Right Things To Do When You Arrive To Live In Chiang Mai

[bagan68]

¡Hi !

¡This is again the Spanish guy moving to CM and doing my best with my written English!

¡Sorry for making some many useless questions for all of you that are already living in Chiang mai for a while!¡I hope once I get there I can introduce more interesting topics to the Chiang Mai Forum!

I have been looking for some different places to stay for my first month upon my arrival to Chiang Mai end of january 2009, before looking for a long term condo,apartment or house. I have seen in internet the Vingbua Mansion. It looks quite good but I really don´t know how it is convenient in terms of location or services around the place like supermarkets, etc.. I will start in February a Thai Language course in AUA at the same time I seek for a job and also I am planinng to hire a motorcycle for certain time.

Is it then Vingbua a right place to stay to start with?Or are any better options?

Is it the right thing to do to hire a motorcycle or better to hire a car?

What do I have to do to be allowed to drive a car with my EU driver license?

Is it the right thing to open a bank account from the beginning or better to wait till I find the place I will stay ?

Which banks are more convenient to get a credit card, easy for swifts from Europe, nice in terms of Exchange rate?

Is it better and possible to open account on foreign currency or better to do it in Thai Bahts or both?

I guess that most of you went through the same process upon your arrival to Chiang mai so I will appreciate lot your advise about the first steps. As I made too many questions happy to get only answers to some of them . I don´t want you to get bored doing a kind of "book" about what are the right thinks to do to save time and avoid mistakes once a "farang" arrive to Chiang Mai.

¡Thanks, mates, for your help!

[gobs]

Hi Bagan68,

IMHO, first of all, take it easy. Thailand is a peaceful country, especially Chiang Mai, easy to live and easy to deal with: don't worry so much...

For example rent a room first for some days near the centre, and then check around learning what is the city (many different attractive places to settle): what you like, what you prefer, and decide by yourself. Same for "renting a bike or a car", maybe you begin with the bike (easier to travel and park in town) and then try a car... And decide by yourself.

Come here with a INTERNATIONAL DRIVING LICENCE (in theory your spanish one can't go, but take it with you if you want to get later a thai driving licence, you'll need it) for motorcycles AND for cars. Here you have a licence for bikes AND a licence for cars. One can't be used for the other. So in Spain you must have these two licences... if you want to drive bikes and cars here.

The general advice here is that the BANGKOK BANK is easier to deal with for the foreigners. But other banks can go as well (though some don't open account for foreigners)...

In the Bangkok Bank agencies you can open an account in thai Bahts and make tranfers by swift from Europe. If I can give you any advice, it would be to keep your Euros in a European or Spanish bank, and make some tranfers by swift as you need... More secure and best rates in savings there IMHO.

Y hasta luego!

Cheers, Gobs

[Steve2UK]

Hi bagan68,

Don't worry about your English - it works well enough!

I stayed at Viangbua 3 times for a total of 12 weeks in 2005 while I was visiting Chiang Mai to prepare for when I moved here in 2006. From that, you will understand that I liked it a lot - very good quality rooms, service and friendly/helpful staff......... it's as good as a hotel. If you rent a motorbike or car, it's also quite easy to get to the places you want. I should tell you that it is in an area that is almost 100% Thai - you will not see many other farang; for me, that was a good thing and a great introduction to the "real" Thailand.

There is the western "Tops" supermarket about 5-10 minutes south of Viangbua (next to Novotel if you look on the map) and also a very good Thai market (Thanin) just 2 minutes walk from Viangbua.

I would start by renting a motorcycle if you already feel confident about using one in Spain and can get used to driving it here - much cheaper than a car and almost no rain at that time of year. Before you leave Spain, get the International Driver's Permit and that will be OK for a while (a year, I think) and you can use it to get a Thai Driver's Licence after you just take a simple eyesight/reaction test.

No reason why you should not open a Thai bank account as soon as you arrive - it will probably be a savings account with a pass-book and ATM card (not sure about the credit card?). I had no problem to open an account with Siam Commercial Bank - it's best to choose a branch where they get a lot of farang business so you can expect them to speak English and they will be used to your kind of business (e.g. Airport Plaza or Central Kad Suan Kaew shopping mall). As far as I know, all the banks operate about the same exchange rate and are straightforward for SWIFT transfers etc. As far as I know, easier and more convenient to open an account with Thai baht and not Euro's. In any case, you should always transfer Euro's to Thailand and make the exchange here - much better rate than exchanging for Thai baht outside Thailand.

You said you will be looking for a job - do you already know about the requirements for you to work here? That's a big subject and you need make sure you are able to do what you want.

Edit: I just saw Gobs' suggestion about maybe rent a room in the centre of town for about a week. That's not a bad idea - and (if so) I would suggest you choose a place in the "Old City" (i.e. inside the square moat area and also where AUA is) and explore from there. But, Viangbua can get to be full in high season (i.e. January), so you may want to keep that idea and book it before you arrive - I still think it's a good base and a very good start for living in CM. I would book there for a month (to get a good rate) and then see if you want to look for somewhere else to move after that.

Edited September 13, 2008 by Steve2UK

[angelal]

I stayed at Viangbua 3 times for a total of 12 weeks in 2005 while I was visiting Chiang Mai to prepare for when I moved here in 2006. From that, you will understand that I liked it a lot - very good quality rooms, service and friendly/helpful staff......... it's as good as a hotel.

Just a comment on Viangbua. Perhaps it's changed since you stayed there in '05? I stayed there for one night a few months ago. The bed was painfully hard (I think it was just a boxspring - no mattress) and the walls were paper thin. I was unable to sleep most of the night because the person in the room next door was snoring, and the walls did nothing to muffle the sound. So, although the rooms look nice, I wouldn't recommend it if you actually want to get any sleep.

[PeaceBlondie]

Hola, bangan. I took una libertad and edited some punctuation and spelling, Perdóname, por favor - and you have it correctly - English only (I am cheating for this intro).

You are getting good advice. A car is expensive, but safer.

[Steve2UK]

I stayed at Viangbua 3 times for a total of 12 weeks in 2005 while I was visiting Chiang Mai to prepare for when I moved here in 2006. From that, you will understand that I liked it a lot - very good quality rooms, service and friendly/helpful staff......... it's as good as a hotel.

Just a comment on Viangbua. Perhaps it's changed since you stayed there in '05? I stayed there for one night a few months ago. The bed was painfully hard (I think it was just a boxspring - no mattress) and the walls were paper thin. I was unable to sleep most of the night because the person in the room next door was snoring, and the walls did nothing to muffle the sound. So, although the rooms look nice, I wouldn't recommend it if you actually want to get any sleep.

Angelal, sorry that you had a bad night's sleep there - but I doubt that the walls got any thinner since 2005 (and 2006 when I stayed there again for a another week) . The beds are certainly firm - like all other hotel-quality mattresses that I have slept on in Thailand - but I slept like a baby every time.

One thing worth knowing and I forgot to mention about Viangbua - the "mountain view" rooms are always preferable to the city view a] because the view is beautiful and b] there is a now a construction site close by on the city side. Another reason to book early and specify a "mountain view" room.

There are other places around CM - and I'm sure people will suggest some. For example, I read on here that Flora and Chiang Mai Furnished Apartments (forum sponsor) are also good.

[elektrified]

Hola bagan68,

Like the others said, relax and don't worry so much. Things are easy and laidback here. People are friendly and eager to help. I stayed at Huay Kaew Residence for a while and while others have posted negative reports about it, I personally had nothing but good experiences there. It is centrally located, rooms are bright and clean, and the walls are not thin like the other place mentioned. I never once heard a single sound from another room. There are many taxi's out front. Tops supermarket is right there as well. From there you can find a permanent place to stay.

Another place that looks very nice, although quite expensive, is the Dome - I think it is called, right accross the road from Huay Kaew Residence.

Almost all of my Thai and farang friends bank at Kasikorn Bank. I have had good experiences there as well. The good thing about Kasikorn is you can have on-line banking and transfer funds in and out, pay bills, etc. which is quite convenient. I don't know if other Thai banks offer that. Just walk in to the main Chang Klan branch with your passport and open an account. Simple as that.

Everyone has different opinions/experiences. Good luck.

[bagan68]

¡Hola!

Thank you very much to all of you for your detailed answers. ¡You, guys, are very helpful ¡I am not worried ! Is just that your experience is very much appreciate as It helps a lot to do things on an easier way. For example, I didn´t know that I needed to bring with me an International License from Spain to be able to drive a car or a motorcycle inThailand.

About seeking for a job, as far as I know, With a Non Inmigrant O visa I can get a work permit if a I get a job offer from a company. I know that the company must justify why to hire a "farang" instead of a Thai Citizen, that the minimum salary has to be 50.000 Bahts and this company needs a minimum of Thai employees per every "foreign employe" and a minimun size in terms of Capital Investment I am right?

I have been working in the Tourism Industry in Spain with close relation to Thailand so I count on some help from the people I know on the Tourism Industry in Thailand .With this help and speaking English, Spanish and french I will try to get a job. If not I wil try to settle a business there. What it is sure is that I don´t want to live anymore in Europe and that I want to live in Thailand. And If possible in Chiang Mai as I would like if I can to avoid living in Bangkok wich probably is the esaiest place to find a job.

By the way . Do you think that finding a job in Chiang mai for a "farang" is very difficult?

¡Thanks again!

¡Cheers!

[bagan68]

Hola, bangan. I took una libertad and edited some punctuation and spelling, Perdóname, por favor - and you have it correctly - English only (I am cheating for this intro).

You are getting good advice. A car is expensive, but safer.

¡Hola peaceblondie!

Your spanish is good though . ¡Muy bien!

[bagan68]

Hi bagan68,

Don't worry about your English - it works well enough!

I stayed at Viangbua 3 times for a total of 12 weeks in 2005 while I was visiting Chiang Mai to prepare for when I moved here in 2006. From that, you will understand that I liked it a lot - very good quality rooms, service and friendly/helpful staff......... it's as good as a hotel. If you rent a motorbike or car, it's also quite easy to get to the places you want. I should tell you that it is in an area that is almost 100% Thai - you will not see many other farang; for me, that was a good thing and a great introduction to the "real" Thailand.

There is the western "Tops" supermarket about 5-10 minutes south of Viangbua (next to Novotel if you look on the map) and also a very good Thai market (Thanin) just 2 minutes walk from Viangbua.

I would start by renting a motorcycle if you already feel confident about using one in Spain and can get used to driving it here - much cheaper than a car and almost no rain at that time of year. Before you leave Spain, get the International Driver's Permit and that will be OK for a while (a year, I think) and you can use it to get a Thai Driver's Licence after you just take a simple eyesight/reaction test.

No reason why you should not open a Thai bank account as soon as you arrive - it will probably be a savings account with a pass-book and ATM card (not sure about the credit card?). I had no problem to open an account with Siam Commercial Bank - it's best to choose a branch where they get a lot of farang business so you can expect them to speak English and they will be used to your kind of business (e.g. Airport Plaza or Central Kad Suan Kaew shopping mall). As far as I know, all the banks operate about the same exchange rate and are straightforward for SWIFT transfers etc. As far as I know, easier and more convenient to open an account with Thai baht and not Euro's. In any case, you should always transfer Euro's to Thailand and make the exchange here - much better rate than exchanging for Thai baht outside Thailand.

You said you will be looking for a job - do you already know about the requirements for you to work here? That's a big subject and you need make sure you are able to do what you want.

Edit: I just saw Gobs' suggestion about maybe rent a room in the centre of town for about a week. That's not a bad idea - and (if so) I would suggest you choose a place in the "Old City" (i.e. inside the square moat area and also where AUA is) and explore from there. But, Viangbua can get to be full in high season (i.e. January), so you may want to keep that idea and book it before you arrive - I still think it's a good base and a very good start for living in CM. I would book there for a month (to get a good rate) and then see if you want to look for somewhere else to move after that.

¡Thanks Steve for writting a such a complete answer to my "post"!

Most of you are retired or working there?

Do you thing it is particularly difficult to get a job in Chiang Mai? As I wrote in my general answer to all your "posts" I thaink I know the basic requirements for the companies to hire a "Farang" But I appreciate any comments about this suibject or seeking for a job there.

¡thanks!

¡By!

[Fishenough]

Hello Bagan68,

Thanks for posting, the responses here have answered a couple of questions I had. We'll test out some of this accomodation advice when we arrive in Chiang Mai i this October.

Will happily provide feed back on what we learn!

Best Regards,

Kev

[mhortig]

Hello, you have been given some good advice. Here's some alternatives. When you first come you willl want to get the feel for the City. I suggest staying near the old city. Lots of falangs in this area but it is a good place to start. You will probably not want to live in this area after you get to know the city. Try the Veerachai court ([email protected]) Its quiet and friendly and just 5 minutes from the old city. It's not fancy but you can get a simple, clean large room for about 5,000 baht a month, or upgrade to a fancier room for about 8500. I strongly advise that you do not rush to buy a motorcycle or car. Songthaews (red truck taxis) are very plentiful and inexpensive. Much of Chiangmai is very walkable too-great way to learn the city.

When you arrive go to a meeting of the Chiangmai expats club. Great way to meet many farangs and get great useful information about living here. See their website for meeting detatils: (http://www.chiangmaiexpatsclub.com)

As suggested it is best to go to a bank that has many falang customers. I suggest the Bangkok bank branch in the Central (Huay Kaew not the airport) shopping center. The staff's English is limited but the manager(Malai) speaks very good English, just ask to see her. They have numerous branches and ATMS throughout Thailand. I hope this is useful. Good luck. Chiangmai is a great place to live.

[bagan68]

Hello Bagan68,

Thanks for posting, the responses here have answered a couple of questions I had. We'll test out some of this accomodation advice when we arrive in Chiang Mai i this October.

Will happily provide feed back on what we learn!

Best Regards,

Kev

¡Happy to ask useful questions for "newcomers"! Don´t forget after a while in Chiang Mai to post how was your accomodation and everything else. As I will be arriving a couple of months later than you, good fresh information

Cheers

[bagan68]

Hello, you have been given some good advice. Here's some alternatives. When you first come you willl want to get the feel for the City. I suggest staying near the old city. Lots of falangs in this area but it is a good place to start. You will probably not want to live in this area after you get to know the city. Try the Veerachai court ([email protected]) Its quiet and friendly and just 5 minutes from the old city. It's not fancy but you can get a simple, clean large room for about 5,000 baht a month, or upgrade to a fancier room for about 8500. I strongly advise that you do not rush to buy a motorcycle or car. Songthaews (red truck taxis) are very plentiful and inexpensive. Much of Chiangmai is very walkable too-great way to learn the city.

When you arrive go to a meeting of the Chiangmai expats club. Great way to meet many farangs and get great useful information about living here. See their website for meeting detatils: (http://www.chiangmaiexpatsclub.com)

As suggested it is best to go to a bank that has many falang customers. I suggest the Bangkok bank branch in the Central (Huay Kaew not the airport) shopping center. The staff's English is limited but the manager(Malai) speaks very good English, just ask to see her. They have numerous branches and ATMS throughout Thailand. I hope this is useful. Good luck. Chiangmai is a great place to live.

Thanks four your extra-advises. ¡Good to know that Chiang Mai is a nice place to live! ¡Because after visiting several times difefrent places in Thailand I had this impression and that is why I have decided to move there!

Cheers,