LIVING IN CHIANG MAI: HOW TO FIND GOOD, BEAUTIFUL AND CHEAP ACCOMMODATION

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Chiang Mai is a perfect destination to spend long seasons. Not only for its lifestyle, for its cafes, for its offer of restaurants, its interesting surroundings ... if you ride it well in living Chiang Mai it is easy and cheap. And for this the key is to find a good accommodation. There have been several seasons we have spent here (and we will spend), so ...

… Here are some keys to living in Chiang Mai and finding good, beautiful and cheap accommodation

→ VS guesthouse condo. The most recommended option for long periods is to stay in condominiums. The prices are therefore tighter, however much they make you a good price in a guesthouse, it will never be as cheap as renting an apartment in a Condo. Not to mention the comfort of living in a pisito "yours"!

→ What are the Condos? They are new apartment buildings that, in most cases, can be rented seasonally from one month onwards. Many of them have common areas such as gym, pool or laundry, free access for tenants. The apartments or studios are furnished and usually have TV, air conditioning, refrigerator and the largest also kitchen and terrace. They also usually include free Wi-Fi shared with the apartments on the same floor.

→ How much does a month cost in a Condo? It depends on several factors, such as the location, the size of the apartment, the facilities, if it is a very new construction. We visited several and prices ranged from THB 5,000 per month (about € 125) to THB 20,000, the most expensive and pijitos.

→ Are expenses paid separately? Yes, the costs of electricity and water are paid separately. The price is usually 8 THB per unit of electricity and 35 THB per unit of water. Calculate that in total the monthly expenses will be approximately € 25-35. Someone also has to pay a supplement for the use of the facilities (for example in Green Hill the pool is milk but you have to pay THB 1,000 per month to use it).

→ Should we leave a deposit? As a general rule, a deposit of 10,000 THB must be left in cash at the time of making the contract.

→ How much is the minimum stay? It is usually for a month, although there are cases in which it can be found per day. The price if you rent for long duration is usually cheaper, for example a study that costs THB 8,000 per month, it can cost THB 7,000 if you are going to be more than three months and 6,000 if you intend to rent it for more than six months.

→ How is the process of renting an apartment in a condominium? Very simple, the condominiums have a reception that centralizes all the procedures. There you can ask if there are apartments available and prices. They will give you a list of them and you can visit them at that time. If you like it you can stay from that moment, pay the next month in advance and the amount of the deposit. You sign the contract, you keep a copy, they give you the keys and ta-dan you can now live in Chiang Mai! As simple as that!

→ Which areas are the best? The condos are usually in the surroundings of the old area of Chiang Mai, but it doesn't have to be a bad area. For example, the Nimman neighborhood has become very fashionable and is an excellent option to live for a while. Normally the cheapest areas are those that are close to the universities, and usually have a wide range of services such as restaurants, cafes or markets for students who live there.

→ Is it a problem not to live in downtown Chiang Mai? Not at all, sometimes it is even an advantage, because you get out of the tourist wheel and get closer to real Thai life. Ideally, get a motorcycle rental for a good price at a trusted store and have the freedom to go where you want and when you want in 10-15 minutes. Although if you do not dare to get on a motorcycle, do not worry: you will always find songhtaew (red van-taxi) that will take you anywhere you want for 20 baht.

→ So I rent a motorcycle? Where? Who much does it cost? It is the best option to live in Chiang Mai, although there is enough traffic, there are no congestions as big as in Bangkok and it is easy and safe to drive (cars respect and are very used to motorcycles). Prices per month of a 125 scooter are usually between 2,500 and 3,000 THB. We rented a fairly new 125 CC Honda Click for that price at the Chiang Mai Scooter Rental CO store. They are trustworthy. But you can ask in others like Vanessas Motor or Mango Bikes. They respond by Facebook quickly and have good services. Be wary of the businesses that offer you motorcycles for 99 THB a day, record a video of the damage of the motorcycle when you pick it up (in case you try to load the dead one later), never give your original passport, and of course ask for the bill. You will have to leave a deposit, ours was 3,000 THB, which will then be returned if there have been no major problems.

Our recommendation ...

Our recommendation is that you arrive with the reservation of a couple of nights in a hostel, but without having hired any accommodation for a long time (or by Airbnb, which will be more expensive, or directly with owners). If you can have negotiated before and arrange a visit to the apartment, but do not book anything in advance. Once in Chiang Mai rent a motorcycle and kick all the condos you can, visit several areas and focus on the one you like best. Check the price listings, visit the apartments, take note of the services of each condo and finally decide what your house will be next months.

If you are going to be less than a month you can look at the Airbnb option, also if you register with this link you will have € 30 discount on your first reservation.

SOME CONDOS and their prices.

You will see that Chiang Mai is full of condos, so it will not cost you to find alternatives, the difficult thing will be to choose one of them. We visit several and these are the prices of some of them:

GREEN HILL. Several apartment blocks in a fairly quiet area with gardens near Nimman. There is a huge paid pool (THB 1,000 per month), gym and free laundry. It is not too new but not old. The apartments range from THB 8,000 and up.

PROMPT. It is where we stay (although we screw up a little when booking with Airbnb). The building is tiny but new, modern apartments and pool (freeze!) And gym included in the price. It is 200 meters from the MAYA shopping center and very close to Nimman. The 30 square meter apartments cost 13,000THB per month.

PALM SPRING NIMMAN (ARECA). This condo is milk! It is of recent construction, with super cool apartments, a tiny but very nice pool, gym, etc ... It is also in the heart of Nimman. That if the prices are not cheap, from 15,000 THB per month in the smallest studio and 20,000 in the largest.

PHINYOPING. It is on the road to the main university of Chiang Mai (here there are many condos). The area is interesting, with night markets, restaurants, pubs, cafes ... The building is no big deal but the apartments are fine. There is no pool or gym, but the price is very interesting, with apartments from 6,000 THB per month.

DIAMOND RESIDENCE. It is where our friend Moha stayed, he got the number of the owner of the apartments in this building that rents them for days. His room was hotel style, but new and with all the comforts, although the building has no pool or gym. The area is more local, next to a university and with very few tourists, but it is cool. The price of your room is THB 200 per night, there are some larger studios for THB 250. In this area, if you search well you can find extremely cheap things. The contact is Mr Sukit (tlf: 0819931490 / e-mail: [email protected])

Do you have more questions about how find an apartment and live in Chiang Mai? Here we are 🙂

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