Chiangmai, past and present
Chiang Mai
When I first arrived in Chiangmai more than 30 years ago, there was a clear difference with the already bustling Bangkok.
After I stayed in the Banglampoo area and visited the New World department store and also the Zen, I ended up in Chiangmai with a completely different culture and philosophy.
Stores
There was only Tantraphan Store, the family that still owns the Rimping supermarket and Seasun Plaza, the old building of which still stands on Chang Klan Rd.
Then the giants also began to discover the north. Makro on the super highway and Tesco located in Hang-Dong were the first trendsetters.
Later on, Carrefour and Auchan, which had blown over from Bangkok, experienced a takeover some time later and was absorbed into Big C. At the time, there was not much to notice about 7-Eleven and the Night Bazaar was even larger in size than it is today with many stalls on the place where now the Le Meredien hotels state.
Hotels
The hotels were mainly located in the Night Bazaar area and the Huay Kaew Rd near Chiangmai University. Suriwongse and Chiang Inn and especially Orchid and Rincome were the big players. There were no luxury hotels such as Shangri-la, Dhara Devi and other giants at that time.
Locals
The locals did their shopping in Chinatown (Warorot market), which has remained the same with an escalator that was also not working at the time.
Doi Suthep was and still is a "pilgrimage site" and the Wat Phra Sing can be placed in the same category. The Zoo was under construction and there were no Pandas and Aquarium at that time. Tiger Kingdom didn't exist yet. And I can cite many other examples. The question is has it gotten better?
Maybe it's real Thailand gradually disappearing and this is just a time evolution.
Submitted by Pete
@ Chris, my good Belgian friend, despite the changes you describe very well, I think Chiang Mai still exudes the most authentic Thai atmosphere.
Of all the Thai cities I have visited, I found the atmosphere in Chiang Mai to be the most relaxed.
When I'm back in Thailand, we, you and Thanaporn will definitely visit again.
Dear Peter,
always welcome in CNX and indeed the atmosphere remains the most relaxed here.
And that things change is the most normal course of events, but the purpose of this article is to indicate how it has changed enormously and then everyone can decide for themselves whether it has moved in the positive or negative direction.
Just think of the song: “The village” by Wim Sonneveld.
Do you want Thailand to stay as it used to be? Then you have to take a ticket back home, because let's be honest, everything changes mainly because of the tourist. Of course it is getting busier, there are more hotels and the Thai is changing. But the real Thai atmosphere remains and only for those who have been in Thailand for a long time it is different than when they came there for the first time. For everyone who now visits Thailand, Thailand is again that exotic place where it is good to spend a wonderful holiday.
The tourist is not the cause, but the television where they show everything about "the outside world" and therefore the mentality also changes into a form of greed!
The beauty of living or visiting Chiang Mai is the opportunity to visit the beautiful surroundings. An untouched nature with mountains, forests and waterfalls. If you are in Chiang Mai go on a few treks. There is so much beauty to see.
Nice this post
I myself lived in Chiang Mai for a few years before 1980. I then lived in a big very old teak house In the Wualaird and later on soi 5. The beautiful teak house is gone (I still have films). There was also no took took in Chiang Mai yet. etc. etc. Even with those big universities, it was very village-like.
When I come to Thailand now, I will still be in Chaing Mai for at least two weeks.
I believe that Chiang Mai is much nicer now than it was back then. It has much more gravy and especially music and art is Chiang is much more interesting. Dealing with the Thai has also become much easier. At that time people were quite distant. It was a bit scary having such a farang, even at the Universities.
cheers
Dingo
Well, since my youth, for example, the Netherlands has also changed in terms of appearance - and not only in terms of appearance - in many places from village to increasingly. (I won't give examples so as not to get out of topic). What remains is the difference: 'east' is still so much 'east' and 'west' is still so much 'west' that -they may have met each other in the meantime - the differences between 'east' and 'west' are still unmistakable are. At the same time there are the same companies like junkfoot and there are the same hotel chains all over the world. But there are not yet the same new housing estates everywhere in Thailand as in the Netherlands (and I - and not only I - am not waiting for that either). For many tourists and expats, the differences between the Netherlands and Thailand in particular are such that they may still not be able to leave the Netherlands, but once they have discovered Thailand, they cannot travel outside Thailand either. Let's hope it stays that way: a ship that likes to drop anchor in more than one place is well off.
Time is unstoppable and also in Thailand they have cell phones and they don't use smoke signals anymore (if they ever used them). Well, there is also progress in Thailand. What is the real Thailand for us, is Thailand for the tourists. Fortunately, there is progress and the economy is also doing much better in the provinces. A pity for the tourists but yes the tourists of today will probably say the same thing in 30 years.
And the time when the whole of the Netherlands looked like Volendam is also a while ago.
I have been living in Thailand for 15 years with pleasure but in a daily annoyance of the increasing traffic. Those who sing about Chiangmai will probably have their eye on the Chiangmai within the moat, I suspect.
But as far as the mentality of the people is concerned, that canal has nothing to do with it and that mentality remains old-fashioned Thai-friendly and relaxed.
And the Chinese and Koreans have taken over the dominant influence in tourism from the farangs.
correction: 'in Thailand' should be 'in Chiangmai'.
For me, Chiang Mai is the old city within the canals. i was there the first time in 1991 and the old town has become even more attractive, the new part has nothing attractive for me. If you compare the old night market with the current one, it's just a letdown.
visited Chiang Mai last month after at least 25 years and that really disappointed me!!!
used to be a bustling city with overcrowded terraces full of backpackers, who, although they didn't spend a lot of money, still created atmosphere until late in the evening... unfortunately that is no longer there! In the evening a dead mess and instead of the many cheap eateries, these have now all become expensive establishments.
also the many trekking/booking agencies have almost all disappeared because, in my opinion, the fat is gone and the hill tribes used to earn so much money that they now all drive heavy pickups and there will be nothing picturesque to see in their villages … good for them but the atmosphere of the former Chiang Mai is nothing compared to…
that's called progress!