Accommodation in Chiang Mai

CircadianRhythm wrote:

Hi everybody,

Please excuse the newbie nature of my post, I am just seeking some general guidance and will be thankful for any you can provide.

I am looking to be in CM from May 2015 for a period of 2 and a half months.  I will be travelling alone, so my first challenge will be meeting like-minded adventurers (I will be working during my time there too).

I've had a think about my budget and think 12,000 Baht/month is reasonable for a furnished room/studio that is centrally located.  The main things I'm looking for is easy access to Wifi and, if not in town, then with good transport links nearby.  After reading plenty of stories online, I don't think I'll be hiring a scooter!  I'd also like a small kitchenette if possible, and would definitely appreciate aircon as I'll be there over the summer months.

My main question is - how many of you were in a similar situation, and what did you do?  I've thought about booking a hotel for 5 nights and then looking when I get over there, would that be advisable?  What are my chances of securing a condo for 2.5 months?  Can I house share?

Thanks in advance - ANY advice, positive or otherwise, is welcome

Welcome to EB...  

I suggest that you Google search for accommodation like guesthouses or cheaper hotels. Just type in cheap accommodation chiang mai into your search engine and see what comes up. Hotels and guesthouses often have wifi and you can bargain with them for a lower rate for a long term stay. A condo may want longer term rental and not include power water gas etc. 
Check out this site to give you an insight into cost of living numbeo.com

CircadianRhythm wrote:

Hi everybody,

Please excuse the newbie nature of my post, I am just seeking some general guidance and will be thankful for any you can provide.

I am looking to be in CM from May 2015 for a period of 2 and a half months.  I will be travelling alone, so my first challenge will be meeting like-minded adventurers (I will be working during my time there too).

I've had a think about my budget and think 12,000 Baht/month is reasonable for a furnished room/studio that is centrally located.  The main things I'm looking for is easy access to Wifi and, if not in town, then with good transport links nearby.  After reading plenty of stories online, I don't think I'll be hiring a scooter!  I'd also like a small kitchenette if possible, and would definitely appreciate aircon as I'll be there over the summer months.

My main question is - how many of you were in a similar situation, and what did you do?  I've thought about booking a hotel for 5 nights and then looking when I get over there, would that be advisable?  What are my chances of securing a condo for 2.5 months?  Can I house share?

Thanks in advance - ANY advice, positive or otherwise, is welcome

Agree with Stumpy, short term rental is likely to blow your budget if you can find a place.
Extended stays at guest houses can be very good value, most owners will come up with a discounted monthly rate.
Yes aircon would be useful as you plan to be here in the hotter months and no don't hire a scooter or motorcycle-sadly they turn out to be death traps for many here.

Hi,
Welcome in Chiang Mai.
As you have read certainly, most of rental period in Thailand are for 12 months minimum and price shown which is low exclude everything ( no utilities, no internet, no phone, no mooban fees, no sat TV... ), you can find some exceptions with 6 months rental minimum for condo, but estate agency will not do less. In all the cases 2 months deposit is required.

Now as your request is for 2.5 months, you need more to look to private landlord renting their property, or for guest house, or for holidays rental, or serviced appartment but price will go up quickly if everything is including inside and also cleaning, and bed linen, etc...

To give an idea for example a studio 30sqm you can rent 4000 THB per month for long term rental ( all extras excluded ), will cost you per day 700 THB but with everything incuded ( like in hotel !! ) and this is a real case available on internet as I check daily many websites !!

You can check housing section here to see what is available in Chiang Mai as well as others website, some ads are in english some others are in Thai ( you will not need help to translate as most of search engine do it buit you will have difficulty to call and chat in Thai if you are not fluent ), some others websites propose also holidays rental, and you can check serviced appartment.

Another case I have just check is a serviced appartment close to CNX airport ( I will not give the name as I am not doing advertising ) :  a studio 30sqm is 6,900 THB per month but this include only cleaning 1 time per month and the same studio they propose it for 11,900 THB per month with the following difference ( Free Cleaning everyday and change the sheets, pillowcase, towel 2 times/week )... And there are many others terms and conditions listed like : 1 month rent paid in advance, 2 month security deposit. (If payment by credit card 3% Fees)
    • Electricity 8 Baht per unit, Water minimum rate 150 Baht, Hot water 70 Baht  per unit. Because residential building use wind turbine and solar energy. Water instead of hot water heater, thereby saving energy and safety to users.
    • 6 months up contract discount 10% increase.
    • Free cable TV.
    • Free wireless internet 1 point /Room per month for more charge 450Baht/point/month.

You can think as this will give you concrete and good idea as these informations are just extracted from internet

Regarding transportation, Public transport is cheap, a car can cost you a lot monthly to rent.

Best of Luck

Wow, thanks for all the helpful tips everyone!  This is all food for thought and will get me going

A ditto for everything mentioned so far by others. Unless you have lots of experience riding a motorcycle/scooter in your home country, don't rent one here. If I hadn't had 60-70,000 km of motorcycle touring in North America and China under my belt before I moved here, I wouldn't have thought of buying or renting a scooter here. We just had friends who visited and rented a scooter for one day so we could show them some of the sites outside of town. Against my recommendation, they went ahead the next day and rented a larger motorcycle to take off on their own up Doi Inthanon. They were both in the hospital by the end of the day.

It is possible to find short-term rentals if you check out some of the real estate sites but by the time you add in all the extras, you are probably better off staying in a guesthouse where everything is included.

I would recommend you pick up a couple of cards from English speaking songtaow drivers so you can call if you need to be picked up or dropped off in a more out-of-the-way location. It is easy to get around the city but more difficult once you get into the outlying areas.

Hi names Gary I arived a few weeks ago stayed at the new miter pap  hotel booked with agoda got good room for 380 baht a night now rented house for a year outside City bought a auto scooter and yes I agree it's dangerous out there but just go with the flow expect the unexpected and you will be ok let me know if there's anything else you want to know Gary

Hey everyone,

I found this for 16,000 Baht per month: chiangmaiapartmentrental.com/p355.html

It's next to the Holiday Inn on Chiang Mai-Lamphun Road.  Is this close to the city and will I be able to get a Tuk Tuk or Songthaew quite easily?

My other question is about gyms...do you know of any in the area?

Thanks in advance!

Good to hear you have found what you were looking for. I have check the website and did not see anything about pricing and terms and conditions.
Check carefully the contract, payment conditions, deposits, refund, what is included, what is excluded, small font, etc..and also exactly which condo number and characteristics.
If you are not sure about the location or hesitate between 2 differents condos, it will be better to stay 1 week in hotel or guest house and make some viewing once here before to sign or pay anythings.
Good luck

CircadianRhythm wrote:

my first challenge will be meeting like-minded adventurers.

....if not in town, then with good transport links nearby.  After reading plenty of stories online, I don't think I'll be hiring a scooter!....would definitely appreciate aircon as I'll be there over the summer months.

My main question is - how many of you were in a similar situation....ANY advice, positive or otherwise, is welcome.

I think your "first challenge" may be the weather.  Technically, you'll be in Chiang Mai during the "rainy" season, but summer there is the highest-humidity season and don't expect any rains to cool you off significantly.

I WAS in a similar situation once -- of the many trips I made to Chiang Mai between 1999 and 2010, one was in the summertime (all of July and August) -- and I learned this:

Summer conditions in Chiang Mai are worse than Bangkok.  At least Bangkok has plentiful air-conditioned taxis and a SkyTrain that has AC.

Forget about "transport links" living out of town -- most folks were getting around the province in non-AC tuk-tuks and non-AC tsongtaews or on "motos."

If you somehow can swing a private vehicle with driver and AC, that would be best.

But figure that from about 8 a.m. to nightfall, it's going to be so hot and humid all day, that a gentle three-minute walk will have you schvitzing heavily.

I'd live in a way that you don't have to commute to work...keep out of the sun...consider using an umbrella for shade just walking around, as some of the locals do...get access to a swimming pool (not hard)...and drink lots of liquids.

Don't succumb to the temptation to get a "scooter" or "moto."  You'll see whole families riding on the back of one...but for a visiting Kiwi, it's just too dangerous.

One thing you won't worry about is having air-conditioning in your living space.  Any decent landlord or guest-house will have plenty of AC for the Chiang Mai summer.  To do less would be cruel.

Eventually, I moved to a city where it's a comfortable 68 degrees Fahrenheit for the daily high, 12 months a year.

cccmedia in Quito, Ecuador

What about a petsitting position?  In someones home or apt.

hi! maybe i can help .i will have by May a  condo on 7th floor 3bedroom bathroom new kitchen balcony with bbq,.corner view magnificent views .2 aircons all appliances.fully furnished.10mbps a  full security condo.12 minutes from city on straight main road.Asking 10500bt plus electricity at 4.5   hope this helps Mal.. [email protected]

The condo you are talking about is located in Riverside Condominiums right on the Ping River. It is a very popular complex with expats but a little distant from the main part of town. I am not sure if there are any gyms nearby or not.  Because it is so popular, I'm sure getting a songtaow or tuktuk would probably not be a problem. It would cost about 20baht to get to Thapae Gate by Songtaow.

Hello somo.mal,

Please do post your ad in the right section Housing in Chiang Mai.

Thank you,

Marjorie

The condominium i refer to is the Orchid Place Condominium situated on 118 Chiangmai -Chiangrai highway 5 km from the new large Central Festival Shopping Centre
ther is gym and  pool nearby and plenty of transport available.

Hi. You can contact khun Tum for a house share. Try line id. Audrey3103 for more details

I have condo    a studio near jed yod, brand new when i got it.  Free wifi, free cable 8,000 baht per month.  I love it tesco lotus express close    7-11 close   and good food just outside my door.   MY building have good security and easy parking,

You can try Galae Thong Condominiums, chang Klang Road, see if some of the owners would do a 3 month lease.  Each unit is individually owned and their decor various greatly and so do rates and owner's rental policies.  Its conveniently located off a main street and close enough to the Night Bazaar, you can walk there in half an hour or can take. I stayed there 2 years ago for half a year in a newly decorated and furnished studio with a kitchenette and paid only around Baht7500 a month.  Restaurant at the lobby has excellent food, laundry service.  Search on line for their contact information and Skype them.  Good luck!.

Lenny