Will be coming to CM soon to search out a place to rent, can even try one year deal if price good. And location suitable.

So i will be grateful for any ideas on how to negociate a rental pact, if paperwork not in English. Or even how to locate a good place if can't read local ads. Probably will be walking around the area looking for signs, bulletin boards, that sort of thing and avoiding agents.

What's the norm as far as deposit, advance monies, etc? What to look for when inspecting flat? Can i expect an unfurnished condo, ever? Would prefer no stuff except A/C, refrig, cooker unit. Is security a prime issue? Size of building or number of aliens (white guys like me) any thing to consider? This would be in the city, just north of moat, at Chang Puek?? gate area, and near the Univ along that road.

All info welcome.

When I arrived in Chiang Mai for the first time, I found a nice guest house and booked it for a month. Actually, I did it on the net weeks in advance just to be sure.

Then I branched out via tuk-tuk and red car, and looked at various condominiums, which is almost like an apartment but legally different somehow.

The cheapie condos (my opinion) have the bed in the same room as the living area, kitchen etc. This is called a 'studio'. I prefer to have the bedroom in a separate area, and on the hot summer nights, not trying to air condition the entire apartment. Having a place with a pool is great, but the older condos have chemical pools - I prefer the salt water type.

Power and water charges vary, and they include a service charge which varies from place to place.

Look at what Google search for condos for rent comes up with, but the standards of the web sites can be rather basic.

Other side of the river or out of town is cheaper of course.

So, there's a start for you.