House Hunting in Chiang Mai, Thailand
At the beginning of my expat journey, the first obstacle on my mind to hop over was where would I live, how would I live and how long could I live in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Like many unseasoned travelers deciding to live abroad, I did not know where to start. I had no idea what I wanted nor what was available to me or within my means budget wise.
Just for the sake of knowing ahead of time.. You can find a fully furnished small studio in a residential building often including a pool, gym and security for around 8000 baht (220 usd).
If you are looking for a house, you can find modern fully furnished houses in nice gated communities for as low as 16,000 baht (450 USD) or standalone thai houses in local neighborhoods for as low as 6000 baht (170 usd) for a 1 bedroom.
Now how do you go about actually finding them? Good question.. In the states, I would find places by looking through facebook. I knew that Facebook was heavily operated on in Thailand so I decided to give it a look hence my first pro tip:
PRO TIP #1: Check Facebook!
Check for facebook housing groups in the city or country you want to live in always! There are almost always expat groups for your city and they will usually have the names of rental groups there as well if you search or ask the question.
If you are in Chiang Mai, a hot group to get leads from on facebook is “Chiang Mai Rental Properties *UNDER* 10,000 Per Month.”
There are other groups following a similar name format but as an expat looking to save the most money possible, this was my go to and I had a lot of success with it for myself and friends while in Thailand.
If you do not find anything on there or don’t want to spend time combing through endlist listings, feel free to send a message to the people posting their houses on there as they almost always have more to share and can provide specifics as to what you desire.
Another option is to comb through rental listings on facebook marketplace to see photos of the type of houses you could expect around you and their price range and then reach out to the landlords directly for viewing or to see what other listings they have.
PRO TIP #2: Know what you want to pay and then haggle
As with most things in Chiang Mai, I have found you can haggle your monthly rental price too! Once you know what you are looking for is within your budget, it's time to name your price and view the houses.
If you are staying for a longer period of time, you are more likely to get a discounted price. If the house/condo is unfurnished, discounted price. The further away from the city center, the better the discount.
I only lived in 2 places but I was able to talk my first landlord down from 21,000 baht to 17,000 with no problem and this was for a 2 story, 3 bedroom house in a gated community with a full clubhouse only 10 mins from Old City.
PRO TIP #3: Thai houses and what to look for
Thai people are amazingly creative and this extends to their houses! If you love architecture, I highly recommend venturing through the local neighborhoods (Suthep is my favorite) and seeing if you can find any paper ads posted with phone numbers.
This being said since the houses are not often in modern style, there are a few things you might want to look out for..
Not all Thai houses have kitchens, traditional kitchens or even kitchens inside the house. It is very common to come across houses with a wash table and makeshift counters and the like. If you require a full kitchen, make sure to state that before going to look at houses!
Not all Thai houses have aircons and a lot only have aircons only in the master bedroom. It can get extremely hot and humid in Chiang Mai and while a fan blasting the cool air into the living room worked well enough for me, it might be dreadful for you.
Many houses will not have washer/dryer units. In the cases where they don't, there is usually a laundromat nearby where you can wash clothes for around 10-20 baht (.20 cents usd) per load.
Check the windows to ensure you can completely close off your house to the outside world especially during smoke season! The typical setup can be screened or unscreened and will often include a lever to twist when you want to open the window panes… blinds… I have no idea what it’s called. Just make sure it's to your liking! Lol
This all may be sounding great but you may be wondering WHERE to look in Chiang Mai for your housing, what neighborhoods are recommended, etc.
PRO TIP #4: Find the location that works best for you..
No one can tell you the best neighborhood for you and if you have never experienced Thailand before, you might be extra lost in the sauce whe it comes to location.
Below I will detail a few choice areas of Chiang Mai that I know personally and looked into while searching for my perfect home.
Old City is the center of Chiang Mai marked by the moat (wide ditch surrounding the center of the city that is filled with water) and the city wall. It is extremely walkable (in fact if you live here, I wouldn't even bother renting a moped), the most populated (especially with tourists) and the center of all things Chiang Mai. It is also the most expensive area due to its popularity.
Nimman is the second most popular location of Chiang Mai. It’s very walkable, has a variety of foodie spots and cafes and is the hotspot for night life in Chiang Mai. That being said, it can be very loud, busy and can also be an expensive area to live in. It is a short ride/drive from Old City as the only thing that separates the two is the moat.
Suthep is by far my favorite neighborhood in Chiang Mai. It is out of the hustle and bustle of the city but still within a 10-15 minute drive and sits at the bottom of Doi Suthep Mountain. It is a local neighborhood with local pricing, it’s still walkable and has a lot of gems. This is where you are likely to find cool houses, cafes and hangout spots.
Hang Dong is becoming a big spot specifically for families. It is 15-20+ mins outside of the city center and home to a lot of international schools, kids clubs and the like. It also has its fair share of cool cafes and hangout spots and you can find good rentals for the low.
PRO TIP #5: Things to expect
The process of finding a home in Chiang Mai, Thailand can be as easy or as hard as you make it. The more open you are, the better your time will be but that usually can be said for everything in the realm of life.
As for the logistics of renting, it goes over pretty easily. You will usually pay 2-3x rent up front, 3 is what I have seen most of although some will argue that it’s unethical.
I have heard both that you will get your deposit back and that you wont. Double check it with your landlord and cross reference in your contract - MAKE SURE YOU GET A CONTRACT.
Do not haggle unless you are ready to buy upon securing the price that works for you.
Landlords will usually take cash or money can be transferred online if you have a Thai bank.
Water, electricity, sewage are not typically included and electricity can be hiked up at any point due to the government so ask about the typical price and plan for it to possibly double at any given time.
Exercise common sense. Thai people are genuinely nice and honest people but there will always be room for a rotten apple so make sure you have keys when you give over your down payment, detail your house and report any damages if there are any beforehand, etc.
Most of all, ENJOY!!! Feel free to reach out with more questions if you have them and if you’d like to see a “Know B4 You Go” video on Thailand, head over to my youtube channel!
