Hi, I'd go to Luang Prabang. I was there 3 months ago. There was not much in Chiang Rai in the 80's. Chiang Mai was nicer then too. Was in Chiang Mai in 2002 and 3 months ago, and more polluted now. It's still nice. I spent 3 nights in LP. It was like Thailand 30 years ago. Right on the Mekong. Mylaohome was $25.00 There are much cheaper on the same street. I'd go back there.

Choose one or the other in 14 days you don't have time for both. Personally i don't like travelling with tour groups, you are stuck on their schedule, and maybe stuck with people you don't like. But that is me and I am not you. A lot of group travel is also too quick and you see a lot of but don't really see much at all!

Why do you need see more than one country? Thailand offers lots of differing scenery and cultures. A classic first time visit could be Chiang Mai, 1 or 2 islands and Bangkok.

Okay, first off, and I think you are aware of this, the retirement visa will cost each of you either bt800,000 in the bank for at least 3 months, or bt65,000 a month income, or a mixture of both, and you both must be over 50 years old. You will need a permanent address, and meet the same requirements to extend the visas every year.

Now something you seriously want to be aware of in Chiang Mai from about the end of December until about April, is the severe bad air quality from smoke, both from burning off fields, and forest fires, not just from Thailand, but also from Laos, and Myanmar. It gets so bad that planes are grounded, and older people do die. If you have any respiratory problems at all you want to be fully aware of this, and it has not gotten better over the years.

Other than that, you can comfortably live most anywhere in Thailand on that monthly income, and most likely increase your savings each month.

You can get a new Honda motorbike for about bt50,000, and a good used one for about half that. If you choose to buy one, and even renting one, get a 125cc, not the bigger 150PCX, as they can not move through the stopped traffic as well, and it is a bitch getting stuck in traffic on a hot day.

Where you chose to live can be important, as there is flooding and mudslides in Chiang Mai during the rainy season, and not always in the same place, but places that haven't had flooding in 10 years most likely never will.

Finding regular girlfriends, if you are not married, is much cheaper than playing the field in the bars, and learning to speak good Thai makes a big difference everywhere. It can save you lots of money. It is worth it taking formal language classes.

You can find nice good girls on the free Thaifriendly website if you so choose. Lots are looking for companionship and long term relations, not money, especially if they are over 35. I found my Thai wife on there, and she is 25 years younger than me, no kids, and a licensed CPA.

Chiang Mai much better than Saigon for kids, as already mentioned there easy flights to beaches if you want some relaxing time as well. Saigon is more chaotic than Bangkok for example.

It can be bad in Chiang Mai and some other places in March,but its not all the time and not all of the north.Even in Chiang Mai it might be really smoky,hazy or may be pretty much normal,depending on wind,weather etc.

There is no need to set it in stone..you could decide when you are in Thailand (and monitor the weather or ask on here at the time).Or just go to CM,see how it is and if its bad,move on to somewhere else....

I agree with Westwood about leaving Bangkok IF you are going to hit the shops and markets simply so you can shop till you drop or hit your baggage allowance.

I too am of the opinion that you should perhaps drop Chiang rai as there is plenty to do round Chiang Mai

If you decide to stay in Bangkok first I would go to Ayutthaya spend the day there and catch the sleeper from there to CM (you can book this before hand)

having said this basically you plan is sensible so go for it

Hard to say without knowing his idiosyncracies or taste. For me, Chiang Mai is almost all about the food, so the perfect birthday for me would be "we get to eat at whatever street stalls or small local places I want all day long." We'd have a khao soi lunch, we'd have khanom jeen nam ngiaw. Ooh, and if someone really loved me he'd figure out how to snag us one of those candellit tables at evening at Warorot market (all things grilled pork, but the tables fill up fast).

For people less obsessed with pork in Thailand, some other nice things you could do would be a family massage. My 5 yo enjoyed massages in Thailand too (fell asleep), and Thais are super sweet with kids. So definitely massages for all of you!

I'd say a birthday drink at a nice-ish or riverside bar at sunset would be pleasant too.

And personally, someone giving me 2 hours of kid-free time to wander the streets alone would be ideal too!