A Singaporean [Quitter] in Maesai

I have a lot of free time now as I am currently waiting for my domestic flight to Chiang Rai while typing this.  Good way to pass time is to write something while I wait.

I promised to update on how to get to Maesai so here goes.  By the way, this guide is only applicable for Singaporeans actually so apologies to those who are not.

The nearest airport to Maesai is actually Chiang Rai International Airport.  Maesai is in the province of Chiang Rai which is at the northern tip of Thailand.  Although branded as “International” The only flights that crossed borders are actually to Burma so I guess still can pass.  So there are no direct flights to Chiang Rai.  You die die need to transfer at Bangkok.

The easiest way and most expensive is to get Thai airways ticket.  The pros is that you do not need to get out of the airport and go through customs until you are in Chiang Rai.   You also do not need to get your bags and re-check-in for other flights (only Thai airways automatically transfer your baggages to the next connecting flight in BKK).  So basically you are stuck in the transit area for 2 to 4 hours.  The good thing is that if the plane is late..  Die die your next flight will wait for you, if not Thai airways will re-arrange another flight for you. The bad is expensive and you can’t get out of the airport. (The cheapest food is actually get out of the transit area and proceed to the basement, there’s a food court there where you can settle your lunch with just 50baht at most)

Another option is to travel budget which is my style.  There are 3 budget airlines.  Tiger, Airasia and Jetstar.  For domestic, there’s Bangkok airways, Airasia, Thai airways and Nok air.  So far the best match (may not be the cheapest but have the shortest waiting time) is to travel by Tiger air from Singapore to Bangkok in the morning.  630 am flight. which you will reach BKK at 0750 or 8am local time.  Then you proceed to clear customs and immigration and go all the way up to departure hall to checkin for domestic.  For domestic, I only fly Airasia and occasionally Thai airways.. Never tried the Bangkok airways and Nok air as their timing are weird.   The flight I normally book is the 1135 flight. (Today the flight delayed so I’m still waiting for my flight) and will reach Chiang Rai at around 1pm or earlier. 

So at Chiang Rai airport, you just need to get your bags (if you checked-in)and then proceed outside and look for two taxi stalls on your left when you exit.  Ignore those touts and avoid the limousine service.  Expensive like hell.  A ride to Maesai will set you back 800 baht.  and takes 45mins to an hour to reach.  Just tell them the hotel you are going and the stall will assign a driver who knows that area well for you.  If you have not book a place to stay.  Some hotels you can try are Rong Raem (Hotel) Piyaporn.  (think is about 1000baht or more per night during peak seasons)  Its the newest and cleanest hotel in Maesai. Or if you want budget.  Tai Tong is not bad also.  Old but at least cheap and clean.  Forget about Wang Thong (the pics on the Internet looks good but its bloody shabby).

So there, just a basic guide to get to Maesai as promised. :)

Sorry for the delay as just came back and have to go reservist. Anyway, starting a business in the rural or semi rural areas are also another possibility. The town you choose need to be big enough (for the population) and potential to grow (if you really want your business to take off)

Some towns you could consider are Pattaya, Phuket, Koh Samui, Kachanaburi and Maesai.

I am currently staying in Maesai, thus I would focus on this town which I knew best.

Maesai is the most northern town in whole of Thailand. About 74km away from Chiang Rai (city) in Chiang Rai state. The town borders Myanamr's Thachilek. Over here, most of the core businesses here sells jeweleries and stones (raw). Maesai used to be an important gem stone trading post (till now it is) but its already lost much of its stone traders to Kachanaburi and Bangkok. This is mainly because Myanmar's Mogok rubies are actually running out. Moreover, just in year 2000, Maesai was bombed by shells fired by Myanmar's Junta chasing the Shan rebels. So after the scarce, most of them actually closed shop.

Other shops are mostly catered to tourists. There used to be a lot of farangs or foreigners would come here monthly to do their VISA run (30 day stamps) but since the october 2006 ruling of limiting 90 days limit. But the local Thais from the south still frequent here in the cool season to have their holidays and shopping. So the town is always crowded from Oct till May.

Maesai is developing at an exponential pace as it serves as a trade portal for goods from Myanmar and China. Already, they are building another bridge (just near my house) for the trucks of goods and imports.

Opportunities here are great. If you have a lot of capital you might want to consider doing an import/export business. Provided you are sure what are the things that Thai's would want to buy.

Law and order is average. No better than those in the city but the good thing is that most people here are definitely more friendly and helpful than those in the cities.

If you plan to retire here and start a small business to earn some extra cash. The easiest would be to open a small shop selling clothes or a restaurant. Rental is consider cheap for shop houses furthur away from the main road. While rentals at the main road could be exponentially expensive. (10,000 baht for a small unit)

For me personally, I would classify urban areas as a location where major city centres are with a big population. I am not going to write about Bangkok or even Hatyai as I don't stay there as long. However, I would describe more about the northern areas of Thailand.

At the north,there is Chiang Mai. This is the 2nd largest city in Thailand. There are many shopping centres and you will be surprised that a lot of expats prefer to stay here than in Bangkok. This is because its busy but not as polluted as Bangkok (although things might be changing now). Chiang Mai thrived on Tourism as it serves as a gateway for people to visit furthur northern areas like Mae Hong Song or Chiang Rai. Its International airport was recently renovated with one more terminal to handle the growing crowd.

The expats ratio staying in Chiang Mai are quite high. My condo in Kad Suan Kaew has more than 80% taken by foreigners. If you walk along the street, its very common to see foreigners on the street. One of the main reason is that the city has a lot of schools that attract these people. Chiang Mai University is worldwide recognised and gives lessons in English rather than Thai. Thai language, art/crafts and Buddhist schools also peppered the city.

There are pubs and bars in Chiang Mai but their number is not as much as in Bangkok. Expat pubs are common for foreigners and most of them cater to a niche group. Such as German restaurant and Irish pubs.

Overall, the impression of Chiang Mai is that its still developing and have not reached its potential yet. Business opportunity is good. Capital needed to rent a shop house or even a store is definitely not as high as in Bangkok. But again, things are changing as Chiang Mai has recently become more and more expensive.

Here's some references
http://www.1stopchiangmai.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiang_mai
http://www.cmcity.go.th/english/history.php

I think a lot of people would be interested in such a topic so today got some spare time to write about this.

This topic spans a lot of issues. Regarding policies, opportunities and etc etc...

So I plan to split these into different chapters. Here's an overview

1) Thailand's Opportunities.
1.1) Urban (City area like Bangkok)
1.2) Rural (Small towns and
2) Rules and Regulations (for a foreigner starting a business).
3) A simple guide on the process.

As of any business, there are many different rules and regulations for different types of business so I would only touch those that I have personally encountered and share it with you all. Hope this will help those who are planning to start a business in the LOS.