Expat Advice: Moving to Chang Mai, Thailand
What is the name of the city or town that you are reporting on?
Chang Mai
Name three things that you wish you had brought and three you wish you had left at home.
More pictures of my family including my wedding album, shoes & wine. Shoes for my husband (size 12) are very difficult to find here and wine costs a fortune. I didn't bring anything that I wish I hadn't.
International Moving Quotes
What advice would you give someone preparing to move to your area about the actual move, choosing a neighborhood and finding a home?
Chiang Mai is a beautiful place but we have seen many people get caught up in the dream without really thinking things through. Come here for awhile, get to know the people and not just the people hanging out in the bars and get to know the culture. It is easy to find a house here but it may never be a home.
What type of housing do you live in? Is this typical for most expats in your area?
We have a private house, traditional Thai. We are the only expats we know who have a house here. Most live in guesthouses, condos..etc.
How did you choose your neighborhood and find your home or apartment?
Our friends are here and it is the perfect little soi. Not to quiet, not to noisy. The house was just perfect for us. It is in the city of Chiang Mai and close to everything. But, the pollution is getting bad. We may have to move up on the mountain.
Are your housing costs higher or lower than they were in your home country? What is the average cost of housing there?
Lower. We don't have a/c, which we may soon regret. But average living costs for us are about 30,000B. But we like to go out alot.
More Expat Advice about Moving to Thailand
Write a Comment about this Expat Report
Comments about this Report
davidwenmanWe lived in Chiang Mai for 12 years and I would agree with this report. Chiang Mai was a very economical place to live with lots of very cheap, very good eating places. I would also agree that the pollution is bad. Whilst we were there it went from hardly noticeable to outright dangerous. In 2013 after living in Thailand for 12 years we decided to sell a property there and move to Europe (Sicily, Italy). We contacted Kun Jaroonroat Krasaesuk (better known as Tom -The lawyer when he worked for Alan Hall the crooked chairman of the Chiang Mai Ex Pats Club)) and he sold the property. When the money arrived in his account (XS and JK solutions Co Ltd.) he asked if we will lend him 1,000,000 baht so that he could renovate a hotel in Chiang Mai. We agreed and we all signed a Loan Agreement. It is now over 3 years later and we haven’t received one Baht. Despite about 50 emails with cajoling and threats he hasn’t made one monthly repayment. His partner Xavior Segura has sent several very unprofessional emails where he swears at us and threatens to take us to court for slander! The situation now is that we are considering hiring a lawyer to recover the money. In the meantime I would like to advise all ex-pats in Chiang Mai to avoid XS and JK solutions. The hotel we helped finance the renovation of is the Wua Lai Boutique Guest house. David Wenman Now living in Italy
