Here’s why I loved living in Chiang Mai, Thailand in my early 20s. When I moved to Chiang Mai Thailand at 22 years old mere months after graduating from an American university, I had no idea what was about to happen. The pure freedom, community, cultural immersion, cuisine, travel, friends, and joy that I found in Chiang Mai is unbelievable. It’s strange because this was my first experience living a post-grad life, and it’s a life that is hard to beat. But what specifically did I love about living in Chiang Mai?
If you’re considering moving to Chiang Mai or abroad in general, these are common denominators to look for in a town: international community, safety, job opportunities, travel, and affordability.
International community
Chiang Mai is the most international place I’ve ever been. On any given night at a bar or hangout with friends, you will find people from all over the world — it’s one of my favorite parts of living abroad. Not only do you get to learn about Thai culture, you get to learn about cultures all over the globe. So many international people flock to Chiang Mai because of the easy visa, and affordability.
Meeting people from Russia, South Africa, UK, Australia, and India helped dispel stereotypes I’ve had in my mind, and judge people less based on where they grew up. It quite literally changed my life forever. I’ve noticed that I have more empathy, more love, a more rounded worldview because I’ve listened to people’s stories. Sharing life stories and experiences is a joyous part of life, one that I hope to continue forever.
Now, if I hear someone speaking with an accent that isn’t American, I flock to them and are impressed that they speak English so well, instead of judging them. Living around an international community enabled me to open up to the world and see beauty in humanity.
Funnily enough, my best friend in Chiang Mai is South African, and my boyfriend is Ukrainian. Two cultures so different from mine, yet we connected so well. Hearing about their childhoods and seeing how they view life has helped shape my own. To say I’m thankful to be a global citizen is an understatement!
Safety
From day one living in Chiang Mai, I felt so at ease. I had intense culture shock at how respectful the men are in public, something I have never felt before living in the United States. Here are a few examples of how safe I feel living alone in Chiang Mai:
- No one has ever catcalled me.
- I live alone, ride my motorbike at night, and walk to 7/11 at 2 AM without a second thought.
- Thai culture is naturally respectful and non-confrontational, which makes a huge difference.
Job opportunities
If you speak English, you can get a teaching job or tutoring job in Chiang Mai. It’s that easy.
You will need two things to teach English abroad: a Bachelor’s degree & a TEFL certificate
I know there are exceptions in other countries, but in Thailand, most schools require a Bachelor’s degree to teach English. It does not have to be in education, it can be in anything. If you do not have a Bachelor’s degree, you will most likely have to look in other countries that do not require it.
I used Facebook groups and Ajarn.com to look for teaching jobs ~1.5 months before I wanted to move to Thailand.
If you don’t want to teach, there are opportunities everywhere for collaboration in the arts, music, and social media. Chiang Mai is a creative city bursting with young people doing cool things. You’re bound to find a cool niche, whether it’s playing guitar in a band or displaying your art at a gallery.
Travel
The pure FREEDOM I had that enabled me to travel all over Southeast Asia re-wired my brain. During the school breaks (that of which there were many), I was able to explore Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, and all over Thailand. The experiences I had traveling during this time are ones that I will cherish throughout my whole life.
Traveling is a part of life as an international person living in Chiang Mai. Anyone you talk to travels and loves traveling. I felt so seen in this way, since traveling is my biggest passion in life.
Affordability
Here is a breakdown of how much I spent moving my entire life to Chiang Mai:
- TEFL Certificate (if teaching English):
- Cost: $1,000 – $2,000
- You’ll need a TEFL certificate & a Bachelor’s degree (try to get this notarized before, it will save you time in Thailand)
- Plane ticket:
- Cost: $500 – $1,200 (depending on where you’re flying from—and how lucky you are with deals).
- I booked a one way ticket in 2022 for ~$750
- Pro tip: Book early and be flexible with dates to snag the best prices. I booked ~3 months before.
- Visa costs:
- Cost: $50 – $300
- Whether it’s a tourist, education, or work visa, fees vary (I came on a 60 day tourist visa which cost $50 in 2022)
- Bonus: Some employers (like schools) will foot the bill — mine did 🙂
- Rent deposit
- Cost: $750-$1000
- You’ll need to (usually) deposit 2-3 months rent to get a long-term apartment in Thailand
- My apartment cost $250 (8,500 baht) so I had to pay a deposit of $750 for my apartment.
- Start-Up items:
- Cost: $500 – $1,000
- These include miscellaneous items like suitcase upgrades, a sturdy backpack, climate-appropriate clothes, and enough toiletries to tide you over until you find your favorite Thai replacements. Also including accommodation / first month of living expenses until you find your own apartment & start getting a regular paycheck.
Chiang Mai is one of the most affordable places to realistically move to. I often think about the luxuries of everyday life there (massages, facials, manicures, pedicures, yoga classes, saunas, eating out) that I could never experience living in America.
The affordability of everyday life meant that I could focus on things I was passionate about, like writing and traveling. I ate out for every meal and these cuisines were in my weekly line-up: Thai, Burmese, Italian, Indian, Chinese, Vegan. Where else could I eat this good?? Trying new foods also expanded my worldview and sparked joy in the world again. Delicious food will do that!
To conclude: why I loved living in Chiang Mai
These are just a few reasons why I loved living in Chiang Mai, Thailand in my 20s. I truly believe everyone should live abroad, should be an immigrant in a different country than the one you were born in. It takes guts and grit to make it work, but if you’re reading this then that means you have the urge in your heart. Follow it and your mind, body, and soul will expand. You got this!
xx Gracie
If you liked learning why I loved living in Chiang Mai, you’ll like my other blog posts:
Solo travel safety: How safe is Southeast Asia for women?
