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8 Things We Will Miss About Living in Chiang Mai | The Trading Travelers
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8 Things We Will Miss About Living in Chiang Mai

For two people that sold everything in America nearly two years ago, we’ve certainly accumulated a lot of “stuff” here in Chiang Mai. We thought we’d spend our last weeks in Chiang Mai soaking up everything we love about our “second home” in the Land of Smiles, but instead we are running around like mad people trying to clean out the apartment and go through the process of selling our stuff…again. It’s definitely not as much as the first go round, but it does take time. And since we really want to give the laptops a rest while we are home, we are trying to get as much work done and posts scheduled for our sites so we can just enjoy our one month that we have at home with our families.

However, as our Chiang Mai chapter comes to a close, we are becoming more and more aware of the things we sometimes take for granted here. These are just a few of the many things we have grown to love about our home away from home and we know we will long for them after we are gone.

1. Khao Soi

khao soi chiang mai

The food…of course we will miss THE FOOD and not only because we can eat for $1 each. When I first came to Thailand, I was so skeptical about trying new dishes (being the picky eater that I am) but I have grown to love so many Thai dishes that I know I will be craving weeks from now. However, our favorite dish of all and the one that we will certainly miss the most is a savory bowl of khao soi (yellow curry noodle soup), a Chiang Mai specialty.

2. Co-Working Community

digital nomads chiang mai thailand

I think the cafe culture in Chiang Mai is one of the biggest draws for expats and digital nomads. We spend a large majority of our day in any given coffee shop in the Nimman area or our favorite, Coffee Monster, just down the road from our apartment sucking down lattes and pounding away at our keyboards. This has opened up the doors to so many opportunities for us, allowing us to network with other like-minded individuals working hard to create a location independent lifestyle. Not only has it contributed to the success of our online business, but its allowed us to make lifelong friends with individuals that have the same outlook and goals in life. It really is the ideal environment for any start-up online business.

3. Festivals


The Thai’s sure love their holidays as it seems every week is some sort of holiday, and let me assure you, they know how to celebrate! Some of our fondest memories in Thailand were taking part in their famous (and somewhat touristic) festivals, such as the Ying Peng Lantern Festival and Songkran, as well as the more traditional local celebrations, like the Naga Fireball Festival.

4. Honda Forza Adventures

honda forza

Although we’ve already said goodbye to our beloved Honda Forza, we will always have the fondest memories of her. She took us across Thailand multiple times from Khon Kaen to Chiang Mai, off-road in the northern parts of Thailand and even into Laos. We have so many memories from our adventures on the Forza that we will always remember whenever we think of Thailand.

5. $5 Massages

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I don’t take advantage of these massages nearly enough. Mark my words…in just a short time I’m going to be in the US or traveling Europe and kicking myself saying “why didn’t I get more massages in Thailand when they were just $5?!?” When my friend Hannah was in Chiang Mai, she forced me to take advantage of them more and I was grateful. Since she left for Africa, I haven’t had a single one. But I’m vowing to go for at least 2 hours before I leave. Seriously, where else in the world can you get a massage for five dollars?!

6. Mountains

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Growing up in Florida right next to the Gulf of Mexico and some of the world’s best beaches at my finger tips, I dreamed of living in a mountain town. We all want what we can’t have, right? Moving to Chiang Mai, I got my wish. We moved into Mountain View Condos and had the most spectacular views of the mountains right from our balcony (when it wasn’t smoky season). I’m completely in love with the mountains surrounding Chiang Mai and I know that’s one of the biggest things I will miss about this city.

7. Freedom

aonang krabi thailand travel guide and budget tips

I think it goes without saying that one of the biggest things we will miss about living in Chiang Mai is the cost of living. That was one of the big draws for us in the first place. It allowed us to take a risk, break away from the corporate life, and build our online business while traveling. It allowed us to live a pretty good lifestyle on a fraction of the cost it would back home. In the US, we were always on a budget watching every penny we spent. In Thailand, we (almost) never have to say no. We can spend more freely and live a better quality of life. When we head back to the US this summer and then onto Europe, we know that it will be back to life on a budget!

8. The People

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What can I say? We will forever be grateful for the kindness and hospitality we have received in this country. It’s overwhelming to think about and emotional to even write about. We will always have a special place in our heart for the Thai people that have shared their home with us. Your acts of kindness have never gone unnoticed. Thank you for bearing with us through our jumbled Thai words and phrases. We have learned so much from you in our time here and we will carry it with us forever.

Although this chapter in Chiang Mai is coming to an end, we know its only a matter of time before we come back. It’s like a magnet that just pulls you back in. We don’t know when, but we will see you again Chiang Mai.

 

About the Author Charlie and Brittany

We are Brittany and Charlie - we traded the 9 to 5 and the so-called "American dream" to live our own dream and see the world. We sold all of our belongings and left the US in August 2013. For 5 years, we lived primarily in Thailand and built our online business and location independent lifestyle while we traveled to over 30 countries. We’ve had house sitting gigs on 3 different continents and we’ve even appeared on HGTV’s House Hunters International.

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12 comments
Jeff says June 16, 2015

Hi guys,

I recently moved to Chiang Mai (similar to use, but two years behind). I’m getting a good feel for the area, but haven’t checked out the co-working atmosphere. I work from a laptop and have been doing this from my room. Is it acceptable to sit in a cafe and punch away on a keyboard for an hour+, or is it allowed by not approved of? That’s the case in Australia.

Cheers,

Jeff.
http://www.jeffinasia.com

Reply
One Modern Couple says July 19, 2015

oh man! we miss Chiang Mai too! such a beautiful place!

Reply
Reni says February 5, 2016

Ahhh… love the Khao Soi and the amazing cafes too. We never lived in Chiang Mai but been there several times for a few weeks. Such a great place to be. We were lucky enough to experience Yi Pen Mass Latern Releas at the Mae Jo Uni. Unforgettabel experience.

Happy travelling,
Reni

Reply
What are the best places in Asia to be a Laptop Entrepreneur? - Based Bachelor says May 9, 2016

[…] Recommendation: Chiang Mai in Thailand In more than a few travel blogs on the location have touted the inexpensiveness of this location. Among some of the other notable […]

Reply
What are the best places in Asia to be a Laptop Entrepreneur? - Based Bachelor says May 10, 2016

[…] Recommendation: Chiang Mai in Thailand More than a few travel blogs on this location have touted how inexpensiveness it is. Among some of the other notable qualities […]

Reply
Shi says September 28, 2016

Hi,
I am reading for hours though your blog posts. 😉
In December I will fly to Chiang Mai and I will stay for 3 months in Thailand. Still not sure, but probably a month in Chiang Mai, a month somewhere near the sea and the third I still do not know yet. I am so exited about it!
Thanks for sharing your experiences with the world.
MfG
Shi

Reply
    Charlie and Brittany says October 5, 2016

    That’s awesome – great choice! Thailand is one of those places you will forever be hooked and always compare everything else to in the future 😉 Just a warning!! Enjoy!!

    Reply
Maaike - Travellous World says October 19, 2016

There is so much to miss! I have never been myself, but reading this post makes me want to hop on the very next plane

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Frank says January 9, 2018

You ever thought about writing an in depth guide to Chiang Mai with recommendations to your favorite spots around town?

One of the things we really look forward to is the food – we previously spent 4 months in Nong Khai (which we enjoyed) and Thai food is something I always miss….Also love drinking beer, eating criquets, while simultaneously watching Tai Box. Good times! 🙂

Frank (bbqboy)

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    Charlie and Brittany says January 10, 2018

    I might have to make that one of my blogging goals of 2018 – I think I have always been deterred because there are sooooo many guides and top 10 lists for CM that I didn’t think the web could handle another one! We have spent a lot longer there than most though so maybe I will eventually 😉 If you have any questions though, feel free to shoot us any email anytime. Enjoy and eat some khao soi for us please!

    Reply
Esther says February 28, 2018

Where did you find a 5 dollar massage. I just left and never saw anything close to that price. Fill me in.

Reply
    Charlie and Brittany says March 4, 2018

    Well they were definitely much more prevalent a few years ago! Now they are much more difficult to find, but usually the smaller hole-in-the-wall type places are the best kept secrets 😉

    Reply
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