The International Schools Review Forum

I am trying to figure this out.
When I look at YouTube videos or photos of Chiang Mai,
it looks pretty nice.
On this site, I have even read that many teachers describe it
as "paradise" or "heaven'.

But then I saw a YouTube video stating that
things have changed and that Chiang Mai has "too much pollution" and "too many tourists".

Are these latest complaints about Chiang Mai true
or false?

You would have to be nuts to work there, IMO. Subsistence salaries, really touristy, several months with bad air pollution (worse than Bangkok - seriously), and on top of all that many of the natives there are really up their own ass just because they are from Chiang Mai. I'm not a fan of the place, in case you couldn't tell.

The only reason that it has become a sort of expat retiree ghetto is because it's cheap to live there - though I've heard even that is changing.

I live in BKK and just got back from visiting Chiang Mai for the first time. I expected to love it from what people said. When people asked me what I thought after my trip, I said:

1. Bad pollution
2. Too many tourists

Pollution in BKK isn't much better, but there are other advantages to living here.

I hope that helps.

I dont disagree with the prior contributors. Chiang Mai used to be the northern stop for backpackers. It became a low cost suburban retiree destination, and like anywhere that gets to be a little too well know lost a lot of its charm to tourists. Its not the place it was for many of those groups for those reasons.
Some would argue and I wouldnt disagree that the tourist increase hasnt been all bad. Imports are easier to find, English availability has increased, transportation is more available and reliable. Its an easier adaptation and less of a culture shock, with a lot less of the grittiness of Bangkok. Its still a lot more leisurely than Bangkok, but costs have gone up, and the cost of living is higher.
Chiang Mai had a reputation of being kind of sleepy, where everyone knew everybody and you always ran into the same group of expats in the same places, doing the same things, and thats exactly how the expats that moved there liked it, left alone, not to be bothered on the edge of the jungle.

The pollution is probably the greatest shock or surprise, but the local source is mainly from the increase of vehicle emissions.

I agree with most that's being said above, though I think Chiang Mai can still be a nice place with plenty of nice areas. Prices are not that high either in my mind. There are lot's of tourists though and especially many Chinese. On the other hand, if you drive out of the city for about 15 minutes you are surrounded by beautiful nature and there are many amazing rides to be done outside of Chiang Mai. Also, the pollution is bad during these few months (Feb, Mar, Apr) because of the burning season. Outside of these months it's fine. I think Chiang Mai is still a nice place to visit, though it has certainly lost some of it's charm. Would probably not want to work there anyway because of the low salaries.

I concur with @BM12, the coin isnt there for Chiang Mai. A lot of the ISs try to peddle the low cost of living as a compensatory benefit, but its not low enough to equate with the salaries you would find in Bangkok.

A teacher friend of mine accepted a job offer in Chiang Mai a month ago, and has since started to regret it. He didn't do proper research until after he signed his contract.
He was planning to buy a house there for retirement, but not sure if he will still proceed with that plan.