We didn’t want to come to Chiang Mai because of all of the digital nomads. We were idiots.

Anyone who follows the phenomenon of nomading knows that there are certain “hotspots” around the world that are incredibly popular with nomads and long-term travelers: Mexico City, Mexico; Lisbon, Portugal; Medellín, Colombia; Bali, Indonesia; Bansko, Bulgaria; and Tbilisi, Georgia.

But the One Ring to Rule Them All? Chiang Mai, Thailand, which is probably the world’s most well-known nomad destination.

Which is exactly why Michael and I never wanted to come here. All those nomads? We didn’t leave America to travel the world just to hang out with people exactly like ourselves. And didn’t the whole city exist just to cater to these people? That didn’t seem like a very authentic “Thai” experience.

The thing is, we finally came to Chiang Mai, and we absolutely love it.

Chiang Mai, a city in northern Thailand, is a strange beast. It’s larger than we thought — more than a million people in the greater area.

But it has a very small town feel, especially in the central “Old City” area, which is almost entirely surrounded by an ancient moat and, often, the remnants of crumbling city walls.

And boy, this city really is full of tourists, expats, and, yup, nomads.

Shorter-term travelers often stay in the Old City area — and since it’s low season, we opted to stay here too.

Longer-term expats and nomads tend to live in the Nimman neighborhood. Meanwhile, expats and immigrants from other parts of the world have their own neighborhoods.

Indeed, prior to Covid, this city was experiencing a serious “overtourism” problem. The place really was overrun with foreigners, and the locals were exhausted. Meanwhile, many tourists and most nomads come from countries wealthier than Thailand, and that income disparity can make visitors act entitled. Some locals were understandably resentful.

That said, tourism has also made Chiang Mai very prosperous, the envy of surrounding Thai towns. And Covid reset the whole tourism industry, taming the unpleasant crowds, at least for the time being.

As a result, the city is now both charming and manageable — a relief for me after the fantastic but overwhelming chaos of Bangkok.

Chiang Mai is flat and walkable — although, like much of Asia, the sidewalks usually leave something to be desired.

The Old City area is mostly boutique hotels and guest…