# Chiang Mai still a great place to retire ?



## Edgenaples

My wife and I are in the early stages of retirement planning (my occupation too). We believe we will be ready in 11.5 years....yes, a long time away still, unfortunately. We ae 45 and 50 years of age. We realize that things will change over the next 11 years, but at least for now, we think we are leaning towards Chiang Mai, with Cuenca, Ecuador in second place. 
I am from the US....my wife of 15 years, is originally from Nicaragua. We met when we both lived in Costa Rica, in the 90s.
We want a retirement place where our dollars stretch farther. We seek a place that is safe, has high speed TV and internet, and a big enough city where there are things to do.
Cuenca appeals to us because we both speak spanish, and prefer cool weather. We've been to Thailand a couple times, but only to Bangkok and Pattaya. We wish we had known more about Chiang Mai, and would have visited.
There are a lot of older posts. We were wondring about Chiang Mai...is it cooler than BKK and Pattaya ? The heat in both place was pretty brutal, but it looks like CM is about 10 degreef F cooler ? Can one get high speed internet and tv, like cable here in the US ? How about the cost to rent a decent apartment, like a 1 bedroom in a nice thai neighborhood ? We'd like to meet other expats, but do not want to surround ourselves with them. We'd like to live in a Thai neighborhood to learn the Thai culture more easily. Would you know of good websites to look at that show rentals available ?
Thank you in advance for any info....greatly appreciated !


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## cnx_bruce

hi there. yes chiang mai is still a great place to retire for (some) people. Clearly you need to get yourself here asap to see what you think. The weather is still quite hot for most of the year - although yes it is sometimes a little cooler that BKK. It's too hot for many, though some manage to get by skipping from air con home to aircon mall.

The internet speed varies significantly from one week to the next, one suburb to the next, and one provider to the next. If consistency and clarity and certainty are high on the list then maybe Thailand won't push your buttons. Keep reading as many Thai-related discussion threads in as many expat forums as you can, and you will gradually see what I mean. If your focus is really on Chiang Mai then google on 'chiang mai expat forum' or similar to get more local level detail.


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## Edgenaples

May ask couple of follow up questions, please ? One reason we are leaning towards Chiang Mai, is the crime rate seems low compared to a lot of Central and South American retirement destinations, like Cuenca. On Cuenca blogs, I keep reading about murders, rapes, robberies....violent stuff. I really don't see much talk about this type of thing happening in Chiang Mai. What have been your experiences ?
Also, and I am sure this is covered in other posts, but how much would it be to have a maid come in once a week for a couple hours ? How do you find someone trustworthy that you feel comfortable letting into your home ? Thanks very much !


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## cnx_bruce

1. personally we have not been the victim of any crimes. the main risks to you will be semi-wild street dogs and motor vehicle accidents (for e.g. there is still a lot of drunk driving here)

Like anywhere your exposure to crime depends in part on your lifestyle and habits. like anywhere if you get around looking like you have stacks of cash and valuables then you also increase the risk. like anywhere if you get to know your neighbours and have good relations then your level of risk goes down.

that said there is a lot of violence and crime in thailand though i suspect much not reported so you must be careful. 

2. Re: maids. word of mouth only and be vigilant. follow local expat forums and newspapers to see people who are leaving thailand and trying to get their trusted maid a new job, then call and talk to them.


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## Edgenaples

*Thank you again !*

I greatly appreciate the information. 
We've spent a lot of time in Miami, so we know about violent crime. Like most big cities, it is usually a couple bad areas to stay away from. We hear that most expats in Chiang Mai, tend to live in the northwest area...is that correct ? Are there bad areas to stay away from ?
I hate to ask this, because of the replies I am afraid this may generate, but I was curious about Thai gun laws. I know some love guns and some hate them. The fact is, here in the U.S., the small cities in the south that have high percentages of conceal carry permits, who are law abiding citizens carrying guns, have very very very low rates of violent crime. The cities with strong gun control laws, like DC, Philly, Chicago...are a war zone with people being shot to death daily, because only the bad guys have guns. BUT, that is the U.S. and I know things work differently in different countries and I fully intend to respect Thai law. I was just curious what laws were concernng firearms ?
Thanks again for the info !
Scott


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## cnx_bruce

hi. i think the expats are reasonably dispersed. Take a look at where the international schools are, and also the supermarkets that cater for western products ... that may give you some indication of clustering/s. As anywhere the worst areas are where the bars are (for e.g. thapae rd, loi kroh rd) very late at night. Many expats live in gated communities (moo baan) though many others don't (like us) and we happily live to tell the tale 

To the best of my knowledge foreigners are unable to secure permits to buy or hold firearms. I have seen a number of recent discussions threads on this topic in other online expat forums (try google to locate these).


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## joseph44

Uhm Edgenapels, you're planning to retire in 11.5 years and you're asking questions about internet-speed, crime-rates, housekeeping-wages and housing. 
Those items can change overnight especially in a "politically stable" country as Thailand. 
If things continue to develop as they are doing at the moment, Cambodia will be a far better alternative.


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## stednick

Edgenaples:

As per joseph44's post, the technological advances that will occur in the next decade will make the Internet, as we know it today, obsolete and archaic. 

The political and socioeconomic climate in all of Southeast Asia will be different. To what extent only a fortune teller can predict. 

Keep you eyes and ears open, have a solid repatriation backup plan should you need to flee a dangerous situation. Register with your Embassy, pray for the best and plan for the worst. 

Review the thread "Expatriation" last post 15AUG12 by rewolf. Page 11.

Don't overlook or dismiss other Southeast Asia locations based on the situation there today. 

Plan, plan and plan some more.


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## Edgenaples

*Thanks very much !*

Thanks very much....great advice....and greatly appreciated.


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