Long Term House Rental - Chiang Rai

[Life2PointO]

I have searched this forum and classified for an ad or an agency that has long term house rentals in Chiang Rai. I am trying to get an idea of what is the difference of the cost of living in CM versus CR. If anyone has any other cities that they think would be a good place to live, please advise. I have been looking into relocating to SE Asia for about a year and Thailand has met our criteria. We are looking for a smaller city that has great internet access, close to hiking and adventure, and has good hospitals and international schools or Thai Schools.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

[klikster]

I have searched this forum and classified for an ad or an agency that has long term house rentals in Chiang Rai. I am trying to get an idea of what is the difference of the cost of living in CM versus CR. If anyone has any other cities that they think would be a good place to live, please advise. I have been looking into relocating to SE Asia for about a year and Thailand has met our criteria. We are looking for a smaller city that has great internet access, close to hiking and adventure, and has good hospitals and international schools or Thai Schools.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Send a PM to "Soap". Besides being a nice and helpful gent, he has some houses that he rents out.

[Life2PointO]

Thank you so much. My husband and I are looking between CM and CR. There is a lot of information about CM, but not as much for CR. We have 2 small children and want to live in a safe area that is close to a city center with food markets, shops, and restaurants within walking distance. Do people walk often in CR?

[sceadugenga]

Chiang Rai's fine for walking. The traffic is nowhere as heavy as CM.

I certainly suggest a short holiday here before making the commitment of a long term rental though.

[soap]

[Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Send a PM to "Soap". Besides being a nice and helpful gent, he has some houses that he rents out.

thanks for the plug klickster,i did send a pm to life2point0 giving a few school and lanna r**lty web sites,

my rentals are all within 5k of the night bazzar but at the moment all full.

i agree with sceadugenga they must come and look around for at least a month before uprooting young children

to a strange place.

we all know that chaingrai is a very safe place to live but i think they are asking a lot to get markets,shops and restaurants

plus schools all within walking distance of the night bazzar without some mode of transport

[Savayla]

To life2point0 . We are doing the same thing. Our daughters are aged 6 and 8. Although we lived in Malaysia for 4 years (no kids then) and have been to Thailand often (spent 6 weeks with girls in AO Nang when they were 1 and 2 1/2 ), we realise that we do not know Thailand enough.

So we are flying over in November, spending a month in Phuket (which we think will be too long but want to make sure ) and then off to Chiang Mai. I have been doing a lot of research on CM, as this and CR are also our choices. There are a lot of Long term rentals in CM. Have not researched CR yet, as will go there and see what it is like.

Having kids is different as you don't just go to anyplace. I took so long trying to find the right guesthouses to stay in. Does it have a garden , is there something for them to do nearby , etc etc. You know what I mean. Schools are not that NB for us as I homeschool. But I want them to be able to partake in extra mural activities such as dancing, martial arts, swimming, horse riding, etc. This is what they want. As I dont' know if CR offers this kind of lifestyle, we will just have to go there and see. That is the best.

Dont' know if I was any help at all.

[lukamar]

So we are flying over in November, spending a month in Phuket ..... CM, as this and CR are also our choices.

Just my 2 cents here but there is a major difference between Phuket and the north, weather, culture etc. And there are even big differences between cities in the North like CM, CR and Phayao. Each area has good and bad qualities depending on your likes and dislikes but all offer the kinds of activities you are looking for.

[Life2PointO]

Thanks for all of your comments. The more research that I do, CR seems to be a better choice and plan to visit both CM & CR in the next year.

Soap - thanks for the information about rentals, when I get closer to the move I will be contacting you about rental properties. As for a car, I am from the USA(land of the monster cars - Detroit) and can not stand owning a car(gas, insurance, constant maintainence, and cleaning), really I could go on for while about it. What is the preferable way to navigate CR without owning a car or motorbike?

Savayla -- Please keep me posted about your decisions and your like and dislikes. I am so excited for you. Look on Flickr for great photos of CR. It has really changed my opinion of it. My children are 3 and 1.5 and you know what it is like when there is not enough do do. We leave in a colder climate(Detroit, MI USA) and can not wait for better weather.

Other Questions:

1)How is the CR Zoo?

2)Is the beach at CR polluted?

3)Are there parks for children in CR?

4) Are things for young children to do in CR?

5) What are Thai's opinions of Filipino people(my husband is Filipino?)

Thanks in advance. Please do not think that my questions are too demanding of CR, I am just trying to get a better understanding of the area. I am quite well travelled(well without children) and have been to Africa, Russia, Middle East, and all over Europe(including the eastern countries). So understand I really just trying to get as much research done before our first visit out there.

[Carib]

The Beach at Chang Rai ? Surely you donot mean the river banks?

[Life2PointO]

The Beach at Chang Rai ? Surely you donot mean the river banks?

HaHa, yes the river. Just relaying what the description was on a Flickr photo? Carib, do you swim in the river?

[Carib]

No i am sorry but i do not swim in the river, I don't live or stay there, just know enough that there is no beach, not in the sense as most people think about a beach. Just the riverbanks.

Hope you are not too disappointed about the beach, I looked for a pic about the riverbanks and found a wiki article about " the Changrai Beach ".

http://wikitravel.org/en/Chiang_Rai

[Life2PointO]

No i am sorry but i do not swim in the river, I don't live or stay there, just know enough that there is no beach, not in the sense as most people think about a beach. Just the riverbanks.

Hope you are not too disappointed about the beach, I looked for a pic about the riverbanks and found a wiki article about " the Changrai Beach ".

http://wikitravel.org/en/Chiang_Rai

Thanks for the wiki. Are you living in Thailand? On the Beach(by the sea?)

[Carib]

No i am sorry but i do not swim in the river, I don't live or stay there, just know enough that there is no beach, not in the sense as most people think about a beach. Just the riverbanks.

Hope you are not too disappointed about the beach, I looked for a pic about the riverbanks and found a wiki article about " the Changrai Beach ".

http://wikitravel.org/en/Chiang_Rai

Thanks for the wiki. Are you living in Thailand? On the Beach(by the sea?)

No , right now i am in the caribbean area, and i am surrounded by beaches like this one for instance..

[Life2PointO]

No , right now i am in the caribbean area, and i am surrounded by beaches like this one for instance..

That would explain your name Carib. A decade ago, I vacationed in Barbados and loved it. It was the most relaxing trip to date.

[Carib]

Yes it does explain my name. Barbados is nice too, all these islands are beautiful.

Hope you can get some more info about Chang Rai.

[sceadugenga]

Hat Chiang Rai isn't around at the moment because the river is too high.

During the dry season the river level drops to reveal a beach-like sandbar where I have seen many children swimming.

There's an attractive lake near our village, about 25kms from CR which is a popular swimming spot with families.

[klikster]

The Beach at Chang Rai ? Surely you donot mean the river banks?

Quite true, but they call it "Chiang Rai Beach" .. used to be Pattaya Noi .. still quite a nice area .. although a bit of a zoo during Songkran.

[Life2PointO]

Hat Chiang Rai isn't around at the moment because the river is too high.

During the dry season the river level drops to reveal a beach-like sandbar where I have seen many children swimming.

There's an attractive lake near our village, about 25kms from CR which is a popular swimming spot with families.

Thanks for your answer. Have any of you checked out Google Earth and the new service by Panoramio? You can submit photos of local attractions/businesses and the will show up on the satellite? It is SO cool.

Okay the next question is about safety in Thailand. My husband and I were thinking about relocating to the Philippines, but it really is not safe for people from the west. Even family members who live there, indicated that they would be uncomfortable with us visiting their homes. Is kidnapping a problem in Thailand? I putting out and trying to be blunt as possible about these things. We have a lot of family in the Philippines; but because of safety concerns, living there is out of the question.

Thanks again.

[sceadugenga]

Kidnapping is not a problem here in Thailand.

Personally I think that many areas of the PI are quite safe but the infrastructure is no where near as good.

My experience from living in the PI and reading the newspapers there is that kidnapping gangs target a certain wealthy ethnic group who are renowned for their reluctance to involve the police in such matters. They quietly pay up and say nothing.

Like you, I would not live there with children, but would have no problem taking older children to places like Boracay or Mindoro where many western families holiday quite safely.

[Life2PointO]

Kidnapping is not a problem here in Thailand.

Personally I think that many areas of the PI are quite safe but the infrastructure is no where near as good.

My experience from living in the PI and reading the newspapers there is that kidnapping gangs target a certain wealthy ethnic group who are renowned for their reluctance to involve the police in such matters. They quietly pay up and say nothing.

Like you, I would not live there with children, but would have no problem taking older children to places like Boracay or Mindoro where many western families holiday quite safely.

Sceadugenga,

Thanks for your answer. I did some cursory research on safety and nothing really indicated that Thailand had any serious problems. My husband family lives in the very south and there have been some problems. Also, a lot of income is sent overseas from the US and with the falling dollar; things have been quite a bit more difficult for families in PI as well as in Latin America.

How long have you lived in Thailand and also in CR? During my research I have come across a few things to know about living or visiting Thailand:

1) Do not say anything bad about the Royal Family

2) Do not raise your voice at Thai's

3) Feet are considered dirty

4) No patting of the head

Do you suggest anything else that would be helpful when we visit. Also, where are most of the CR expats from?

Thank you again.

[sceadugenga]

You'll find people better qualified than me on this forum to advise you on Chiang Rai. I've lived here five years but have a house 20kms outside the city and rarely go to town.

With Thai people politeness is everything. However most will realise you are a newcomer and give you a lot of leeway in your behavior.

It's best to avoid discussing the Royal Family, His Majesty The King is deeply loved and taken very seriously in Thailand.

Apart from that remember to take your shoes off before going into somebody's house and you'll pick the rest up as you go along.

[lukamar]

I never once felt threatened in Thailand no mater where I was day or night. I can't say the same for Canada or the US. Having said that - Don't look like you are a millionaire or wear a bunch of gold jewelry or flash a bundle of cash around. That would get you mugged in most places on earth.

A good habit to get into is not commenting on the Royal Family at all, even among family and friends. Same probably goes for politics especially among people you may not know, it's a hot potato at the moment and society is very divided.

Don't point your feet at anyone as it's disrespectful that goes for pushing something to someone like a pillow or closing the fridge door. (my wife used to beat me for that one) You can pat your kids heads or their young friends but not adults. As a woman, do not touch a Monk that includes their robes and always try to sit with your head lower than theirs (if the situation allows) same goes for elderly people, it shows respect and is much appreciated. Learn some basic Thai and smile a lot.

[naamjai]

hello Life2PointO

i just wondering, did you solve the visa issue for your family?

[sawadeesparkle]

I am in a great townhouse but will leave Sept 12. PM me and I will respond with details if you are still looking.