I've been denied entry to Thailand - Now What ! ?

[Oldfart]

Please can anyone recommend a clean cheapish place to stay for a couple of months until we (wife and I) are familiar with the area. We want to relocate from Bangkok –we like Bangkok but the traffic is a nightmare! - but don’t want to get a permanent place around CM until we know the area well. I’ve got a pickup so out of town is no problem.

Ideal would be a well furnished fan room with bathroom attached and where they accept short-term rentals. I have been using a place like this in Bangkok that costs 5100 Baht per month total (i.e. including water, elec, cable TV and ADSL etc) and I pay month to month. Is there a chance of anything similar in or around CM?

[pjclark1]

Almost everywhere in CM, MoonMuang Soy 2 has a good choice.

Top North Guest House (swimming pool), Nuanpranee Guest house.

Outside that Soy, Smith Residence (no parking), Royal Lanna Hotel (swimming pool), among others

But I would say about 7000bht inclusive, Royal Lanna asks for 3 month minimum but can be talked down.

[semeru]

2 places that are pretty good:

Dasa House (5,000 baht/month)

Banwiang guesthouse (3,000 - 8,000 baht/month)

You can see pictures of the rooms and a map showing where they are on this page (numbers 22 and 39):

www.thailand-travel-help.com/chiang-mai-guesthouses.html

Khumsipaya Grand Hotel has rooms for between 6,500 and 8,000 per month

See details and a map on this page (number 15):

www.thailand-travel-help.com/hotels-in-chiang-mai.html

Ban Mae Tongmourn has monthly rooms for 4,500 (AC, 6,000)...see this page (number 17):

www.thailand-travel-help.com/chiang-mai-guesthouse.html

A nice place near Wat Umong is Central Hill Place (4,500 baht /10,000 baht a month)..there's a pool here and it's really quiet...only problem, it might be full....see number 1 on this page:

www.thailand-travel-help.com/chiang-mai-apartments.html

Have a great time

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[Drew Aitch]

Has anyone stayed or actually lived at Central Hill Place Serviced apartments mentioned above.

I'm interested in their internet connection and whether its any good or not. Also, they advertise 1 bed apartments at 10,000 THB/Mo but a lot of Thai landlords advertise studios as 1 bed which can be a bit confusing. Couldn't find the room size on the site which usually answers this question.

Thanks in advance

Aitch

[semeru]

I saw the apartment for 10,000 baht a month - it was great for the price with a seperate sofa and tv area...but yeah, on their website , they don't advertise it, i think because they have no problem renting it out...the minimum time was 6 months though so this might not fit in with the OP's paying month by month...as for the internet, i don't know

Has anyone stayed or actually lived at Central Hill Place Serviced apartments mentioned above.

I'm interested in their internet connection and whether its any good or not. Also, they advertise 1 bed apartments at 10,000 THB/Mo but a lot of Thai landlords advertise studios as 1 bed which can be a bit confusing. Couldn't find the room size on the site which usually answers this question.

Thanks in advance

Aitch

[Drew Aitch]

Thanks for that Semuru. Can i assume the 1 bed advertised then is a studio as you said it has a sofa and TV in 'an area'. Makes it sound like the layout of a studio room and not an actual separate living room? They advertise 2 bed also which could mean they have studios and 2 beds, with no actual 1 bed options to offer, unless their 2 bed really means 2 rooms ha ha lol

Thanks

Aitch

Edited October 31, 2009 by Drew Aitch

[semeru]

There wasn't a door, but it was separate, so if you're watching TV, you're not also looking at the bed...

They appear to have put the price up a lot i visited in feb 2009...with this place i think you've just got to turn up and see what happens...they told me the standard rooms were 550 baht a day, 4,500 baht a month...now the website says the standard rooms are 1,250 a day, they don't even advertise the monthly rates! if this price is right, it's way overpriced!

[Oldfart]

Thanks pj and semeru for the help so far. I'm really looking forward to moving to CM as last time I met some very interesting people, both Farang and Thai, had loads of laughs too. I always promised myself a return visit, and if I can survive the farmers' annual burning ritual I may well settle there.

[orang37]

Sawasdee Khrup, OF,

Welcome to Chiang Mai ! The Royal Lanna was previously mentioned, and I and I once lived there for over two years (several years ago : had a room up on the seventeenth floor with a wonderful view of Doi Suthep : that view is now gone thanks to the new eyesore constructed). It was okay, and the swimming pool was adequate for lap swimming (but not large).

One hypothesis : if you are here in CM looking around after the peak of the high-tourist season is definitely over (mid January ?), you might get a "better deal" given that's when the long months of heat and pollution begin ... compared to looking in the next two months ... ?

Not sure about that, but I'll just put the idea out there.

best, ~o:37;

[Oldfart]

Thank you for your kind greetings o37. I am sure you are correct about negotiating a better deal for accommodation if we arrive in low season, but we really want to move to CM as soon as poss. We leave Bkk tomorrow and are looking forward to a leisurely drive up north and to looking around CM once we arrive.