Moving to Chiang Mai

[arisperuby]

I'm new to this forum so this may be the wrong place to be posting this or there might be a post that already contains all of the information I need. If so, please link the post or thread to me! Thanks!

First some information: I'm moving to Thailand soon, and I'd like to know what things I should be concerned about or be aware of in the moving process. I'll start working as an English teacher for some supplemental income at first while I search for a job in my primary field, either locally or freelancing. I would also like to travel, so the multiple re-entry visa should be perfect for that. After that though, I'm a bit clueless. Any "unforeseen" costs, or any costs that I may overlook as a foreigner? What kind of amenities should I plan on acquiring when I arrive? For local travel, I want to own a scooter, and that may require a driver's license... I also *need* internet access - what are the general speeds and prices for a medium-speed package with decent upload speeds (>1-2mbps)? And, most importantly, where and how can I contact the foreigner community in Chiang? I know little to no Thai, so this is/might be crucial.

I will be doing some research into this after I post, but I'm sure that anyone who has been living in Thailand for quite some time can provide me better information than I can find online.

Any help you provide will be much appreciated, and I will do my best to repay your efforts. PM me if you're interested in meeting and helping me out when I get to Thailand. I would love to meet a group of expats when I get to Thailand.

Thanks in advance for your help!

[TheAppletons]

Welcome to the TV forum. Presumably you have the appropriate visa "stuff" already figured out for your move.

Regarding "unforeseen costs" be aware that the Thai government is as trade protectionist as it gets so anything you want to buy that is imported will cost you 2-3X more here.

You don't need a driver's license to own a scooter but presumably you'd like to drive it too so you'll require a driver's license.

You can expect to pay anywhere from $30 USD/month and up for reliable internet access for 13/3 mbps packages or faster.

As for meeting a group of expats, try the Chiang Mai Expat Club (CEC). They have an informal breakfast twice a month on the first and third Fridays of the month. It's a good place to start meeting people and asking questions. (You'll probably meet other expats in your neighborhood and at work, once you get settled.)

TV is a good forum for sharing/receiving information....but there are a lot of negative people on this forum so try to filter out the noise and focus on the information side of things.

http://www.chiangmaiexpatsclub.com/

Edited July 5, 2015 by TheAppletons

[Tywais]

Regarding "unforeseen costs" be aware that the Thai government is as trade protectionist as it gets so anything you want to buy that is imported will cost you 2-3X more here.

Don't agree with that. Most items that I've bought here, imports, were on near price parity with US prices. Certainly not the 2-3x times more.

[FolkGuitar]

Just a few quick questions... Is the company for which you'll be teaching when you arrive handling the details for your Work Permit? Will you have that before you begin teaching? With your plan for 'freelancing...' How will you arrange for a Non-B visa without sponsorship? And without that, how do you plan to maintain a valid Work Permit?

Are you already an experienced motor scooter rider? If not, you may wish to take some lessons before you come. Learning to ride inside the city is not a nice experience. You should obtain an International Drivers License before you leave your home country. With it, you'll encounter no difficulties legally driving. However, it is only good for a limited period of time, so you may wish to apply for a Thai Drivers License fairly quickly. The process is quite simple and cheap.

What are your interests? There is no 'single' foreigner community here. There are dozens of them, each with its own unique properties, based on interests, age, gender, or education.

And finally, spend a few days reading posts here in ThaiVisa that have been made along the same lines as yours. There are hundreds of hours of very good (and a lot of very bad) information already offered that may be of value to you. Do keep in mind that you will find many differing opinions about every subject.

[luther]

Regarding "unforeseen costs" be aware that the Thai government is as trade protectionist as it gets so anything you want to buy that is imported will cost you 2-3X more here.

Don't agree with that. Most items that I've bought here, imports, were on near price parity with US prices. Certainly not the 2-3x times more.

larger cars, cheese, wine, imported electronics, weber grills, imported spices, imported art supplies, good extension cords, cookware, stoves, new Dell laptop or tower….all close to 2x as much

[jabis]

Regarding "unforeseen costs" be aware that the Thai government is as trade protectionist as it gets so anything you want to buy that is imported will cost you 2-3X more here.

Don't agree with that. Most items that I've bought here, imports, were on near price parity with US prices. Certainly not the 2-3x times more.

larger cars, cheese, wine, imported electronics, weber grills, imported spices, imported art supplies, good extension cords, cookware, stoves, new Dell laptop or tower….all close to 2x as much

That propably depends more on where you're moving from? My MSI laptop with factory upgrades to max, was 3/5th of the price for identical one without upgrades in my home country, in Scandinavia, so I'm almost always on the receiving end on these imported items

EDIT: Ok second hand, and import cars excluded - they're on parity since my country has obnoxious car taxing

You can expect to pay anywhere from $30 USD/month and up for reliable internet access for 13/3 mbps packages or faster.

Quoted only the line I have info on;

There is a new Fiber FTTx player in town - Sinet, they have good value packages, one is 25/8Mb for 899฿ (27$) and another 35/15Mb for 1200฿ (35$).

There are more packages available if one needs more speed. Tested that my package (35/15) line to Europe & Scandinavia handles 2/3 speed download and half speed upload, haven't tested US speeds though.

Edited July 5, 2015 by jabis

[BuaBS]

Don't forget a gasmask for the mid january to mid april period.

[thrilled]

Many prices in Chiangmai Mai mirror Bangkok.They aren't cheap.To many foreigners keep the prices up.Just by going into

Different websites you find many things your asking about.There are 2 things I don't like about it there.To crowded.To many foreigners

Visiting it.And the air quality.A certain time of the year isn't good.Good Luck.

[Beetlejuice]

Is the OP a fully qualified English teacher and what is his primary field?

Considering the information the OP has given it seems he knows very little about Chiang Mai. My advice to him is; first visit Chiang Mai for about a month and do his own research regarding work availabilities and requirements, plus costs and so on.

[BB24]

Many prices in Chiangmai Mai mirror Bangkok.They aren't cheap.To many foreigners keep the prices up.Just by going into

Different websites you find many things your asking about.There are 2 things I don't like about it there.To crowded.To many foreigners

Visiting it.And the air quality.A certain time of the year isn't good.Good Luck.

Gotta agree with the "2 things" - air quality being the main reason I am planning on leaving. Plus the place is becoming too crowded and too expensive (compared to my 2012 visit).

From Jan to April there is too much smoke in the air from 'various' sources - and it comes back every now and then (it hasn't rained much yet this year).

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/783391-smoke-smog-dust-2015-chiang-mai/

[PattayaClub]

Regarding "unforeseen costs" be aware that the Thai government is as trade protectionist as it gets so anything you want to buy that is imported will cost you 2-3X more here.

Don't agree with that. Most items that I've bought here, imports, were on near price parity with US prices. Certainly not the 2-3x times more.

I constantly run into the 2-3x more. I guess it depends on what you buy. I have probbly imported some $20,000 worth of stuff in the 8 years I have been here. I do not import unless: (1) I can't get it here at all; (2) the quality of the item here is unacceptable, or (3) the item is so expensive here that it is cheaper to import even with the shipping expense.

For example, I recently put in an automatic inground sprinkler system. I imported the 12 zone timer. The ones available here are insanely expensive, or junk. The pop-up sprinkler heads and spray nozzles in the Signature brand are available here through the SuperProducts catalogue, but cost three times as much as purchasing from the US. I save $700 on the pop-ups and spray nozzles alone -- and that was after shipping costs! By the way, I also discovered that the "Signature" brand pop-ups and spray nozzles sold by SuperProducts under the Signature name are knockoffs. Very good copies, but knock-offs nonetheless at 3x the US price.

It is cheaper to import cameras. Laz-Z-Boy furniture costs more that 2x what it costs in the US -- even though it is made here!! A Garmin GPS will cost you at least double what it costs in the US -- even though they are made in Taiwan. Many motorcycle accessories cost more than 2x here what you would pay in the US -- I have saved hundreds (maybe thousands) of dollars by importing high end accessories over sourcing them here. I could go on and on. But you get the point. Don't think for a minute that it is less expensive here unless you want to live just like a Thai villager, and most farangs cannot accept that.

If you are moving here, you have a one time opportunity to bring a container full of personal effects tax free -- something to consider if you plan to live here for a long while.

[Loptr]

Don't forget a gasmask for the mid january to mid april period.

Mid-January? Surely you stretch the facts more than a little...

[NancyL]

Regarding "unforeseen costs" be aware that the Thai government is as trade protectionist as it gets so anything you want to buy that is imported will cost you 2-3X more here.

Don't agree with that. Most items that I've bought here, imports, were on near price parity with US prices. Certainly not the 2-3x times more.

I constantly run into the 2-3x more. I guess it depends on what you buy. I have probbly imported some $20,000 worth of stuff in the 8 years I have been here. I do not import unless: (1) I can't get it here at all; (2) the quality of the item here is unacceptable, or (3) the item is so expensive here that it is cheaper to import even with the shipping expense.

For example, I recently put in an automatic inground sprinkler system. I imported the 12 zone timer. The ones available here are insanely expensive, or junk. The pop-up sprinkler heads and spray nozzles in the Signature brand are available here through the SuperProducts catalogue, but cost three times as much as purchasing from the US. I save $700 on the pop-ups and spray nozzles alone -- and that was after shipping costs! By the way, I also discovered that the "Signature" brand pop-ups and spray nozzles sold by SuperProducts under the Signature name are knockoffs. Very good copies, but knock-offs nonetheless at 3x the US price.

It is cheaper to import cameras. Laz-Z-Boy furniture costs more that 2x what it costs in the US -- even though it is made here!! A Garmin GPS will cost you at least double what it costs in the US -- even though they are made in Taiwan. Many motorcycle accessories cost more than 2x here what you would pay in the US -- I have saved hundreds (maybe thousands) of dollars by importing high end accessories over sourcing them here. I could go on and on. But you get the point. Don't think for a minute that it is less expensive here unless you want to live just like a Thai villager, and most farangs cannot accept that.

If you are moving here, you have a one time opportunity to bring a container full of personal effects tax free -- something to consider if you plan to live here for a long while.

Nope, Laz-Z-Boy furniture is NOT made in Thailand. We lived a few miles from the headquarters of that company for years and watched their trials and tribulations as they made one stupid corporate mistake after another, with their front-line workers suffering the most from job losses, of course: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La-Z-Boy

[hml367]

Regarding "unforeseen costs" be aware that the Thai government is as trade protectionist as it gets so anything you want to buy that is imported will cost you 2-3X more here.

Don't agree with that. Most items that I've bought here, imports, were on near price parity with US prices. Certainly not the 2-3x times more.

I constantly run into the 2-3x more. I guess it depends on what you buy. I have probbly imported some $20,000 worth of stuff in the 8 years I have been here. I do not import unless: (1) I can't get it here at all; (2) the quality of the item here is unacceptable, or (3) the item is so expensive here that it is cheaper to import even with the shipping expense.

For example, I recently put in an automatic inground sprinkler system. I imported the 12 zone timer. The ones available here are insanely expensive, or junk. The pop-up sprinkler heads and spray nozzles in the Signature brand are available here through the SuperProducts catalogue, but cost three times as much as purchasing from the US. I save $700 on the pop-ups and spray nozzles alone -- and that was after shipping costs! By the way, I also discovered that the "Signature" brand pop-ups and spray nozzles sold by SuperProducts under the Signature name are knockoffs. Very good copies, but knock-offs nonetheless at 3x the US price.

It is cheaper to import cameras. Laz-Z-Boy furniture costs more that 2x what it costs in the US -- even though it is made here!! A Garmin GPS will cost you at least double what it costs in the US -- even though they are made in Taiwan. Many motorcycle accessories cost more than 2x here what you would pay in the US -- I have saved hundreds (maybe thousands) of dollars by importing high end accessories over sourcing them here. I could go on and on. But you get the point. Don't think for a minute that it is less expensive here unless you want to live just like a Thai villager, and most farangs cannot accept that.

If you are moving here, you have a one time opportunity to bring a container full of personal effects tax free -- something to consider if you plan to live here for a long while.

Nope, Laz-Z-Boy furniture is NOT made in Thailand. We lived a few miles from the headquarters of that company for years and watched their trials and tribulations as they made one stupid corporate mistake after another, with their front-line workers suffering the most from job losses, of course: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La-Z-Boy

An excerpt from the Wikipedia link you provided, NancyL:

Licensed manufacturers[edit]

In 1970 Morgan Furniture of Takapuna, New Zealand, founded by Jack Morgan, commenced manufacture of the La-Z-Boy recliner for Australia and New Zealand. In September 2007 his son Graham Morgan announced that the company was to import the furniture from China and Thailand with the loss of around 200 Auckland manufacturing jobs.^[13]

I have purchased a couple Lay-Z-Boy products while living here. I would not be surprised at all if the pieces I purchased were made in Thailand.

A link to the reference [13] http://www.nzherald.co.nz/economy/news/article.cfm?c_id=34&objectid=10463800

Edited July 6, 2015 by hml367

[BuaBS]

Don't forget a gasmask for the mid january to mid april period.

Mid-January? Surely you stretch the facts more than a little...

No I don't.

[amexpat]

Maybe his septic tank overflows in mid-January.

[arisperuby]

Hey again everyone. Thanks a lot for the help. Sounds like the air quality seems to be a problem, and that a lot of foreigners visit here... two things that I hadn't foreseen. I was thinking about opening/renting a hostel here, so the additional foreigners moving through here would really help with that. But I don't want to be living in a city with a bunch of smog.

...So I'll look into moving into a different, slightly smaller city with less foreigner traffic and better air quality. Northern Thailand seems like the place I'd like to stay - any cities you would recommend that don't have the above two problems? Also, a university in town would be a really big bonus.

[NancyL]

Any place in northern Thailand is going to have an air quality problem from mid-Feb thru May. Most local residents plan their annual holidays during that time. You have to look to the south, along the coast to get away from the bad air.

[FolkGuitar]

Hey again everyone. Thanks a lot for the help. Sounds like the air quality seems to be a problem, and that a lot of foreigners visit here... two things that I hadn't foreseen. I was thinking about opening/renting a hostel here, so the additional foreigners moving through here would really help with that. But I don't want to be living in a city with a bunch of smog.

...So I'll look into moving into a different, slightly smaller city with less foreigner traffic and better air quality. Northern Thailand seems like the place I'd like to stay - any cities you would recommend that don't have the above two problems? Also, a university in town would be a really big bonus.

While a handful of expats do leave for their holidays between mid-February through mid-May, and some complain loudly about the air situation, the majority do not. My wife and I find that we choose to wear face masks for about two-three weeks during that time period if we are going to be playing outdoors, but otherwise, feel no need to make other concessions. For us, the air quality isn't something to get up in arms about, only a small inconvenience for a couple of weeks. We make no other concessions to it, make no changes to our activities, and it certainly doesn't affect the quality of our life.