Considering to move to CM

[rahi]

Hey there,

I have been traveling thailand and SEA extensively but rarely live there longer than 1-2 months. I have now situation (36 single male) that I will be moving to LOS for longer and my options are BKK or CM. I have never been to CM but I have seen so much comments about the laid back mentality, cheaper prices, cooler climate and etc. However I know BKK to some extent and like the place, costs, climate and future expat friends might drive me to CM.

The question is that what can I get with 10k thb rent in CM? I know that with 10k in BKK it will be hard to get condo near BTS/MRT. It can be cheaper in CM of course. Since I don't know the city, I presume I have to locate near the center and renting scooter is almost necessary. I have been thinking overall budget with all costs in month about 42k thb +- 10k after settling down. Not to go too much into details, I eat thai food, drink some what but not binge drinking and need internet for working. Biggest issue is anyway the rent which I hope to be condo with gym/pool(maybe).

Edited September 29, 2013 by rahi

[dave2]

re

I have now situation (36 single male) that I will be moving to LOS for longer and my options are BKK or CM

Biggest issue is

for longer at 36

is getting past this desk

sorry ... dave2

[rahi]

I know the visa hurdle so thats not an issue. I am more interested about the benefist of CM compared to BKK and living costs.

[Dante99]

It is a crap shoot, the only way you will get a real idea is to come to CM for a while and see if you like it and can find a living place you like.

[hellodolly]

I don't understand your problem. You have a monthly budget you know where to go and what not in Bangkok for it you like Bangkok.

Now you have never been to Chiang Mai and you have an extra 10,000 baht to settle in with. Come to Chiang Mai book a place and look around for a month. You can get cheap place to start with. the only problems I see are the internet is not always good depending on area you live in and you might not like Chiang Mai any how. As for a motor bike. Not needed if you find a place in the old city and don't mind a little walking. Out side the city mandatory. Of course they are building malls in the out out laying areas so you still might not need one. But would be recommended.

[inthepink]

I thought the OP said ฿42,000 plus or minus 10,000... If it's minus 10,000 I wouldn't bother coming at all and certainly not to Bangkok.

Internet is fine in CM from my experience. I don't know how much condos are here but you could rent a small house fairly close to the city for 10k.

[Paangjang]

I don't understand your problem. You have a monthly budget you know where to go and what not in Bangkok for it you like Bangkok.

Now you have never been to Chiang Mai and you have an extra 10,000 baht to settle in with. Come to Chiang Mai book a place and look around for a month. You can get cheap place to start with. the only problems I see are the internet is not always good depending on area you live in and you might not like Chiang Mai any how. As for a motor bike. Not needed if you find a place in the old city and don't mind a little walking. Out side the city mandatory. Of course they are building malls in the out out laying areas so you still might not need one. But would be recommended.

How many times has this exact same answer been given before? Come here for a month, then.....

[NCC1701A]

Chiang Mai is cheaper than BKK. Rent is cheaper. Not much action in CM. Smoke in burning season. You can on do it on 42k. How long would you be staying in Thailand?

condos:

http://www.mrroomfinder.com/na_detail.php?id=1

http://www.mrroomfinder.com/na_detail.php?id=273

craigs list thailand:

http://bangkok.craigslist.co.th/apa/

Edited September 30, 2013 by NCC1701A

[true blue]

its starting to get more expensive in chiang mai and as a young guy with natural needs money not going to go all that far,and cnx can be boring at times if you dont get out,and enjoy what there is here,plus as dave2 says visas after a while will be a proplem,if you have a fall back,in case of emergencys well okay.

[rahi]

I need to clarify my post. I have budgeted about 42k but I know it could take more at first and maybe be lower at later on. Rental options and pricing is max 10k which I said could be max in BKK too but there it would be more of a compromise around everything.

As on poster said he does not understand the "problem". There is no problem per se but I am more or less looking peoples experiences around different accommodation options.

[hellodolly]

its starting to get more expensive in chiang mai and as a young guy with natural needs money not going to go all that far,and cnx can be boring at times if you dont get out,and enjoy what there is here,plus as dave2 says visas after a while will be a proplem,if you have a fall back,in case of emergencys well okay.

Yes it is starting to get more expensive here. Even for us old farts. How ever it is still going to be cheaper here. As for the smoke well that is not a guarantee just right next door to it. We did escape one year. But payed extra in other years. LOL. One other thing to take into consideration the smoke smog situation starts to get bad in mid Feb. and end in mid April. Rule of thumb. He has not indicated what he considers a longer time to be here in Thailand.

I think he should be putting a little bit of extra effort in to making sure the area he is in has the computer connection he needs. It has been said often here by people familiar with the computer problems in Chiang Mai to go knock on the neighbors door and ask them what their connection is like.

Can't understand why a visa would be any more of a problem here than in Bangkok.

Still don't see the problem if he has an extra 10,000 baht to explore the area before making the decision. He knows where he can go and what he can do in Bangkok. This can be considered an exploratory expedition. Even if he dosen't like it he will no longer wonder.

[uptheos]

"Not to go too much into details, I eat Thai food, drink some what but not binge drinking and need internet for working. Biggest issue is anyway the rent which I hope to be condo with gym/pool(maybe)".

OP - 42,000 Baht will be a doddle, but don't forget to budget in health costs.

Take dolly's advice and stay somewhere convenient to transport.

Lots of people will try to scare you into thinking its not enough......they probably booze a lot, like the chick (or guy) bars nightly and are frightened to try and eat anything other than mum used to cook, which means western restaurants.

[rahi]

"Not to go too much into details, I eat Thai food, drink some what but not binge drinking and need internet for working. Biggest issue is anyway the rent which I hope to be condo with gym/pool(maybe)".

OP - 42,000 Baht will be a doddle, but don't forget to budget in health costs.

Take dolly's advice and stay somewhere convenient to transport.

Lots of people will try to scare you into thinking its not enough......they probably booze a lot, like the chick (or guy) bars nightly and are frightened to try and eat anything other than mum used to cook, which means western restaurants.

You Sir, got it right. Thanks for the advice that 42k should be enough. The biggest thing is that I need to establish new friends and life there. I will be looking for daily gym, socializing and enjoying my life. Luckily I like thai food a lot. Surely booze is nice occasionally but it is not an "issue" for me. Health and expenses are more important than getting wasted 24/7 in LOS.

I will be there max 3 months at first due thats the time my travel insurance covers my health costs, not to mention I need to renew the visa too, couple visa runs and insurance reset at back home. Then I think I know whether I like CM or BKK more.

[elektrified]

For someone your age I would think Bangkok as things are pretty quiet here. Or maybe Phuket? Can't really say for sure but I know I could not handle it here if I was still 36. I would be bored.

[true blue]

For someone your age I would think Bangkok as things are pretty quiet here. Or maybe Phuket? Can't really say for sure but I know I could not handle it here if I was still 36. I would be bored.

have to agree there,as he can see from the regular posters,there main source of amusement or favourite topics,in cnx is the best hospital doctor or dentist, immigration love it or hate it,and the latest shopping mall,but each to his all,god bless em,

[elektrified]

For someone your age I would think Bangkok as things are pretty quiet here. Or maybe Phuket? Can't really say for sure but I know I could not handle it here if I was still 36. I would be bored.

have to agree there,as he can see from the regular posters,there main source of amusement or favourite topics,in cnx is the best hospital doctor or dentist, immigration love it or hate it,and the latest shopping mall,but each to his all,god bless em,

If I was still 36 and was independently wealthy or a trust fund baby, etc. and could afford to live in Thailand at that age I would probably base myself in a villa in Phuket and hop between there and Koh Samui, Koh Chang, Koh Phangan, etc. But somewhere like Chiang Mai, etc.? No way. I'm not a big fan of Bangkok (to say the least), so I would never spend much time there. But would pop in and out occasionally.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

For someone your age I would think Bangkok as things are pretty quiet here. Or maybe Phuket? Can't really say for sure but I know I could not handle it here if I was still 36. I would be bored.

have to agree there,as he can see from the regular posters,there main source of amusement or favourite topics,in cnx is the best hospital doctor or dentist, immigration love it or hate it,and the latest shopping mall,but each to his all,god bless em,

If I was still 36 and was independently wealthy or a trust fund baby, etc. and could afford to live in Thailand at that age I would probably base myself in a villa in Phuket and hop between there and Koh Samui, Koh Chang, Koh Phangan, etc. But somewhere like Chiang Mai, etc.? No way. I'm not a big fan of Bangkok (to say the least), so I would never spend much time there. But would pop in and out occasionally.

That hyper-tourist vibe gets old real fast. Anyway you framed it as being wealthy, so flying over for a couple days each month sounds like a good idea. But wouldn't actually live there. Except for March.

[inthepink]

"Not to go too much into details, I eat Thai food, drink some what but not binge drinking and need internet for working. Biggest issue is anyway the rent which I hope to be condo with gym/pool(maybe)".

OP - 42,000 Baht will be a doddle, but don't forget to budget in health costs.

Take dolly's advice and stay somewhere convenient to transport.

Lots of people will try to scare you into thinking its not enough......they probably booze a lot, like the chick (or guy) bars nightly and are frightened to try and eat anything other than mum used to cook, which means western restaurants.

Speaking for myself, I wasn't trying to scare him. Going on the worst case scenario of 32k, I just don't think it would be enough to maintain a reasonable standard of living here and especially not in Bangkok. 42k is enough to live here but personally I wouldn't want to be watching my pennies all the time. I no longer drink or visit seedy bars and I eat a wide variety of Thai dishes when the mood takes me. However, I would not like to be in a position where I had to eat them all the time because I was too poor to afford anything else.

Even with my boring, sanitised lifestyle, I need more than 42k a month. If the OP wants to experience life here for six months to a year on that budget I think it would be fine but much longer would feel more like a prison sentence than life in a tropical paradise, at least to me it would.

Regarding visas, I don't see why they should be a problem. I'm under 50 and not married, and I manage fine.

Edited October 1, 2013 by inthepink

[Paangjang]

"Not to go too much into details, I eat Thai food, drink some what but not binge drinking and need internet for working. Biggest issue is anyway the rent which I hope to be condo with gym/pool(maybe)".

OP - 42,000 Baht will be a doddle, but don't forget to budget in health costs.

Take dolly's advice and stay somewhere convenient to transport.

Lots of people will try to scare you into thinking its not enough......they probably booze a lot, like the chick (or guy) bars nightly and are frightened to try and eat anything other than mum used to cook, which means western restaurants.

Speaking for myself, I wasn't trying to scare him. Going on the worst case scenario of 32k, I just don't think it would be enough to maintain a reasonable standard of living here and especially not in Bangkok. 42k is enough to live here but personally I wouldn't want to be watching my pennies all the time. I no longer drink or visit seedy bars and I eat a wide variety of Thai dishes when the mood takes me. However, I would not like to be in a position where I had to eat them all the time because I was too poor to afford anything else.

Even with my boring, sanitised lifestyle, I need more than 42k a month. If the OP wants to experience life here for six months to a year on that budget I think it would be fine but much longer would feel more like a prison sentence than life in a tropical paradise, at least to me it would.

Regarding visas, I don't see why they should be a problem. I'm under 50 and not married, and I manage fine.

Fair enough, each to their own. This is one of those topics.... How much do i need in order to live comfortably? Well, in a nutshell between ฿20,000 to ฿200,000 per month! Some get by on 20k, others get by on 200k...

[NancyL]

Actually I think a single guy could live here quite well on the OP's budget. No point in trying to point out minor adjustments. I think HelloDolly had the best advise. Just come here for a month, book into a guest house and start walking around. It's that easy.

[dave2]

re

as he can see from the regular posters,there main source of amusement or favourite topics,in cnx is the best hospital doctor or dentist, immigration love it or hate it,and the latest shopping mall

you forgot the sunday roast and the fish

and chips !

how could you ?

dave2 ... sob sob

pic . a cloudy doi suthep 5 minits ago !

[rahi]

Thanks for all the input you have been giving. The budget of 42k is not strict but I need to set some realistic base level. What comes about activities and such, thats the issue cause I dont know the CM that well. I get the impression that it will be boring for someone at my age?

[elektrified]

I get the impression that it will be boring for someone at my age?

There are plenty of temples, cooking schools, massage schools, etc. to keep you busy.

There is some nightlife but of course nothing like Bangkok. I like my life here but I spend a great deal of my time entertaining my young child and for me it is rewarding. If I was 36 and single I would go bonkers.

I would add that if you like outdoor activities (hiking, rafting, fishing, swimming, bicycling, etc.) then there is no shortage to keep you busy.

Edited October 2, 2013 by elektrified

[jellydog]

I am making my second trip to Chiang Mai next week with the idea of assessing for a possible move from Bangkok. I urge the OP to do the same. This thread has probably run out of helpful advise. Just go.

[uptheos]

I am making my second trip to Chiang Mai next week with the idea of assessing for a possible move from Bangkok. I urge the OP to do the same. This thread has probably run out of helpful advise. Just go.

Not the man from Nike, are you JD?

Yep JD is right, it could go on forever others deciding if it's right for you or within your budget.....just do it.

[charlie1968]

Yeah me and the wife are moving to

Chaing mai next month from the uk

Charlie

[charlie1968]

Forgot to say on about the same

Budget

[A1Str8]

For 10k you can find some nice places either condo with an at least 6 month contract or an apartment. Don't get discouraged by the posts regarding to it is going to be boring. Sure Cm is nothing compared to Bkk but give it a try and soon you will see if it's the right place for you or not.

[inthepink]

It is easy for threads like this to degenerate into arguments between posters who seem strangely proud that their monthly electricity bill is higher than most people's rent and posters who insist that anybody who doesn't live on a shoestring is not experiencing the authentic Thailand. As others have said, the only way to find out for sure if your budget is enough is to give it a go. Whilst I wouldn't like to live on it now, it certainly wouldn't have stopped me from moving here in the first place.