Living in Chiang Mai
Whether you are thinking about starting a new life in Chiang Mai, have recently moved to the area, or you are an established resident with a burning question that you just can’t seem to find answers to, this section has lots of useful information aimed at make living in Chiang Mai easier.
Practical information covers an array of topics, such as how much your utility bills might cost, finding a plumber, healthcare, contacting the police, hiring a vehicle, local transportation, international schools, and finding work. There are also great posts dedicated to the social and leisure aspects of living in Chiang Mai, including how to meet people, groups for expats, where to take the kids, and Thai language courses, through to more specialist interest articles including cookery classes, massage courses, and being a vegetarian.
There are also some personal accounts where you can read about real situations experienced by people living in Chiang Mai. Some might make you laugh and some might make you cringe, but all will give you a good understanding of life in the northern Thai city.
Make sure you also scroll to the comments section of any post you read; very often there is some very handy supplementary information and opinions submitted by other users – regular citizens of Chiang Mai, just like you!
The articles in this section are a terrific resource for anyone interested in moving to, or already living in, Chiang Mai.
Baan Wang Tan touted back in the day as ‘your home in a far eastern paradise’! Quite apart from the zillions of stand-alone houses and town homes throughout metropolitan Chiang Mai, there are literally hundreds upon hundreds of gated estates.…
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Head west/northwest of Chiang Mai’s Old City and you’ll hit Nimman – at its heart, Nimmanhaemin Road which along with its namesake side streets ranks as the undisputed hipster hub and most westernised spot in town. Not only is the neighbourhood chock-a-block with creative…
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No different to many other cities in developing countries, Chiang Mai suffers the growing pains of pesky plastic waste. In recent years, though, a small but determined band of resistance have been doing their bit in and around town to help reduce,…
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Moving Home in Chiang Mai…made easy! So you’ve just landed yourself a new pad in a different part of Chiang Mai. Maybe you wanted to upgrade or needed to downsize; perhaps you finally took the plunge and bought your very…
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The tenant/landlord dynamic in Thailand isn’t always a happy or pain-free one! Odds are you’ll have heard the horror stories from seemingly model tenants of how they were stiffed out of their security deposit by a shady landlord. Or the…
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Keep hearing that Chiang Mai is the second largest city in Thailand? Read our article to find out the facts! It may have begun life as a “New City” back in the late 13th century, but Chiang Mai didn’t actually…
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The 14 Rules of the Landlord and Tenant Relationship The Landlord/Tenant relationship is one is an adversarial relationship by its very existence. On one hand, if you’re a landlord, your tenants are required to pay you a substantial amount of…
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So what exactly is a yellow house book? Quite simply, it’s a type of government-issued document called a Tabien Baan (literally ‘House Registration’ in Thai) which lists all foreign individuals holding a ‘Temporary Stay’ or a ‘Long Stay’ visa/visa exemption…
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Okay, so Chiang Mai’s shopping centres ain’t quite in the same league as the umpteen megamalls of Bangkok, but there’s still a fair few ultra modern monuments to consumerism in Thailand’s Northern Rose. And they ain’t just places to go for…
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Sure, it was founded over half a century ago under a Royal Charter. Yeah, it was the very first provincial university in Thailand. Okay, it’s the biggest education hub and boasts the largest teaching hospital [Maharaj Nakorn on the Suan Dok medical…
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