Planning to move to Chiang Rai.... advise

Chaunce, welcome! Have you visited Chiang Rai? Why did you choose that place?
Many answers for your questions have already been addressed on this site. Do you have specific questions about Chiang Rai?

hi!
I haven't been there, but some friends I know think it will be best for me. I'm looking for a more laid back, friendly vibe where I can golf, live in comfort and meet nice people. I'm told Chiang Rai is a good start.... but I'm open to suggestions.

Greetings Chaunce - Chiang Rai is smaller city yet has all amenities for living.  Higher altitude so cooler mornings and not so hot/humid days compared to Southern/Coastal Thailand.  Only caveat is the smoke/air quality when slash burning occurs around Mar/April every year.  Go take a look and check it out.  Yogi.

I have my doubts about a journalist from New York adapting easily to Chiang Rai as it may end up being too much of a change.  I have lived in the rural hinterlands of Chiang Rai for ten years but moved here after living in Bangkok for thirty years, speaking Thai, having a life of my own and a wonderful wife who is from Chiang Rai.

Cost and housing runs the gamut from cheap to lavish, dating could be a problem depending on your taste in partners, visas are the same nation wide, except for teaching there really isn't a job market, and the expat community seems to be elderly, often critical of Thais, dispersed over a wide region and from various nations many of whom speak limited English.

Everything depends on you and your needs.  I have seen people come and go over the years and there is no way of knowing how well you will adapt, if you will like it, or for how long, because things change as you go through the different phases of adapting to life in a strange new place.  Some people never fit in and others become disillusioned as the novelty wears off.

Not all of us are elderly. Come on bud.

Granted there are exceptions.

I'd recommend paying a tourist visit yourself first before jumping in the deep end.
The rest of the questions:
Learn Thai and make Thai friends. Get integrated with society and you won't get too homesick; Thais are nice people generally. Of course there are expats there too and you can make friends among them as well.
It's best to do some research on jobs (like a good journalist, haha). The Thai government makes a ton of restrictions on what kind of employment that a foreigner can do; they are trying to protect their citizens' jobs. If you have a journalism degree, you might be able to teach English.

Thank you guys...  I know it will be a big change and of course there's no way of knowing the future.... I'm just doing my best to get a full understanding of the culture and lifestyle that waits for me....

Chaunce, before I visited last Feb, I watched a lot of Youtube presentations about expat life in Thailand. That really gave me a feel for life there.

Yesterday I found myself in Chiang Rai with some time to kill and decided to have a double short cappuccino at Starbucks.  I sat down in a comfortable armchair and began reading the news app on my iPhone.  Seated next to me were two farangs I figured I might be better off not interacting with so I went about doing my own thing and read about Alex and his amazing ascent of El Capitan along with other nonpolitical stories of interest.  Later two more farangs and one Thai girlfriend joined them.

You more or less expect a certain kind of individual to be drinking 3in1 coffee at a roadside stand or perhaps enjoying the upscale ambiance of a gas station coffee chain with the aroma of gasoline and diesel.  Starbucks is reportedly the last place you would ever see the radical conservative fringe, but not on this day.  As I sat there listening to their conversation I could not have felt more disconnected from them and their beliefs.  It was like listening to people who believe the earth is flat or the sun revolves around the earth.  It was both entertaining and disconcerting at the same time.

Fortunately not everyone in Chiang Rai is like this but the others are harder to find.  I was clearly outnumbered on this day so I kept my mouth shut.  I couldn't help but wonder what the girlfriend thought of their conversation or if she understood any of it.

There are a few of you out there. The many Thai's we know are more on a conservative level. They respect there country, and respect there moral ways that they were brought up. A lot of them respect our decision for a Conservative United States President.  They believe it was a good choice. But, there are plenty of Liberals here, try joining the Democrat club here.  I think there, you will be able to express your views with people who think like you do. Thailand is about respect, and loving thy neighbor.  Politics, is only a small subject line that people talk about. Come sit with us for coffee one day, we will talk about every thing that interest us all, no matter what we all believe in concerning politics . Good-luck my friend..

I have yet to meet a single Thai or non-American who is not appalled at the choice of the US electorate.  It is tiring having to apologize and help them understand how this could happen.  I am not sure I believe you when you talk of morals, love and respect or talking of things of interest.  I think I will stick with my educated Thai friends and leave the joining of groups and the wearing of labels to someone else.  Good-luck to you too, ma'am.

How did this conversation lurch into politics?

It is funny this transitioned to that subject.  In a sense it's nice being in Thailand now to be away from all that going on over there; I just catch a bit on my Facebook feed. 

I live in Bangkok so I have next to no input about living in Chiang Rai to pass on, although I have visited there some time ago.  I like to think I'd love it there, out of the city.  I'm from a rural area back in the states and I don't love cities, but I typically end up living in one for different reasons.  Or maybe it would get old; hard to be sure.  I'm not doing all that much that ties to city life here, spending most of my time with my kids, going to swim lessons or parks and such, but it could be hard to look ahead and see what I'd miss.

Some people are hardcore city or country folk, then there are some like me who like both and what changes is their life situation.  Bangkok was the only thing which made sense for my first thirty years in Thailand but after passing fifty I slowly began to entertain other options.  As a younger man I would have hated this life I now love in my sixties.  We go through phases, we change, the world changes and we either fight it or find ways to adapt.  Making a move to Thailand does not settle anything in a person's life, it actually opens a floodgate of change and uncertainty.

Great reply, and how true this is.

Everyone has its own taste and preferable to the place to live and lifestyle as there can't be fixed set of rules.

Some like city life - big or small city. Some like greens with river or waterfall or mountains or sea.

I know someone who live in a golf course estate in Nakorn Pathom as he plays 9 holes of golf every morning. His company is in Silom Road and goes by highway to and back from work. He has a driver so he relax at the back seat of his expensive limousine.

If he need to stay late in Bangkok, he got a posh apartment downtown to live in. He can have best of both worlds, city and suburban life.

As for me, I live on the outskirts of Bangkok and my two residence are just outside Bangkok. I can be in the city and get all the stuff I need and live in a much less traffic area on the suburbans.

I'm planning to live in a golf course estate whereby strict security, quiet, nature and privacy. Besides, I move around to other countries too as I don't stick to just one place.

Hopefully next year, I could move more freely by following the weather. When Thailand is hot, I go to live in China. When China gets hot, I move to southern hemisphere. That will be my dream and focus. To work and live in a comfortable environment.

Everything is subject to individual taste and choice. I will not live far from a big city as I have foreign guests, food choices, latest gadgets, news subscription etc

Hi

This is a big decision, like buying a house you have never even seen. I have been coming to Thailand for a decade now for work and holiday. It is the one country my Indonesian wife and I find almost ideal - weather, food, cost of living, outward friendliness etc. etc. I have lived in Asia for 25 years including Jakarta which is not dissimilar to Bangkok. In March we relocated full time from Hong Kong to live in our Bangkok apartment.

It is a bit like the people who say "never meet your hero". Living here full time is very different. After 4 months I still have not met any locals that could become friends. Once you have had the fun of discovering great shops, restaurants, interesting markets and Sois etc. the shine goes as it becomes everyday life. The oppressive heat here in Bangkok, especially April or May makes you defer outside visits for another time.

There are some plus points but I have found that when my wife is back in Jakarta with her family it is in fact a very lonely place unless you want the company of the Bar Girls, but they only know about 3 well worn lines starting with "where you from?" which gives you a feel for what is to follow. No educational stimulation here, although that is not why you are there!! I avoid these places like the plague.

There are many people from all over the world who have pressed the "stop the world" button, "I am getting off". One of the reasons they chose Thailand is because people do not judge others so much here and your chosen lifestyle, whatever that is, seems to be accepted. It does mean you have a huge variety of people and not all are the sort of people you may want to meet. You really have to be prepared to live and let live, and it is that attitude that attracts many in the first place. That being said, I have never seen or experienced any trouble with locals, tourists and ex-pats.

For US and Westerners coming to Asia, the squeaky clean and westernised Singapore is a good and easy way in. Bangkok will be a shock but it is a city, and so after getting used to some of the sights and general infrastructure problems you adapt. Chang Rai is different again. Personally I like CR for a break and the cooler air is a blessing. It is a tourist area and some of the repetitive tourist places to visit actually disturb a lot of people because it involves animals and the questionable treatment that they may get.

Finally, you seem to want to meet a Thai person for a relationship. I have friends who appear happily married to Thai women and I know others that are living a very unhappy life. Sweet and pretty they may be, but others will have real life experiences they can share. In Asia when you marry a girl, you marry the girl's family also, and so expect to be paying for more than you bargained for.

Think carefully and certainly do not make any long-term commitment until you have spent at least a month, preferably three months living there. Good luck.

Majority of points you commented are true.

Thais do judge people in terms of where you come from. They judge among themselves like north east, south and north Thailand.

Thais dislike Africans and Indians because of skin colour.

When you work with Thais or doing business with them, you will have a total different view of them as to what Tourists see.

If you are 70% fluent in Thai, you find them speak short words like cut short the words. For example, sarwadee, you will hear them say wah see.

Thai wai with both hands but you see they do wai with only 1 hand too.

As your wife is Indonesian, she may like it here as Jakarta is very bad traffic jam. If she's Indonesian Chinese then she feel safer here than back home.

I can see your situation clearly because I had been to the countries you had mentioned. Besides I speak few Asian languages and knows the culture, tradition, history too.

Being a tourist and doing business is big difference. Living in the expat community and with the locals is different too. Doing business and working for a multi corporation is different too.

Thailand can amuse you as well as frustrate you too.

Thanks for adding and clarifying. A good insight. Cheers

I am visiting California now, a place I was born but will never be able to return because it is so Expensive, the big disadvantage for me in Thailand is I have no friends, been living there for 4 years, feel like am in political prison, have a nice condo to live in, my wife's family is big & well connected but no one speaks English even though everyone can. So I feel like the little kid that's parents think should be seen but not heard. I drive get out do shopping on my own, never got stopped by the police for anything, I feel very safe in Thailand. The main things I miss are my friends at home & the fresh clean air. But to visit every year is all I can afford. I have tried making friends at the gym, but everyone I have meant are living in Thailand for 2 reasons, the women & drinking. I have nothing in common with these people.  My wife & I are going to start traveling this year to Spain, New Zealand parts of Europe as it is very easy to travel from Thailand. Any idea's on how to meet other Expats in Thailand that are here for the same reason as I am. Thanks

Is what you said true? Thais don't like Black and Indian people because of their skin color? Seriously?

Hi, first where do you live? If you live close by to Bangkok or Chaing Mai? I can help you find people who you can connect with , and have friends as a couple. We have a lot of friends that have Thai wives, and we enjoy there company. We live in Chiang Mai. Pickle Ball is a real good place to meet great people , who share the same interest. Also the Gate Theater group is another great place to met people . The Expat Club is another place. Some people say that the expat club is full of a bunch of old people, it is not. Let me know were you live so, I can do a little reserch for you. We have met a couple of single guys here that they were lonely, and had no social things going on. We turned them on to Pickle ball, and the love the friendships that they have gotten from this. Good luck

We personally have not found that to be true.  The people we hang with  like you for who you are, not your skin color. We are white , but we have some black friends that get treated the same way as us.

Tinabella wrote:

Is what you said true? Thais don't like Black and Indian people because of their skin color? Seriously?

From what I understand, lighter-skinned Thais (with Chinese heritage) are accorded higher status than darker-skinned Thais.

Sujoge, we are living in Nonthaburi, but we have plans to come to Chiang Mai for a few months to see how we like it. How about exchanging E-Mails though a private message. And we can stay in touch with each other. We will be returning from the US in October.  Patrick

#California4me
Some people move to Thailand and find people who are near clones of the friends they left behind.  Others find that the kind of people they liked back home simply don't pack up and move to a foreign country.

A lot of us are not the type to join Farang social clubs so we can be very hard to meet.  We can also be very independent and self-reliant.  For example, the two Farangs at my birthday party last night, I only know them because their wives are friends of my wife.  Both are British and older than I am but they are both intelligent, knowledgeable and capable of having a civilized discussion on a wide variety of topics.  Our differences offer up interesting insights rather than the conflict which is found in some circles.

Even if you were at the same restaurant you probably wouldn't have seen us.  The owner put us upstairs in this wonderful private space with a wall of books, big screen TV, dart board, pool table and a lovely outdoor veranda overlooking the garden, perfect for taking photos.  We spent five hours up there and had the place all to ourselves.  My wife even hired a photographer for the night so no need for selfies and iPhones, just nonstop interaction.

Everyone's situation is different and varies with age, work, family, hobbies, lifestyle, location, language ability, how long you have been here and the kind of family you marry into.  Things have changed a lot over the years and there are a lot more choices than there used to be but maybe it was simpler back then because there were fewer of us and fewer places to go.

Villagefarang, I think you make a very important point that people considering moving to Thailand should take note of. Many of us are very independent and self-reliant. You are either the type of person who is here for the beer and girls, or for a quiet peaceful life. If you have been in Asia for some time, usually with work, then you have had to learn to adapt and find out things for yourself.

When I used to go back to UK and my ex-wife would put on dinner parties for my UK friends, they suffered from ex-pat syndrome. That is, they cannot relate in any way to your lifestyle and the things you experience every day, from abject poverty to unbelievable sights and experiences. To your point, these are not the same kind of people that would be here anyway (they have to live within a two-hour drive of their family or they disintegrate), and so we have to learn that the ex-pats here are not normally like the friends we would choose in our home country.

Those that are like-minded probably, as you say, remain independent and find their own way through the day.

You can also have a mix of quiet peaceful and a little more excitement by throwing in some travel and other activities.  We live more than 50 km from town so I get to walk the dog at sunset everyday with great views and I have some amazing country roads all to myself for cycling.

Road trips around Thailand, a drive over the mountains to Chiang Mai or a quick flight to Bangkok is all that is needed to break routines and pick up the pace a bit.  Things also change over time as the novelty wears off and things stop feeling so strange.

Here is one of my roads.

Lovely photo.

My plan is to get my apartment fully furnished and finished then my base is done. I shall then travel as you say - there is much more to Thailand than Sukhumvit!!

Also, time to dust off the golf clubs.

My world basically stopped at the end of Ploenchit for many years but recently we had to venture a ways down Sukhumvit and I hardly recognized anything as it had been so many years since I had been down that way.  Felt like another world.

Village farang, Thank You for your feedback.

Tinabella,
You need to know Thai history. Thailand is an agricultural country and the only country in south East Asia not being colonize by any western countries.

Thailand welcomes every nationality and everyone comes, the good and the bad. Unfortunately there are some Africans who came here to cheat and lots of scammers too. Thus the Thais dislike and avoid them.

As for Indians, they are well known for doing business since the early days. Many are doing business and successful too.

When doing business, it's natural for business people to have more profit, which means sell at a higher price. Then buyers want a cheaper price as usual. It's how to strike in the middle.

Thais feel the Indians are cheating with high price. They dislike their body odour and smell of their food like curry etc

Thais don't know and understand Indians tradition and culture. Now Indian food have their spices which is natural. It so happen that the spices have strong smell. I can live with it and enjoy every Indian food dish.

Thais education is way backwards and very weak in International history and geography. They learned their own country history and geography only. They hardly know their neighbouring countries.

When you speak to Thais about Malay people, immediately they think Malays are from Malaysia. They don't know there's an ethnic group, known as Malays which can be Singaporean or Bruneian or Indonesian.

Don't bother too much about how Thais feel about Africans and Indians. Just do your best and show there are good Africans and Indians around.

Ruffian Dick, usually Chinese are white or light coloured skin but not necessary. I'm 100% Chinese, speak few Chinese languages, knows Chinese proverbs etc but I got tan skin. Guess my mum dye me when I was a baby hahaha

Anyway, there are many Thai Chinese who lost their roots and they called themselves Thais. Sad they don't know the difference of roots and nationality.

The Thai Chinese today can't speak any Chinese language or know any Chinese food or culture or proverbs or tradition etc

Most of the noodles in Thailand except Phad Thai is Chinese food. Most of the soup are Chinese except Tom yum Kung.

Most of the cooked vegetables are Chinese as Thai vegetables are raw with dipping sauce.

Thais follow the Chinese words for some of the food names too as there's no words in Thai.

Chinese from China comes to Thailand from the north and most of them settle down in Chiangmai more than Chiang Rai.

Sujoge, we are not talking about expats views over Africans and Indians but how Thais view them.

It takes all kind of people to make this world. There are racist everywhere even in America where the whites dislike the blacks and Latinos. They have their own community.

One man's meat is another man's poison. Some like city life, while some like the Greenery life with birds, trees etc

Whether you are in Chiangmai or Chiangmai or other Thai cities, it's you that need to believe and convince you like the place.

As for me, I prefer near to Bangkok as I live on the outskirts of Bangkok. I know and understand Bangkok lifestyle and traffic.
If I need to go into Bangkok, I leave home at 0900 hours as lesser traffic as most are at work and in school. I leave Bangkok at 1500 hours to avoid the traffic and stay home at night.

I do my shopping on weekdays as less crowd. I go for my holidays during off peak season as I get the best deal.

On Sundays, most Thai sleep late and traffic is good as I can get to church early. Attend church service, fellowship and lunch, then back home by 1600 hours latest.

I'm getting the best of both world, being in nature and get things I need from a capital city which other Thai cities don't have.

My foreign guests visit here as it's Bangkok, capital city and I get my stuff from overseas being hand carried by my guests.

Besides if emergency on medical, I know I'm in safe hands as there's hospitals with good English speaking staff.

#summersolstice This was from today here in Chiang Rai and pretty much represents the beginning of the sun's long march south. As I watch the sun set in a slightly different place everyday I try to imagine what it was like for ancient people with less understanding of what was going on. It is also just very pretty to look at.