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Chiang Mai? You clearly haven't been there! It's nice for a holiday but not for living.

by coppolaemilio 12y ago

pieterhg 12y ago
It's not for everyone, but there's hundreds of digital nomads living there now I think, and I've lived there myself
- AVTizzle 12y ago
  Agreed. I'm in Ho Chi Minh City now, plugged into an expansive network of location independent entrepreneurs. Chiang Mai is absolutely one of the most popular destinations for entrepreneurs in our community.
ntaso 12y ago
Why? (I've been there only for holiday so far, seemed nice)
cageface 12y ago
Thailand has been clamping down on tourist visa abuse recently and getting any kind of proper work permit there is not easy at all. I guess a lot of people just fly under the radar there but it's risky and getting to be increasingly difficult.
noeltock 12y ago
Not everybody is looking for an island in the middle of paradise. Chiang Mai is incredibly colourful in its own ways.
carbeewo 12y ago
I'm in Chiang Mai right now. Granted it's not a huge city, but it's got basically everything you need to work as a nomad; Cheap rent, internet, malls, coworking, gyms, cafes, bars, tourist sites, etc.
heyalexej 12y ago
Chiang Mai can be one of the best locations to bootstrap a biz by many many factors. There are hundreds of entrepreneurs in varying stages at any given time. I've met ex-Googlers, ex-Applers, developers, consultants, writers, artists etc. etc.. It's a cheap and convenient place to live and focus. Depending on your budget, you can have whatever you please as far as standards go. A quick search on Google will show you that even mass media picked up on CM as a location for digital nomads.
- yodsanklai 12y ago
  I spent some time in Thailand, including Chiang Mai, and it didn't strike me as a haven for driven individuals. Most expats I met there were more interested in prostitutes and beers than starting businesses or work. There are also huge inequalities between the people living there. Overall, I found Chiang Mai more depressing than stimulating. But maybe things are different when you really settle down.
  - nikster 12y ago
    You must have been to the wrong places, dude. The "sexpat" scene here is very small really - you'd have to go to Pattaya or Phuket for that. And also these people don't exactly follow you around, you find them in certain areas - and you'll never meet them outside those areas.
- wnscooke 12y ago
  One additional plus for Chiang Mai is that you can reach the rest of SE Asia quite easily without having to live in a huge hub city like Bangkok. I have flown from CM into China, to Singapore, Hong Kong, BKK of course, and all over. Getting from the CM Airport to wherever you are staying is soooo easy compared to the long journey from Swampy (as some call BKK).
mhoad 12y ago
I have no idea what you are talking about. I've been living on the road for the past 18 months living in Sydney, Singapore, Nairobi, New York, Istanbul, Phuket and a few months in Chiang Mai. I can't think of a much better location for "Digital Nomad" (as much as I despise the term) than Chiang Mai, I would move back there in a heartbeat. Cheap amazing food, cheap and amazing accommodation, insanely friendly people, very strong and well connected expat / entrepreneur community. Genuinely I am confused why in your experience Chiang Mai is a horrible choice. I think it is currently at the top of that list for a pretty good reason.
MichaelTieso 12y ago
It's an incredibly popular place for startups and to work remotely. By far one of the most popular places I know. It's affordable, great international scene, decent internet, and large community. Still, I'm a bit tired of how many people I know move there to work remotely.
joonet 12y ago
I have been living in Chiang Mai for over 2 years now and I can definitely recommend this city for living. People who are interested to live and work here should check this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiUofaCeZT4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiUofaCeZT4
AlexNeoNomad 12y ago
I agree. After 2 months there I became awfully bored as almost no one spoke English as well as anywhere in Thailand (normal English, not just "yes", "no"). Yes, it's a nice city for living but if you're not alone. Don't forget about the troubles about the visas and visa-runs.
homakov 12y ago
True, but if your budget <$5k month, it's pretty sweet. If more, why live in 3rd world country when you can stay in much sweeter Hong Kong.
- makaveli8 12y ago
  lol 3rd world.

Chiang Mai? You clearly haven't been there! It's nice for a holiday but not for living.

pieterhg 12y ago

It's not for everyone, but there's hundreds of digital nomads living there now I think, and I've lived there myself

AVTizzle 12y ago
Agreed. I'm in Ho Chi Minh City now, plugged into an expansive network of location independent entrepreneurs. Chiang Mai is absolutely one of the most popular destinations for entrepreneurs in our community.

ntaso 12y ago

Why? (I've been there only for holiday so far, seemed nice)

cageface 12y ago

Thailand has been clamping down on tourist visa abuse recently and getting any kind of proper work permit there is not easy at all. I guess a lot of people just fly under the radar there but it's risky and getting to be increasingly difficult.

noeltock 12y ago

Not everybody is looking for an island in the middle of paradise. Chiang Mai is incredibly colourful in its own ways.

carbeewo 12y ago

I'm in Chiang Mai right now. Granted it's not a huge city, but it's got basically everything you need to work as a nomad; Cheap rent, internet, malls, coworking, gyms, cafes, bars, tourist sites, etc.

heyalexej 12y ago

Chiang Mai can be one of the best locations to bootstrap a biz by many many factors. There are hundreds of entrepreneurs in varying stages at any given time. I've met ex-Googlers, ex-Applers, developers, consultants, writers, artists etc. etc.. It's a cheap and convenient place to live and focus. Depending on your budget, you can have whatever you please as far as standards go. A quick search on Google will show you that even mass media picked up on CM as a location for digital nomads.

yodsanklai 12y ago
I spent some time in Thailand, including Chiang Mai, and it didn't strike me as a haven for driven individuals. Most expats I met there were more interested in prostitutes and beers than starting businesses or work. There are also huge inequalities between the people living there. Overall, I found Chiang Mai more depressing than stimulating. But maybe things are different when you really settle down.
- nikster 12y ago
  You must have been to the wrong places, dude. The "sexpat" scene here is very small really - you'd have to go to Pattaya or Phuket for that. And also these people don't exactly follow you around, you find them in certain areas - and you'll never meet them outside those areas.
wnscooke 12y ago
One additional plus for Chiang Mai is that you can reach the rest of SE Asia quite easily without having to live in a huge hub city like Bangkok. I have flown from CM into China, to Singapore, Hong Kong, BKK of course, and all over. Getting from the CM Airport to wherever you are staying is soooo easy compared to the long journey from Swampy (as some call BKK).

mhoad 12y ago

I have no idea what you are talking about. I've been living on the road for the past 18 months living in Sydney, Singapore, Nairobi, New York, Istanbul, Phuket and a few months in Chiang Mai. I can't think of a much better location for "Digital Nomad" (as much as I despise the term) than Chiang Mai, I would move back there in a heartbeat. Cheap amazing food, cheap and amazing accommodation, insanely friendly people, very strong and well connected expat / entrepreneur community. Genuinely I am confused why in your experience Chiang Mai is a horrible choice. I think it is currently at the top of that list for a pretty good reason.

MichaelTieso 12y ago

It's an incredibly popular place for startups and to work remotely. By far one of the most popular places I know. It's affordable, great international scene, decent internet, and large community. Still, I'm a bit tired of how many people I know move there to work remotely.

joonet 12y ago

I have been living in Chiang Mai for over 2 years now and I can definitely recommend this city for living. People who are interested to live and work here should check this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiUofaCeZT4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiUofaCeZT4

AlexNeoNomad 12y ago

I agree. After 2 months there I became awfully bored as almost no one spoke English as well as anywhere in Thailand (normal English, not just "yes", "no"). Yes, it's a nice city for living but if you're not alone. Don't forget about the troubles about the visas and visa-runs.

homakov 12y ago

True, but if your budget <$5k month, it's pretty sweet. If more, why live in 3rd world country when you can stay in much sweeter Hong Kong.

makaveli8 12y ago
lol 3rd world.