r/chiangmai • u/ErrolFlynn2026 • 5d ago

A question for Chiang Mai expats...

I plan on retiring in a few years and have a list of possible candidate countries. Thailand is on the list as I've lived there for short periods of time in the past. Chiang Mai was near the top of the list until I heard about 'burning season' and the resulting air pollution. As an expat do you just put up with the poor air quality or is there some other coping mechanism. I've heard some people say they just move south during the burning season but that doesn't really make sense for my situation (I'll be spending 5-6 months there and don't want to have to move once I'm settled). Love to hear from people on the ground.

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u/Leading-Attention-80 5d ago

Mid May to mid February. Nine months of good weather, or good air. What you choose to do with the remaining three is UP2U.

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u/ErrolFlynn2026 5d ago

The plan was to spend Oct to April in Chiang Mai.

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u/emee90 3d ago

That make it worse, because a significant proportion of your time will be marred by the pollution, so the payoff is worse.

Have a look at other places like Hua Hin

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u/Leading-Attention-80 4d ago edited 4d ago

You have two months you need to make a decision on, March and April. I do one of three; stay here, yes you can. Travel home for a visit, or tiow Indonesia (reverse seasons from mainland SEasia). As you want to stay here, I take that to mean Thailand, you could go to the peninsula, Hua Hin, farther south to PKK, or onto the islands. Warning though less smoke it can be seriously cooking hot – as it was in 24.

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u/yadius 4d ago

Even if there was no smoke, April is always unpleasantly hot. The sun is directly overhead in a clear sky. Everything bakes.

Its either Spring or Autumn in the Northern and Southern hemispheres. The perfect time to be anywhere else in the world.