Lampang=>Good Place to buy a House?

tindin · May 28, 2015

Hi,

my thai wife (original from isaan) and i (europe guy) really love the northern of Thailand, that´s why i am looking for a nice place to buy a house. I just realize, lampang is still a area who is not that expensive to buy land or a house, if compare to chiang mai. But in fact, i don´t know much about lampang. Is it a good place for farang? About such places like Global house...Big C....everything available? How about flood in lampang?

I found a nice house in tambon Pichai, Amphoe Muaeng Lampang....seem like just 6 Kilometer far from lampang city....how is this place?

Hope you can give me more informations. Thank you

Regards

Seligne2 · May 28, 2015

Did you start with these?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lampang_Province

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lampang

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Lampang

Loptr · May 28, 2015

Lampang is a nice city, although quite small compared to Chiang Mai... There is a Big C, Lotus and Central Plaza mall... There are not a lot of farang around, especially compared to CM and not a lot of English speakers... If you don't need or want to be entertained by all that a city the size of CM has to offer, the Lampang is a nice alternative... If you do need to visit the big city, CM is only 1 hour away by car...

Microwave · May 28, 2015

I agree completely with all of Loptr's comments. If you want a quiet & cheap lifestyle, then Lampang is for you. If you want nightlife and a higher cost of living, then Chiang Mai is for you.

I can't comment on tambon Pichai, although I reckon that I've been through Pichai plenty of times. If you live in Lampang then your Thai language skills will likely become very good very quickly as you won't have any farangs to speak English with, or any language other than Thai & northern Thai. You'll likely assimilate into Thai culture quickly, which is a big plus in my opinion.

The province of Lampang floods but I don't recall amphur Muang ever flooding. FWIW, heaps of delicious lumyai orchards in Lampang...

CNXBKKMAN · May 29, 2015

Rent somewhere for a few months or live there for a year. After some time you will know if its worth buying a place or not.

habfan · May 29, 2015

Actually farangs aplenty now strolling the isles of Makro and Big C. Compared to 5 years ago anyway. Lol

maichai40 · May 29, 2015

Chiang Mai the "big city".....with a lot of english speakers.......where you are entertained by all that CM has to offer......really?????

Maybe i live in another CM..... very quiet, sleepy i would say, with almost zero nightlife (for foreigners) etc.

habfan · May 29, 2015

Even cheaper still are any of the hundreds of small villages surrounding Lampang City.

However village life is not for everyone no matter what the cost.

Loptr · May 29, 2015

Compared to Lampang, Chiang Mai is a big city... Comparing Lampang to Chiang Mai is much like comparing Chiang Mai to Bangkok... Just trying to add some perspective...

Boksida · May 29, 2015

Tindin, Tambon Pichai is where I have both my place of work and residence. I can think of about 10 foreigners I know personally within a kilometer radius of me, so there are probably plenty more.

Amphur Muang did flood once in recent history. I think it was about 2002 and was due to human error when the floodgates at Khiew Lom Dam were all opened at once. There is another dam upstream of that now so I don't think they could do it again if they tried. Only places close to the river were affected.

I spent about 18 years kicking around Bangkok and Isaan and then Chiangmai for 11 years before moving to Lampang. No regrets about any of the moves and still go to CM regularly.

Let me know if there is anything specific you would like to know about the Pichai area, I have spent over 20 years there. If you are in town, Friday is farang beer day at the Black Cowboy.

khwaibah · May 29, 2015

1 hour by car. It can take 1 hour just to go from Lamphun to Chiang Mai on a normal day. Need to give yourself 90 minutes to from Lampang to Chiang Mai.

GBHK · May 29, 2015

It does seem a bit rash to go and buy a house in a place which you have never visited or stayed for any length of time. I agree with the idea of renting something for a bit before making a commitment.

It gives you time to figure out which places you might like better, checking out neighbours and if you do find a place and it needs a bit of work, you have plenty of time to sort it out.

Edited May 29, 2015 by GBHK

chiang mai · May 29, 2015

I like Lampang but not during the burning season. With it's coal fired generator supplying electricity to much of northern Thailand, Digitas should open a branch there for goodness sake.

OP: whatever you do, rent there for 12 months before you commit to the place, jeeze!

umbanda · May 29, 2015

I live in Lampang for 2 years when I was single. Now I am living in Chiang Rai.

Lampang is less expensive than Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, but Chiang Rai is a better town in my opinion, and with better weather....Phayao is a nice town too, smaller but with a nice lake and with similar housiing cost than Lampang.

Most Northern cities do not have flood problems. Lampang have some pollution close to the city because the ceramic factories, and no doubts it is the hottest weather in North Thailand. Lampang is not so busy like Chiang Mai, but have all the same services, good hospitals, universities and schools, Big C, Makro, Lotus and Central Plaza, located all on the same area by the main road, highway 1. A nice Saturdat night street market, and very good daily market areas. It is very close to Chiang Mai, and have a train station. It is possible to get into Chiang Mai in about 50 minutes. From Chiang Rai will take 3 hours to reach Chiang Mai.

In Lampang I was living 10 Km away of the city, by the highway 1, to Ngao-Phayao, on an area named Doi Farang and by the well known Doi Farang Restaurant and the Lampang Cancer Hospital. Walking distance from the restaurant are the the Jitaree 2, the Doi Farang, and the Mountain View, all nice residencial gated communities, with 24 hr security, Very nice views too.

Jitaree 2, where I was renting, had a nice clubhouse with 3 pools and gym, By the road, 5 minutes away, a very nice food market.

The Doi Farang is a very nice restaurant and coffee shop with AC, and a beautiful garden patio with live music on weekends, and some big shows in high season. I miss that place a lot.

On those residential villages there are many houses for rent, and also for sale. Also some very good foreclosures 10 years old bank deals, if you are willing to do some cosmetic work or remodelings.

In 2012, most 2 stories, 3 bedrooms houses, on a nice size lots were selling for under 1.5 mill in Jitaree 2...and were renting for about 6000thb. All those areas have access to 3BB and other Internet services.

If you need more info or contacts in Lampang, send me a message. Same if you decide to visit Chiang Rai.

Edited May 29, 2015 by umbanda

elektrified · May 29, 2015

If I had to live in a miserable place like Lampang, I would go back to Europe! Or even worse, back to America. What a miserable, boring place.

khwaibah · May 29, 2015

Just another Hi-So Chiang Mai is so special running his fingers off as usual.

Edited May 29, 2015 by khwaibah

MaeJoMTB · May 29, 2015

Nice enough place but very quiet and extremely limited for a non Thai speaker.

Most people foreigners that build/buy outside the immediate CM area later regret it.

Don't do it in a rush.

Plenty of land 15-25Km from CM (if you really must)

Lots of homes for sale between 1M & 2M baht.

Edited May 29, 2015 by MaeJoMTB

smiles793 · May 29, 2015

Rent for a while before you commit to anywhere. Or just rent indefinitely, it gives you much more flexibility. Personally I like Lampang. I like Chiang Mai too, but the problem with CM is that it has become an expat ghetto.

habfan · May 29, 2015

From Lampang I've been at the Lampang side of the Chiang Mai outskirts in 55 minutes and from there it's taken me an hour and a half to get to Moon Muang Soi 1

khwaibah · May 29, 2015

Driving like a mad man with a tail win its doable. For normal driving it can take up to 1 hour from Lampun into Chiang Mai at times.

tindin · May 29, 2015

Thank for all the really useful informations. So, Lampang don´t sounds that bad? :-)

Good is there is many things arounds, likeBig C, Home Pro, Central Plaza and Tesco Lotus. And like i read now, Lampang also have Airport3 times per day: Nok air and Bangkok airways.

No Flood as well. In fact me and my thai wife like silence.

But.Lampang have the most hottest weather in the Northern.is that right? No mountains, no waterfalls around? :-/

That house in Lampang, there is something to fix.anybody in here who can help with contact details from any house builder or a craftsman who is looking for a Job? Any company around Lampang where i can order PVC or Alu Windows/Doors and also Bricks/Blocks?

Thank again

Regards

Loptr · May 30, 2015

I live in CM and go to Lampang at least once a week, sometimes twice... It's only 90 kilometers... Perhaps you need to pickup the pace because I make it in under 1 hour...

So here's a and I'll raise you a as a retort...

khwaibah · May 30, 2015

From Post 20

"Driving like a mad man with a tail win its doable. For normal driving it can take up to 1 hour from Lampun into Chiang Mai at times."

Loptr · June 7, 2015

You don't have to repeat yourself...

I made the drive from CM to Lampang and back yesterday... From the CM outer ring road to Lampang was 50 minutes... The left lane runs 80 - 100 kph and the right lane goes between 110 - 130 kph... If you feel that those speeds reflect "driving like a mad man", then by all means stick to public transport because that's the way it is...

stament · June 7, 2015

OP are you thinking of buying a ready made house or building one there?

WinnieTheKhwai · June 7, 2015

That's a little harsh, but if I had to rank cities/provinces in the North then Lampang would indeed be pretty much last.

It'd go something like:

Chiang Mai

Pai/Mae Hong Son

Lamphun (mostly due to proximity to Chiang Mai)

Phrae

Chiang Rai

Phayao

Lampang

Nan

So I guess not completely dead last.. Mostly because it's less impossible to get anywhere from Lampang compared to Nan.

Edited June 7, 2015 by WinnieTheKhwai

tindin · June 7, 2015

Not yet have anything over there, no land,no house. My favorite thinking right now is to buy a ready build house. But basically i am open also to buy land first.

regards

tindin · June 7, 2015

^{Like i see, there is some peoples in here who don´t like lampang. Ok, but what is the reason? Is it´s just only because lampang is more silence,if compare to chiang mai?}

^{Lampang also have good build network of roads, so there is also a good access to go everywhere . And it´s just only 90 Kilometer far from chiang mai.Lampang also have airport. Or is there anything else?}

^regards

Edited June 7, 2015 by tindin

WinnieTheKhwai · June 7, 2015

No, because other places are also very nice and quiet. Like Phrae, which is a very charming town. It's also that there isn't really anything going on in Lampang; no sights or points of interest to speak of, it's a long way to anything scenic.. It's all just quite dreary. It's a spot on the major Highway #1 and that's it.

chiang mai · June 7, 2015

Plus, the air quality during burning season is some of the worst in Thailand, terrain and location of the coal fired electricity generator are key factors. And as WTK has stated, it's a dreary place with nothing going on. At least in many other large towns in Thailand, it's possible to go to a major hotel for some creature comforts from time to time, a nice meal, use the health club and so on, even those things are not possible in Lampang.

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