Bangkok of the North? I sure hope not
During my latest work trip to Chiang Mai I noticed something a little unsettling: There were very few tourists in the city. I had heard about Chiang Mai losing its lustre for tourists for a while but this time I got to see it with my own eyes.
Well, that may be a bit of an exaggeration. Some people could argue that it is not high tourist season yet. Others may note how Chinese tourists still seem to be enjoying a love affair with the city, even though their numbers too have been in decline since they peaked a few years ago.
But one guesthouse operator I spoke to confirmed my hypothesis: He said zero occupancy rates were becoming for him an occupational hazard, with business prospects looking gloomy.
This man, an entrepreneur, blamed national policy for the sluggish state of tourism in the city. But I don’t really agree.
Chiang Mai is without doubt a beautiful city but it has made the mistake of trying to become another Bangkok — and it has gone about this in the wrong way. That was based on the misguided idea that doing so would make it more attractive to tourists.
In recent decades this city of 1.7 million has seen high-rises dots its landscape, robbing Chiang Mai of its rustic or pastoral charm as well as its attractive Lanna character.
As the city expands and becomes evermore crowded the lack of an efficient mass-transit system becomes more pronounced, and people have even more incentive to buy their own cars and add to the congestion.
But can we blame those car owners? I think not. It appears that a bus service launched long ago was not successful while the city’s rot daeng ( songtaew) services hardly keep pace with busy, modern-day life.
Moreover, visitors to the city complain about being overcharged and ripped off when it comes to prices.
The cost and quality of taxi services is also an issue for this province, with some netizens complaining on social media they feel like they’re being charged by the minute rather than according to the distance they travel.
Meanwhile, the ongoing war between Uber and drivers of rot daeng further highlights the level of dissatisfaction with public transport as local people are increasingly paying for the former. I’m not a huge fan of Uber but at least it gives people more options.
As private car ownership soars we can expect to see the same kind of notorious traffic conditions as in Bangkok, with air pollution also starting to follow suit.
The day I arrived in this northern city, I found myself stuck on a small road where a famous school is located. As I zigzagged around the parents in their parked cars I could have been back on Sathon or Convent road. It was no relaxing getaway. More like a nightmare.
Worsening air quality is a concern for Chiang Mai because the city lies in a valley, meaning the topography traps the pollution and threatens people’s health. Despite this, there are no caps on owning cars and motorbike use is rampant.
Heavy flooding is another issue the city’s roads struggle to accommodate, presenting motorists with even more headaches.
The amount of water I saw on the road spoke volumes about how inefficient the city’s drainage and sewerage systems must be. In this respect, again, the people of Chiang Mai and Bangkok wrestle with similar frustrations and challenges.
In my opinion, Chiang Mai is exhausting its resources in exchange for quick tourist bucks. Other tourist towns have experienced the same problem. Hua Hin is one example, although it may recover. Pattaya is another. And tourists can always go somewhere else.
Yet there is a beacon of hope for locals and the environment as the government plans to introduce a mass-transit system after much discussion. It could be elevated, underground or at surface level. I hope it is the latter. That would be cheaper and less of an eyesore.
But the system must be well planned, of good quality, and comprehensive. What is needed is a good feeder system — a park-and-ride facility enabling motorists to leave their car at home. Otherwise, people will shun it. Introducing it now poses another challenge as the culture of private car ownership is already becoming entrenched.
Another lesson to be learnt from Bangkok.
I had heard about Chiang Mai losing its lustre for a while.