Chiang Mai

Hi joe_zop (and everyone else)

Thanks for your advice. No, you are not to late. It's me who is really, really early to get some advice. I didn't know what kind of response I would get on this site so I thought I would ask around well before I go. I will not arrive in Bangkok until 30 of January. Sorry I didn't write that too. Anyway, your advice is as useful for me now as it would have been later. And thanks for the link with accomodations.

About "cheap hotels". I guess I just want good value for money (like everyone else). Let's say a simple, clean room with my own toilet and shower and AC for about 600b per night.

I will be on a bit of a tight schedule on my holiday. I arrive in Bangkok on 30 of January and I will leave for Hanoi from Bangkok on the 10 of February. And between that I will try to do some trekking in the Chiang Mai area. Perhaps that is why out asking around already. And since I have never been to Chiang Mai before, I want to avoid the biggest traps I can fall into. So are there any special hotel areas to avoid, or perhaps areas to choose, in the city? Is it perhaps a good idea to make a hotel reservation at some tourist information place already in Bangkok?

How is it going with your apartment hunting? Are you staying a long time?

I wish I could give you some advice back, but my experience from Thailand is limited to Bangkok and Karon Beach on Phuket.

Until next time (in about a week), swedtraveller

Glad it was still of use -- there's usually a fairly quick reply rate in the Thailand sections of this board, but you're approach is smart as it never hurts to do some advance research. I suggest you spend some time reading both the current areas and the archives, as both have some useful info, and then go from there.

You should have absolutely no problem finding what you want in that price range, particularly if you want to go the guesthouse route -- smaller, more casual, not as many amenities, a bit more funky (and often with more charm.)

Things to avoid, hmm, really this is a pretty laid-back area, and it's possible to find good deals either by looking in advance or by coming in and looking around. Not too much to worry about, really, just make sure you shop around a bit. Since you're on a tight schedule I'd probably opt for the former. It's probably just as good to use the net as a travel agent from Bangkok, as then you'll probably be dealing with a travel agent based in CM. As far as areas, as a new visitor I'd imagine you want to stay either on the east side of the city near the night market (which is truly an interesting and eminently repeatable experience -- tonight I had some absolutely marvelous Pad Thai from a steet vendor there for 20 baht) or on the east side of the old city, which is the other main area where the night action is. But either way it's only a couple of kilometers, and you can either take a tuk-tuk (much less crazy than BKK) or hoof it. I've been doing both, depending on mood.

And yes, I managed to track down an apartment for now. Only problem is I can only stay here for five weeks, and then have to find something else, as a long-term renter is coming in. But it's huge, and costs me 7000baht for the month plus a quarter that for the extra week, and a bit more for utilities and phone. So I'm essentially paying under 250baht a night, and you can't beat that, especially for a large place of my own with once-a-week maid service and a great view of both Doi Suthep and the river from my balcony, with the river really close, a Wat across the street, and the night market area within walking distance.

I'm in LOS until mid-January and while I'll be moving around a little bit, I'm making CM my base, so I do like it and suspect you will as well, especially if you're into trekking.

And don't worry about giving info back at this point -- just have a good time and share what you learn later! That's what makes this board tick, and I've certainly benefitted immensely from other folks by doing exactly what you are doing now.

Swedtraveller,

It seems you already bought your BKK-Hanoi ticket, but did you know there are direct buses from Vientiene (Laos) to Hanoi?

Trekking often turns out in a monkey viewing contest at the villages, trekkers getting high on God knows what and then you go back...
In CM there are as many travelagents as there are bars in Pattaya, you will have to trust your own judgement and/or VERY recent (as in: today!) reports in finding the right one.
In a town like Pai, 4hrs by bus from CM Arcade busstation, guides will take you into the forest for a day, just you and him, for B300 or so.
On the bus to Pai, no doubt, you will meet members of at least three or four different tribes.
For long treks, better go to (stay in?) Scandinavia. Safer and better fishing too!

On the guesthouses. What makes the buses from BKK to CM unsafe is not the driver, not the Thai people on the busstations, but your fellow white cheapo traveller who doesn't know shit! The same dude that will be in your guesthouse. Just don't go that route.
Joe_zop is absolutely right in saying that there are B600 A/C hotels plenty. All of them are safe. In fact, of the 100+ hotels I've been to in LOS, I thought that perhaps one or two were not safe and left for that reason.
Believe it or not: rooms in Thailand are always clean. If not, have it cleaned, or go to the place next door.
All over Thailand you can find clean, safe A/C rooms for B300+ or fan for B150+.

Whatever you do: Trevlig resa!

joe_zop,
Tell us more about your adventures......I'm most curious about the clubs you've been to etc.......chicks you've met etc...what you like and don't like about CM. Aren't those Tuk-tuk drivers on Loi-kroi Rd (by McDonalds in Night Market) annoying?! Ahhhh. Check out the gun club in ChiangMai too.....let me know if it's good or not......and of yeah before I forget (and you too haha), IF you get time before you leave Thailand, try and get a good look at those PT Apartments.....I'm REALLY quite curious about that as I'll be needing a place for 3 months anyways. Thanks joe...glad to hear the "clapper" has cleared up.

Chikan -- sorry to have been lax on this, and I'll try to put something together here now, with a promise of more a bit later.

I don't mind the tuk-tuk drivers all that much, honestly, except when it comes to some of the prices they try to get you to pay. I actually had one quote me three hundred baht to take me to the old city, and then insist that was a fair price! I told him I would pay five hundred if I could have the tuk-tuk for my own at the end of the ride, and we actually ended up where we ought to be, at thirty.

I'm not a gun guy, so I'll leave that one to you. I doubt I'll be spending too much time checking out discos, either, as I'm just too old for that scene, unfortunately. The couple of times I've poked my head in them in LOS I just feel out of place, even if I really do like and listen to the music. I'll see if I can get a look at the PT Place, as I'm going to have to find another place in a month, but you should, according to the friend who tried to get me in there, consider Lanna 3 as well -- some truly spectacular views of Doi Suthep.

I've wandered into and by the various beer bars in the night market, and on Loi Kroh near the city. It seems to me that there are far more women who are looking for one-nighters than when I was here before, though there are also the core group who want long-term only. I see very few women being bar-fined from the Night Market area, and had several offer strongly. I've avoided for a couple of reasons, not the least of which being that I don't feel like getting identified too strongly with any one bar here, given that it's kind of local turf for me.

I went back to one place I had a good time last trip -- the Bunny Club, past the Night Market on Loi Kroh heading to the river. They're somewhat pricey, but have some nice lookers, someof whom get pretty wild as the night goes on -- it's not a strip club, but at some point in the night some girl is usually either doing a striptease, being up on a table doing some extended flashing and grinding, or mauling someone in as public a way as possible, making sure she's being checked out. It's got space both inside, near the pool table, and outside in the open air. Short-time rooms upstairs where some of the women live, or you can bar fine and take elsewhere.

I came by and was astonished to see Nan, who I'd been with on my last trip. She's now twenty-three, and more gorgeous than before, with her hair cut shorter in a stylish way. Before she had absolutely zero English, now she speaks pretty fluently both from being at the bar and from taking computer courses. Man, did she look good to me, and I'd really enjoyed my time with her before. I didn't bar fine her the first couple of nights I saw her, though, because I was preoccupied with finding an apartment and getting everything together. I did, however, spend lots of time talking to her, and found her witty and engaging.

One night I brought some tarot cards to the bar and ended up telling the fortune of half of the TGs there -- I finally begged off from fatigue. When I finally did barfine Nan, she seemed very pleased. We'd discussed how long I was going to be in CM, and she seemed very interested in that. Well, we get back to my place, hop into bed, and she informs me that the only thing on the agenda tonight was sleeping. Seems she's actually mad at me, because she's convinced I butterflied her when I was with her before. No amount of me telling her (which happened to be the truth) that I saw her just before I left for Koh Samui will convince her otherwise. No, she say, no look, no touch, just sleep. Fine, I said, but not here -- you're gone, and we're done. She looked totally surprised, and only when I said, "You leave now" did she figure out that she'd messed up. But she still didn't offer to change her behavior, probably figuring that since I'd talked to her for three days I was hooked. As I sent her down the elevator I told her, "You blew it -- I'm not into games like this" and off she went with nothing but a shocked look.

I've gone by the bar several times since, and the various girls keep grabbing on to tell me, first, Nan not here (as I've made it clear I'm pissed at her) and then to either tell me how true their fortune was or to beg me to come back and do theirs. I wish I'd figured that one out years ago -- I may take those cards with me everywhere. So far I just keep going past with a few pleasantries -- it's the least congested way to the Night Market from my place. And if something doesn't work out with the TG I'm with at the moment, there are a couple at the club I'm interested in at least for a quick boink and a little bit of face revenge. But we'll see.

As far as the TG I'm seeing at the moment, she is from Spotlight, which is one of only three dance bars (now covered) in town and the one most farang end up at. I saw her when I first went in and was immediately attracted -- far taller than your usual Thai woman, moved amazingly and sensuously, and a great face. The mamasan (who's a real piece of work, btw, brought her over to sit with me, and after talking to her for several minutes I was very convinced she was at the top of my list. Smart as hell, confident and shy at the same time, and very obviously new to the scene. It was very late, and I was tired, so I didn't barfine her that night, but went back the next with that intention. Nope, she wasn't there. So mamasan tried to give me a substitute, an Issan girl who was close to the same body type but frankly about as vacuous as they come, something that I can find sexy at times, especially if they know what to do with their body, but this one was simply unbuttered toast.

So I went back the next night and grabbed her. Turns out she's always late (which makes the mamasan furious) because she goes to school from 5:30 to 8:30 six days a week. So I barfine her, take her to get something to eat (because I'm hungry) and in the middle of the meal she starts to get a really distressed look on her face. I ask her what's wrong, and she says nothing, so I wait and ask again, as she's almost in tears. Of course, what else -- her period has just started, and now she is completely in tears, afraid I'm furious with her digging into her purse to give me the money for the bar fine, etc. I tell her it's no big deal, it happens, and she's as mortified by my knowing what's going on as by the fact it happens. I ask her how long she'll need to stop working, she says three days, and I say, fine, let's get you a tuk-tuk, I'll see you in three days.

So back I come when the allotted time has passed and the moment she sees me she tears across the bar, in tears again, and gives me a huge apology and goes on and on about how much she liked talking and she was afraid I hated her, etc. Typical TG histrionics in a lot of ways, but utterly charming nonetheless. So I barfine her, she has to do one more time on stage (where she's the only girl wearing a bathing suit -- something she hates and says the mamasan insists she do) and then off we go. Well, it was well worth the wait, and I've basically been with her since except for the day she headed home to see her baby (she's twenty-three, flawless body and no sign of having a five-year-old) and parents. She's truly the typical shy TG -- even getting her to ride on top has been impossible thus far, so it's missionary or doggy-style at the moment, but she is a great bed partner nonetheless. Unless something negative happens I can very much see her being my regular tilac when I'm in CM, as I like her company very much. We've discussed her experience so far (precisely how bar fines she must get each month (which is an amazing twenty-five) and drinks she must sell (fifty-five) to get her 5000b salary. It appears that the mamasan is somewhat angry with her for keeping me out of the bar, as I would usually buy a lady drink or two while waiting for her to show up, but so it goes. When I come back to CM (I'm probably running to BKK later this week) I may well simply pay her fine for a week and see how things go.

Well, that's again far too much for now, and I hope folks don't mind the blow by blow. If you do, scroll on by...

That's a nice one about the Tarot cards. I'll have to remember this stuff the next time ago. Unfortunately, I'm heading out the door to Phuket soon & won't have time to figure it out by then!

moogman

I'll be in CM in early January. I was there once before but I didn't know about some of the places I'm now reading about on this board. Where is Bubbles? Where is Spotlite? I now know where the Bunny Club is, from reading this board, so I'll try that place. Also, I'm staying at the Empress and I believe I read someplace that is was "friendly". Does anyone know if that means guests are allowed, but there is a charge? Or, are guests allowed without charge?

Thanks for any/all help.

Pretty well all hotels in the north are "girl friendly" as opposed to those in the south. I don't know specifically about the Empress but I'd be really surprised if there was a problem. Easiest thing is still just to register as a double rather than a single; I've never had any trouble if I do that. Might mean you pay a few more baht up front (very often not) but it eliminates all issues.

Spotlite is on Chaiya Poom (or Chia Phum) Road south of Tha Phrae Gate, just outside the western moat of the old city. One of the main beer bar sections is just south of there, continuing on Loy Kroh Road toward the Night Market.

OK, thanks for the info. If anyone is around Chiang Mai the first week of January and want's to share a drink and stories--just e-mail me at Travelman777@yahoo.com.

Looking forward to returning to LOS.

Tman777,

I'm also thinking of booking a room at the Empress for a few nights in late December/January, can I ask how you went about booking it? Did you go through a third party website or direct to the hotel? And what was the price?

And I'll probably be up for a beer or two at some point as well...

Thanks in advance,

Tom.

I used asiatravel.com and paid 1600 baht for a deluxe single.
Stay in touch--I'll be there Jan 5, 6 and 7.

Tman777,

Sorry it's taken me so long to respond, I've had this really nasty flu thing that has been doing the rounds in the UK. Anyway, thanks for the info, I will most likely use Asiatravel.com unless you had a particularly bad experience with them, and I will send you an email at your yahoo address a bit nearer the time.

Thanks,

Tom.

JoeZop - I think I remember the mamasan at the Spotlite - Cute, petite Chinese Thai with glasses. I liked her too, but I was a newbie and didn't approach.

I thought the Spotlite girls were a little uptight. All in all, I had trouble getting satisfying Sanuk in CM. BKK and down south were better for me.

There was a karaoke joint near the CM Plaza Hotel where the mamasan brought the girls Ecstasy and they were slinking around like Vestals of Shakti just DYING TO GET FUCKED. I had a couple good but expensive afternoons in there.

Thanks for the info, MondaysChilde -- I'm on my way to Pitsanulok right now for one night and then will be back in Chiang Mai. Just curious -- what did you pay at the karakoke joint? I know they're pricy (they cater mostly to the Japanese) but some of the women hanging there are simply outstanding. Also, there are three different ones near that hotel, all around each other -- do you know which one you went into?

And I agree that the women in CM seem to be a bit more work, but I've decidedly had some good times as well. I'll post a bit more about it all once I'm back to my laptop and dial-up as opposed to internet cafes.

JoeZop - As I recall...as you face the front of the CM Plaza, it's to your left, on the other side of the street that borders the parking lot & turnaround for the hotel.

You will know it because IT LOOKS LIKE AN INTERNET CAFE WHEN YOU WALK IN. The mamasan is a good-looking lady in her 40's who must have been smokin' in her day.

As I recall, a staircase runs up the right side as you walk in. the entry room is like a big room with computer terminals. There were rats in the walls and you could hear them scuttling. I spent about $200 U.S. fucking a girl all afternoon and drinking. That's a lot in TL but who gives a fuck sometimes!