Comments for TravelSpeak http://www.travelspeak.org/blog Travel created by you, for you Wed, 25 Feb 2009 08:50:19 +0100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.3 hourly 1 Comment on by Mick B http://www.travelspeak.org/blog/2007/02/23/is-chiang-mai-really-%e2%80%9cgetting-ugly%e2%80%9d/comment-page-1/#comment-223 Mick B Wed, 25 Feb 2009 08:50:19 +0000 http://www.travelspeak.org/blog/2007/02/23/is-chiang-mai-really-%e2%80%9cgetting-ugly%e2%80%9d/#comment-223 Since the National Geographic magazine article Chiang Mai has gone from bad to worse, the city is full of out of town developers ripping down what is left of the old wooden buildings on a daily basis they think old is ugly and need replacing with big shiny cement buildings in the last 3 years all the vacant plots near my apartment have been built on, any remaining vacant land will be built on within the next 2 years this causes the city to get intolerably HOT during march / April May the cement monstrosities act as heat sinks. The locals are powerless to stop it to the Thais 'development' is the way to go they dont know the term 'over development' In other words Chiang Mai is now UGLY and visitors will be very dissapointed the reality is nothing like the brochures.. Then I could go on about the TRAFFIC and POLLUTION.. Since the National Geographic magazine article Chiang Mai has gone from bad to worse, the city is full of out of town developers ripping down what is left of the old wooden buildings on a daily basis they think old is ugly and need replacing with big shiny cement buildings in the last 3 years all the vacant plots near my apartment have been built on, any remaining vacant land will be built on within the next 2 years this causes the city to get intolerably HOT during march / April May the cement monstrosities act as heat sinks. The locals are powerless to stop it to the Thais ‘development’ is the way to go they dont know the term ‘over development’ In other words Chiang Mai is now UGLY and visitors will be very dissapointed the reality is nothing like the brochures.. Then I could go on about the TRAFFIC and POLLUTION..

]]> Comment on Anti-pollution measures now in place in Chiang Mai by Tom http://www.travelspeak.org/blog/2008/02/06/anti-pollution-measures-now-in-place-in-chiang-mai/comment-page-1/#comment-209 Tom Thu, 28 Feb 2008 04:48:04 +0000 http://www.travelspeak.org/as/thailand/chiangmai/blog/2008/02/06/anti-pollution-measures-now-in-place-in-chiang-mai/#comment-209 Hi Alan, It will be interesting to see whether this makes any difference whatsoever. The PM-10 levels at the time of writing - 28th Feb 2008 - are already about the same as this time last year, and considerably higher than the stated US or EU 'safe zones'. I live in Chiang Mai too and have just compiled some of global PM-10 averages compared to the Chiang Mai figures on our website. I'm not sure whether I'm permitted to directly link to the post here, but you may find it useful: http://www.earthoria.com/air-pollution-levels-in-chiang-mai-rising.html Hi Alan,

It will be interesting to see whether this makes any difference whatsoever. The PM-10 levels at the time of writing – 28th Feb 2008 – are already about the same as this time last year, and considerably higher than the stated US or EU ’safe zones’.

I live in Chiang Mai too and have just compiled some of global PM-10 averages compared to the Chiang Mai figures on our website. I’m not sure whether I’m permitted to directly link to the post here, but you may find it useful:

http://www.earthoria.com/air-pollution-levels-in-chiang-mai-rising.html

]]> Comment on Is Chiang Mai tourism on the decline? by Alan http://www.travelspeak.org/blog/2007/08/02/is-chiang-mai-on-the-decline/comment-page-1/#comment-77 Alan Thu, 02 Aug 2007 14:45:09 +0000 http://www.travelspeak.org/as/thailand/chiangmai/blog/2007/08/02/is-chiang-mai-on-the-decline/#comment-77 Thanks for your comments so far. We agree that corruption is a big problem in Thailand still and that many good intentions end up wasted but still believe it's worth a try for the sake of preserving Chiang Mai's rich history and to help promote a better future for local people. The smog last year was terrible for tourism especially after the huge success of the Royal Flora 2006 project which saw over 2 and half million visitors. These high visitor numbers meant a large drop in visitor numbers from February onwards. We feel that the pollution in Chiang Mai should be the number one priority for the authorities, as local people are the ones suffering the worst effects of this. Local newspaper reports at the time suggested a 30% increase of the number of people admitted to hospital for breathing related problems. This is not acceptable and will likely have a major negative impact on tourism which it seems to have done earlier this year. Thanks for your comments so far. We agree that corruption is a big problem in Thailand still and that many good intentions end up wasted but still believe it’s worth a try for the sake of preserving Chiang Mai’s rich history and to help promote a better future for local people.

The smog last year was terrible for tourism especially after the huge success of the Royal Flora 2006 project which saw over 2 and half million visitors. These high visitor numbers meant a large drop in visitor numbers from February onwards.

We feel that the pollution in Chiang Mai should be the number one priority for the authorities, as local people are the ones suffering the worst effects of this. Local newspaper reports at the time suggested a 30% increase of the number of people admitted to hospital for breathing related problems. This is not acceptable and will likely have a major negative impact on tourism which it seems to have done earlier this year.

]]> Comment on Is Chiang Mai tourism on the decline? by Craig http://www.travelspeak.org/blog/2007/08/02/is-chiang-mai-on-the-decline/comment-page-1/#comment-76 Craig Thu, 02 Aug 2007 14:06:16 +0000 http://www.travelspeak.org/as/thailand/chiangmai/blog/2007/08/02/is-chiang-mai-on-the-decline/#comment-76 Just had a thought, surely if there are so many new hotels then occupancy would be down. Although, if any of you were in chiang mai for the smog earlier this year will know that's got to be a major part of why people haven't been coming and I don't blame them. Just had a thought, surely if there are so many new hotels then occupancy would be down. Although, if any of you were in chiang mai for the smog earlier this year will know that’s got to be a major part of why people haven’t been coming and I don’t blame them.

]]> Comment on Is Chiang Mai tourism on the decline? by Craig http://www.travelspeak.org/blog/2007/08/02/is-chiang-mai-on-the-decline/comment-page-1/#comment-75 Craig Thu, 02 Aug 2007 14:02:35 +0000 http://www.travelspeak.org/as/thailand/chiangmai/blog/2007/08/02/is-chiang-mai-on-the-decline/#comment-75 Stayed in chiang mai a fair bit over the last few years, seen lots of changes and I have to agree with Mark, things do get done in the end even with the corruption but does take forever. Just whether it's for the good of chiang mai and if it has been thought out properly enough in the first place. Stayed in chiang mai a fair bit over the last few years, seen lots of changes and I have to agree with Mark, things do get done in the end even with the corruption but does take forever. Just whether it’s for the good of chiang mai and if it has been thought out properly enough in the first place.

]]> Comment on Is Chiang Mai tourism on the decline? by Mark Barton http://www.travelspeak.org/blog/2007/08/02/is-chiang-mai-on-the-decline/comment-page-1/#comment-74 Mark Barton Thu, 02 Aug 2007 12:49:22 +0000 http://www.travelspeak.org/as/thailand/chiangmai/blog/2007/08/02/is-chiang-mai-on-the-decline/#comment-74 Very noble indeed, not sure how far you'll get though as most of big people in Thailand are corrupt and cause of it anything good people try to do ends up delayed or money ends up gone halfway through a project and then they give up. Hats off to you guys for trying though! Very noble indeed, not sure how far you’ll get though as most of big people in Thailand are corrupt and cause of it anything good people try to do ends up delayed or money ends up gone halfway through a project and then they give up.

Hats off to you guys for trying though!

]]> Comment on by James B http://www.travelspeak.org/blog/2007/02/23/is-chiang-mai-really-%e2%80%9cgetting-ugly%e2%80%9d/comment-page-1/#comment-3 James B Sat, 24 Feb 2007 11:11:21 +0000 http://www.travelspeak.org/blog/2007/02/23/is-chiang-mai-really-%e2%80%9cgetting-ugly%e2%80%9d/#comment-3 I have been to Chiang Mai only once and found it to be an amazing place. I noticed a lot of construction work going on, as well as traffic problems in certain parts. The city itself needs to be careful, but as for the rural surroundings, it's very beautiful indeed and I had a wonderful time there. I have been to Chiang Mai only once and found it to be an amazing place. I noticed a lot of construction work going on, as well as traffic problems in certain parts. The city itself needs to be careful, but as for the rural surroundings, it’s very beautiful indeed and I had a wonderful time there.

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