Where Is Best/safest Area For Brit Woman And Two Babies In Chiang Mai?

[CLASBYCLAN]

Hi, I'm moving to Chiang Mai in a few months time with my two babies, aged 2 and 4 months, and would like to know if anyone could recommend the safest area, and most suitible for children, to live. I am hoping that my eldest son will attend the Prem Center International Scholl in Mae Rim next year, so I will need to be within school bus ride of that area.

I do want to have the full Thai experience, however, just as in the UK, I need to be sure that me and the babies are safe. Should I look for a gated community?

Would love any advice, also would love to make friends with any moms who have also moved to the area! or parents who have children at the Prem Center, we could be neighbours soon!

Thanks

xxx

Edited April 25, 2007 by Maestro
Font formatting codes removed for better readability.

[chanchao]

Gated compounds are a very convenient and 'available' place to rent. Especially when you just arrive, i think it's indeed the best option. There's MANY of them, so you'd get one in the Mae Rim area. Don't pay ridiculous rents.

[CLASBYCLAN]

Gated compounds are a very convenient and 'available' place to rent. Especially when you just arrive, i think it's indeed the best option. There's MANY of them, so you'd get one in the Mae Rim area. Don't pay ridiculous rents.

Thank you Chanchao

Do you think I should wait untill I arrive to find a house or could I start looking now? What price do you think is right for 3 bedrooms with modern kichen/bathroom in a gated compound?

Once again, thank you so much, this is so helpful!

[lazeeboy]

Gated compounds are a very convenient and 'available' place to rent. Especially when you just arrive, i think it's indeed the best option. There's MANY of them, so you'd get one in the Mae Rim area. Don't pay ridiculous rents.

Thank you Chanchao

Do you think I should wait untill I arrive to find a house or could I start looking now? What price do you think is right for 3 bedrooms with modern kichen/bathroom in a gated compound?

Once again, thank you so much, this is so helpful!

wait until you get here many too choose from various prices and areas in pictures they look great up close not so many cheap hotel for a couple of weeks to tide you over while you look to get an idea of prices and areas first national estate agent have a huge website go on there mailing list its very good..

[chanchao]

Another good website besides firstnational is www.jasminehomes.co.th. I like them because the tell you exactly where the house is, even including a link to Google Earth! That said, like for all property sites, the sale prices can be quite reasonable, the renting prices often are not. So best to look around yourself also and have someone negotiate a good rent. Of course you don't have all the time in the world, so you may end up paying 10k-15k. But some amounts are just ridiculous. Then again, if your employer pays...

[mongoose]

Mae Rim area would be best but for sure on the north side of CM. Some Prem students living south of CM spend an hour each way in the school vans which you can cut in half by being north of CM.

[Crow Boy]

Hi, I'm moving to Chiang Mai in a few months time with my two babies, aged 2 and 4 months, and would like to know if anyone could recommend the safest area, and most suitible for children, to live. I am hoping that my eldest son will attend the Prem Center International Scholl in Mae Rim next year, so I will need to be within school bus ride of that area.

I do want to have the full Thai experience, however, just as in the UK, I need to be sure that me and the babies are safe. Should I look for a gated community?

Would love any advice, also would love to make friends with any moms who have also moved to the area! or parents who have children at the Prem Center, we could be neighbours soon!

Thanks

xxx

Another option are the compounds near the Rimping Maejo. There are three right behind it and the Rimping market is an excellent foreign supermarket plus there is a great Thai fresh food market as well. Duing the week they have local produce night bazaars which are good and the area has a goodly number of foreign expats. The necessary things like doctors, dentist, banks, farung size clothes, dry cleaner! are available. The Tai staff are farung friendly and quite a few speak some Engish.

My advice is to wait until you get here, settle into CM at a monthly rate hotel, check out the area with a map and driver, take a condo for a couple of months, and look for a house to rent.

A side note is that you mentioned that you wanted the full Thai experience, you won't really get that here because there are so many farung living in CM but it is a great place to live and if you really want it then learn Thai and move out to a village or small town where EVERYONE knows your name

CM and Thailand is kid friendly and generally safe. I hope you enjoy your stay here and that the experience is everything you hope for.

[Ta22]

Well compare to the south , chiangmai is Much Safer in some sence, but there is no perfect safest place in this world .

there is alot of different in chiangmai compare to CITY .

the Plus is of cos less pollution - but nowaday - with so much cars . and deforestation - there is no escape from it .

Compare to the West . i think asia itself is a safer Place . in term of People .

Moving to any new place will pose a degree of danger . . is how you blend in and also deal with the problem exisit differently in different places .

One advice , don't rush into anything .

and best of luck

[lannarebirth]

Another good website besides firstnational is www.jasminehomes.co.th. I like them because the tell you exactly where the house is, even including a link to Google Earth! That said, like for all property sites, the sale prices can be quite reasonable, the renting prices often are not. So best to look around yourself also and have someone negotiate a good rent. Of course you don't have all the time in the world, so you may end up paying 10k-15k. But some amounts are just ridiculous. Then again, if your employer pays...

She will pay double that, regardless if employer pays. Yeah, you can rent a place for 5,000 per month here, but the British lady with the kids is not going to live there, is she? The "full Thai experience" does not correlate with gated communities or assured safety. If she wants, she can stya t PREM in their housing for the first few weeks. I'd talk to other mothers of children there and see where they live.

Edited March 2, 2007 by lannarebirth

[chanchao]

> The "full Thai experience" does not correlate with gated communities or assured safety.

Indeed it doesn't. Then again I currently DO rent in a gated community and AM paying 5000. (But I dind't tell her 5000, I double-tripled that to 10-15K to be sure).

ANother common theme is 'furnished vs unfurnished'... Houses that rent for like 8000 suddenly need to fetch 20K after sticking in some generic sticks of furniture from Concept et al. People who will be here for a while can just buy (extra/better) furniture if needed. I for one would be in the market to buy some nice furniture after people leave Chiang Mai / Thailand again. (not in the market for that this month but will be in about 1 year).

[Johpa]

. I am hoping that my eldest son will attend the Prem Center International Scholl in Mae Rim next year, so I will need to be within school bus ride of that area.

If you can afford to send your young lad to Prem then you should not be speaking of school buses. This is Thailand, so get with the program, and make sure to hire a car and driver for young lad.

[Tywais]

Indeed it doesn't. Then again I currently DO rent in a gated community and AM paying 5000. (But I dind't tell her 5000, I double-tripled that to 10-15K to be sure).

Same here. Moved into a brand new house in a gated community. 2 stories, 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, 3 airconditioners and 'fully' furnished and not generic furniture plus a phone line. 7000 Baht/month. Just need to shop around.

[chanchao]

> If you can afford to send your young lad to Prem then you should not be

> speaking of school buses. This is Thailand, so get with the program, and

> make sure to hire a car and driver for young lad.

Hehehehehehehe... But that's very true yes. Then again perhaps Prem offers a proper school bus service that's not of the 'converted pick-up with tightly packed kids in the back' type? Like something like an actual bus with seat belts and all?

Cheers,

Chanchao

[mongoose]

> If you can afford to send your young lad to Prem then you should not be

> speaking of school buses. This is Thailand, so get with the program, and

> make sure to hire a car and driver for young lad.

Hehehehehehehe... But that's very true yes. Then again perhaps Prem offers a proper school bus service that's not of the 'converted pick-up with tightly packed kids in the back' type? Like something like an actual bus with seat belts and all?

Cheers,

Chanchao

Prem runs about 20 vans around Chiang Mai to transport students to and from school. That is how most of the students get there and back. The vans do have seat belts and ac but whether they are used is another question. There is of course an additional charge for the transport services

[CLASBYCLAN]

> If you can afford to send your young lad to Prem then you should not be

> speaking of school buses. This is Thailand, so get with the program, and

> make sure to hire a car and driver for young lad.

Hehehehehehehe... But that's very true yes. Then again perhaps Prem offers a proper school bus service that's not of the 'converted pick-up with tightly packed kids in the back' type? Like something like an actual bus with seat belts and all?

Cheers,

Chanchao

Prem runs about 20 vans around Chiang Mai to transport students to and from school. That is how most of the students get there and back. The vans do have seat belts and ac but whether they are used is another question. There is of course an additional charge for the transport services

he

Hi Chanchao, Mongoose

The Prem Centre has good quality safe School buses with seatbelts, the children are dropped off at the Prem Centre and escorted by security personnel to School, whicih I am prepared to pay for. I would still appreciate any advice you have on the best place to live on my own with the babies, which area are you in Mongoose? Is there an area close to a Kindergarten? Is the City the best place to live? Condo or House? So many questions!

Thanks!

[p1p]

I would personally recommend starting by renting a condo in town. This is generally by far the best in terms of security etc.. Get to know Chiang Mai over a few months before you decide if you wish to move elsewhere.

[Johpa]

> If you can afford to send your young lad to Prem then you should not be

> speaking of school buses. This is Thailand, so get with the program, and

> make sure to hire a car and driver for young lad.

Hehehehehehehe... But that's very true yes. Then again perhaps Prem offers a proper school bus service that's not of the 'converted pick-up with tightly packed kids in the back' type? Like something like an actual bus with seat belts and all?

Cheers,

Chanchao

Now what fun would that be?!? Maybe I could rent her my house which, as the crow flies is just over a kilometer or two from Prem but quite a bit further as the wheeled vehicle travels. The kids could jam into the back of Ai Deng's covered pickup for the 15 minute ride down to Mae Rim where the kid could then be put into a sidecar-equipped motorcycle, a noted form of traditional transportation in Mae Rim, to take the lad into into Tambom Huay Sai where Prem is located.

All kidding aside, although no longer a permanent resident, In have had a home up in Mae Rim as long as any ex-pat (over 20 years now) and I enjoy the area and when in country rarely bother to go into the city. There is a nice afternoon outdoor market with nice vendors and I have never gotten ill purchasing meat or produce there. And there is the early AM farmers market if you want to buy in bulk when entertaining a larger crowd. There are shops for just about everything and it is a short drive into the big city apart from rush hours. On the other hand, it is also a short drive from Mae Rim up to elevation and over to Samoeng to get away from the heat and pollution of the Chiang Mai Valley. Who knows, look around the area around Prem and you might even find a nice rental that is not located inside a gated community.

[lannarebirth]

> If you can afford to send your young lad to Prem then you should not be

> speaking of school buses. This is Thailand, so get with the program, and

> make sure to hire a car and driver for young lad.

Hehehehehehehe... But that's very true yes. Then again perhaps Prem offers a proper school bus service that's not of the 'converted pick-up with tightly packed kids in the back' type? Like something like an actual bus with seat belts and all?

Cheers,

Chanchao

Now what fun would that be?!? Maybe I could rent her my house which, as the crow flies is just over a kilometer or two from Prem but quite a bit further as the wheeled vehicle travels. The kids could jam into the back of Ai Deng's covered pickup for the 15 minute ride down to Mae Rim where the kid could then be put into a sidecar-equipped motorcycle, a noted form of traditional transportation in Mae Rim, to take the lad into into Tambom Huay Sai where Prem is located.

All kidding aside, although no longer a permanent resident, In have had a home up in Mae Rim as long as any ex-pat (over 20 years now) and I enjoy the area and when in country rarely bother to go into the city. There is a nice afternoon outdoor market with nice vendors and I have never gotten ill purchasing meat or produce there. And there is the early AM farmers market if you want to buy in bulk when entertaining a larger crowd. There are shops for just about everything and it is a short drive into the big city apart from rush hours. On the other hand, it is also a short drive from Mae Rim up to elevation and over to Samoeng to get away from the heat and pollution of the Chiang Mai Valley. Who knows, look around the area around Prem and you might even find a nice rental that is not located inside a gated community.

I own a fair amount of land in Huay Sai and Mae Ann and it is very difficult finding suitable housing to buy or rent in that area. a couple of farang developers are building some small phang developments nearby but really high prices. PREM themselves are doing some kind of development and just before Nong Pla Mun there is a large Thai development going in(I may rent there while I build in Mae Ann). I really love the area and I'm glad we bought a few years ago. Good Luck to the OP.

[marshall]

Indeed it doesn't. Then again I currently DO rent in a gated community and AM paying 5000. (But I dind't tell her 5000, I double-tripled that to 10-15K to be sure).

Same here. Moved into a brand new house in a gated community. 2 stories, 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, 3 airconditioners and 'fully' furnished and not generic furniture plus a phone line. 7000 Baht/month. Just need to shop around.

Hey I have a friend who gets his kid picked up and dropped off everyday for school, he pays 2000 baht per month. thats about 28 quid.

i stay in a secure village. it has a leisure centre and swimming pool. one of my farang friends is renting his 3 bedroom house out. it is located right next to where the security guard sits 24 hours a day. it is fully furnished i think. have a look at his post im sure its in this forum, or you may find it in the for sale and classified.

i have a thai gf who speaks good english she is currenly pregnant just now our baby girl will arrive in 2nd june

so maybe you could make friends with her and you can help each other, good luck. take your time with things, i remember when i first came to thailand and i jumped into a 6 month lease very expensive once i got chatting to other farang.

Edited March 2, 2007 by marshall

[Johpa]

I own a fair amount of land in Huay Sai and Mae Ann and it is very difficult finding suitable housing to buy or rent in that area. a couple of farang developers are building some small phang developments nearby but really high prices. PREM themselves are doing some kind of development and just before Nong Pla Mun there is a large Thai development going in (I may rent there while I build in Mae Ann). I really love the area and I'm glad we bought a few years ago. Good Luck to the OP.

Things sure do change. I was good friends with a Farang/Thai couple, now divorced, who lived in Mae Ann, when he was the only Farang in the area. The road was a real bumpy beech of a drive. This was before Devakul bought the land for what was originally planned to be a combination housing estate/ boarding school that later morphed into the Prem school. So keep going north towards Baan Naa Heuk (beware of drunks) or beyond for possible housing opportunities or is the road now developed up to the Mae Tang highway?

By the way, I heard there is Farang building a large house in the village where we maintain a home. Another Farang within 5km will be a first when I get back this summer.

[mongoose]

Hi Chanchao, Mongoose

Is there an area close to a Kindergarten? Is the City the best place to live? Condo or House? So many questions!

Thanks!

Prem has a Kindergarten. As other posters have suggested, you best come and look around before you decide what suits your preferences.

[jackr]

My advice is to wait until you get here, settle into CM at a monthly rate hotel, check out the area with a map and driver, take a condo for a couple of months, and look for a house to rent.

[CLASBYCLAN]

Hi, I'm moving to Chiang Mai in a few months time with my two babies, aged 2 and 4 months, and would like to know if anyone could recommend the safest area, and most suitible for children, to live. I am hoping that my eldest son will attend the Prem Center International Scholl in Mae Rim next year, so I will need to be within school bus ride of that area.

I do want to have the full Thai experience, however, just as in the UK, I need to be sure that me and the babies are safe. Should I look for a gated community?

Would love any advice, also would love to make friends with any moms who have also moved to the area! or parents who have children at the Prem Center, we could be neighbours soon!

Thanks

xxx

Another option are the compounds near the Rimping Maejo. There are three right behind it and the Rimping market is an excellent foreign supermarket plus there is a great Thai fresh food market as well. Duing the week they have local produce night bazaars which are good and the area has a goodly number of foreign expats. The necessary things like doctors, dentist, banks, farung size clothes, dry cleaner! are available. The Tai staff are farung friendly and quite a few speak some Engish.

My advice is to wait until you get here, settle into CM at a monthly rate hotel, check out the area with a map and driver, take a condo for a couple of months, and look for a house to rent.

A side note is that you mentioned that you wanted the full Thai experience, you won't really get that here because there are so many farung living in CM but it is a great place to live and if you really want it then learn Thai and move out to a village or small town where EVERYONE knows your name

CM and Thailand is kid friendly and generally safe. I hope you enjoy your stay here and that the experience is everything you hope for.

PHEW! cool, for a minute there I was wondering if I was about to make a mistake in coming to Chaing Mai with the babies! Good, am feeling more positive now, thank you Crow Boy! Chiang Mai here I come! Will go and do some reasearch on the Maejo area!

xxx

[p1p]

One note of major caution:

Please be aware that Chiang Mai has a SERIOUS problem with airbourne pollution in the dry season, from approximately January to May.

Do not burn your bridges. There are chances that you or your children may be strongly adversely affected by this pollution.

[lotus eater]

Indeed it doesn't. Then again I currently DO rent in a gated community and AM paying 5000. (But I dind't tell her 5000, I double-tripled that to 10-15K to be sure).

Same here. Moved into a brand new house in a gated community. 2 stories, 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, 3 airconditioners and 'fully' furnished and not generic furniture plus a phone line. 7000 Baht/month. Just need to shop around.

I've gathered from tv threads that you are both (tywais & chanchao) long-settled residents & know Chiang Mai well. And chanchao consistently talks about the inflated prices asked for rentals. Well, I'm want a good value rental, have a car to look at any possibilities, will be happy to take an unfurnished rental, can sign up for a year if necessary (in practice would stay longer) and I'm not even in a mad rush since I have accommodation which is adequate for the next several months.

The question is how to find houses for rent - that are not with estate agents at those high rents. Or does chanchao suggest that I do identify a house with an agent - and then offer a fraction of the rent asked?

I wonder if I would get specific pointers here on tv if I did a post with my basic requirements.

[chanchao]

The question is how to find houses for rent - that are not with estate agents at those high rents. Or does chanchao suggest that I do identify a house with an agent - and then offer a fraction of the rent asked?

I wonder if I would get specific pointers here on tv if I did a post with my basic requirements.

Well aren't you in luck. We just signed the papers to buy our own place, so the house we currently rent will become available in a month or 2. As we're paying only 5000 currently for this detached 2 storey 3 bedroom 3 bathroom house in Koolpunt 5/6/7. (Hang Dong road). Unlike most houses there, for this one actually has enough space in front to fit two cars, plus a small garden. Now we have been renting this for years and years without increase, so I would expect the owner to want to raise that a bit.

Also we put in an airconditioner for the master bedroom and a hot water shower in the main bathroom, curtains, and city water connection. (Used to be water supply from the development, which wasn't as fresh as what we have now. House also has phone with ADSL internet (So that you know that it's available.)

Our new place already has more airconditioners than we can afford electricity for, so while we COULD rip the aircon out and use it somewhere, I'd be just has happy to just leave it and sell it either to the owner of the house, or to the new renter (if any). The aircon is a rather high capacity one (Daikin) because the master bedroom is really quite big. Electric shower is a 6000 Watt unit so also in January you won't freeze.

Anyone interested just PM me. (In short: We're moving out, want to find a new renter both as courtesy to the owner, because the rent is fair and because we're 50/50 about ripping out an airconditioner that we might as well leave and get some money for.)

Cheers,

Chanchao

[mickmac]

Lotus Eater:-

Just drive into the Moo Baan and have a look around the houses, invariably if there is a house for rent the owners will usually have a sign-up, most likely hand written. If you find an area you like drive around it slowly and keep an eye out for and rental signs. We saw the sign for the first house we rented nailed to a telephone post on Maejo road.

Good luck.

Edited March 5, 2007 by mickmac

[lotus eater]

Lotus Eater:-

Just drive into the Moo Baan and have a look around the houses, invariably if there is a house for rent the owners will usually have a sign-up, most likely hand written. If you find an area you like drive around it slowly and keep an eye out for and rental signs. We saw the sign for the first house we rented nailed to a telephone post on Maejo road.

Good luck.

Thanks. Do you concur that estate agents are not the way to go? If they do inflate the price, is it worth trying to make sharply lower offers if I do see a house with them that I like?

[cm-happy]

In Mae Rim two of the nicest and most secure places with housing is the REGENT and Green Valley golf resort. Both are a bit pricey however. Also in the city is Palm springs, very secure but a bit of a distance to Mae Rim.

Hope this helps. Maybe best is to take a short term rental and look around till you see something that you are comfortable with.

[josephdeka]

Hi, I'm moving to Chiang Mai in a few months time with my two babies, aged 2 and 4 months, and would like to know if anyone could recommend the safest area, and most suitible for children, to live. I am hoping that my eldest son will attend the Prem Center International Scholl in Mae Rim next year, so I will need to be within school bus ride of that area.

I do want to have the full Thai experience, however, just as in the UK, I need to be sure that me and the babies are safe. Should I look for a gated community?

Would love any advice, also would love to make friends with any moms who have also moved to the area! or parents who have children at the Prem Center, we could be neighbours soon!

Thanks

xxx

I'm sure it always helps to have a roommate, maybe a big guy who is coming to chiang mai to study kickboxing? I arrive at the end of next month, and am looking for a place to stay. Maybe if you end up with a house with an extra bedroom that you'd like to give away to someone who's likely to be home every night fairly early....we can work something out ? I know, not an answer to your question, and I was kind of joking, but, I'd certainly be kind of serious if you were interested. I'm a starving college student, going to school online and hoping to travel the world relying on my excess financial aid money. Email me back if you're interested, even in a friendship.

I'm sure I'll find a place cheap, but free is much better than cheap, and I'm pretty good with kids.