Finding home in the hills: Why these Singaporeans chose life in Chiang Mai

Set in the mountainous region of northern Thailand, Chiang Mai has long captivated travellers looking to escape the hectic pace of other Asian cities. More and more, these visitors are choosing to stay. The growing expat population – now around 30,000 –includes an increasing number of Singaporeans, attracted by the area’s open spaces, natural beauty, and a lifestyle that values alternative definitions of success.

What does it take to leave behind the familiar comforts of one of the world’s most efficient cities for the slower rhythms of northern Thailand? We spoke with three Singaporeans at different life stages: a restaurant owner who made Chiang Mai her home over a decade ago; a 75-year-old retiree who splits his time between both worlds; and a young designer who recently made the move – on why this ancient Lanna capital feels like the future.

A RESTAURATEUR’S LEAP OF FAITH

When Lim K-Lin, 53, bought a traditional Lanna house sight unseen in 2013, she hadn’t planned to become a restaurateur or accidental social entrepreneur. She had simply fallen in love with a photograph. “But oddly, Chiang Mai chose me,” she mused.

Lim’s path to northern Thailand was anything but linear. After studying economics and statistics at the National University of Singapore and spending a brief stint in investment banking, she followed her mother into teaching at Temasek Junior College and Catholic Junior College. But administrative duties – managing choirs and soccer teams alongside economics lessons – pushed her back into finance to fund her next venture: a private economics tuition centre at the now-defunct Orchard Emerald.

Lim had achieved what many would consider success. She built a thriving business, started a financial literacy company focused on Australian property investment, and met her self-imposed goal of retiring at 40 – beating her father’s retirement age of 43.

But Singapore felt increasingly confining. Her connection to Thailand began years earlier through Sister Bernard, a nun working with Hmong hill tribe children in Chiang Rai. Lim brought her junior college students to the mission during school holidays for community service, and the experience stayed with her.

When Sister Bernard was reassigned to Bangkok, Lim’s plans for Chiang Rai fell away. Then her sister-in-law, a property agent, showed her a listing for a Lanna-style house that reminded Lim of the volunteer quarters she had seen on her Chiang Rai trips. She bought it without hesitation.

Reality set in when she discovered the house was 40 minutes from central Chiang Mai – too far from Varee International School, where she had enrolled her teenage children. She moved the family to a home within five minutes of the campus and chose a British curriculum to allow an easy transition back to Singapore if Thailand didn’t work out.

“I wanted to put my children in an education system where we could easily send them back to Singapore schools if they couldn’t fit in Thailand,” she explained. Her children completed their GCE ‘O’ and ‘A’ levels there before leaving for university in the UK and the US.

Lim’s restaurant began in 2015. It started as a project to help Hmong youths gain vocational skills – youths she had met on school trips years earlier. The initiative later expanded to include at-risk teenagers and former offenders. Now, instead of retiring, she runs Paak Dang Riverside Chiang Mai, employing 23 full-time staff.

Lim has watched Chiang Mai transform. The post-pandemic influx has brought more Singaporeans – including DINKs (double income, no kids) couples and families with young children – alongside Taiwanese, Koreans and long-established Caucasian communities. The cost of living has risen, but so has the quality of everything from dining to healthcare.

“You can live as cheaply as you wish, or as lavishly,” she said matter-of-factly. “Within the city centre, which is quite compact, you can find food, shopping, and medical care comparable to Singapore’s. But if you prefer quiet, the mountains are only 30 minutes away.”

Infrastructure improvements are coming too. A new international airport, larger than the current one near the city, is slated for completion in five years – about a 20-to-25-minute drive from central Chiang Mai.

Despite more than a decade away, Lim still proudly holds her Singapore passport. “I still watch the National Day Parade online,” she admitted. But her preferences are clear. “I’m happy here. In Singapore, what you gain financially can’t be compared to what you gain in happiness in Chiang Mai.”

Her advice for would-be migrants is pragmatically Singaporean. Fear and opportunity cost increase with age, she noted; newlyweds often find it easier to take risks than established families. “If you overthink life’s decisions, you get analysis paralysis. Take a calculated leap of faith.”

Lim also appreciates her family’s support throughout her journey in Chiang Mai. “They’ve been with me through everything, even though I suspect they don’t always agree with all of my choices,” she laughed.

She recommended testing the waters first: rent, explore different neighbourhoods and understand the rhythms before committing. Simple meals start at 50 baht (US$1.60; S$2), while restaurant splurges cost 500 baht and up. Condominium rentals run 10,000 baht to 15,000 baht a month; houses start at 30,000 baht. “If you want a GCB-sized house, expect 60,000 to 80,000 baht a month.”

Most importantly, she advised stepping out of your comfort zone while it still feels manageable. “You don’t need to plant roots straightaway. Just get a good feel for the place first.”

A RETIRED EDUCATOR’S HARMONIOUS DUAL LIFE

At 75, Loh Tee Yang has mastered the art of belonging to two places at once. The retired educator, who authored more than 70 books, has found a rhythm that lets him enjoy Chiang Mai’s serenity without severing his Singapore roots.

His connection to northern Thailand runs through friendship. A close Thai friend built not one but two log cabins on his farm in Phayao specifically for Loh’s visits. The gesture reflects the Thai hospitality that first attracted Loh to the region.

“It’s the warmth, friendliness, and safety of Thailand that attracts me to Chiang Mai,” he explained. “The serenity of his farm and the fresh cool air of the mountains. It’s only a three-to-four-hour flight from Singapore, and I’m welcome to visit him anytime.”

At his age, permanent relocation holds little appeal. But the arrangement offers something perhaps more valuable: the freedom to move between worlds as he pleases, with expenses covered through his business investment. “I'm well-received, and whatever requests I make, my hosts in Chiang mai will try their best to arrange for me.”

His first visit to Chiang Mai in 2024 revealed another dimension to his connection with the region. During a visit to a remote mountain kindergarten, he donated funds to build modern toilets and repair a leaking roof. Now he returns annually, expanding his charitable work to include fans, beds and wheelchairs for rural hospitals. He has also donated a special stretcher to Huay Kiew’s volunteer-led Ambulance Rescue Service.

The hospitality he received during that first visit impressed him deeply. His hosts arranged everything he wanted to experience: an agricultural ultralight flight, during which Loh piloted the aircraft with professional guidance over Chiang Mai’s padi fields; a visit to a strawberry farm in the remote mountains; and, the only thing he missed, a hot-air balloon ride. Feeling indebted to his hosts, Loh reciprocated with a luxury night cruise organised by Anantara and a farewell dinner at a Chinese restaurant.

For Singaporeans considering the move, his advice emphasises preparation over spontaneity. Visit multiple times, he suggested. Familiarise yourself with the local culture, establish contacts and, most importantly, learn basic Thai to communicate with locals. Only then, Loh advised, will you feel at ease pursuing whatever interests you choose.

His life exemplifies a third way – neither fully relocated nor merely visiting, but genuinely inhabiting both spaces through friendship, investment and purpose.

A DESIGNER’S THOUGHTFUL MOVE

At 30, architectural designer Wai, as he wishes to be known, represents Chiang Mai’s newest wave: younger professionals with remote work arrangements who are shaping their lives around access to nature and craft rather than proximity to offices and shopping districts.

“Our last trip was specifically to scout potential places to live,” Wai explained. “We were pleasantly surprised by the kinds of spaces available – lovely listings with large gardens, many thoughtfully designed by their owners.”

For Wai and his wife, the decision to move has been anything but impulsive. They sat with the idea for two years before taking concrete steps – a timeline that reflects both the magnitude of the decision and what Wai has learned about himself. “It takes quite a bit of back and forth for me to break out of routine or step outside what I'm comfortable with.”

Their attraction to Chiang Mai rests on foundations both practical and philosophical. The usual reassurances were present during their first adult visit in December 2023 – friendly people, safety, easy communication. But what sealed their interest was proximity to nature: in less than 30 minutes, you can be in the mountains.

Lower daily costs than in Singapore played a part, especially for housing. During property viewings, they were excited by the space and greenery available at relatively affordable prices. But Wai’s calculus extends beyond economics.

“Hiking in nature and making, learning, and buying crafts, are high on my list of things that make me happy, and Chiang Mai seems abundant in both areas,” he said. “My definition of success at this point in my life is to have access to them and be able to do them with ease.”

The couple moved earlier this year, renting a newly refurbished traditional house in Mueang with two bedrooms and a garden. Wai is on a DTV (Destination Thailand Visa) for remote work and will shuttle back to Singapore regularly for meetings, easing the transition. Still, practical anxieties remain, particularly around relocating their dog – there are no direct flights that allow dogs in the cabin or as checked baggage.

Wai and his wife visited Chiang Mai during the cooler months, which he acknowledged likely influenced their positive impression. Now he is waiting to experience the warmer, smoggier months before fully committing. It’s a measured approach – testing rather than leaping – that characterises his generation’s relationship with major life changes.

What he is most excited about is simple: taking long drives through nature, exploring new trails, the kind of spontaneous weekend activities that Singapore’s size and density make difficult.

WHY CHIANG MAI ATTRACTS

These three stories, spanning generations, circumstances and levels of commitment, reveal common threads. Chiang Mai offers not an escape from Singapore, but an alternative: a place where different values shape daily life. For Lim, it’s community impact and happiness over financial accumulation. For Loh, it’s friendship and philanthropy enabled by life between two worlds. For Wai, it’s access to nature and craft as signs of a more meaningful life.

The city itself enables these varied approaches. With the infrastructure of a major urban centre – an international airport, hospitals, universities and shopping – Chiang Mai still maintains what residents describe as a village-like atmosphere, particularly in the historic Old Town. International schools reportedly outnumber those in Bangkok. Medical care in the compact city centre matches Singapore’s standards. And crucially for retirees and remote workers, visa and residency programmes accommodate long-term stays.

Yet Chiang Mai isn’t static. The city offers neighbourhoods suited to different lifestyles. Areas like Nimmanhaemin are popular with younger expats and digital nomads thanks to trendy cafes, co-working spaces and upscale apartments. Families and retirees often gravitate toward quieter districts like Mae Hia, which offer spacious homes and access to international schools and hospitals. A newly announced international airport also signals growth.

For Singaporeans specifically, the pull seems to intensify because of what they’re leaving behind. The financial success Lim describes, the efficiency Loh briefly escapes, and the routines Wai is changing aren’t failures of Singapore, but features of a city optimised for certain definitions of prosperity. Chiang Mai simply offers an alternative – one that prioritises different variables.

Whether that alternative suits you requires more than research. For those considering a long-stay exploratory visit without committing to permanent residence, InterContinental Chiang Mai The Mae Ping near the Old Town could be an option. Guests can choose accommodation suited to extended visits while immersing themselves in the region’s traditions and a range of local and international dining options.

Bijayasinee Sirivisutra, the hotel’s cultural ambassador, aims to connect guests more deeply with Chiang Mai’s artistic and cultural life. Born and raised in Chiang Mai, she curates immersive Lanna heritage experiences for guests. “With its unique location next to a 600‑year‑old stupa and steps from UNESCO-recognised treasures, InterContinental Chiang Mai The Mae Ping could be described as a living museum,” Sirivisutra added.

As Lim discovered, Chiang Mai has a way of choosing its residents as much as they choose it – but only if you’re open to being chosen.