Hello, I'm Shayne
I've lived in Chiang Mai for 16 years, and 13 of those have been spent volunteering, mostly answering the same questions over and over from people trying to figure this place out. Where to live. Which visa actually fits. How to get a licence plate sorted without wasting a day. Where the best buffet is on a Tuesday. This site is just those answers, written down properly so I'm not retyping them for the hundredth time.
I've worked for three foundations in Thailand: teaching English, helping up to 170 volunteers get their visas sorted, and now coordinating Hope Connections Foundation, supporting schools and community development across Chiang Mai. I started Chiang Mai Clean City and Chiang Mai Safe City. I admin around ten Chiang Mai Facebook groups, promote the Red Cross Blood Bank, help small businesses and community groups, and have lectured at CMU. Most of what I actually do never gets counted anywhere: answering a message at 11pm, connecting two people who needed to meet, picking up trash on a walk, telling a friend in a higher place about a problem they can fix. I said yes once, and I've kept saying yes for 16 years.
I love helping people. That's really the whole thing. Not because I'm chasing a following or building a brand, but because I remember exactly what it felt like to land here knowing nobody and nothing, and I don't see why anyone else should have to figure it out the hard way when I already did. My life has never been about money, which is handy, because I don't have much. I have what I need, and in Thailand I need a lot less.
Every guide on this site exists because someone asked me the question first. Every price is real. Every warning is earned. Every recommendation comes from actually being here, not from a listicle. If something's out of date or wrong, tell me and I'll fix it. That's the standard I hold this whole site to: not perfect, just honest and current, because that's what actually helps someone standing at immigration or trying to pick a neighbourhood.
Feel free to make suggestions to make this a better place for people to find out about Chiang Mai. Start by liking my Facebook page, joining the best Chiang Mai Facebook groups, or connecting through Chiang Mai Social groups. You'll find me at most of the good events around town too, keep an eye on the Chiang Mai Events Facebook Group, and post your own event there if you're running one.
This page is a springboard. Look around, ask a question, and let's get you sorted.
