What can I say about Chiang Mai? It seems every who goes there is just smitten.
It's a beautiful city, with a nice river to divide the center of the city. The pace is slower than Bangkok and more easy going. At first I felt kind of bored and stir crazy, but as I began to explore the city I began to love it.
One aspect that I was glad to see gone, or at least greatly reduced, were the middle aged balding and fat sexpats.
Chiang Mai is just cleaner than Bangkok with none of the weird septic smells. It's like comparing New York to San Francisco.
There is no Skytrain here, which means a lot of people bicycle around or have a scooter. I think that is very cute and way better than owning a car.
I would definitely consider living here. I like Chiang Mai about as much as I like Bangkok. It's tough.
In my young years I think I appreciate the energy and frenzy of Bangkok, but as I grow older I could see myself settling in a place like Chiang Mai.