“What is old is new again.”

Some noteworthy person must have said this somewhere or at some time so I can’t take the credit for coining this. However, whatever its origin, the words aptly fit my impressions of what is happening in Chiang Mai right now.

This Northern Thai city is undergoing a restoration and building boom, at least in the inner city which is that part surrounded by a moat. If you want further information on the moat and the remains of the wall that defines the character of this ancient city, then do refer to the blog I posted three years ago: click on  A Precious Gift

The first sign of the changes occurring in the inner city, the most touristy part, surfaced as I walked down Phrapokktao Rd. and spotted a few wats undergoing huge renovations. Wat Jedlan captured my interest so I decided to take a closer look at it. I wasn’t disappointed and wondered how I had managed to miss in on all my previous visits. The grounds are spacious and beautifully manicured. However, the buildings are old and in need of repair so, hence, the restoration.

The next day as I headed to the Sunday Street Market, I noticed that Prah Singh, Chiang Mai’s largest and wealthiest wat, was sporting a glamorous new outfit in gilded gold.

There is definitely a sense of competition going on between the numerous wats in this fair city. They are unabashedly out to get the tourists’ dollars not just with visitor donations but lately by charging them fees to enter. Chedi Luang, the second most sacred and grandiose wat in Chiang Mai, is one of those doing that. The lineup of people waiting to enter reminded me of those horrendous lineups you have to contend with in cities like Rome or Paris. I hope it never gets to that, but then with the droves of Chinese tourists coming here, this could happen.

If a wat doesn’t charge entrance fees then they may resort to renting out some of their valuable land to vendors for selling their wares during the big Saturday and Sunday Night Walking Street Markets which grow larger every year. Click on Shopping the Markets in Chiang Mai

It’s not just wats that are getting a make over: it’s also the accommodations and restaurants in this city. Hearing that at least two of the guest houses I used to stay in…Pachkit House and Baan Nam Sai.. were now facing the wrecking ball, I made it my quest to check both of them out. Sure enough they are both receiving major new face lifts.

How can this be happening? In most cases, it’s about money from China which is enticing to family owned businesses who want to retire and leave the hard work to those who have the money and plans for the future. Thailand faces the same problems as all developed countries these days…an aging population along with earlier retirement. China on the other hand which also faces an aging population, but also a thriving younger middle class and a much larger population, is looking for other places to visit where it’s cheaper and exciting. Thailand and in fact all SE Asia is one of their first places to go to before they hit Europe. Those entrepreneurs who have the money see Thailand and its neighbours as great places to invest in since all of them are still bringing in huge amounts of tourist dollars from the West.

What all this change means for us flashpackers…what older backpackers have been dubbed… is less inexpensive accommodations at our disposal. The little family run guest houses are being converted to what is commonly known now as boutique hotels which are smaller and less expensive than the 5 stars but still far more than the traditional guest house.

For backpackers who are younger with a minimal budget, there are the hostels where they must share a room with others in a more communal setting. Still entrenched in my old ways, I avoid these and look for the small guest houses. When I first started coming to Chiang Mai it was easy to rent a room on a monthly or a weekly basis but not so now. If I want to stay in the centre, I will most likely have to pay by the night. Those places offering monthly rates are more likely to be found out in the suburbs and even those should be booked early because they are snatched up quickly. Here you can find a condo or house to rent, but as I discovered last year has its disadvantages. Transportation is the biggest drawback unless you are the adventurous sort and rent a motor bike to get around. My post from last year titled “Is Chiang Mai Losing Its Allure” will give you a better idea of the pros and cons. Click here Is Chiang Mai Losing It’s Allure?

Like most people when I first saw the construction and heard the jack hammers, I was a bit disgusted. How could Chiang Mai yield so willingly to the tearing down of their storied past for the new opulence of the future? On second thought, I realised it’s simply their way of surviving. If they don’t join the wave of the future where there is literally a tsunami of Chinese tourists descending upon them, then they stand to lose a big chunk of their economy, and like all countries they can’t afford to do that. Sure all this change will just lead to other problems but somehow they will find a solution for them and so on it goes. What would CM or any of us do if we never had problems to solve? Now here is some food for thought….