Living difficulties for a westerner in Chiang Mai

Posted by paul on November 26th, 2007 filed in Uncategorized

The majority of the holidaymakers, whether they are package deal tourists, backpackers or regular visitors leave Chiang Mai and northern Thailand with unforgettable memories, the vibrancy of Chiang Mai city, the stunning mountains and great trekking areas, and the highly enjoyable relaxed attitude that is completely different from the daily pressures of life that most western people experience.

Of course Chiang Mai and Thailand has other beloved attractions, that being the gentle, hospitable, pretty and readily available Thai women. However, this side of ‘the land of smiles’ is still frowned upon by most of the visitors, the country draws huge crowds of lonely men coming from all over the world year-round. The majority of these men would almost do anything to stay longer in Thailand as they experience the time they spend here as heaven on earth. Many of these visitors are not in the situation to depart from their respective nations and make the step, moving to Chiang Mai as family tights and their work simply do not make such a drastic change in life possible.

However, a certain percentage does have the guts to make the big decision and settle down here, whether as a business man, retiree, or being married to a Thai lady and applying for a one-year spouse visa. Another option was the monthly dreaded visa run to Laos or Cambodia. However, this procedure has been changed and visitors, who enter the country on a 30 day visa, now can stay for 90 days out of the visa’s total amount of 180 days. After spending consecutively the visa’s 3 x 30 day period, Thailand can not be entered for another three months.

The solution for this problem is to obtain a 60 day tourist visa at the Thai embassy or consulate in your home country. After spending the 60 days you should apply at the immigration office in Chiang Mai for a 30 day visa extension. When the 90 days have passed you have the option to start the monthly visa runs, in total allowing you 180 legal days before repeating the entire procedure again. This may be an ideal option if you are not in the required position for getting a business or retirement visa.

Another popular option for a single man to stay for a long period in Chiang Mai is to work as a teacher here. Getting a job at one of the many schools here isn’t that hard. Once you get your official teaching certificate it is pretty easy to find a job. However, it might not be a good option for those who appreciate luxury as usually the salary is not very high.  

If you wish to stay in Chiang Mai as a retiree, then you might find it rather expensive. The national authorities have recently declared that those who wish to get a retirement visa should have at least an amount of 800,000 TB on a Thai bank for a minimum of three months before the application. This new immigration law will possibly put a lot of retirees in financial problems, having a significant amount of their retirement fund effectively unusable.

It seems at the present time the Thai government is deterring foreigners from investing in Thailand’s substantial “ex-pat” community, which injects a huge amount of revenue into the economy each year. In due course these rules will have a big impact on many businesses and the regular Thai, (who is already fairly poor to start with).

Today, the realities for average people of living full-time in Chiang Mai are very complicated. For the rich who not need a job for make a living in Chiang Mai it still remains one of the greatest propositions on the globe. A ‘common Joe’ who’s wish always has been to live in Chiang Mai and truly enjoy a laid-back life will now find it next to impossible.

Unless the Thai authorities tone down the harsh immigration laws in the near future, the ‘regular Joe’ who has given an essential flow of money to a significant percentage of the Chiang Mai locals will be packing his or her suitcase and head to one of the neighbouring nations who will be welcoming these travellers and their cash with open arms!