I have browsed many pages and threads of the forum and seen lots of detailed and helpful replies by locals. But as a total newcomer I had to skim somewhat - though saving the threads for a re-read when I'm more familiar with CR and can make more of the information.

I presently live in a small house outside Chiang Mai. I like Chiang Mai, but I think in a few months I'll be wanting a quiet life in a bigger house. Chiang Rai is written about in terms that appeal to me; and it seems I'll get much better accommodation for my money. Anyway over the coming few months I intend to explore it a bit and look at some prospective rentals. So there'll be more trips and calls for your help and patience with my questions. From the threads I've read I expect I won't be disappointed with that.

Now I'll be driving up for my first look and would very much appreciate a few practical tips and uncomplicated advice. eg

- A couple of suggestions of guest houses - I hope not far from a 500b price. Somewhere that will be a good base from which to look at the town and from which also to drive around the surrounding countyside - so either in town or outside is fine.

- Some idea of whereabouts out of town to drive in - where there would likely be fairly decent houses to rent.

- A recommendation of an estate agent with whom I could stay in touch when I'm in CM.

Should I not rely exclusively on estate agents? Does one drive around and look for 'rent signs' oneself? (For Chiang Mai, local expats universally insist that estate agents are an unnecessary and very expensive option. I took the advice and found my present house myself.)

If I decide to move I'd want to do it in the winter - but I do it sooner if I see the right house which won't wait.

I really need and hope for your help in making the most of my trips and then making up my mind.

mate

it is more chilled out in c.rai but theres plenty to get up to. sounds like what youre lookin for.

the thing i like about it, is i never feel like a tourist in c.rai, where as i do in c.mai.

the 3 property house land guys i know are

http://www.lannarealty.com/

http://www.thailandpropertysolutions.com/

http://www.adventure1.com/

youll have a hard time driving around looking on your own in c.rai. check the websites first.

for a place to stay, diamond park inn on main road (phahonyotin) is about 550 with great shower, good parking, air con and tv.

also moon and sun, near mengrai statue, about same price, new rooms , similar features.

price jump down is jansom guesthouse, about 350 baht, but bad parking.

200-300 baht is baan bua g-house. garden setting. nice folks.

pleanty of other little hotels and guesthouses around.

buddhafly

thanks. that's terrific and pithy advice for me to kick off with.

how easily will a stranger like me locate the accommodation you suggest? presumably they're all fairly central in town.

i'll take your advice on starting with the websites, which suits me better of course - it's just that in chiang mai, the residents speak of often paying 100% more that way, which doesn't mean it's like that in c. rai.

ps

the reference in the topic title should of course be chiang rai. if a moderator has a moment to amend it i'd be grateful.

some of the real estate agents might inflate the price of a rental, as then its more comission for them. fair enough, they need to get paid for thier service of setting up the website, driving viewers around, hunting new land.

so, you could probably get cheaper if you found it yourself. but i just doubt as a visitor youll find anything on your own. have a look.

i would just negotiaite what you think is fair from the price of a place you like.

as for finding the hotels, how are you getting to c.rai? i can direct better that way.

Hi Lotus,

Another option is to rent a room on a monthly basis while you are looking. It is good to spend a couple of months before you know where in town you want to live.

If you can read thai or you have a thai friend then you can drive around and look for the signs "house for rent".

There are a lot of signs but I don't know if they are for sell or rent.

First time I came to CR I had a friend of a friend that helped me to find a house. She knew of 4-5 houses but when we came to one of them there were actually 3 houses I could choose among.

Check signs in bars like Bo's Place and Easy Bar or put up a sign yourself that you are looking for a house to rent.

Good luck and welcome to CR!

some of the real estate agents might inflate the price of a rental, as then its more comission for them. fair enough, they need to get paid for thier service of setting up the website, driving viewers around, hunting new land.

so, you could probably get cheaper if you found it yourself. but i just doubt as a visitor youll find anything on your own. have a look.

i would just negotiaite what you think is fair from the price of a place you like.

as for finding the hotels, how are you getting to c.rai? i can direct better that way.

i'll drive up from chiang mai - actually i intend to leave around noon tomorrow - taking the highway clearly marked as for chiang rai and which starts on the doi saket road in chiang mai. if you tell me roughly the name of relevant vicinity or nearby landmark, i guess i could make for that and then ask around there about the hotel/guesthouse.

Hi Lotus,

Another option is to rent a room on a monthly basis while you are looking. It is good to spend a couple of months before you know where in town you want to live.

If you can read thai or you have a thai friend then you can drive around and look for the signs "house for rent".

There are a lot of signs but I don't know if they are for sell or rent.

First time I came to CR I had a friend of a friend that helped me to find a house. She knew of 4-5 houses but when we came to one of them there were actually 3 houses I could choose among.

Check signs in bars like Bo's Place and Easy Bar or put up a sign yourself that you are looking for a house to rent.

Good luck and welcome to CR!

I have some months before I need to have identified the house (I intend to ship some stuff from europe and I'd want to do it to the place where I'll be for a while - rather than ship it to cm and then again to cr.)

I'm thinking of doing a lot of motoring in any case to cr and around in the coming months. That combines several motives. I have the time; I want to see the north - and frankly also travel elsewhere, because although cr seems to me now the most likely place i'll settle on, it's not the only one.

I'd welcome any comments or remarks by people who have lived in - or know well - chiang mai and could therefore make comparisons on practical and less tangible criteria. My particular perspective would be that of a retired person living with a thai (female) partner.

By the way, on an issue much in the news lately, is the air quality (field or forest burning) problem there worse, or more prolonged over the year, than in chiang mai?

buddhafly,

sorry, i see that you've already given me some clues on the hotels' locations. but i'll check the forum again before i leave tomorrow.

by the way do you know if the hotels or elswhere in cr can let me connect my laptop to the internet?

as for internet, not at that level of hotel. pretty rare in c.rai for hooking up your own laptop.

diamon park inn is on the main drag in the center. called pah-hony-o-tin road. theres a pizza co, a swensens ice cream on that road. diamond park inn is on the same side as them but south from there about 1k?

or go just north from there (across the 4 way intersection) and turn right when you see the police station, about 1k? on the right is moon and sun guesthouse.

these are mid level places, comfortable but not super fancy.

diamond has better parking. if moon and sun, ask for one of the new rooms.

good luck.

At the last minute I postponed my trip because of the heavy rain here - and I think also in Chian Rai. Thought I'd achieve more in normal weather. So now I expect to go next week.

All info helpful to a prospective newcomer & searcher for a house to rent will continue to be received with much appreciation.