Seeking suggestions for Chiang Mai rental.

[JimmyJ]

 

 

 

 

I plan on living in Chiang Mai until the air quality gets too bad, then moving elsewhere in SE Asia until it improves,  and moving back to CM then.

 

So rental periods of less than 1 year.

 

I'm interested in looking at possible (low cost) rentals for 6 months or more and would appreciate suggestions - furnished studios/apartments such as Smith Residence of Chiang Mai.

 

Also if anyone can recommend buildings that are good for finding furnished condos for rent , etc.

 

I prefer the Old City area but realize that the better deals tend to be farther away and even more so when a bit outside of the city or more.

 

 

 

 

Edited September 22, 2018 by JimmyJ

[orchis]

many options in facebook groups

[JimmyJ]

12 hours ago, orchis said:

many options in facebook groups

Thanks for the suggestion.

 

Just search there for "Chiang Mai"?

Anything more specific for the groups you refer to?

 

[simoh1490]

Rentals under twelve months will of course attract a premium so you're probably going to be at the mercy of the month by month rental market, serviced apartments etc., maybe better to do a one year lease and then just leave for the fairly short period of time when the air is truly bad.

[Foxy52]

At the risk of being helpful, I suggest you look for the Fb site 'Chiang Mai property buy and let.' And the air quality's really not that bad, despite what the moaning minnies on here would have you believe (I think this myth keeps the rents low or something)

[simoh1490]

6 minutes ago, Foxy52 said:

At the risk of being helpful, I suggest you look for the Fb site 'Chiang Mai property buy and let.' And the air quality's really not that bad, despite what the moaning minnies on here would have you believe (I think this myth keeps the rents low or something)

I usually factor in there being around six very bad weeks each year although some years there's no problem at all, a lot depends on where you're located - the problem though I agree is nowhere near as bad as many on here make out.

[metisdead]

Some unhelpful troll posts and the replies have been removed.  

[amexpat]

45 minutes ago, simoh1490 said:

I usually factor in there being around six very bad weeks each year although some years there's no problem at all, a lot depends on where you're located - the problem though I agree is nowhere near as bad as many on here make out.

The years when there's been no problem at all must have been before I arrived eleven years ago.

The website aqicn org shows it all.  Of course, some may declare it's all a Chinese hoax . 

[simoh1490]

6 minutes ago, amexpat said:

The years when there's been no problem at all must have been before I arrived eleven years ago.

The website aqicn org shows it all.  Of course, some may declare it's all a Chinese hoax . 

I wouldn't want to turn the OP's thread into a Chiang Mai pollution debate but about two years ago the visible effects of airborne pollution where we live in Mae Rim were almost non-existent, that is not to say there wasn't any.

[Foxy52]

After 30 years living in Hong Kong, the air in CM is a picnic, even at the height of the so-called 'smoky season.'

[NancyL]

Given that short-term rentals are premium-priced, many people find it more economical to sign longer-term leases and just leave their place unoccupied for the 2 or 3 months that comprise the "smoky season".  That way you don't have to find a place to store your stuff and have more choice about where you can live.

 

If you're new to Chiang Mai, a short-term rental makes sense while you figure out what you need and what part of town is best for you, but at some point you've got to get tired of living your life out of a suitcase.

[YogaVeg]

Hi, I'm thinking a lot like you ????

I've spent the last month wandering the city, looking for neighborhoods and longer-term rentals and such, and here's the little bit I found:

- look before you leap. Don't get married to a place until you know how you're going to like it. Sure, you'll pay more for a month to month then a year, what if you sign that your lease and aren't happy with what you got?

- it seems the well advertised places in English on the internet come at a premium. You are paying for that English. There are great places out there that don't advertise at all, or only have a Facebook page. Wandering the streets, looking at the facade of places and then at the Lobby's, speaking with the people behind the desk and getting a taste of the attitudes, surveying for yourself the security of the place, you'll get a much better deal and a much better sense of what you're signing up for.

- the Ninmann is not for me. Some folks love it, Cosmopolitan names and Hefty prices to match. Me, I'd rather stay in the more traditional Thai neighborhood and pay much more modest prices.

- the area between the ninneman and Old Town shows great promise. Start at the YMCA and work your way North through those quiet residential streets, you'll see all manner of apartments with signs up that are not advertised anywhere on the web. Places like Matta apartments and the View Doi Mansion have great reviews and very limited availability, which I suspect goes hand-in-hand!

- Google reviews which pop up when using Google Maps, and TripAdvisor reviews are your friend! Read the stories of those who came before you, you can get a real sense of the vibe of a place.

- many of these places also offer one night rentals, which could come in really handy to check out prior, in the case of places with mixed reviews, say the B2 apartments or the Varada.

- last minute rentals seem to be the norm here, and there seems to be no shortage of places to rent, at least now in low season. Don't sweat it. Don't jump until you're sure.

- make sure you know what you're getting into with extra charges, especially electrical. Especially if you use air conditioning. The cost can be a substantial add-on.

- tell them right away you're going to want a copy of TM 30 filing, just to be clear. Make sure they are agreeable and compliant. This could prove important down the road with immigration.

 

Happy hunting!

[Nemises]

...TripAdvisor reviews are your friend!

 

Not always...

 

Up to a third of reviews on TripAdvisor are fake with hotels and restaurants buying positive reviews, it has been claimed.

 

Analysis of tens of thousands of reviews on the site has shown that top rated bed and breakfasts have almost twice as many “false” reviews as lower ranked establishments.

 

 

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/7321574/tripadvisor-reviews-fake-hotel-restaurant-ratings/

 

[simoh1490]

13 minutes ago, Nemises said:

 

Not always...

 

Up to a third of reviews on TripAdvisor are fake with hotels and restaurants buying positive reviews, it has been claimed.

 

Analysis of tens of thousands of reviews on the site has shown that top rated bed and breakfasts have almost twice as many “false” reviews as lower ranked establishments.

 

 

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/7321574/tripadvisor-reviews-fake-hotel-restaurant-ratings/

 

If it's being reported in The Sun it must be gospel. 

[Nemises]

If it's being reported in The Sun it must be gospel. 

DAILY MAIL:

‘One in three TripAdvisor reviews is fake’: Hotels are accused of trying to manipulate their ratings on the site by paying third parties to give five-star write-ups and rubbish their rivals

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6197373/One-three-TripAdvisor-reviews-fake-claims-Fakespot-website.html

[Nemises]

If it's being reported in The Sun it must be gospel. 

ABC NEWS:




The hotel review may sound too good — citing obscure details like the type of faucets — or perhaps one stands out as the only negative rating of an otherwise popular location.

The influential travel website TripAdvisor has been quietly posting disclaimers to warn customers of hotels writing fake reviews to improve their popularity rankings or hurt competitors.

The red disclaimers near the names of hotels show that TripAdvisor has a problem with fake reviews, travel bloggers and industry experts say. One blogger, Jeff Tucker, warned that without changes to restore credibility to the reviews the site is "going to come crumbling down behind them."


https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=8094231&page=1

[Nemises]

If it's being reported in The Sun it must be gospel. 

THE TIMES:


‘A third of TripAdvisor reviews are fake’ as cheats buy five stars.’
Hotels and restaurants are trying to cheat their way to the top of TripAdvisor amid claims that as many as one in three reviews is fake, The Times can reveal.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/hotel-and-caf-cheats-are-caught-trying-to-buy-tripadvisor-stars-027fbcwc8

[Nemises]

If it's being reported in The Sun it must be gospel. 

PAGE 9, today’s Daily Telegraph:

[JimmyJ]

There's a post in the Trip Advisor forum currently,  pointing out clearly fake reviews for a Manhattan hotel.

The poster wrote he's done posting reviews if nothing is being done about fake reviews.

 

TA has been great for me - it has been my friend - on this my initial SE Asian trip.

 

8 hotels in 8 cities and I would return to each of them - and will be returning to 2 of them before trip's end.

Each one at an excellent price.

 

Some logical reading of the reviews can eliminate fake/questionable ones.

It's not very hard.

 

 

 

Edited September 24, 2018 by JimmyJ

[simoh1490]

38 minutes ago, Nemises said:

 

PAGE 9, today’s Daily Telegraph:

 

It's too late, we all know now that you're a Sun reader.

[YogaVeg]

Oh yeah, I should clarify. I'm a Californian who's a heavy Yelper (too bad they haven't caught on in Thailand) and I'm rather discriminatory when it comes to peer reviews.

 

First off, I pretty much ignore the raving reviews, as well as the flaming negative ones. I find much more substance and value in the middle of the road reviews.

 

 ALL too often, the five star reviews are written by shills, and the flaming negative ones the same, or people being way too critical and emotionally out of control from one poor experience.

These things get really easy to spot with a little effort.

 

The reviews I value, and the ones I write, tend to be fair and balanced. Not all good nor all bad, but offering both praise and critique. Honesty shines through on a well-balanced review.

 

Folks that rant either all good or all bad tend to look fake or at least just shallow. And that's not what I'm looking for.

[JimmyJ]

9 hours ago, YogaVeg said:

Hi, I'm thinking a lot like you ????

I've spent the last month wandering the city, looking for neighborhoods and longer-term rentals and such, and here's the little bit I found:

- look before you leap. Don't get married to a place until you know how you're going to like it. Sure, you'll pay more for a month to month then a year, what if you sign that your lease and aren't happy with what you got?

- it seems the well advertised places in English on the internet come at a premium. You are paying for that English. There are great places out there that don't advertise at all, or only have a Facebook page. Wandering the streets, looking at the facade of places and then at the Lobby's, speaking with the people behind the desk and getting a taste of the attitudes, surveying for yourself the security of the place, you'll get a much better deal and a much better sense of what you're signing up for.

- the Ninmann is not for me. Some folks love it, Cosmopolitan names and Hefty prices to match. Me, I'd rather stay in the more traditional Thai neighborhood and pay much more modest prices.

- the area between the ninneman and Old Town shows great promise. Start at the YMCA and work your way North through those quiet residential streets, you'll see all manner of apartments with signs up that are not advertised anywhere on the web. Places like Matta apartments and the View Doi Mansion have great reviews and very limited availability, which I suspect goes hand-in-hand!

- Google reviews which pop up when using Google Maps, and TripAdvisor reviews are your friend! Read the stories of those who came before you, you can get a real sense of the vibe of a place.

- many of these places also offer one night rentals, which could come in really handy to check out prior, in the case of places with mixed reviews, say the B2 apartments or the Varada.

- last minute rentals seem to be the norm here, and there seems to be no shortage of places to rent, at least now in low season. Don't sweat it. Don't jump until you're sure.

- make sure you know what you're getting into with extra charges, especially electrical. Especially if you use air conditioning. The cost can be a substantial add-on.

- tell them right away you're going to want a copy of TM 30 filing, just to be clear. Make sure they are agreeable and compliant. This could prove important down the road with immigration.

 

Happy hunting!

Just the sort of info I was hoping to get - thanks for naming some specific apartments.

Researching these led me to a wealth of expanded info, although some must be dated but most still relevant.

 

I had gone to the YMCA today (Monday) and walked in the direction of the market - the walk that NancyL suggested yesterday.

 

Checked several places but saw nothing I was interested in.

 

Now though I have a lot of specific names to visit.

Edited September 24, 2018 by JimmyJ

[JimmyJ]

I just started a thread re: the May 2018 rental law, that may be of interest to those in this thread: