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Why I moved back to Chiang Mai

Almost three months ago I moved to Pattaya and I wrote about my reasons for the move in the post Why i'm moving to Pattaya. There was a mixed reaction from you guys some were for the move citing that Chiang Mai was too boring and the negatives where from guys who just think Pattaya is a shit hole that is only worth visiting for a week at most. But now I've moved back to Chiang Mai so all the naysayers can now say "I told you so".

In all honesty Pattaya was super fun every night was a party the clubs are really fun the go go bars better there is a vibe in Pattaya unlike anywhere else. Sure it's expensive a super fun night out might cost 6000 baht+ but you get your moneys worth. Living in Pattaya without going out to the clubs go go bars and beer bars though it's just like living anywhere else, actually it can be better because there are so many great places to eat the plates are big and it's really good value.

So my initial plan for Pattaya was first to have a good time, secondly was to map it out as I'd done Chiang Mai but I realized that it's all pretty much the same I went to every single go go in and around walking street Metro all the sois up and down beach road even had more than a few rounds in Soi Six had a few girls from the Thai frequented soi 8 Theprahsit even ventured around the dark side to more than a few Thai karaoke's and bars around all the bars in Jomtien and the G clubs and bars on the hill. In fact in 2 months I pretty much had seen everything. Pattaya is a small place indeed.

moving to chiang mai

Sure there are 100's of go-go's and beer bars and thousands of girls but really it's all the same and there is nothing challenging about it. Want a challenge try to score a girl from Chiang Mai university one that doesn't work in the Karaoke's that is. Now there is a challenge. So I'm in Pattaya and day in day out is the same and the girls omg don't get me started. 90% of the girls in Pattaya are from the isaan region have dark skin uneducated and are boring and I mean really boring. If your not drunk in the club or having sex with them there is nothing there. Some guys like that look but really doesn't do much for me and I'd typically take two at a time just to make it more fun.

Now I'm the kinda guy who enjoys a chase which is why I like Chiang Mai so much because it's not about the money to the girls there it's not so fake and I actually have fun meeting new girls and seeing what I can get away with. In Pattaya the most fun I had was when I got revenge on a thai girl scammer which was more thrilling than anything.

I'm still working on my guide to Pattaya but since I have mates on the ground there now and with the use of the internet I can still continue the guides without being down there. I'm not saying I'm never going back to Pattaya I will continue to go but as for living there for now it's not right. A good friend of mine said to me that I need to give it a few goes before it sticks, so maybe I'll end up back in Pattaya or maybe I need a few more stabs at it but right now I'm going to call Chiang Mai home.

So i've been back in Chiang Mai about a week now and met up with my old friends both Thai and farang and somehow it just feels right this is home.


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About Chris

Chris founded LivingThai.org in 2011 and has received over 3 million visitors. He has lived here for over 10 years and speaks reads and writes very good Thai.

26 Responses to Why I moved back to Chiang Mai

  1. คลิฟ June 3, 2012 at 10:46 pm #

    Congratulations Chris on getting back to your old stomping- grounds! Let me know if you ever want to give Bangkok a 3 month adventure. Has the “air-pollution” problem cleared-up up north?

    • Chris June 4, 2012 at 6:15 am #

      will do mate! yeah pollution all gone now. 🙂

  2. Serb June 4, 2012 at 12:31 am #

    Glad to see you back Chris! I’d rather have you write about CM instead of Pattaya 🙂

  3. Harris June 4, 2012 at 1:13 am #

    Forget Pattaya. You are seen as nothing but a n*gger here.
    .
    .
    .
    That’s right, a nagger (teehee).

    Either way, the desperation is not even veiled anymore with the fake smile and it’s only a matter of time until they begin assaulting us assuming you’re not ringing the bell or tipping. Time to go…

    The big plus is that it’s a compact city and each area is really easy to access. The dirty beach and the vermin that occupy it make it a place hardly worth a visit. Again, people are getting assaulted there.

    • Brian Sumpter June 4, 2012 at 10:21 am #

      If you like danger, here it is in Pattaya! Three Bangladeshis were recently drugged and robbed, one dead two in a coma at last word.

      And englishman was also drugged and robbed, lost about 50,000. He said he last remembered having drinks, so that’s how they do it.

      The drug busts seem constant, I’m glad there is a new police chief.

      I did see Soi 6 on a recenct visa run. 100 pairs lof legs in a row was impressive. Like chicken in a supermarket! lolol!

      • Brian Sumpter June 4, 2012 at 10:30 am #

        If I lived in Chaing Mai, I would plan my travel in smoky season. (Jan/Feb) I doubt it will change much soon, heck, they flooded BKK for the rice farmers!
        (stored too much so they didn’t run out of water)

  4. David June 4, 2012 at 3:50 am #

    Welcome home Chris. I have never lived any other place in Thailand although I’ve visited many including Pattaya. I have to agree that Chiang Mai has it all over Pattaya.
    I had a friend in the States that loved Perhaps so much that he had his license plate on his car personalized – ‘PATTAYA’.
    Maybe we can meet up sometime.
    Take care.

  5. ChiangMaiGuy June 4, 2012 at 8:02 am #

    WELCOME BACK!!! can’t say I’m surprised but I’m not saying ‘told you so’ but Pattaya is great for short periods but can’t compare with lovely Chiang Mai – beer sometime?

  6. cowleyboy June 4, 2012 at 11:04 am #

    I was one of the original anti Pattaya crowd so to say it does not surprise me is an understatement. Its OK for a sex holiday but no more. People who have bought and retired there are the ones that thought with their anatomy and not their brains LOL. There are so many more beautiful and relaxing places here to live. I love Samui and would not change it for anywhere else but hey, each to their own I say. I am visiting Chiang Mai from the 14-18 June, staying in the Old Town (Night Market) area. Which Bars are hot near me? I hope you enjoyed the experience of pattaya (NOT)

    • Chris June 4, 2012 at 4:11 pm #

      I wouldn’t bother with the bars, i’d probably just go to foxy lady get a girl 2600 including fine and go with that for the night if you want it easy if you want someone short time and cheaper check out the takeaway places listed on the chiang mai mongers map. bars in chiang mai are a waste of time in my mind unless you like isaan girls then walk into the boxing arena on loi kroh road first bar on your left.

      • David June 5, 2012 at 2:17 am #

        welcome home Chriss i have been in CM 4 years now, i have live on soi 1 loi kroh road. I like it here cause of the 2 local bars Best bar and togeather bar , they have great mix of Thai and farang it s like family on this soi . Now the promblem is they are going to build a new hotel and it will be a nitemare with noice and dirt . Can you do some storys on different area of cm whats its like in different area , break the city down into different areas thannks david

        • Chris June 5, 2012 at 5:54 am #

          Good Idea actually there is a big public works project going on in santitum cleaning it up, this is the fastest growing area and if I was going to live somewhere I’d live around there, cheap eats and thousands and thousands of single girls that live by themselves.

        • David June 7, 2012 at 1:42 pm #

          Where is santitum?

        • Chris June 8, 2012 at 7:18 am #

          Santitum is in the Chang Puak area on the map. On the nightlife map it’s where the burmese brothels are.

  7. simon June 4, 2012 at 11:05 am #

    Fair play mate…lifes all about experiences afterall…
    Its all about giving things a go!!
    All the best..

  8. John June 4, 2012 at 11:25 am #

    Hi Chris, Welcome back to Chiang Mai where I have been living many years after living in Phuket for 6 months and seeing that would not be my eventual home. I love Chiang Mai for all that it offers. I really enjoy the alternative life of the yogis and yoginis who live here and they like to party on also as an addition to staying healthy, immersing in conscious activities, and having authentic connection. I also enjoy Thai women and the ones I have been meeting are merely a reflection of myself in many ways.
    Let me know if you would like to meet as we have some different perspectives on how to have fun and be of service. I have great respect for you in how you selflessly offer so much information of how to live here in Thailand effectively as a Farang. Chok dii

    • Chris June 4, 2012 at 4:18 pm #

      thanks for the offer we’ll meet soon.

  9. Anton Glas June 4, 2012 at 3:16 pm #

    Oh dear, you`re going to be bored out your skull.

    I hope you have a good Internet connection, because that`s where you will be spending most of time, online.

    Other than the expensive non-event soapies, a few skanky bars in the Loi Kroh road, granny hand jobs in the massage parlours, and the odd lower than the pits brothel, than that`s it as far as women are concerned.

    The good part is; think of all the money you`re save?

    • Chris June 4, 2012 at 4:30 pm #

      I don’t think you know Chiang Mai as well as I do, soapies here are 1000 baht a pop arn’t that great but they are cheap, i know some awesome places where I can get takeaway girls for 1500, as far as women are concerned there are more good looking girls that live in my street than live in the whole of Pattaya. I’m not knocking Pattaya has it’s place is super fun but really I have family here, most of my friends are here, I know hundreds of good looking girls that will fuck me for free to the point that I don’t even visit crumby loi kroh bars and going out well I honestly have more fun at monkey with a bunch of my friends than i do hanging around a bunch of whores in iBar, I still like Pattaya but I can’t hire a big bike and go trailriding down the mountain, Pattaya I can’t find any decent chill places to take non working girls too that play Thai music, I can’t do a lot of stuff I can do in Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai has more things to do than Pattaya and even though patttaya sits next to the ocean I can’t even swim in it at least in Chiang Mai I can go to Mae Ngat dam and go for a swim have fun with me mates and take some good girls. I appreciate your reply I do but if you think Chiang Mai is boring come up here and spend a few days out with me.

      • ChiangMaiGuy June 5, 2012 at 1:12 am #

        didn’t some of us say all this?

  10. Adam June 6, 2012 at 9:46 pm #

    Good to hear that you’re home (in CM), dude…I’m now back in the States and already planning my next trip back to Thailand. I was just in Bali for a month and the women there are beautiful, although the Hinduism makes hooking up more difficult. They’re more conservative, but that’s what makes it more fun and more real when there’s some challenge.

    All the best…until the next time.

    • Chris June 7, 2012 at 7:01 am #

      I thought they were muslim in Bali? Meet many Aussies mate! When you get back here I’ll still be here so make sure you look me up!

  11. charlieboz2 June 8, 2012 at 1:34 pm #

    Interesting that after 3 months you thought to go back; you never felt like giving BKK a go? Too busy? I am leaving Phuket in September to move to BKK, I just find Phuket is too small and boring now after 5 years

    • Chris June 8, 2012 at 3:42 pm #

      Everyone needs a change now and then, I used to move around every few years but for some reason came back to Chiang Mai, I love it here though I guess if I gave Bangkok a stab i’d probably like that too, who knows in the future i’ll probably give Bangkok a go.

      • ChiangMaiGuy June 9, 2012 at 9:14 am #

        people either ‘get it’ about Chiang Mai or they don’t – it’s a wonderful place to live but I’d rather not go round telling everyone Chris or we will be mobbed – so stop saying it’s so great here!!! 😛

        • Jai Dee August 20, 2012 at 1:29 am #

          555
          It is true what you say ChiangMaiGuy,CM has an ambiance all its own,! as well as its own language ,and northern food….damn…. I’m craving a good bowl of Khao Soi right about now.
          “Lam Dtae Dtae”
          Cheers

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