In Thailand, Chinese mothers who accompany their children while they study there spend money almost every day.
After dropping their kids off in the morning, they rarely head straight back to their apartments. Many have booked their tennis lessons in advance. After a game, they grab lunch nearby before picking up their children in the afternoon.
On days with no fixed plans, they scroll through their phones to see if there are any nearby yoga or Thai cooking classes they can join at the last minute.
After living there for a while, several Chinese mothers have even come up with the “five essentials” of life in Chiang Mai: yoga, Muay Thai, tennis, Thai cooking, and massages.
Those with extra energy even sign up for the same courses as their children. Each session typically costs only a few dozen to just over RMB 100 (about USD 4-20). Even activities such as horse riding and golf, which can be expensive in China, feel surprisingly affordable in Chiang Mai.
On RedNote (Xiaohongshu), many users describe Chiang Mai as a giant adult hobby school — a city where people can reshape their bodies and daily routines without spending much.
Simply put, adults in their 40s get to be students again in Thailand. Even if they suddenly lose interest in a class, the money lost is little more than the cost of a meal in Beijing or Shanghai.
That helps explain why Chinese mothers accompanying their children have become such active consumers in Chiang Mai during the summer. What many of them value is the amount of time local service providers are willing to spend with them.
Tennis coaches take their time correcting your form. Thai cooking instructors work closely with small groups, guiding them from the market all the way into the kitchen.
The Thai government has clearly noticed these long-stay Chinese visitors who are willing to spend gradually over time. Launched in 2024, the Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) is valid for five years, allowing a maximum stay of 180 days per entry.
Apart from remote workers, activities tied to Thailand’s “soft power,” including Muay Thai, Thai cooking courses, and medical services, also qualify applicants for the visa.
The Thai government's thinking is simple: a tourist who stays for three days leaves money at hotels, attractions, and travel agencies.
But someone who lives there for several months needs to rent a place, eat out, work out, see a doctor — and keep looking for new ways to fill their time. Only when it is time to leave do they realize that, added together, the total bill wasn't that cheap after all.
