Bo Sang - The Good, The Bad...should I Move?

[sailaway2000]

I would like your opinions on living in the Bo Sang area.

I currently live on the west side on the CM-Mae Rim Road and really like the area. But I must move and have recently seen a pretty nice house in Bo Sang which I might rent. I am quite familiar with my current area and love to ride my motorcycle out in the hills for a quick getaway when the mood hits. I also need good. reliable internet services for my occupation.

So...my questions to all who care to respond are:

1. How's the internet service? MAXNET, TOT, CAT?

2. Electrical Service....is it reasonably reliable without too many outages, surges and spikes?

3. If you ride motorcycles, how's the riding out that way. I spent half a day there last week, I like smaller roads leading to great out of the way spots. Don't have a dirt bike so really lousy, deeply rutted roads are not in my future.

4. Any good local restaurants/bars to recommend to meet expats and Thais?

5. Any other general comments you'd like to share.....?

6. Do you know of any Rentals up to 6000. I'm single and don't need a huge place.

Thanks very much

[Just1Voice]

I would like your opinions on living in the Bo Sang area.

I currently live on the west side on the CM-Mae Rim Road and really like the area. But I must move and have recently seen a pretty nice house in Bo Sang which I might rent. I am quite familiar with my current area and love to ride my motorcycle out in the hills for a quick getaway when the mood hits. I also need good. reliable internet services for my occupation.

So...my questions to all who care to respond are:

1. How's the internet service? MAXNET, TOT, CAT?

2. Electrical Service....is it reasonably reliable without too many outages, surges and spikes?

3. If you ride motorcycles, how's the riding out that way. I spent half a day there last week, I like smaller roads leading to great out of the way spots. Don't have a dirt bike so really lousy, deeply rutted roads are not in my future.

4. Any good local restaurants/bars to recommend to meet expats and Thais?

5. Any other general comments you'd like to share.....?

6. Do you know of any Rentals up to 6000. I'm single and don't need a huge place.

Thanks very much

I live about 2 minutes from BoSang and love it where I'm at. Ok, let me answer your questions in order.

1. Internet. I have TOT high speed, and the only time I've had any problems is twice during really severe storms. Other than that, no complaints.

2. Electrical. Same story. Some outages during bad storms, but nothing serious. Rates are, from what I can tell, reasonable. My bill is roughly 2,200 baht a month for 2 story house, all the electronic appliances you can ask for, along with pump in fish pond.

3. Roads from here to C.M., Mai Rim, Mai On, Doi Sakett, etc, are all good highways. I have both a new Air Blade and a CBR 150, and love twisting the throttle on the 150 and blowing past everyone. The streets in BoSang themselves are good, no potholes, no dirt.

4. There are some good restaurants in the area, one right in BoSang owned by a guy from Switzerland. Can't tell you much about bars as I don't drink, so never bother to check them out.

5. Been here for over 18 months and I love it.

6. Check out this link for a house that is right across the steet from mine. http://www.mart2day.com/international/sell...sh.php?id=33362

If you have any questions, PM me and I'll answer them.

[Just1Voice]

Ok, I don't know what's going on here, but my wife and I went across the street just a few minutes ago to talk to the man who owns the house in the listing. He said he has never put anything on the internet, and never thought of renting. So we go to the next house where a young Thai couple live, and they said they don't know anything about it either. Yet, in the photos of the house, if you look out through the bedroom windows, it shows my house and the one next to it, so it has to be one of those two houses, but neither owner knows anything about it. A bogus listing? Who knows. Either way, it appears that particular house is not available.

I know that the owners of the development have rented out houses in here, and if they have something available, would probably do so again, so you still might want to come talk to them. It's two women, Lee and Poke, who are sisters, and nice people.

[khunphil]

Hi,

I used to live around there, at 3 different places, but all from 2 to 6 km from Bor Sang.

It is often a quiet area but all depends where you live.

I had no big problem of electricity and had my own TT&T Maxnet line, with good results.

What I did not like id that the road from Bor Sang to Chaingmai-Nawarat is quite busy at peak hours, and can be dangerous with motorbike.

Except this, I was living in a Thai moo Ban, normal house, and I rented before around 3.500 Bt/month. But this was not a "farang" mooban as you can see in the beautiful house picture ... mine was quite "tamada".

Except this, now with fast highways and superstore (Lotus, BigC), it is surely more convenient than before... but still at 8-12 km from the city.

Good luck

[PeaceBlondie]

I live south and east of Borsang. It's way out of CMai, but closer than Doi Sakhet or Samoeng.

[jaideeguy]

Bo Sang, Borsang, Bosang.........like so many other Thai places there is many pronounciations, spellings etc.

I've lived in the area for 7-8 yrs now and have seen it grow from no 7/11's to 7 within the area and a new mini Tesco/lotus. It's a funny little town that is mostly dependant on fickle tourism. On holiday weekends, it can be gridlock with tour busses and BKK pick-ups with families. and then when the weekend is over, it's like a ghost town.

It has all the major banks and services....depending how far you are from the town center, my favorite public market is where we do a lot of shopping, but Makro and the other superstores are only 10 minutes away.

Altho the roads in and out can get quite crowded at rush hour, with a motorcycle, you can beat most of the flow. Another altrnative that I chose is to live near the road that goes to Doi Saket and you have that option for town trips when BS gets jammed.

Not much in the way of nightlife, that's why I am there......

lots of decent and not so restaurants like everywhere....you'll find your favorites in time.

and as everywhere, there are many rentals available if you just look and ask around. what are you looking for......something in a gated community or a moobaan?

There seems to be less of a falang community in this area than other CM suburbs....that's ok with me.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

If you drive out straight East to the Mae On area you hit mountains; very beautiful area past Ban Huay Kaew, Mae Kampong especially. It's magnificent.

[sailaway2000]

Bo Sang, Borsang, Bosang.........like so many other Thai places there is many pronounciations, spellings etc.

I've lived in the area for 7-8 yrs now and have seen it grow from no 7/11's to 7 within the area and a new mini Tesco/lotus. It's a funny little town that is mostly dependant on fickle tourism. On holiday weekends, it can be gridlock with tour busses and BKK pick-ups with families. and then when the weekend is over, it's like a ghost town.

It has all the major banks and services....depending how far you are from the town center, my favorite public market is where we do a lot of shopping, but Makro and the other superstores are only 10 minutes away.

Altho the roads in and out can get quite crowded at rush hour, with a motorcycle, you can beat most of the flow. Another altrnative that I chose is to live near the road that goes to Doi Saket and you have that option for town trips when BS gets jammed.

Not much in the way of nightlife, that's why I am there......

lots of decent and not so restaurants like everywhere....you'll find your favorites in time.

and as everywhere, there are many rentals available if you just look and ask around. what are you looking for......something in a gated community or a moobaan?

There seems to be less of a falang community in this area than other CM suburbs....that's ok with me.

Thanks for the great reply,

I am not really concerned about whether there are a lot of other 'farang' in the area. I live a reasonably quite life, work through the nights to US Westcoast time, and currently single and beer in the fridge is more for friends than for myself, though on occasion I will indulge.

As for location, gated community or mooban, I really don't care. Even an isolated house (because its likely to be quiet when I need to sleep) is fine with me. At my current home, gated but not in a commmunity or mooban near the CM City Hall/Provincial Offices, I have had no problems at all, and frequently leave the house unlocked. In my opinion, locks only keep honest people out.

I'd like to keep the price under or around 6,000 excl. utilies, internet etc. I am not out to impress anyone with an extravagant lifestyle, just to live moderately comfortable, especially with the continued economic pains we are feeling (I design/document commercial communication systems (data centers/structured cabling for voice and data systems). 1 or 2 bedroom, enough for an office and the occasional guest from overseas, a bt of living area and a simple kitchen are enough for me personally.

There's an ideal location near me now w/view of Doi Setep, but the house is very old, Thai style and needs a lot of clean up and my GF thinks its maybe got 'ghosts'. Or, out in Bo Sang, older but not as old, much bigger, nicer, reasonably furnished.

I've got to come to decision soon......