I am told Chaing Mai is a good detour for cheaper gals and a truer GFE. Comments? Where is it? Is it a better deal than Pattaya?

Chaing Mai is great!Lots of lighter skinned gals..but be aware that the hiv rate is much higher than anywhere else in Thailand.Lots of bbs going on with refugees and military...Nice city too!I prefer Phuket..Enjoy and be safe..

What Swadi says is true. Truer GFE? I'm not sure what to say about that? I've spent a fair amount of time there and I prefer Bangkok or the southern islands more.

The women of Chaing Mai do have the reputation of being beautiful and demure. The closer you get to China the whiter the skin.

The further south, the rougher the personnas seem to be and you are getting more into that pure Thai/Polonesian type look.

It is the second largest city in Thailand due north of Bangkok. I've always flown in about one hour from BK.

You can also get shuttles at the various travel agencies. They are all pretty standard pricing and the best way to travel when you are there.
You can see a good bit of the country side.

I forget how long the ride was as I did it several years ago and had company in the back seat. Enjoy...

The perfect Thailand trip:BKK..3days,Pattaya..4 days,Chaing Mai..3 days,Mai Hong Son..2 days(worth the time,very cool town for trecking,sightseeing,and very local ladies),Phuket..7 days,Ko Samui or Phi Phi Islands..2 days(take your Phuket lady with you.I reccomed Phi Phi,one of the coolest places I have ever been),back to Phuket to unwind..2 days,BKK..2 daysas your ladies beg you to stay....and home...life doesnt get any better..

Swadi,

I was only there three days but found a serious shortage or pussy on Ko Phi Phi, like none. Anyone else spent time there?

Other wise it was a tropical paradise, allmost
surreal. I think the trick might be to bring take out pussy from The Happy House in BK.

What do you think?

Innocent,no question about it,you got to take it with you...which is just fine...kinda like a honeymoon...except at the end of the three days you can start all over again..wish I was there now..

Me too...

Me three...

I enjoyed my visit to Chiang Mai very but was generally disappointed with sanuk there. Ratio of punters to bargirls was not at all favourable. I was hoping for prices to be similar to Pattaya but found most girls looking for Bangkok rates. I was lucky enough to hook up with a great girl but she came at a reasonably high price, 1500 baht LT and wouldn't leave the bar until a number of ladydrinks were consumed.

Chiang Rai a little further north made a lovely stop-over during my last trip. I really enjoyed the vibe there and, although smaller that CR, I found much better sanuk opportunities with the ladies. But once again rates were a tad higher than I was hoping for.

Spent a week up in Chiang Mai recently. It is great to go there for the cooler temperatures, mountains, waterfalls, elephant treks etc, but there is still plenty of action around the place, after all it is in Thailand! Found a nice hotel from the internet, ther Diamond Riverside. Nice room, a/c, cable etc. Big breakfast buffet and guest friendly. Out the door, five mins straight on and you are in the famous Chiang Mai night market. Gifts and food everywhere but I think you can buy most of the stuff on Sukhumvit anyway. If you go to the left, walk a few hundred metrs , you will see a street of discrete beer bars. Most are expat owned and do food as well. Girls available in all of them and a lot cheaper than in BKK. 200baht bar and 800 a night!!. Now, you are not getting Kings' castle girls here but the lights in my room wern't that bright anyway!
On the other side of the market is a more lively bar area but the choice is not so good and a little older.

Ask a taxi for Bababobo. A bar in an area with an adequate supply of cuties and across the street there are a few gogo bars. Much cheaper than BKK but you pay for what you get. However beers are 70 to 75 baht a heineken and the music and atmosphere is fine, not pushy.

All in all, I don't think anyone would come this far north for pussy hunting but there are girls here that will help the other delights of the north along.

One place in Chiang Mai that needs further exploration is the Chiang Mai Cafe, a karoake bar located I think next to the Riverside Hotel. I stopped in there in 2000 with a girl I had already picked up from the Harley Bar, just to check it out. Lots of gorgeous young long legged beauties (the managment must be leg man) who go on stage and lip sync one song, then are available to sit with customers. My date, whose friend worked the door, said that it cost B2000 for LT after B500 barfine. A bit expensive, but everyone (and I mean everyone) of the girls there were really beautiful and looked 18-20 years old. I would have loved to go back but it was my last night there, and I was already hooked up for the night. Anyone else ever been here?

Is Chang Mai the kick off point for an excursion to the village of the long neck poeple? Has anyone ever been?

Never made it into the mountains myself, but Chang Mai is your starting point. You'll find plenty of tour companies willing to take you. Shop around and pick the one that suits your tastes.

Few farangs around, but also few girls; places are always the same, but it's
difficult to find quality.
Sayuri: they asked 2000 baht (-500 for tuk tuk driver should be 1500), and
after 20" of bargaininig I gave'em 2000! no way! anyhow great time with
superstars (1H. 30 ");
Pandora: they asked 2000 and took 1800 (with tuk tuk always), but about 1 h.
and no soap body massage, just a hot bath with her washing me everywhere, and of
course a great bj and fk with a superstar; but most of the girls were about 6,
not so much choice.
Chiangmai Hills : few girls, no quality, we didn't ask how much neither.
Phucome : : we didn't find the place, there is an hotel same name along the same
road, but far away from the center, just traditional massage.

Is five days too long for C.M.? I mean will, one see and do everything quickly?

Harry

HJ
It depends on whether you're there to monger or visit ancient Temple ruins. Chiang Mai is second only to Ayyuthaya in numbers of ancient Temples. Also some great mountains (small) or caves for exploring. Hill tribes etc.

If it's pooying you're after- look elsewhere. Easier to screw a Chaing Mai girl in BKK than Chiang Mai.

Thanks KM. I'll be there for the sights as I won't be travelling alone. So five days sounds about right? I hear there are a couple nice hot springs worth a visit?

Harry

HJ, I'm a founding member of the "fossil-hunting" club on this board, and unless you're going to go on a jungle safari or do the hill tribes thing, 5 days is too long for Chiang Mai, and you'll probably be bored out of your skull. 3 is plenty to see and do all the main stuff in the city itself, including a jaunt up to the top of Doi Suthep, IMO.

Just don't wear shorts like Murasaki did at the main temple on the hill. You will be humiliated and embittered forever by being refused entry to the Wat (unless you are willing to cough up 10 baht to rent appropriate clothes) and will then spend the rest of your life badmouthing Chiang Mai, one of the true gems of Thailand.

Harry
5 days for sightseeing is about right. If you have wheels there is a ton of stuff to see. You gotta get out of town to see much except the night market or a few Temples. I'm not a big hot springs fan but I do know there is at least one -north of Chaing Mai towards Mae Hong Son. Close to a Lihu village called Pai. Called Tha Pai hot springs. Near there also is Chiang Dao cave. Perhaps the scariest , but most unusual thing I have ever done was to take the exploration tour of this cave. Cost about 250 baht I believe, My ex wife and I went on the tour. This ancient Thai duffer brings you incredibly deep into the cave. He carries only this old kerosene lantern to light the way except for occasional electrically lighted walkways. I mean you go DEEP into this cave- squeezing thru tiny openinmgs in the walls to get from one chamber to the next.Climbing andd descending pretty steep slopes. All I could keep thinking was WTF I was going to do if this old geezer had a heart attack or dropped dead !! Very beautiful cave though. The old fart turned off the lantern once in a while to give you an idae what it was like without the light. I have never been anywhere so dark. It was so black I could almsot feel it. Tour lasted almost 2 hours ( of occasional panic alternating with beauty). After out of the cave I was glad I had done it. During the tour I was wondering WTF I was doing there.
I highly recommend it if your companion is adventurous.

Thanks guys.

KM, the hot springs I had in mind are over towards San Kamphaeng (Rong Aroon Hot Springs Resort and Sankamphaeng Resort). I plan to rent a moto bike to get around. I'll take my guide book and I'm sure we'll head north one day too.

Harry

HJ, I'd also add to make sure not to make yourself too available to gay college students taking surveys at the main temples inside the old city, like LAGuy did. He was teetering on the knife's edge, mulling over a "proposition" when I came along and rescued him. Another Hombre may not be there for you in your darkest, wavering moments.

Murasaki: To make sure things wouldn't go any further I was just getting my scissors out when you came along and distracted me. Thanks to you he is now free to prey on other well-intentioned hombres.

Sounds like Murasaki and LAGuy had quite a visit to Chiang Mai !! I sense a bit of competition to see whose visit sucked more.
What happened Mura-- the gay dude didn't like your shorts ??

Harry
You got the old Kamikaze spirit to ride a motobike around Chaing Mai. The drivers on those roads are truly crazy. Motobikes- especially those carrying farang are the lowest form of life on Thai highways. I rented a car and was scared shitless half of the time. Thai drivers pull out and pass at any time on 2 lane hwys and DO NOT get back in their own lane just because they're about to have a head on collision. I saw many a motobike forced into the ditch at the side of the road to avoid becoming roadkill. Even in a car some huge assed trucks or busses will force you half off the road.
Fun for all ! Enjoy !

Chang Mai

At first tried some of the regular clubs like Spicy and Bubbles. I cannot recommend these. If you want to outnumber the girls 3 to 1 and fight for it go ahead, but I went straight down the street to foxy lady and meet one of the hardest bodies in Asia. She really rocked my body for $50 long time

Can anyone recommend a guest friendly hotel near the action in Changmai. The "hotels" folder here is woefully out of date.

I'd like to stay at or blow about $50 per night.

Thanks,
Val

I stayed at the Traveller's Inn, which was very guest friendly and centrally located. However, I do admit that was 5 years ago, so their policy may have changed. Hopefully someone else with more recent 411 can chime in. And LAGuy can tell you which Wat to avoid that has gay college students hitting on foreign visitors.

The Ping Porn Hotel seems to be popular, although you need to make sure you get a double bed rather than twins. When I stayed there it wasn't great, but was well-located and not very expensive (although more expensive than the Traveller's Inn).

Incidentally, when Murasaki showed up out of nowhere at the problematic Wat, and just when some gay college student was beginning to try to hit on me, I originally thought it was an act of mercy on his part, giving me a good escape clause which did not require the use of scissors. I have, however, had more time to think about this episode, which Murasaki will take any opportunity to remind me of , and now after considering how he was tapping his foot the whole time think Murasaki probably showed up there because he was Larry Craiging it.

Sheesh, after saving your ass in a difficult situation, all I get is a fabricated story about foot tapping (especially when there wasn't a bathroom stall anywhere in site) and Larry Craig analogies? Boy, the next time I stumble upon you in some foreign distant land, I'll just meekly slip away so that the local gay population can finish their overtures.

Imperial Mae Ping hotel is pretty decent as an alternative to PornPing Tower and is right off the action. In fact, my room looks down on one of the beer bar areas with the Muay Thai boxing and one of the gogo bars.
It's low season right now and many bars and shops seem to close for the season. If here on a mongering trip 3 days should let you sample anything here now. 5 days if you're into sightseeing.

Having finally gotten over the "gay wat" trauma alluded to above, I decided to re-check out Chiang Mai. I have nothing of substance to report yet, other than that the previously 500 baht per session brothel (farang rate, Thais pay less) I frequented on the last trip (near the Imperial Mae Ping) wanted 1200 baht yesterday (perhaps the lady boy running the place yesterday needs to make a killing to afford the next step of his surgery?). That was a no go.

In any event, I'm kind of stuck in that my memory of places I used to visit is vague at best, and I don't see much here that is "actionable intelligence," meaning with sufficient specificity to help find the places. Particularly if there are any expats out there living in Chiang Mai who can fill me in on the options, or others who have been here recently, I would appreciate it.

Wow, it took 7 years for the angst to fade... A new life opens before you....

1200 baht is more expensive than Pattaya. They must have started to cater to the farang crowd somewhat.

I may have taken some "literary license." Actually, I did return to Chiang Mai previously, and visited the Thai brothel referred to above (at the rate of 500 baht per session) during my second visit to Chiang Mai, maybe four years ago.

I returned to the brothel yesterday to see whether I would have better luck (I vaguely recalled that during one of my previous trips, they once tried to ream me on price but after telling them their boss earlier had quoted me 500 baht--which he did--they relented. When I went back yesterday, I got a price from one of the girls working there and it was even higher than the day before, 1300 baht!

Keep in mind this place is not near 1,000 baht or higher standards; you pick your girl and then go back to a fairly dingy room in the back.

I don't think the problem is they are catering to the farang crowd somewhat. Previously, there were only Thais there; now there are only Thais there. According to the grotesque lady boy/manager, who was not there previously, the owner of the place died or something, and I assume she was saying it was under new management. I'm guessing the ladyboy manager is looking to make a quick fortune off of farangs so she can complete her surgery. I was going to suggest that to her yesterday (after she emerged from the back after I had already been quoted 1300 baht) but thought better of it. I also had in my back pocket that if she said something like "well, you know, farangs have bigger dicks," a typical justification for upcharging, I was thinking of saying her dick was probably bigger than a farangs (or at least that she was a bigger dick).

Incidentally, on one of the other boards there is a recent discussion about how some of the Thai brothels in Chiang Mai may be upcharging farangs; in that discussion it was noted farangs do not get the Thai price of 300 baht, but rather must pay 400. It should be noted though that the Thai brothels referenced there were in a different part of the city, further from where the farangs typically stay. I may check it out, although if memory serves me right I once was unsuccessful in finding the particular brothels referenced in those posts, despite what was supposed to be accurate directions.

There used to be a karaoke bar called Chiang Mai Cafe by the Riverside Hotel that had lots of young stunners working there. Anybody know if its still there?

Any more current information on Chiang Mai? I am planning on spending 4 or 5 nights there in March.

I'm visiting Chiang Mai for about a month. Its a different scene than Pattaya or Bangkok altogether. Its pretty low key here; you can shoot some pool, just relax whatever. They may ask you to buy them a drink sometimes but its only the regualr price; 100 baht. Some good looking girls but I would have to say Pattaya or Bangkok have way more hot women no question. I think the key is to hit the Thai discos like Discovery because the girls there are truly hot and don't cost anything other than some drinks. A little Thai is needed though to hook up. I did all 3 go gos and Star 6 and Foxy Lady suck. The other one beside the canal is much better but they want 500 baht bar fine and 1000 - 1500 baht for sex. I think its the kind of town where you can just meet someone on the street and talk to them and you'll get laid. Its pretty easy here.

bars, beer gardens, p4p on th loi kroh, east of th kotchasan. scene much smaller than bangkok & pattaya but the weather much more pleasant, cooler & less humid. food is good.

for train enthusiasts: railway starts here, extends south to singapore.

About the weather, they get a nasty smoke inversion in March, gets so bad that they have to shut the airport down like you would with fog.

I went their for the first time on this trip, watch out for the Karaoke's when you ask a taxi driver to take you to a bar they seem to take you to one of these they're overpriced places to go to.

Other than that there's plenty of bars even a complex for Thai boxing but very few agogo's.