Temporary House Rental + Anyone Familiar With Den Chai?

[cdnmatt]

Hey everyone,

Making the move from Khon Kaen to Chiang Mai shortly. Two things, if anyone is kind enough to help:

1.) Have two dogs on the larger side, so can't do a hotel, and need a temporary house for a week or two while I go house hunting and find a permanent home. Not picky at all on the house as it's only temporary -- safe, clean, utilities turned on including internet, and a decent sized gated yard. Doesn't have to be a huge yard, but enough space so the dogs can run around and wrestle with each other. Any recommendations?

2.) Anyone familiar with Den Chai, about 190kms SE of Chiang Mai? If so, what are my chances of finding a songtaew to take myself and the dogs (in cages) up to Chiang Mai at say 2pm on a weekday for say 8000 baht (plus I pay gas)? I'm not putting the dogs on a bus or train, flying requires a layover in BKK so that's not an option, and I don't know anyone with a pickup who wants to drive me all the way up to Chiang Mai.

So my plan is to have a songtaew pick me up at my house in KK at 6am, take us to Den Chai, drop us wherever songtaews congregate, then I'll solicit another driver to take us to Chiang Mai, where I'll already have a temporary house booked and waiting. I don't expect one driver to do the entire trip in one day, and also this way leaves almost no chance of a certain someone soliciting my new address from the first driver, then popping up in my life crying because they love and miss me oh so much. Is Den Chai a decent (ie. large enough) place to solicit a driver, or am I going to be left stranded, sitting on the street like an idiot with two dog cages? Is maybe Pa Sao or somewhere better?

Thanks in advance for any help.

[cdnmatt]

Bump for some potential help? Didn't think my questions were that out of line.

[saakura]

You want to rent a house with a big gated yard which is clean, safe, all utilities including Internet turned on for your arrival. And rent it for a week? That is going to be tough. Pet friendly motel?

[mamborobert]

Every now and again there is a vacation rental in the classifieds....or maybe Craiglist.

I would try that first but remember this is peak season and you have dogs....big dogs.

I would also look at Lamphun, its only 40 or so clicks away and would offer a few more choices.

I would have thought you would be far better off leaving dogs where they are ( if you have someone that could care for them) and coming and setting up a place first...and then go back and get them. Unless you know CM I would think you would want to take longer than a week or two to work out where you want to stay and find an appropriate rental.

You could get some motel/hotel in town and hire a bike and be able and zip around and sign up a long term place.

Second alternate would to see about housing dogs here in dogs home/refuge/shelter...you may not like it, they may not like it, but may not have a choice.

Third alternate would to see if there is someone here that could house dogs for baht while you look, which again is a leap of faith if you love your dogs. Dog shelter/refugee here may be able to help on above two choices.

You could try contacting some agents now for the longer term stuff and shortlist places/areas to look at to try and minimize time away from dogs but pretty sure that it would be hard to get one to help with a one or two week rental.

I'd go for come up yourself for a brief intense search and sign up and then return. I'd also look at hiring a utility and driving yourself, pick up KK and drop of CM Airport would come up a lot less than 8000 baht (plus deposit). A lot of the bigger chains will be used to this...but again book early high season.

Apologies for doom and gloom but think you might be flat out of luck with plan as it stands.

Edited December 12, 2012 by mamborobert

[naboo]

I'd also look at hiring a utility and driving yourself, pick up KK and drop of CM Airport would come up a lot less than 8000 baht (plus deposit). A lot of the bigger chains will be used to this...but again book early high season.

I'd second this.

Additionally, there are some reasonably good ''dog hotels' here - I've been recommended the Happy Gambol reliably - apparently not a place to lock them up, I think I was quoted around 500B a day for my dog -, may be a better bet than trying to find a house for a week.

[elektrified]

You must be joking...no?

"Not picky at all on the house as it's only temporary -- safe, clean, utilities turned on including internet, and a decent sized gated yard. ...take us to Chiang Mai, where I'll already have a temporary house booked and waiting."

In your dreams...

Who is going to turn on the utilities (including Internet) without you being present with your original passport? Who will clean the place without you being present to pay them?

You've been watching too many movies.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Yes, do a one-way rental.

Either way, Den Chai is tiny; it's on the train line, but that's about it. If you want to cut up the trip, Phitsanulok is the obvious regional hub.

[naboo]

You must be joking...no?

"Not picky at all on the house as it's only temporary -- safe, clean, utilities turned on including internet, and a decent sized gated yard. ...take us to Chiang Mai, where I'll already have a temporary house booked and waiting."

In your dreams...

Who is going to turn on the utilities (including Internet) without you being present with your original passport? Who will clean the place without you being present to pay them?

You've been watching too many movies.

He's offering 8000B to pick him up from Den Chai, plus fuel. I guess for a week's accommodation, he's willing to pay quite a bit for a place with a yard for his dogs.

I spy an opportunity to make 20k out of this guy in a week, for picking him up and letting him use my house. I'm not going for it though.

[cdnmatt]

Either way, Den Chai is tiny; it's on the train line, but that's about it. If you want to cut up the trip, Phitsanulok is the obvious regional hub.

Great, thanks! Phitsanulok looks like it may work, although not quite as far as I was hoping to make it on the first leg of the trip. Looks like I also may have someone in Chiang Mai able to pick me up in Den Chai, which would be perfect.

In your dreams...

Who is going to turn on the utilities (including Internet) without you being present with your original passport? Who will clean the place without you being present to pay them?

Why? You've never seen family houses rented out as vacation rentals before? I can e-mail them copies of my passport, and stick money in their bank account from here in KK. Anyway, I'll see what the real estate agent says. I plan to rent a nice 60 - 80k/month house, so there's a chance they'll help out, knowing a decent sized commission is coming their way. That, and I fully expect to pay an extortionate rate on the temp house. Failing that, maybe I'll post on some Thai forums. I'm sure there's someone willing to live with their relatives for a week in exchange for 15 - 20k.

Thanks for the rest of the comments. Driving myself isn't an option. Been traveling from country-to-country since about 2005, settled on Thailand as a home, and have never drove while overseas, so don't even have a driver's license right now. Maybe I'll get it again when I go back home, but not exactly in a rush for it.

Leaving the dogs here isn't an option, because that means I have to come back, and I don't need to put up with the cries, apologies, and pleas to stay. Don't worry, no kids involved, and only adults. That, and nobody here takes care of the dogs. They'd end up outside running around the streets 18 hours a day, pissing off all the neighbors.

Kennel would be a worst case scenario, and would prefer to do anything I can do avoid that. I wouldn't appreciate it if someone shoved me into a kennel, so I don't want to do it to them. Motel wouldn't work, because then they're on a leash for a week, and I can't run 40km/h, plus they couldn't wrestle with each other. That, and there's no way I could leave them in a small motel room all day while I'm out house hunting. It'd be destroyed after a day, let alone a week. They're both in their prime, so not exactly in shortage of energy, and they like to play fight together.

Anyway, thanks everyone for the comments and advice. Appreciate it!

Edited December 12, 2012 by cdnmatt