For any prospective new building in Chiang Mai, its precise whereabouts and height are, under normal circumstances, subject to rigorous town planning regulations. So when acclaimed Thai property developer Supalai lobbied the city municipality for permission to construct a Bangkok scale condominium right next to –and directly overlooking- the Chiang Mai District Court, most of us naturally assumed the local authority’s verdict would be anything but favourable. Indeed the developer itself, the fourth largest real estate concern in the country and recipient of numerous awards, was similarly as unconvinced but recognising the potential for future economic growth in the area, preemptively acquired a second plot of land nearby to which to re-locate their high-end high-rise project. Yet to the utter disbelief of nearly everyone, their application to debut Supalai Monte @ Viang Chiang Mai condo on the original site was approved! Promising an unprecedented living experience, Supalai Monte @ Viang Chiang Mai conceptualises an agreeable synergy of enduring Lanna [Northern Thai] cultural design characteristics with 21^st century architectural style enhanced by modern-day sophistications and energy-saving technologies.

  Shrewdly publicised by the far-sighted Supalai corporation as a “Location for today and tomorrow”, Supalai Monte @ Viang Chiang Mai now stands in the midst of the hottest developer’s playground in Chiang Mai in an area which, four years on, has indeed become a burgeoning hub of commercial activity. For travel within the city and beyond, the condo is conveniently positioned right beside the multi-lane Super Highway and a mere stone’s throw from Terminals 2 and 3 of the sprawling ‘Provincial Arcade Transport Station’; as well as a throng of white city buses, red songthaew, tuk tuk, licensed private cabs and motorcycle taxis operating local routes and shared minivans bound for neighbouring Mae Hong Son, long-distance public buses collectively serve a myriad towns and cities throughout Northern Thailand, the Central provinces, the Northeastern (Isaan) region along with Bangkok, Hua Hin, Phuket and even as far as Luang Prabang in Laos. Flanking bus terminal 3 is the delightful Star Avenue Lifestyle Mall sheltering a multitude of international restaurants as well as an outlet of Chiang Mai’s very own –and perennial favourite among foreign expats- Rimping Grocery. Scarcely any less geographically opportune, Supalai Monte @ Viang Chiang Mai is but a five minute stroll away from CentralFestival; arguably Chiang Mai’s largest shopping centre, the ultra-modern mall features more than 300 shops and eateries including Central Food Hall (justly claimed to be the finest supermarket in all of Asia), two food courts, a weekly night market, a state-of-the-art cinema with IMAX 3D/4DX, an ice-skating rink and, ideal for those without their own set of wheels, complimentary shuttle buses with daily services from the mall to a variety of destinations throughout Nimman, the ‘Old City’, Chiang Mai Airport and the Night Bazaar. Just as easily reachable from the condo is the popular Chiang Mai Business Park home to DIY store HomePro, furniture retailer Index Living Mall, the upcoming Platinum Fashion Mall and, carrying a vast choice of fresh and frozen foodstuffs, beverages, personal care products, clothing, home appliances, electronic devices and other household goods, the inordinately inexpensive Big C Extra hypermarket. For the biggest bang for your baht, though, a five minute drive further is the Chiang Mai branch of the wholesale giant Makro.

Boasting “amenities to indulge”, residents at Supalai Monte @ Viang Chiang Mai can feel assuredly safe on account of the customary triage of on-site security facilities; specifically, 24-hour uniformed guards on duty at the barriered main entrance, electronic keycard-controlled access to the building and closed circuit TV cameras mounted throughout all common areas of the premises. In addition to almost 160 outdoor car bays around the greenery-adorned periphery of the first floor, covered parking spaces are provided on storeys 2 to 4 sufficient in total for approximately 70% of the residential capacity. Situated ahead of the designated drop-off point are four commercial units leading to the communal lobby hall in which residents can comfortably while away the hours amid an elegantly appointed and airy setting. Catching any of the three passenger lifts (elevators) up to the fifth floor reveals a striking “infinity-edge” saltwater swimming pool with adjacent sun terrace, sauna and well-equipped fitness room. Appreciating the importance of residents staying connected, free wireless internet is distributed in all shared areas of the complex.

With construction of the newly iconic Supalai Monte @ Viang Chiang Mai nearing full completion, the condo is now officially the tallest man-made landmark in Chiang Mai overtaking Floral Condo for dominance of the city skyline and soaring above its peers at a neck-craning -and somewhat controversial- 32 storeys in stature. So those with a head for heights (or else a steady nerve!) will surely hasten to the rooftop of the condo to behold the unparalleled bird’s-eye vistas over the Chiang Mai cityscape and surrounding mountain scenery from the aptly-named Sky Lounge and bordering Sky Garden. Or should the mood take you, unleash your vocal talent while admiring the sweeping elevated outlook from the karaoke-cum-entertainment room!

Occupying 5 rai (0.8 hectares) of prime terrain, the single building incorporates 734 air-conditioned residential units distributed throughout floors 5 to 31 and presented with either a city or a pool view. At the moment, the condo is entirely uninhabited simply for want of furnishing but, in the coming months, units are expected to be chicly and invitingly outfitted to a luxurious specification using carefully selected materials and premium quality fittings. The Cimone studio suites are variously offered in dimensions of 33, 36 or 37.5 sq m and laid out with an open-plan kitchen/living/dining space, 1 bathroom and attached private balcony; each of the 1 bedroom Bianco suites measures 46 sq m but arranged as a combined living/dining area with separate kitchen, 1 bathroom and private balcony; every 2 bedroom Avella suite is sized at 64.5 sq m and configured as a unified living/dining environment with separate kitchen, 1 bathroom and no less than three private terraces; divided equally between the 30^th and 31^st floors, the 36 penthouses exist as 1, 2 and 3 bedroom units from 46 to a generous 122 sq m of liveable space each with open-plan living/dining quarters, separate kitchen, 1 or 2 bathrooms and up to three balconies for the resident’s exclusive use.

Supalai MonteWhile the property was still off-plan and in an atmosphere of fervent anticipation, the pre-sales event for Supalai Monte @ Viang Chiang Mai opened in November 2012 but rather than adopt the standard approach of releasing the full complement of units at the outset, the developer cleverly opted to sell only a limited number of floors at a time then wait several weeks before repeating the process until every single one of the units had been snapped up. As might be expected, a proportion of sales later failed to be finalised whereupon the corresponding condo units were re-presented to the market so, with 32 units currently available to purchase, new customers still have the chance to own a little piece of Chiang Mai’s loftiest edifice!

Worried you won’t have the opportunity to buy any of the remaining units at Supalai Monte @ Viang Chiang Mai? Fear not, Supalai Monte II is already underway on the nearby 4 rai (0.64 hectares) parcel of land appropriated earlier by the developer as its contingency site! Enviably located on the Chiang Mai-Doi Saket Road opposite CentralFestival mall, the single condo building is slowly taking shape with pre-sales launched in December 2014 and a projected completion date of August 2018. Except for supplementing Supalai Monte II with a half-size basketball court at the rear of the property, both Supalai twin towers will be near-identical in all other respects.

Have you purchased one or more units in either Supalai Monte @ Viang Chiang Mai or Supalai Monte II condos? What’s your opinion of the town planning department’s decision to sanction buildings of that height in Chiang Mai? We’d absolutely love to know what you think so please feel free to leave us a comment below!