Best place to live in Chiang Mai ?

[b]Dear Olivier & Lydie,

The best place in Chiang Mai for building the home is the area next to Four Season Hotel fourseasons.com/chiangmai/ There are some vacant land for sale cheaply at 2,500 Thai Baht per square meters. It is the land from direct owner. From here you can get to the Golf Course calls Green Valley. It is 15 minutes to PTIS, top class International School, 15 minutes to the hospital and 20 minutes to the city center.

This land is surrounded by houses of educated people including the Owner of Mandarin Oriental Hotel Chiang Mai and the GM of Four Season.

Do you have plan to visit Chiang Mai in the near future? That may be a good idea to have a look and consult with the architect.

Should you have any other questions, please feel free to contact me at [moderated: no free ads!]

Boong

Je suis dans votre cas, golfeur et desirant m'installer a Chiang Mai. Avez-vous d'autres infos depuis janvier ?

Then Chiang Mai is the best place for you as the golfer.

Welcome on board esery

Can you please post in English in this Anglophone forum. For french interaction, please use the French version of the site.

Regards

First rule of Thailand:

NEVER tell anybody how much money you have.

Please understand that a person out of college, with a 4 year degree, works about 13-14 hours a day, 6 days a week, for about B6500 a month ($200 usd).

When people work all day for 100 baht - 200 baht, they really don't want to hear that 10 dollars (300 baht) is not much money to you.

Next, Chiang Mai has great living environments.  The Area I would recommend for you is near the airport and going from there head to Ban Tavai.  You will love Tavai and road enroute.

Currently, many hotels in Thailand are converting into serviced apartments, but, they were not designed to be serviced apartments, so the rooms may be a bit small.  But the amenities are great.  You should expect to pay a rate of 20-30,000 baht a month including maid service, breakfast, and utilities (phone, TV, Cable, Internet) included.

A "budget" of 700,000 usd for a lifetime? That is a lot.  Budget about 1,000-1,500 usd a month for thailand. This is quite comfortable.

Any real property that you purchase will be difficult to sell later, so don't be too eager to buy. You can rent.

Renting in Thailand has many avenues. The best way to rent is to ask around and learn the prices.  Thai's will try to milk you at first, it's fun for them.  rent, and if you want to buy, ask around.  The other thing you should do is get a law office to help you, answer questions, and advise you.  Hiring an attorney out the door is a good idea, and will save you a great deal of money and mistakes later.

Oh, in Thailand, foreigners cannot own land.  The exceptions are limited to what I explain below:

1. Americans only have an Amity Agreement, which allows us to own corporations in our name.   The corporations can own Land.

2. Royal gifts and decrees, such as BNH Hospital in Chiang Mai is a royal decreed land ownership to foreigners.  Since the King is above the laws, and they honor past kings decrees, land has been given in Thai History to foreign ownership.  This can be.

3.  According to Thai Law, if you marry a Thai woman, and she owns land her name, which has been acquired by her own money, no tricky money, but HER money, she can bequeath the money to you in her will, and you can own the land in your own name for the children you two had.  This is Thai Law, but the LTO doesn't cooperate and it's never been done, to anybody's knowledge.

4.  You can own a condo in your name, but only if the total ownership is greater than 50% Thai ownership.  So, if it is now, or will be later, an expat owned building, you might have problems.

5.  Renting is possible, but if you sign a contract with a Thai for 30 years, and they need money, they can transfer the paper to another person, who can void your contract with the first person in order to protect their financial interests.

6.  You will need to be fluent in written and oral Thai to get Thai Citizenship, and go through a process which is not easy or guaranteed to succeed.

7.  You are entitled to own a "house" in Thailand, but it won't include the land upon which it sits.  When something happens, you can always go dismantle your house and take it someplace else (which has been done many times), but the land will remain.  The house itself can be yours.

8.  Renting from a Thai is always a good idea.  You can rent very nice houses in Chiang Mai for 10,000 baht or less, per month.  Don't pay more than 15,000 for even a very big house.  Serviced apartments run expensive.  Also, when it is hot in Thailand, you will want air-conditioning, which means you will live in one room which you can afford to air-condition during the day and probably many nights, so the size and beauty of your home may be a moot issue. Also, water on your property, like fountains and pools will only attract mosquitoes, and may be more of a pain then you imagine.

zafeu wrote:

Hi,

We want to retire in Chiang Mai in few years, coming from France.
Can anyone advice us about the best places around Chiang Mai to build our future home ? Our budget is about 700 000 US$.
We'd like to be close to a golf and a wellknown international school. We like quiet place, but not too much isolated...

Thanks

Olivier & Lydie

In mae rim
Best place to live.

cricri001 wrote:

In mae rim
Best place to live.

I am going back to Thailand soon.  Maybe the first of next month.  I have never lived in, nor toured, Mae Rim. I know not the reason you would recommend Mae Rim.

Please, can you advise, explain, and recommend some places and/or websites to check out.

When I left, I put all of my stuff in storage and came to the USA. I am now shocked at the costs of airfares to return!

cecco wrote:

cricri001 wrote:

In mae rim
Best place to live.

I am going back to Thailand soon.  Maybe the first of next month.  I have never lived in, nor toured, Mae Rim. I know not the reason you would recommend Mae Rim.

Please, can you advise, explain, and recommend some places and/or websites to check out.

When I left, I put all of my stuff in storage and came to the USA. I am now shocked at the costs of airfares to return!

This is place very nice, not far from center, and stadium, golf and many comodities are available.
Very nice and green place.
Zafeu ask for that :

We'd like to be close to a golf and a wellknown international school. We like quiet place, but not too much isolated...

Mae rim is perfect for that.

For website, use www.Google.com and tape word and . I think you have many answers there.

For cost of airfares, you must know that oil prices increases...
Moreover if you buy 3 months before to go in flight, it s cheaper.

have a good day

now, my wife ran away. so I am single. I want to go back, but I have no wife now.  trying to think what and where and bla bla bla.  I am a bit confused, looking for direction and reason to go in a direction.

Dear Boong,
My wife [ from Thailand]4 yr. son and myself are currently living in South Africa and planning to relocate to Thailand year end. My wifes family are farming in Nang Rong but I would like to settle iin Chain Mai.Am rather anxtious regarding any business opportunuties, schooling. housing and general cost of living.I will be very greatful if you could give some advice on anyrelated issues. Take care and hope to hear from you.
Best Regards
erwin...     

Living in Chiang Mai wrote:

[b]Dear Olivier & Lydie,

The best place in Chiang Mai for building the home is the area next to Four Season Hotel fourseasons.com/chiangmai/ There are some vacant land for sale cheaply at 2,500 Thai Baht per square meters. It is the land from direct owner. From here you can get to the Golf Course calls Green Valley. It is 15 minutes to PTIS, top class International School, 15 minutes to the hospital and 20 minutes to the city center.

This land is surrounded by houses of educated people including the Owner of Mandarin Oriental Hotel Chiang Mai and the GM of Four Season.

Do you have plan to visit Chiang Mai in the near future? That may be a good idea to have a look and consult with the architect.

Should you have any other questions, please feel free to contact me at [moderated: no free ads!]

Boong

If you can swing a way to get US Citizenship, u can set up a solely owned corporation in your own name under the Amity Agreement. Applies only to Americans. You might want to use an American Law firm to assist you if you can't get US Citizenship.  Other than that way, even she, won't be considered Thai enough to take title and transfer it to you, which even if she was thai enough the LTO wouldn't honor the Thai Law in the matter (haven't done so yet).

Hello,
   I have lived in Thailand for 10 years. First, I would consider my decision to retire in Thailand carefully.  I have seen many people come, think they like Thailand and end up leaving.  Houses don't sell quickly here so the best advice I have heard - like the stock market - don't invest more than you can afford to lose. 
   You might also not know that you cannot own land in Thailand - so you cannot directly own a house - so a Thai will in some way control your home whatever legal solution you choose. 
   This is a link to a book with some information on house building - paiboonpublishing.com/info/product/how-to-buy-land-and-build-a-house-in-thailand/
   Personally, I am sorry that I ever came to Thailand but now I have commitments that keep me here. I would suggest that you rent for a year before making any decision about living here.
   And a last warning - if I haven't given you to many already - there is an expat club in Thailand - a good way to meet people but please do not trust Allan Hall - a financial adviser who organized the club as a way to recruit clients.  His business practices are at best questionable.
  I hope I have given you some points to consider and research.  By all means come and visit.
Yours
Norman Higginson

Regarding CM Expats: 

This expat club has become a social service (progressive) organization.

This is not really a good place to meet people if you are not a progressive (liberal, communist, socialist) type person.

Pattaya City Expats is in Pattaya where i don't want to go, but the club there is first rate.

Pls check it our for Chiang Mai Friends Group, chiangmaifriends.org

This is a unique integrating group, bringing positive and good hearted foreigners and Thais to be friends. They are doing a lot of projects in cross cultural education and environment.

I want to say something.   I met a girl, several years ago that I loved (love) very much. We were together for 4.5 years.  I thought (think) she is my  wife.  I am bonded to her 100%  Several weeks ago, (Chinese New Year) she got a call at 7pm, and said she was leaving at 7 am.  She left the next day.  She won't talk to me.

I thought we loved each other. Each month I spent my entire retirement income on her, plus savings. At the beginning of our relationship her relatives (14 of them) took all of my retirement savings.

When I asked Thai's to help, I got "you are keneow, she says"  They wanted me to give every day, never ending, no budget.  They thought if I can give 10,000 baht now, i can give it tomorrow too.

No gratitude, no appreciation. I don't speak Thai well. The girl is a Thai National but a Lisu. I tried very hard to get Thais to help me.  The girl's family lied each time they were contacted by 2 of my friends.  I tried to get the Lisu Church to help, and Samuel just hung up the phone on me.  I tried David, a translator and missionary who was raised Lisu, but he won't answer the phone. People said they are afraid of anybody in or from Ban Sow Dang.  I have done a lot over the past 33 years in Thailand, but when it came to losing Ami, the woman I love, nobody would help me.  Nobody would pick up a phone.    Nobody would mediate when we were having problems because she (her family) wanted too much.

I built her a beautiful home here in the states, thinking I'd bring her here, but now, she won't even answer the phone.  I am depressed beyond belief.

I just don't trust Thai's anymore.  I have done a LOT for Thailand, for Thai's, Thai-yai, and Thai-nationals over the years.

But the time in my life when I need help, I have no friends, and can find no help.

I moved my stuff from my apartment and am storing it at a friend's business (American friend).

I am thinking of never going back to Thailand. I have a ticket to go back next month.  But without my wife, without reconciliation, without translation help, without help, I can do nothing.

I don't know what to do with my stuff either, if I don't return.  But at this point, I resent giving anything to the Thai.  I really needed help regarding this woman I love so much, and NO THAI, or Thai national tribes person would help me.

The girl is Ban Sow Dang Lisu.

I cry myself to sleep every night.

I had a great attitude about Thailand until now. But now, everything in my heart had changed.  I am really really disappointed in how Thai's come to help me when I NEED help!

I am sorry to write this, but a group isn't going to do it for me.  I don't want a divorce!

Dear all,

Thank you for your answers and advices.

I'm sorry for what happened to you, cecco. I guess it happened to many farangs in Thailand. Farangs are opportunities for many Thai girls to change their life and their family's one. why would they not take it ? I happens in many poor or emerging countries in Africa, South America, Russia, and so on... That's not typically Thai. However, I'm convicted that many Thai people are true and honests, although they are generally wellknown as easy lier. My wife and I met already some Thai persons of that kind there, with whom we're totally confident. Maybe we're lucky... I strongly hope that you'll meet soon a new lady who deserves your kindness and who makes you believe in a nice future.

Thank you Kuhn Boong for the great opportunity you made us find in Mae Rim. This development, located just in front of the Four Season Resort, is exactly the place we want to live 6 or 7 months a year when we're retired. We're sure we'll have happy time with the Thai and expats community of "Chiang Mai Friends"...

Once more, thank you to all of you. I beg your pardon for my bad english...

Best regards,

Olivier

Zafeu:

If I understand you correctly, I think you are taking about the Azaya project. If you haven't made a final decision, I may have some other options you might want to consider.

[Moderated: No free ad on the forum]

Thanks to you too ka Khun Lydie and Olivier. See you in AUG.

Hi Cliff,
I have got your note, thanks. Will keep you update on Chiang Mai Friends email.

Dear Neil,
See you at Chiang Mai Friends Group meeting ka.

Regarding living in Chiang Mai. As I am running the integrating group, we are doing our best in promoting better understanding amongst Expats and Thais. We found the cross cultural education is the best way. We learn from each others. We get through the cultural conflicts and doing lots of constructive activities.
So come and join with us ka.

All the best to you.
Boong.

Hi Neil

Thank you, but the deal is already completed...
I'm not sure the name of the development is this one. Anyway, Boong will tell you the place.
If you have google earth, go to 18 54 50 N, 98 55 29 E to find the land.

Yes she did. It's Baan Rimtai Saitarn and one of the best site plans and unquestionably the best neighborhood in all of Chiang Mai. The developer is a well-known Thai Architect and built many of the houses there. I too live in Mae Rim because I believe its the best location in Chiang Mai.

Chiang Mai had a boom in golf courses a few years back and there are now at least 10 within a 45 minute drive of your location. Green Valley is 5 min; Lanna is about 10 min and Mae Jo - my favorite - it about 15 min. Sunday Brunch buffet at the 4 Seasons ain't bad either.

As Boong may have already told you or as you can see at my profile, I'd be happy to be of help with your plans to build a house.

So Khun Niel and Khun Olivier ka,

Our party will be a big one, right, as we have so many good friends living there. Khun Nui and Chairat from Tita Gallery and Wawee Coffee are also very good neighbor. Khun Vippy leaves 5 kilometers from there, in a very nice contemporary Ayothaya-Lanna House.

I will go to visit you often in Mae Rim.

Hi all, Suthep area is great...cheap accom,laid back, but lively. And its on the side of a magical mountain Lots of trees, cafes, sidewalk food stalls, and is close to the old city and Airport. Thumbs up.

Yud wrote:

Welcome on board esery

Can you please post in English in this Anglophone forum. For french interaction, please use the French version of the site.

Regards

The message from Esery, using 'Google Translate' is, more or less:

'I am in your case, and golfer wishing settle in Chiang Mai. Have you any other info since January?'

http://translate.google.com/?hl=en&tab=wT#fr|en|

I find this very helpful in translating Thai to English, and vice-versa.


jon,
Chiang Mai

cecco wrote:

Regarding CM Expats: 

This expat club has become a social service (progressive) organization.

This is not really a good place to meet people if you are not a progressive (liberal, communist, socialist) type person.

Pattaya City Expats is in Pattaya where i don't want to go, but the club there is first rate.

***
From my experience, the 'Chiang Mai Expats Club' is a great way to meet fellow falangs (foreigners); both those who live in Chiang Mai, and those visiting Chiang Mai who are thinking about relocating to the city.

chiangmaiexpatsclub.com/

***

note: There are always Vietnam vets at the meetings, who generally are not known to be (liberal, communist, socialist) type people.

Politics are SELDOM discussed at the meetings.

full-disclosure: and yes, I am one of those 'commie-pinko' types.

:-)

The best place to retire is Sankamphaeng.
Especially when they start to built the CNXWood Studios which planning is lamentably behind due to the economic crisis I guess?
There are also rumors about a new International Airport near Ban Thi and they are building a huge new luxurious superstore near the Big C. Also they are doubling the road to Sankamphaeng.