Greetings from Chiang Mai

[Bamboo Grove]

After about 2,5 years in Hua Hin, I've now been living in Chiang Mai for about three weeks. Some of the differences are already clearly visible. First; weather, it's been raining basically every day and at one stage it rained for about 48 hours. This has been a biggest draw back compared to the sunny Hua Hin days. Second (this is an advantage); I used to live in Bangkok for almost 13 years and got used to the great selection of different kinds of supermarket and department store items available there. This was not the case in HH. We have all the big department stores here in CM i.e. Lotus, Carrefour and Tops. It's been a great pleasure to be able to purchase good quality beef tenderloin for 190 baht/kg (so keep on dreaming about Foodland). Also you can get a good western meal in local pubs for about 120 baht. What I've also noticed that the people are probably even more polite and gentle as their sisters and brothers further south and certainly their skin is much whiter up here (a thing the Thais like.) Anyway, hope you're all doing well in Hua Hin. Cheers for now.

[buksida]

Good to hear you're doing well up there. I'd bet the weather is a lot cooler also, me I like the ocean too much to move up north. This year so far we've been spared the heavy rains we had last year. Apparently Foodland is on the way ... in 3 years time! Don't hold out much hope for this new 'department store', still be making my regular trips to Big C.

I'd bet the girls are prettier up there too

[Bamboo Grove]

Don't mind the sea myself, grew up by the biggest lake in Finland but then again don't mind the mountains either. In November it could be Bangers and Pattaya again for five months. You're right buksida, there's no shortage of pretty girls here but then again there are pretty girls everywhere in Thailand.

[ianjames]

LOng time no hear
How are things in Chang Mai?????
How's the weather in March/April?As blistering as most places in Thailand?
What about the nightlife compared with Hua Hin?
Sorry about the stack of questions.

[Bamboo Grove]

Happy to answer. Been quite tied up with work, so I haven´t been around much. I think the weather in March and April is just as hot as elsewhere but at the moment one can feel a bit of nice coolness in the dark hours. The nights in the winter months can actually be quite chilly.

There is night life here mainly in Mool Muang and Loi Khro Roads and night bazaar area, but it isn´t very wild. Not much different from Hua Hin really, just a little bit more wide spread.

I´m looking forward to this month´s Loi Krathong festival as it is supposed to be very nice here and at least this year it lasts for many days in Chiang Mai, with all kinds of beauty contests taking place as well.

One thing I quite like here is that on Fridays the teachers and school children dress in traditional Lanna style clothes, it looks really nice. The food is not as spicy as in other parts of the country, some local specialities are "khao soi" (burmese style noodle curry), "khaep moo" (fried pork skin dipped in spicy sauce) and "Nam Phrik Ong" (minced pork with tomato sauce).

Even after two months I´m still surprised how cheap life is here. As I mentioned earlier both Thai and Western food is cheap as are drinks in most bars. I´ve got about three more weeks to go and then it´s to Bangkok and Pattaya (with occasional visits to CM or HH) for the winter months. But I must say that I´d like to spend more time here and do a bit of travelling in the nearby areas as there´s plenty to see here.

Heard that Hua Hin is starting to get busy with tourists already. Any new things coming up there?

[ianjames]

Thanks
Good to hear from a man in the know.
I don't know about anything happening in HH from now on,the "old hands"living there will know more than me.
But I will be there at the end of Dec.
Maybe Chang Mai in March

[cockneyrebel]

I spent Songkhran this year in CM....and it was the nuts...the badgers-nadgers etc etc. It was one whole week of mayhem and partying, always soaking wet, which made up for the lack of sea, and a thoroughly enjoyable experience for my first Songkhran in Thailand (I know the old hands amongst you probably won't agree with getting soaked every 2 minutes, but I'm a big kid!!!)
It's a lovely city, full of really friendly people, so much to see and do, soOOOO cheap and a great place to base yourself to go into Laos or Myanmar.

[ianjames]

Where's good to stay???Cheap with a pool and girl friendly

[baron_wastelanduk]

You could try the Top North Guest House
try and get in the main hotel coz the rooms outside are shit
nice bar and has reasonable swimming pool
CDK
The Baron

[Bamboo Grove]

Yes, I´d recommend Top North myself as well. It has a pool and it is visitor friendly. Location is also perfect, it´s just next to the bar areas. Other option might be Montri Hotel, which is also on Mool Muang Road, but I´m not sure if it has a swimming pool.