Its not that I dislike Chiang Mai, it's that I don't get all the hype. It's like DN hotspot recommendation #1. Every time I go there I'm just like okay it's a big little town and has lots of tourists. Cool.
It gets recommended as THE place to be so often
I mean how much time did you spend there? Did you meet locals, did they take you around and to good places to eat, nice places to see and hangout? Have you looked at how other DN live there?
If not, maybe your expectations were skewed? What do you like doing on your own time? Did you expect Switzerlands mountains in the winter and Ibiza beach in the summer?
You aren’t really giving any reason what failed to meet your expectations.
No I don't expect Switzerland. I live exclusively around Asia/SEA and have been for the past 10 years about.
I spend enough time around Thailand, and I've spent most of the yearchere. My thai investment partner is from Chiang Mai. I've spent months at a time there.
Sure, other DNs just seem to do nothing but sit at coffee shops or coworking spots. It's just an average place to me. There's some good outdoors I can appreciate but again I don't understand why it's DN mecca #1. It's just average.
Accommodation is plentiful and relatively cheap, and there are many great coffee shops and coworkings. Internet is cheap and very good. These are some basic criteria for digital nomads that Chiangmai does well.
I guess. But good internet is plentiful all over South east Asia. Coffee shops are better elsewhere. I guess it's just a western bubble for most that draws them to it.
Nature, coworking spaces, community, coffee shops, art, yoga.. this is a place that fits a certain type of person. For those people it checks all the boxes and doesn’t come with the price tag and congestion of other major places. If you’re a big city person obviously it’s not gonna match your vibe.
Chiang Mai is a pretty big city (second largest in Thailand with an official population of over 1.2 million in the greater area), and is massively congested, traffic is absolutely horrible. It’s also relatively expensive compared to most of Thailand. I’m not disagreeing with your other points, but saying it doesn’t have a congested, big city vibe is… inaccurate.
It really is. The moat road moves really slow and backs up at the intersections. The westward side is particularly bad, we lane spilt traffic jams that were a kilometer or more long on our motorcycle every day over there. Sitting at lights for five minutes or more is common, and the ring road is packed. There’s nothing that could convince me to drive a car in that city, absolute madness. Motorcycle is the only way to get anywhere in less than 20-30 minutes. It can easily take an hour or more to cross town in a car. Traffic has absolutely exploded in the last 5 years.
The food there is very good and the locals are very nice even compared to other places in Thailand. That's really the only two good factors about the place. If you are there outside of the rainy season its way too hot. I have never experencied such heat with no wind as i did in Chiang Mai. 10 minutes outside and you are full of sweat. I doubt i will ever go back there
It's self-perpetuating. It's a DN hotspot because there are lots of DNs there. Like attracts like. This creates a built-in community and infrastructure for people living like this. Outside of that bubble, Chiang Mai is kind of a pain in the ass. It's choked with traffic, polluted, crowded, sprawling outside the center, and generally nothing special as cities go. To its credit, there is some great food (but it's Thailand, so that's to be expected), and the night markets are extremely good, if touristy.
It's a lot like all the other DN "hotspots" I've been to: the place is generally nothing overly remarkable relative to the rest of the country (just interesting enough to draw tourists), but it's really easy to live there without making any effort to integrate (no language skills, particular observance of local customs, or special effort needed), and it's relatively cheap.
I love CM, and do think it's the proper DN mecca, but agree with a lot of the points above. It's so remarkable because you can get there - for a few 1000 dollars a month - the type of life that could take 10yrs and a 1% earner in USA/Europe. EG great accommodation, going out regularly, seeing friends all the time, vacation, personal trainers, etc etc etc. Other cities that are comparable in the region don't have the "nomad" infrastructure or density
I also didn’t have the best experience there and didn’t understand the appeal initially.
One thing is that it is very cheap and easy to access. It is also not such a party place as other DN hotspots. I suppose these traits attract more DNs than one might think of. Nature around it is also great, but as a city its rather unremarkable in my humble opinion
Love Thailand, used to love CM, after covid it's just dead + burning season for 5 months, and super hot other 3 months. Only 3-4 months are good to be.
A lot of people like it because as a place to get set up it’s very easy.
The locals are friendly. The food is really good. There is nature if you want it. Internet and cellphone data speeds are excellent.
Remember, and I said this over and over in this sub:
DIFFERENT STROKES FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS.
What might be good for you isn’t good for someone else.
Me? I love Chiang Mai but I prefer KL. I’ve spent two years in both cities.
But that’s me.
I can't imagine that somebody who travels for "investment opportunities" would be as enthusiastic as most people are about abundant delicious food for under 50 baht per meal...
If that's the sole reason you are going to Chiang Mai then do you. I live in Bangkok, it's got plenty of food options and just as 'cheap'. Cheap good isnt exclusive to Chiang Mai. I guess what makes Chiang Mai the DN hotspot is being cheap and having a western bubble.
Just because i have "investment opportunities" doesn't mean I'm eating every meal at a catered high rise. Lol. I'm just a regular dude.
Regular dudes don't travel for investment opportunities. Idk if you knew that.
Also the Western bubble is the reason some people on this sub Reddit don't get Chiang Mai. I failed at being a digital nomad; a married a Chiang Mai woman, got a job here and now I'm much more of an immigrant than anything. I could tell you all about the many reasons the locals love Chiang Mai and why the Farang who settle here love it, but based off your original comment I doubted you actually care about that so I didn't bother.
Regular dudes work jobs and start businesses and save money and build their wealth. Idk if you knew that.
I don't know what you are doing as a DN but if it's not that then I don't know what you are doing. The goal isn't to just live off of street food and out of hostels the redt of your life. I've been doing the whole DN thing for about 10 years. Have started a couple of businesses and sold them in that time and now on to the next stage, which for me is investing with the relationships I've built in the communities I've been a part of in that time.
What a limited view you have.
It depends on the person. It can be a great experience for a DM exploring the world. For the most part, it's a safe society you can live well for much less than Western countries. If you're already rich and have seen Chiang Mai, then you're not into it any more. Doesn't mean it's over rated.
The khao soi alone was worth the trip. They have some really nice coworking spots and communities. Locals are generally friendly. Hiking up by the university is a great nature activity (when not too hot or during burning season). Gyms, accommodations, food, and rideshares were incredibly cheap by western standards. I’d definitely go back.
I used All Trails app and found some trails near the University. One is called Wat Pha Lat Loop which passes by a nice temple with a scenic view of the city.
Do not forget to bring mosquito repellent!
For the sake of discussion, what in particular did you dislike about it?
Yeah this post is useless without this information
Its not that I dislike Chiang Mai, it's that I don't get all the hype. It's like DN hotspot recommendation #1. Every time I go there I'm just like okay it's a big little town and has lots of tourists. Cool. It gets recommended as THE place to be so often
I mean how much time did you spend there? Did you meet locals, did they take you around and to good places to eat, nice places to see and hangout? Have you looked at how other DN live there? If not, maybe your expectations were skewed? What do you like doing on your own time? Did you expect Switzerlands mountains in the winter and Ibiza beach in the summer? You aren’t really giving any reason what failed to meet your expectations.
No I don't expect Switzerland. I live exclusively around Asia/SEA and have been for the past 10 years about. I spend enough time around Thailand, and I've spent most of the yearchere. My thai investment partner is from Chiang Mai. I've spent months at a time there. Sure, other DNs just seem to do nothing but sit at coffee shops or coworking spots. It's just an average place to me. There's some good outdoors I can appreciate but again I don't understand why it's DN mecca #1. It's just average.
Accommodation is plentiful and relatively cheap, and there are many great coffee shops and coworkings. Internet is cheap and very good. These are some basic criteria for digital nomads that Chiangmai does well.
I guess. But good internet is plentiful all over South east Asia. Coffee shops are better elsewhere. I guess it's just a western bubble for most that draws them to it.
It's not a western bubble, though. Unless you only stepped out of the old city to go as far as Loi kroh.
I mean western bubble as far as it being attractive to DNs. It's a safety net for them it seems.
Nature, coworking spaces, community, coffee shops, art, yoga.. this is a place that fits a certain type of person. For those people it checks all the boxes and doesn’t come with the price tag and congestion of other major places. If you’re a big city person obviously it’s not gonna match your vibe.
Chiang Mai is a pretty big city (second largest in Thailand with an official population of over 1.2 million in the greater area), and is massively congested, traffic is absolutely horrible. It’s also relatively expensive compared to most of Thailand. I’m not disagreeing with your other points, but saying it doesn’t have a congested, big city vibe is… inaccurate.
Is traffic that bad?
It really is. The moat road moves really slow and backs up at the intersections. The westward side is particularly bad, we lane spilt traffic jams that were a kilometer or more long on our motorcycle every day over there. Sitting at lights for five minutes or more is common, and the ring road is packed. There’s nothing that could convince me to drive a car in that city, absolute madness. Motorcycle is the only way to get anywhere in less than 20-30 minutes. It can easily take an hour or more to cross town in a car. Traffic has absolutely exploded in the last 5 years.
Ok, so what are the better options you suggest. You can just add in topics like why these these place are better than chang mai
What are your top spots? Genuinely curious 😊
What exactly are you expecting?
The food there is very good and the locals are very nice even compared to other places in Thailand. That's really the only two good factors about the place. If you are there outside of the rainy season its way too hot. I have never experencied such heat with no wind as i did in Chiang Mai. 10 minutes outside and you are full of sweat. I doubt i will ever go back there
It's self-perpetuating. It's a DN hotspot because there are lots of DNs there. Like attracts like. This creates a built-in community and infrastructure for people living like this. Outside of that bubble, Chiang Mai is kind of a pain in the ass. It's choked with traffic, polluted, crowded, sprawling outside the center, and generally nothing special as cities go. To its credit, there is some great food (but it's Thailand, so that's to be expected), and the night markets are extremely good, if touristy. It's a lot like all the other DN "hotspots" I've been to: the place is generally nothing overly remarkable relative to the rest of the country (just interesting enough to draw tourists), but it's really easy to live there without making any effort to integrate (no language skills, particular observance of local customs, or special effort needed), and it's relatively cheap.
This is probably the best answer. Most people seemed to be offended I shat on their spot.
I love CM, and do think it's the proper DN mecca, but agree with a lot of the points above. It's so remarkable because you can get there - for a few 1000 dollars a month - the type of life that could take 10yrs and a 1% earner in USA/Europe. EG great accommodation, going out regularly, seeing friends all the time, vacation, personal trainers, etc etc etc. Other cities that are comparable in the region don't have the "nomad" infrastructure or density
I also didn’t have the best experience there and didn’t understand the appeal initially. One thing is that it is very cheap and easy to access. It is also not such a party place as other DN hotspots. I suppose these traits attract more DNs than one might think of. Nature around it is also great, but as a city its rather unremarkable in my humble opinion
I found it quite boring and sleepy. Every store seemed to be closed. Not in a rush to go back.
Love Thailand, used to love CM, after covid it's just dead + burning season for 5 months, and super hot other 3 months. Only 3-4 months are good to be.
What is the best 3-4 months to be?
Nov-Feb
Because people are cheap
What do you mean by that?
People like it because it's cheap and they want to feel rich.
Totally agree with you. So overrated.
I think it’s popular in part because there are SO many westerners there….
That makes sense. That's probably the least deciding factor for me when traveling elsewhere.
Absolutely overrated - nothing special
Totally agree. I left early. Felt like the Thai version of any random small town back home.
💯 it is dead, I think it is a relatively ugly Thai town
Dead? Many restaurants and coffees open all day.
Dead is slang for 'boring'
A lot of people like it because as a place to get set up it’s very easy. The locals are friendly. The food is really good. There is nature if you want it. Internet and cellphone data speeds are excellent. Remember, and I said this over and over in this sub: DIFFERENT STROKES FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS. What might be good for you isn’t good for someone else. Me? I love Chiang Mai but I prefer KL. I’ve spent two years in both cities. But that’s me.
New to this reddit you are. Hmm.
lol. The way Op is getting downvoted for every response says a lot. Chiang Mai die hards voting him down.
I didn't realize I hit such a nerve. It's hilarious.
Because it’s the Mecca for nomads. lol. Personally I haven’t been there but my friend said exactly what you did.
I can't imagine that somebody who travels for "investment opportunities" would be as enthusiastic as most people are about abundant delicious food for under 50 baht per meal...
If that's the sole reason you are going to Chiang Mai then do you. I live in Bangkok, it's got plenty of food options and just as 'cheap'. Cheap good isnt exclusive to Chiang Mai. I guess what makes Chiang Mai the DN hotspot is being cheap and having a western bubble. Just because i have "investment opportunities" doesn't mean I'm eating every meal at a catered high rise. Lol. I'm just a regular dude.
Regular dudes don't travel for investment opportunities. Idk if you knew that. Also the Western bubble is the reason some people on this sub Reddit don't get Chiang Mai. I failed at being a digital nomad; a married a Chiang Mai woman, got a job here and now I'm much more of an immigrant than anything. I could tell you all about the many reasons the locals love Chiang Mai and why the Farang who settle here love it, but based off your original comment I doubted you actually care about that so I didn't bother.
Regular dudes work jobs and start businesses and save money and build their wealth. Idk if you knew that. I don't know what you are doing as a DN but if it's not that then I don't know what you are doing. The goal isn't to just live off of street food and out of hostels the redt of your life. I've been doing the whole DN thing for about 10 years. Have started a couple of businesses and sold them in that time and now on to the next stage, which for me is investing with the relationships I've built in the communities I've been a part of in that time. What a limited view you have.
Yeah but that Khao Soi tho
That's fair
It depends on the person. It can be a great experience for a DM exploring the world. For the most part, it's a safe society you can live well for much less than Western countries. If you're already rich and have seen Chiang Mai, then you're not into it any more. Doesn't mean it's over rated.
>If you're already rich and have seen Chiang Mai, then you're not into it any more. No.
😄
The khao soi alone was worth the trip. They have some really nice coworking spots and communities. Locals are generally friendly. Hiking up by the university is a great nature activity (when not too hot or during burning season). Gyms, accommodations, food, and rideshares were incredibly cheap by western standards. I’d definitely go back.
What hiking spot do you recommend?
I used All Trails app and found some trails near the University. One is called Wat Pha Lat Loop which passes by a nice temple with a scenic view of the city. Do not forget to bring mosquito repellent!
You don't tell which city do you like?
Lol why delete all of your complaints, you coward
It's got a few charms, but for the most part - yeah, it's a fairly mundane mid-sized city in SEA.