When most folks conveive of Thailand the premier thing that comes to brain is a 3rd world land wherever most of it’s population lives in acuate poverty. These same folks would never conveive about living in Thailand for fright of living without the necessities of life.

I moved to Thailand in November, 2004 & resolved to make it my new home although in retirement. Now that I have lived here for approaching 2 years I may say you precisely what it is like to live here versus Canada wherever I resided for 53 years.

Climate:

For starters I am today living without the drastic alter in temperatures that occur yearly in Canada wherever half of the year it is warm or sizzling & other half of the year it is freezing cold. The temperature differentials call for residents to purchase enclothing for all seasons. To live in Canada you need summertime jackets, wintertime coats, sandals, shoes, boots, & suits & overcoats & the listing goes on including hats, gloves & scarves.

Here in Thailand you have your different seasons but basically the temperature is either warm or hot, & for three months of the year you will watch virtually no rainfall at all & during the rainy time of year you will witness rainfall almost daily. The type of enclothing that I put on during the seasons does not alter one iota.

One gets used to the heat here just as one gets regular to the freezing weather in Canada. Surprisingly the evenings are cold & during the nighttime with the window open a cover would be required during most months of the year.

So whenever I had my option wherever to live in terms of climate exclusive it would be here in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Score Thailand 1 Canada 0

Food:

In Canada I consumed my share of swift foods & dust foods. Potatoes in one shape or different were present in most diners from hash browns in the morning, to french fries at lunch, to mashed or deep-fried potatoes at dinner.

Now I still consume potatoes which are priced higher here than in Canada but I do not consume them as regularly. French fries or potato soup today & then & I am content.

Thai folks consume rice the path I consumed potatoes. It is obvious in almost each meal. I rarely consumed rice when I lived in Canada but I enjoy it today especially since of the sauce that is added. A preferably ordinary deep-fried vegetables with rice dish becomes a really tasty meal with their mystery sauce added to the dish.

Overall I consume practically healthier foods now, more rice, less potatoes, more vegetables, fish & fresh yield & less dust food. So on the basis of health, & taste Thailand accounts different point, & that is not even taking into thoughtfulness that the meal is priced practically lower here than in Canada. Expect to pay about 60-70% less on groceries here & therefore far consume as practically or more of foods that are tasteful & yields that are locally grown.
Score Thailand 2 Canada 0

Transportation:

In Canada my primary means of visting from point A to point B was my car, anything most folks in the world can’t live without, well at least whenever they stay wherever they are.
Because of the distances between locations that I would generally go to in Canada a automobile was an absolute necessity for me.

For most North Americans the automobile is a necessity & an costly one. It is not just a means of transportation but as well a condition symbol. If we get a raise at labor we reward ourselves with a new car, the neighbor gets a new automobile prompts us to do the same, & a sporty automobile is all of the time required to impress the girlfriend.

The real price of maneuvering their motor automobile in absolute is unknown to most drivers, & I referee that the depreciation or lease cost, insurance, gas, fixes would enlarge up to over $10,000 for most honorable vehicles. Now conveive about this. I may exhibit you how to retire here in Chiang Mai, Thailand on less than $10. 000 & live comfortably, consume healthy foods & enjoy yourself. Does your motor automobile conduce as practically to your life?

If you live here you do not need a car. The tuk tuk (three wheeled motorcycle with bench chair at back) or Red taxi (pick up truck with covered back department with bench seating on 2 sides) may get you around village for next to nothing. Should you need to go out of village then on those occasions you may hire a car.

So blank out about a automobile whenever you live here. Forget about the policy costs maximizing each year & as well costly fuel costs. Forget about speeding tickets, parking tickets & automobile washes.

The advantage here unquestionably goes to Chiang Mai. Getting around village is both quick & inexpensive. For those residents that purchase a automobile it is generally a selection up truck as the selection up trucks are taxed less by the Government maybe numerous are manufactured here & therefore become more affordable. Auto policy costs here are about 33% of what I would pay in Canada & whenever you did not have any accidents in the premier year then expect a decrease in your premium which would reduce the price to 23% of what you would pay in North America for really good reportage on a honorable vehicle.

So sorry Canada, different point for Thailand.
Thailand 3 Canada 0

Living Necessities:

Don’t recognize about you but Cyberspace access 24 hours a daytime & a television are absolute necessities in my life. I may live without meal for 24 hours but I am not sure whenever the same might be stated for television & internet. In Canada I had hi speed wire for $50 monthly, & wire television for different $50 monthly for a absolute of $100 a month.

Doctors & dentists are living necessities. You would never need to live anywhere for an elongated period of time without both easy accessible. In good ancient Canada one has to make an appointee to watch a fellowship doctor, whenever after repeated travels the fellowship Dr. doesn’t recognize what ails you they will at last make an appointee for you to watch a specialist who will likely recognize in fifteen minutes what the trouble is & how to goody it. Unfortunately the appointee to watch a specialist is generally a 6-8 week wait.

What other is a necessity? Hmmm. . Accommodations. In terms of accommodations in Canada homes costs have ballooned as elsewhere in the world in the recent couple of years. And we all recognize what may happen to balloons. When home costs go up it is attended by or followed by an gain in rental prices. So wherefore shouldn’t the apartment or condo possessor not get a opportunity to gauge the consumer.

Let’s watch how Chiang Mai fares versus Canada in these categories.

I have Cyberspace & phone here for about $22 Canadian monthly. The Cyberspace speed is slower than what I had in Canada but I may upgrade to a quicker speed whenever I want, at present this speed is perfectly acceptable on most occasions & a bit slow when there are more users on course in the late afternoons or earlier evenings. We had 54 canal wire television installed recently. Not as numerous sports or motion picture channels but the monthly wire price for 2 TV’s is about $ 9 Canadian. So for telephone, wire television & telephone the absolute is $31 compared to $130 in Canada. Canada wins out on having finer channels, but with price enclosed as a factor I would call it a tie. As for Cyberspace the speed is awesome with me & the price practically less that I supply the point to Thailand.

Medical worry is CHEAP here. I will likely be treated by a Dr. who received their training overseas & who talks fantabulous English . A Dr. may be seen the same daytime & a specialist within a couple of days. I may expect to receive prompt treatment for a fraction of the price in North America. A dental tidying here was $9 versus $50-$100 in Canada & repairing a broken veneer set me back a whole $18 here & I would predict it would have price me $100-150 in Canada. So a sure point for Thailand.

Accommodations are a hands down succeeder in Chiang Mai. Not only are the accommodations CHEAP I repeat CHEAP but they as well supply me with everything that need & want. Shortly arriving in Chiang Mai I stayed at a maintained apartment for 2 months at $250 Cdn. monthly for hire which includes water, utilities, tidying & alter of linens & towels twice weekly & as well wire TV. The maintained apartment had a swimming pond on the top floor, massage on 4th floor, restaurant, stunner salon, scooter rental on primary floor. It was clean, comfortable, the owners were highly hospitable & it was situated within walking outstrip of the biggest plaza & as well numerous eateries numerous of which had brilliant amusement in the evenings.

Food is different necessity. Even although I resided in the Niagara Peninsula region of Canada which is blessed with an abundance of fruits, & vegetables the point here goes distinctly to Chiang Mai. Many yields are grown locally here also, & you get the added benefit of fresh seafood, So adding up the account Canada