Living Inside The Moat Area

[middlepath]

Will be in CM this October with the thai wife so will be able to look around then,

but, do any of you live in this area, wish to, know someone who does?

Just wanted to find out what it is like. Seems it would be nice to own a house where you could walk to eaterys, stores, ect. Comments please.

And yes my first post, HI...

So what's it like? Thanks...MP.

[seeker108]

IMHO I would not suggest it (except very short term) as almost everywhere inside tends to be very congested and there is more pollution. But maybe someone knows of some nice area inside?

I think you are better to find some part of town that suits your fancy where maybe you have easy access to public transportation for when you, or your wife, don't feel like driving. Even inside the moat you will not be near everything you want. You also might find that you prefer to live where it is a bit more quiet but not too far from your favorite part of town.

Good hunting!

[middlepath]

Will be in CM this October with the thai wife so will be able to look around then,

but, do any of you live in this area, wish to, know someone who does?

Just wanted to find out what it is like. Seems it would be nice to own a house where you could walk to eaterys, stores, ect. Comments please.

And yes my first post, HI...

So what's it like? Thanks...MP.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks seeker, Like your handle. Funny I know CR well, not really saying much sence it is so small but CM is a differant story. Not sure why but I have this vision of a small soi with teck houses, I might be way off.

Plan to rent a small motorbike and explore.

"Welcome to The Yoga Studio. In the shadow of the huge ruined Chedi (spire) of one of the oldest temples in the city, we are right at the heart of Northern Thailand’s capital of Chiang Mai" This was taking off the The Yoga Studio" site

Love to be able to walk to places like this. and veggie places.

Thanks again for your input.

Edited September 4, 2005 by middlepath

[x-pat]

Seems it would be nice to own a house where you could walk to eaterys, stores, ect.

You mean O-W-N like in possess/acquire/purchase? It's probably the most expensive land in the Chiang Mai province.

X-Pat

[jackr]

Some nice areas in the old city but you'll find a greater concentration of eateries and other services in other parts. Nimmanhemin road, to the west towards the mountain, is a good area IMO. Some smart areas around there and oodles of restaurants - 10baht to town in a sawngthaew etc.

[kerryk]

Some nice areas in the old city but you'll find a greater concentration of eateries and other services in other parts. Nimmanhemin road, to the west towards the mountain, is a good area IMO. Some smart areas around there and oodles of restaurants - 10baht to town in a sawngthaew etc.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Oodles of restaurants? Have been to the Lemon Tree and Drunken Flower and Grotti's. If you don't mind what are the otheres I should check out.

Thanks

[SiamOne]

Will be in CM this October with the thai wife so will be able to look around then,

but, do any of you live in this area, wish to, know someone who does?

Just wanted to find out what it is like. Seems it would be nice to own a house where you could walk to eaterys, stores, ect. Comments please.

And yes my first post, HI...

So what's it like? Thanks...MP.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, we live inside, near Chang Puak

Like most areas, there are quiet sois where you can live a good life, and be very near the bars shops etc

It really depends on your neighbours and any traffic. It is very built up, but you can make nice places

we like it a lot, but land is more expensive, it's true, but not ridiculous

we don't need a car, just use bicycles and red buses to get around. so easy

[SiamOne]

oh yes, dont need a motorbike, just get a bicycle, much easier to look around.

we found our place by cycling around until we saw boards for sale. You have Thai wife, so no problem.

good luck

[jackr]

Some nice areas in the old city but you'll find a greater concentration of eateries and other services in other parts. Nimmanhemin road, to the west towards the mountain, is a good area IMO. Some smart areas around there and oodles of restaurants - 10baht to town in a sawngthaew etc.

Oodles of restaurants?

Many Don't know the names sorry.

[middlepath]

X-pat.... Love the idea of expensive land. Expensive land with a small simple comfortable house on it.

We just sold our house here in Los Anglels. We had a small house and the land was expensive. All the houses around us were hugh, but ours, small and comfortable. Just my style. My ol dad use to tell me "son, you can only be in one room at a time" Those words eco in my head today.

Jackr... Will check out Nimmanhemin Road, sounds interesting.

Siamone... To not need a car for me/us would be bless and save lots of money too. One thing around here in Los Anglels, man, one has to have a car. In Thailand the puplic transportations is everywhere. I enjoy takng the railroads too in Thailand. So that is a another idea of living inside the moat area. Also a plus for living in CM instead of CR, the train station.

Thanks guys again. I'm sure you get these questions all the time. We were all newbes once and to take the time out to help one is to be rememberd. Ice tea on me someday or anything healthy for the mind, spirit, body, I'm in. I Want to do what is best for me so the next 40 years, (I'm in my 50s now) will be as peaceful and healthy, as possible.

[greedisgood]

Some nice areas in the old city but you'll find a greater concentration of eateries and other services in other parts. Nimmanhemin road, to the west towards the mountain, is a good area IMO. Some smart areas around there and oodles of restaurants - 10baht to town in a sawngthaew etc.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Oodles of restaurants?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Many Don't know the names sorry.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Check out our fellow members site:

http://chanchao.fotopages.com/

Edited September 5, 2005 by greedisgood

[jackr]

Nice one, middlepath. Hope you find what you're looking for in CM.

Best of luck

[x-pat]

middlepath: X-pat.... Love the idea of expensive land. Expensive land with a small simple comfortable house on it.

I suppose you can put a modest but comfortable house on a 50 square wah plot (1 square wah = 43 sq feet), which will cost you around 3.5 million THB in the city, assuming a sqw price of 70k. That's still a far cry from the land prices in the Big Mango and you are right in the centre.

However, a 50 square wah plot doesn't give you much of a garden, and many people think that a tropical garden is a must-have amenity when you live near 18 deg. latitude.

From an investment point of view, city land is probably a safe bet, although currently there seems to be a mass exodus of the middle class to the suburbs for some reason, so people seek residential property outside and commercial property inside.

I think that pollution may be a bit of a setback in the city. Not exactly the healthiest place to be. There are still some quiet spots inside the moat area. Don't know how long though.

BTW, welcome to the club. I am a Chiang Mai newbie, too. Not a Thailand newbie, though. :-)

Cheers, X-Pat

Edited September 5, 2005 by x-pat

[seeker108]

A few more thougts. You can be pretty far out of town and still not need a car because there are lots of red or yellow sawngthaews going pretty far afield (I lived 25 km north, up in Mae Rim and we had regular service up there). That having been said, my preference will be to be in closer when I come back. I also happen to like the Nimmanhaemin and Huay kaew area because of restaurants and shopping, but maybe a bit outside the main road areas.

I will probably still have a car or a pickup (pickups are much cheaper and very handy for hauling supplies) for those times when I really feel the need for some independent travel (BTW, I would buy only a diesel engine vehicle so that I could run it on straight veggie oil (maybe I or someone else will start a topic on this)). But when you are not far from the moat then public transportation is convenient, cheap and short duration to most areas of CM and that is what I would mostly use.

To KerryK

Some of my favorite restaurants there are Khun Churn (Excellent Veggie Thai buffet on soi 7), Amari Rincome (nice western buffet), and on soi 6 (or is it 4?) about 100 meters in on the left there was a nice organic restaurant (sorry, can't remember the name; someone else know the name and soi?) Also check out the first pinned topic in the CM forum "Good Places To Eat In Chiang Mai".

Seeker

[SiamOne]

Yes, good luck to you!

you can get a decent size land inside the moat for about 4/5 million, around 80 sq wah. And of course cheaper and smaller ones too.

Ours is only 30wah (120 sq metres), a good size wooden house on it, but no garden (and no problems!) but a nice terrace to sit at.

We are not there all the time so no garden is easier. No car is also easier...you can always rent a pick-up or car very easily.