Travelling With My Kids, I Need Some Advise Please.

[sherryd]

I am planning to travel with my 2 kids an 11 and 3 year old to stay in CM for about 6 weeks in January and I home educate my eldest. I have looked at several apartments online like the Smith Residence and wonder if it would be suitable for a family?

We just need one bed with a work area where my daughter can do her work from for under 20 000 BHT. Are there any apartments with a kitchen where you can recommend families? Its just me and kids so safety is important not somewhere isolated.

Lastly can we manage without renting a car? We would love to explore the area a bit more and wondered if this can be done. I have looked at the public transport and on my own I could do it but not sure if I can do it with kids. Can you please advise.

One more thing my daughter would like to do some tennis lessons and continue with piano practice. Can she do this and do have any recommendations of where she can do this?

Edited November 29, 2011 by sherryd

[dindong]

This is the Chiang Rai forum.

[Mario2008]

Moved to Chiang Mai section.

[sherryd]

Moved to Chiang Mai section.

Sorry didn't realise I had posted in the wrong section. Its Chiang Mai we will be heading to.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

6 weeks.. so that's a bit too short to rent a house or apartment, those typically work for longer stays. A serviced apartment though may work; those tend to be in town, meaning you wouldn't need to rent a car unless you wanted to.

Tennis courts and piano lessons are available. These may be a bit out of the town center though (esp. tennis) so that would require a car, or a taxi or songthaew to get there.

[E1717007]

I stayed at D'Town Inn for 4weeks B4000 w/o kitchen, water 17B per unit and electricity 6B per unit. it is very near to Train station and there is a music school at the lobby area. the next unit to mine included a small kitchen but didnt ask about the price. plenty of foreigners stay here too.

https://foursquare.c...09076b0f39829d4

184/1 Thung Hotel Road, T. Watket, Chiang Mai 50000

Tel: 053 243 747

a public pool/tennis/gym club about 200m away

https://foursquare.c...d53f04dce354015

Edited November 30, 2011 by E1717007

[NancyL]

I know people who have stayed at Smith Residence and really like it. It's a good location. Also, check out The Dome Residence, off Huey Kaew. Also a good location. Both are well served by song thaews and tuk-tuks and taking kids on those vehicles is no problem. I see kids of that age using song thaews by themselves frequently during the day.

We stayed at Viangbua Mansion several years ago and the staff went ga-ga over families with kids. If your kids are cute, blonde and friendly, they'll end up speaking Thai like a native by the time you leave. However, Viangbua is a bit out of the way, but no more so than the previous recommendation for that place on Thung Hotel Rd.

Don't know about piano and tennis lessons. You might want to start a separate thread on those subjects, if the "search" function doesn't yield any info. I believe there is a piano studio in one of the two malls where you can rent a piano in a practice room by the hour.

You could rent a car for a couple days if you want to take side trips. It's easy, too, to rent a car and driver for day trips. That's what we've done because we're too scared to drive on the wrong side of the road.

[MESmith]

we're too scared to drive on the wrong side of the road.

There's no need to be scared if you drive on the correct side

[ludditeman]

I stayed at D'Town Inn for 4weeks B4000 w/o kitchen, water 17B per unit and electricity 6B per unit. it is very near to Train station and there is a music school at the lobby area. the next unit to mine included a small kitchen but didnt ask about the price. plenty of foreigners stay here too.

She asked for a safe place to stay, not somewhere where her kids could be found dead the next morning.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

I stayed at D'Town Inn for 4weeks B4000 w/o kitchen, water 17B per unit and electricity 6B per unit. it is very near to Train station and there is a music school at the lobby area. the next unit to mine included a small kitchen but didnt ask about the price. plenty of foreigners stay here too.

She asked for a safe place to stay, not somewhere where her kids could be found dead the next morning.

You're rambling, again.

(Hint for after you sober up: he said D Town Inn. Not Downtown Inn.)

Edited November 30, 2011 by WinnieTheKhwai

[just_Elaine]

At the Kad Suan Kaew shopping mall on the 3rd floor called Amadeus Music. They have lessons and practice rooms. Also, a friend mentioned a place where her daughter went that is located on the behind Kad Suan Kaew called Santi Music School.

By the way, if you end up living in an area where you can easily catch a songthaew, I think it is pretty easy to hire a car and driver for the times that you want to explore or you could rent a car.

[sherryd]

Thank you all,

I think I have a shortlist of places where we could stay but I am wondering if I should book now or just book 2 nights in a guesthouse and then book these apartments when we get there? It seems the Smith Residence don't always have apartments with kitchens so that's why I am thinking about booking early than walk in plus it just saves me the hassle of dragging kids around in the first days after a long flight.

Just one more question do all these places like Smith Residence, Dome Residence require 2 months rent as deposit. It just seems like a lot of money. I don't this:

"The first and one month advanced rental fee plus one month security deposit (Refundable)"

Edited December 1, 2011 by sherryd

[NancyL]

The deposit policy the OP stated about deposit applies for longer-term rentals, like a six month agreement. It's pretty standard. Email the facility and ask what the deposit would be for a six week stay. It shouldn't be as much.

And yes, the rooms with kitchen facilities at the places mentioned do tend to book up during high season. The Dome Residence would be closer to the two music facilities mentioned around Kad Suan Kaew, but it's an easy song thaew ride to Kad Suan Kaew mall from Smith Residence.

[ludditeman]

I stayed at D'Town Inn for 4weeks B4000 w/o kitchen, water 17B per unit and electricity 6B per unit. it is very near to Train station and there is a music school at the lobby area. the next unit to mine included a small kitchen but didnt ask about the price. plenty of foreigners stay here too.

She asked for a safe place to stay, not somewhere where her kids could be found dead the next morning.

You're rambling, again.

(Hint for after you sober up: he said D Town Inn. Not Downtown Inn.)

Sorry, don't live there, so assumed one and other were same, my bad.

[muchogra]

Hi, Sherryd,

I'll just copy and paste below what I have posted in another thread. I think this place is safe for your kids. Your kid can do her work either inside the room or outside in the corridor where there are tables and chairs or even in the eating area on the first floor. There are only 3 female workers there who are friendly and speak rather good English. No male staff there.

-------------------

I have stayed 2 or 3 times at the Baan Nam Sai Guest House. The place is very clean with hot shower and free wi-fi. The 3 lady staff are friendly and speak pretty good English. The room is about 300 sq feet with a large cupboard and dressing table. It has a big fridge and even a small storage room where you can hang dry your clothes or use it as storage room for your luggage. A/C is good and cable TV though I had never watched it.

The surrounding is good with no undesirables like drunks and prostitutes or sexpats taking them into their rooms. The front gate closes at 8 pm (you can slide open) and you need a door key to get into the U-shape building. It's a short walking distance to 7-11, the Irish Pub, and an area with many bars (no bargirls) where many young and old Caucasians hang out for a few drinks and dance.

I personally prefer this place to 3 or 4 star hotel when I go there alone. It's B500 per night. An Australian gentleman I met that stays 2 or 3 times a year on a monthly basis. He told me it's B10,000 a month. He loves the place.

Here's the address and number:

Baan Nam Sai Guest House

12 Soi 5 Moon Muang Rd, T. Sripoom

A. Muang, Chiangmai 50200

053-326653

//e-mail removed as per forum rules - contact member by PM//

Don't think they have a website. You can book through Agoda (that's how I ended up when my daughter booked for me the first time) but the price is the same. When you call let it ring longer since the 3 ladies there are most likely cleaning up the place upstairs.

Oh, you will be in a location within walking distance to all kinds of eatery and shops. I think this place is also good for the other lady in another thread with 2 small children. I had wanted to post in there the other day but I was tied up then.