on the internet.

In my opinion, you can live a comfortable life here for 50,000 baht per month. Right now, that‘s about US$1,600. A retiree with a US$2,000 monthly budget could live extremely well here.

Click here for currency conversion at today’s exchange rate.

A conservative count of expats in Chiang Mai today is 30,000. They come from all imaginable walks of life… and many have reinvented themselves in their new home…

I know a stone mason who became an interior designer. I know a ship’s-captain-turned-English-teacher. I know a celebrity hairdresser who owns a bungee jump concession.

Diversity is what makes an expat community, especially this one.

Though the majority of expats live full-time here, Chiang Mai also draws the snowbird set…

Last year I met Richard and Gary, a couple of 70-somethings from Minnesota. Every year they come to Chiang Mai to wait out the harsh winter back home.

“I get my Thailand bag near the door when I hear the first weather report of snow flurries,” says Richard. “There’s just no need to put up with 30-below.”

Both of these gentlemen are motorcycle enthusiasts and spend time at one of several pubs that cater to their hobby. Chiang Mai‘s bike week in December is the height of their winter season.

“Some people go to Florida in the winter,” says Gary. “I’ve been to Florida…

“It ain’t Thailand.”

Bart Walters
Contributor, Overseas Living Letter

Tags: 'Expat Life''live in thailand''retire to asia''retire to thailand'move to Thailand
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Bart Walters

Bart Walters

American journalist, licensed real estate agent, and property investor Bart Walters has lived in Thailand for over 13 years, in many cities, including; Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya. Bart publishes his inside views on the Thailand property market as an Asia correspondent for Live and Invest Overseas.

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Super Cheap

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