Starting A New Life In Chiang Rai

[Sparkles]

I have just retired from teaching in Bangkok and my Thai wife and I are looking to relocate to CR.

As it is very unlikely that we will find an existing house that suits our modest needs we will have to build which frankly I find quite a frightening prospect.

We plan to vist CR shortly.

If anyone can give us any advice re land prices, out of town ,around 2 rai max , elevated, flood free and private it would be greatly appreciated, or guidance to a reputable agent. Those who have built may like to chip in.

Our style of house will be simple but with outdoor areas such as verandahs ,decks etc with just 2 bedrooms and the usual.

I have been through the old posts but can't seem to get a lot of info.

Thank you for yor patience.

[ISPY]

I have just retired from teaching in Bangkok and my Thai wife and I are looking to relocate to CR.

As it is very unlikely that we will find an existing house that suits our modest needs we will have to build which frankly I find quite a frightening prospect.

We plan to vist CR shortly.

If anyone can give us any advice re land prices, out of town ,around 2 rai max , elevated, flood free and private it would be greatly appreciated, or guidance to a reputable agent. Those who have built may like to chip in.

Our style of house will be simple but with outdoor areas such as verandahs ,decks etc with just 2 bedrooms and the usual.

I have been through the old posts but can't seem to get a lot of info.

Thank you for yor patience.

Saw a flyer this week of a real estate agent. Give it a shot: {URL snipped per forum rules, please PM member}

Edited December 27, 2007 by mcgriffith
URL removed per forum rules- McG

[lukamar]

Thank you for yor patience.

Answered your PM with info for you..

[AjarnP]

Suggest that you start looking on the East side of town. Good building plots of all sizes and much, much cheaper than West side. Most come with proper title deeds too.

A good plot with Chanod should not cost any more than 60 - 100K / Rai

PM if you need specific locations.

[lilly79]

It will cost you about 1 million THB for 1 rai. Never heard of 60-100 K .

Are you sure it's from this decade?

[Sparkles]

Thanks for the imput folks but as originally stated we are looking "out of town" and 1 million baht per rai is not on our shopping list.

[lilly79]

Can you imagine the 1 million THB for 1 rai I mentioned was for out of town?!

But then the electricity- and waterconnection is most of the times included.

When you buy land with nothing on it, it can be cheaper.

At least its cheaper than Bangkok, Chiang Mai etc.

Chiang Rai is cheaper, but it's not for free.

Good luck on your search!

[klikster]

Thanks for the imput folks but as originally stated we are looking "out of town" and 1 million baht per rai is not on our shopping list.

Hello Sparkles,

Maybe it would help if you qualified your "out of town" distance. 5 k out, 10 k, 20 k? The comments about water and power are valid. I lived (in another part of Thailand) without municipal water for almost a year in an area where well water was so brackish I wouldn't bathe in it. I collected water off the roof and had water hauled during the dry months.

I'm sure that in most areas of Chiang Rai, a dug well is an option, but the water may have lots of iron.

Re: electricity. Sometimes getting power from those lines down the road can be a bit dear.

It might be easier to state you budget for land as well as your "out of town" distance.

[Sparkles]

Thanks for the imput folks but as originally stated we are looking "out of town" and 1 million baht per rai is not on our shopping list.

Hello Sparkles,

Maybe it would help if you qualified your "out of town" distance. 5 k out, 10 k, 20 k? The comments about water and power are valid. I lived (in another part of Thailand) without municipal water for almost a year in an area where well water was so brackish I wouldn't bathe in it. I collected water off the roof and had water hauled during the dry months.

I'm sure that in most areas of Chiang Rai, a dug well is an option, but the water may have lots of iron.

Re: electricity. Sometimes getting power from those lines down the road can be a bit dear.

It might be easier to state you budget for land as well as your "out of town" distance.

Ok points taken. Obviously I dont know how far the water supply radiates from CR but were are fairly open ,say 3-20 kms. We just dont want to be on a suburban block with close neighbours .An existing house that can be renovated is an option. I really cant give you a budget figure as it would be based,at this time, on no knowledge of the area.

[svenivan]

Hi Sparkles,

I think it is a good idea that when you come here you rent a house for 6 months - 1 year. Then you can try to learn where you want to live and then let your wife check the landprices in the area you prefer (a farang showing up can make the price go up quite a good bit).

You can rent a good house for 4000-8000 per month.

Welcome to Chiang Rai!

[chownah]

You needn't be limited by Chiangrai municipality water....you can dig a well.....where I live you can get a well dug for about 3,000 baht and its guaranteed to have water or he'll drill another one....that's what we've got and it has never run out of water. Our entire water system (well, sand filter, pump to go from well to sand filter, pump to go from sand filter to house) cost about 15,000 baht. The electric lines were already going right past our property....I can't remember what all it cost to get from the pole to our property but seems like it was between 10,000 and 20,000 baht for everything (everything up to the house, the panel and all the stuff in the house is not included).

So, you can see that if you buy land with electricity going by and you dig a well then you will have invested ballpark 40,000 baht.....so even if you buy a three rai parcel for 255,000 baht (85,000 baht per rai....which you should be able to find fairly easily if you are 10 or 20 kilometres out of town) it will only cost you about 300,000 baht....and you will get 3 rai. Doesn't it seem like 1,000,000 baht is a bit too much based on this breakdown? Frankly I think that 1,000,000 baht is a ridiculous price unless you are in town (town=Chiangrai municipality....there are probably one rai lots in Chiangrai municipality for less than 1,000,000 baht but don't know for sure) or the lot has obvious commercial potential.

Chownah

Edited December 28, 2007 by chownah

[klikster]

Chiang Rai is kind of a strange area for land prices. If you get up near the uni, the price goes up. If you get on the wrong side of the superhighway, flooding is a problem. I would guess that land inside the city limits that won't flood would be somewhere between Bt 600,000 and 1 mil/rai.

Up near and north past the airport .. somebody else might know .. I've heard all sorts of rumors.

But it appears that the OP is shopping in different areas of Thailand.

[ISPY]

Chiang Rai is kind of a strange area for land prices. If you get up near the uni, the price goes up. If you get on the wrong side of the superhighway, flooding is a problem. I would guess that land inside the city limits that won't flood would be somewhere between Bt 600,000 and 1 mil/rai.

Up near and north past the airport .. somebody else might know .. I've heard all sorts of rumors.

But it appears that the OP is shopping in different areas of Thailand.

I guess your right. Many possibilities and I think the prices you mentioned are reasonable. By the way, I heard prices starting from 600,000 to maximum 1,500,000. Of course depends on the location. Expectation is that prices will raise in this area because of economical activities and grow. By the way: Yesterday I saw an advertisement in Bangkok: more than 500,000 per sqw! I don't hope that this will be "our" future here....

[chang35baht]

There is no maximum price for land here. Land is worth what you are willing to pay for it. Sure if you go to the land office you can get a valuation of land in a particular area. But that`s not to say that the owner might want more than the land offices valuation.

I would personally follow Svenivan`s advice. And as AjarnP said from 5km -20km, If you are wiling to spend a bit of time, you can find some lovely spots that will be available @ the prices he quoted.

C35b.

[buddhafly]

i would agree with the recommendation to rent a place for 6 months or so and get a sense of the city and its environs and prices...

but i think that a decent piece of land with full chanote title will be very hard to find for under 300,000k per rai unless you're very far out of town. within 10 k of town center you may be looking at more like 600,000 to 1million baht per rai. there are exceptions though.

dont buy unless you get full chanote and the land surveyed by land dept.

there are 2 websites, you can pm me for them if u dont have already, of realty services, and they're both pretty helpful.

[svenivan]

Bump!