Jumping In Boots & All

[OOB]

Appreciate that you probably get hundreds of these type of posts, so as short and quick as I can be. We are a mid-30s family moving to Chiang Mai from the UK in July with two kids, 11 and 10. Any advice on the following (broadly in order of importance) greatly appreciated:-

1) Short-term rental/serviced apartment for when we arrive

2) Golf club memberships and/or local discount clubs ala Pattaya Sports Club

3) Thoughts/opinions on Lanna Inter school

4) What we should bring rather than buy/rent when we get there

Cheers!

[heybruce]

Appreciate that you probably get hundreds of these type of posts, so as short and quick as I can be. We are a mid-30s family moving to Chiang Mai from the UK in July with two kids, 11 and 10. Any advice on the following (broadly in order of importance) greatly appreciated:-

1) Short-term rental/serviced apartment for when we arrive

2) Golf club memberships and/or local discount clubs ala Pattaya Sports Club

3) Thoughts/opinions on Lanna Inter school

4) What we should bring rather than buy/rent when we get there

Cheers!

If you're on a budget you can find many nice guest house rooms for around 500 baht a night. They will typically have air-con, cable tv, hot water shower, queen size bed and a mini-fridge. They can do for temporary lodging while you look into your long term options.

No information on golf and schools. Televisions and dvd players are comparable in price in Thailand to the west, but digital cameras, computers, and watches are much more expensive. I also find I get get better deals on shoes in the U.S. than in Thailand, but I don't know if the same is true about the UK. Cheap, low quality furniture is readily available, or you can get high quality made to order furniture for much less than what you'll find in the west.

[sassienie]

Appreciate that you probably get hundreds of these type of posts, so as short and quick as I can be. We are a mid-30s family moving to Chiang Mai from the UK in July with two kids, 11 and 10. Any advice on the following (broadly in order of importance) greatly appreciated:-

1) Short-term rental/serviced apartment for when we arrive

2) Golf club memberships and/or local discount clubs ala Pattaya Sports Club

3) Thoughts/opinions on Lanna Inter school

4) What we should bring rather than buy/rent when we get there

Cheers!

I can help you out with the Lanna International School and what to bring.

My daughter attended that school from age 14 to 18.

It’s based on the British educational format, i.e. SGSCEs, A levels etc. My daughter passed 9 of them and failed none. School has good reputation for results.

This was the only International school I found in Chiang Mai based on the British system.

The school building it’s self is much to be desired, but the education is excellent, plus school fees are lower than most other International schools in Chiang Mai.

Fees were 149000 baht per year when my daughter graduated almost 2 years ago and perhaps nearer the 160000 baht at present. This does not include, school uniform, books, writing materials and sportswear. All fees paid in advance.

Unofficially they discount 5% if you pay upfront for the full year rather than by term. They don’t tell you when the child first applies, so mention this before paying any fees.

They do have a school bus for picking up and bringing home the children, cost an extra 12000 baht per year for this service. Problem was that we lived on the far side of Hang Dong, which was too far for the bus service; they mainly cater for pupils who live more towards the town direction.

Also serve lunches at midday, which is another 20 per day.

Chiang Mai can get rather cold between the months of November and February. Bring a few heavy wooly jumpers, some warm jackets and even a hot water bottle if you can. (True, as stupid as this may sound).

Edited March 31, 2009 by sassienie

[heybruce]

You are asking a very broad question, the more specific you can be about your circumstances, needs and questions the better the information people can provide.

[OOB]

You are asking a very broad question, the more specific you can be about your circumstances, needs and questions the better the information people can provide.

Intentionally so, really Bruce. We don't have any specific circumstances that are not already implied. I want to play golf, the kids need to go to school. Once we are on the ground for while (hence the serviced apartment idea) I will go about looking for longer-term accommodation.

The replies so far have been really helpful, many thanks. I'm hoping for more me 'we did such and such' type advice that we can learn from.

[BlackArtemis]

Electronics are much cheaper back home. I bought the wife a laptop here in the states for about 40,000B. A similarly speced machine would have cost me 80-90,000B in CM.

Cameras have come down to respectable levels, but just electronics in general are pricey in Thailand.

Anything that can fit in your bag that you can not be with out I guess, there might be no way to get it in Thailand.

[Ricardo]

Welcome to Chiang Mai, and Good Luck, hopefully you've already visited a few times, to 'suss' things out ?

If you're shipping effects in a container, it doesn't make any real difference to the cost, whether it's full or only half-full, so I'd load it up, especially if your wife is a Thai-national returning home after 1+ years overseas, and can get the import (in theory) duty-free by putting all the stuff in her name only, as shipper & receiver ? There are threads on this, and local-agents to clear/deliver in CM, but you might need extra storage-space.

LIST is south of town, so you'd tend to live that side too, the traffic on the Hang Dong road can be quite busy during the rush-hour. Someone was advertising an apartment to-rent in that area, about a month ago ? Watch out for the flight-paths which tend to be from the LIST-end of the runway, it's not LHR or anything, but worth avoiding unless you like planes !

[PeaceBlondie]

I have known several families who sent their kids to Lanna, and I recommend it. The physical facilities are adequate, but not fancy. There are countless moobaans in the area, but as mentioned, Hang Dong Road is crowded. In fact, some moobaans on Canal Road have easier access to Lanna by back roads. But the ring roads are handy.

[Fore Man]

Regards golf memberships: check out Summit Green Valley located 10-km north of town off of Hwy 107 in Mae Rim municipality--they have different types available. A popular one is good for 5 years and runs around THB 50K...you still have to pay green fees but they are greatly discounted. GVCC is a U.S. country club style course laid out in a broad valley but littered with water hazards. Even so, it is very playable as the fairways are wide and generally without heavy rough except on certain holes where OB balls will certainly be lost.

Mae Jo Golf Course, located behind Mae Jo University, offers annual memberships which also grant you discounted green fees (pay THB 5,000 annually and get about THB 600 discount off every game). This is a gorgeous 18-hole layout that winds its way through fruit orchards and rolling hills. It's much more of a challenge than other local courses due to its narrow, twisting fairways and highly contoured greens.

The best course of all of them IMHO is CM Highlands located 45-minutes east of the city well past San Kamphaeng municipality. I don't have their pricing structure but it is considerably more expensive; in the end you get what you pay for though as CMH is really a superb and scenic course situated in up the Mae On hills.

On the way to CMH (above) is Alpine's newly-acquired and renovated 18-hole course, which originally was known as Chiang Mai-Lamphun Golf Course. I have not played the renovated course, but have heard from others that they did a good job; it is also quite pricey too now. The course is laid out generally in a rolling, wooded valley area containing mostly mature (tall) hardwood trees and several water hazards. I am quite sure that they sell memberships as well.

There is a nicely laid-out and decently maintained 9-hole course adjacent to the airport that is operated by the RTAF called Stardome. There is an excellent driving range there as well. They also offer memberships but the course tends to get oversubscribed during peak months. This is true of any CM area golf course--lately we have been overrun with Korean, Japanese and Taiwanese tourists...arriving by the planeloads and delivered to the local courses by the busload. Unlike the USA or perhaps in Europe, your local membership will not get you a prime tee time slot, as the higher-paying tourists get the best pickings.

Lanna Golf Course is one of the older venues located just north of the city, also on Hwy 107, but I understand they no longer accept new members. Just as well, as I find this 27-hole course either too busy (it is cheap) or plagued by poorly maintained/roughly textured fairways.

Well to the north of CM is a lovely course called Royal Chiang Mai (Rom Luang in Thai). I believe they also sell memberships but am not familiar with pricing. It is similar to Green Valley--but perhaps more beautiful and containing some winding, hilly fairways in its 18 holes.

The last course located near to CM is called Hang Dong. It's a low budget, poorly-watered 9-hole course with mostly hardpan fairways, but their 135-yard par 3 no. 8 offers an island green, a luring challenge. Very similar to Hang Dong is the oldest course in CM, Gymkhana, located roughly midway between the downtown area and the airport freeway. I don't believe memberships are available now, but it is cheap. Sadly it is not a great golf experience either--just an inexpensive one that doesn't require a lengthy drive to get to it.

There are several other full-service courses further away from the city--particularly in the direction of Lamphun and Lampang that are operated by the Gassan Group. Memberships are available at these courses as well, but unless you live close to them I would not recommend them for membership and only for occasional play. They can be quite a challenge due to placement of water hazards along with several holes which require lengthy tee shots over ponds and small lakes to reach the fairway.

Edited April 2, 2009 by Fore Man

[chiangmaibruce]

Hi. You may have done this already but ... because your interests are so broad/general and because every question you can think of has already been asked and answered in thaivisa ...

1. just scroll back through the list of discussion threads in the chiang mai forum and open up ones of potential interest... there are pages and pages of threads and some real gems of info there

2. for specific queries like 'lanna school' use the forum search facility. see top right this page. select advanced search. select 'search titles only' and use what ever key words are appropriate like 'lanna school, 'golf club', etc. the search button on the top left of the page works differently (using google search) and will bring up slightly different results

[OOB]

Many thanks all - some great advice in there.