CHIANG MAI — Early retiree Arinjay Jain arrived in Chiang Mai in February 2024 after deciding to leave Singapore and relocate to Thailand. The former IT professional holds a retirement visa and has established himself in a one-bedroom condominium near the Nimman neighborhood.

Jain visited Chiang Mai for five days in April 2023. "I landed here in the worst possible time, but I still loved it," he said, referring to February being the start of the burning season when farmers burn agricultural waste to clear their fields, often causing haze to drift into the city.

Soon after his April 2023 visit, he began researching retirement visas and living costs in Southeast Asia. By October 2023, when his lease was up for renewal, he decided not to stay in Singapore. After spending a couple of months visiting family and traveling around Asia, he arrived in Chiang Mai in February 2024.

He connected with a real estate agent through Facebook and viewed several condominium units before choosing his one-bedroom condo near Nimman, a neighborhood known for its café scene, boutiques, and international restaurants. He pays 14,000 Thai baht per month for his apartment, equivalent to about $425. His apartment building includes a pool and a gym.

Jain says he tries to keep his monthly expenses between 40,000 and 45,000 Thai baht, with expenses reaching around 60,000 Thai baht in months when he travels. "For a lot of people from Western countries, the cost of living is a major attraction. For somebody from India, it's two or three times what I spent back home," he said.

Jain starts most mornings at the gym, then prepares breakfast at home and does household chores. Some afternoons, he plays golf at a nearby driving range. On other days, he joins a hiking group and explores waterfalls and trails around Chiang Mai. In the evenings, he goes for walks on the Chiang Mai University campus. Jain occasionally joins activity groups to stay social.

Integration with local communities has been challenging for him due to the language barrier. "But ideally, what I would like to do is become part of the local communities. That takes time, and the effort has to come from my side in terms of learning the language, but it's not easy," he said.

According to civil registration data, 163,036 foreigners lived in Chiang Mai province in 2024. That number represents about 9% of the province's roughly 1.8 million residents in 2024. Thailand offers several long-stay visa options.

He expects to stay in Chiang Mai for the foreseeable future but acknowledges that visa rules can change and that early retirees need to plan for several decades given increasing life expectancy. "I have to plan for like 35 to 40 years," he said.