Land prices increase in Chiang Mai / Mae Rim

[Loaded]

I have heard from somebody who suggested there might be a road from just after Mae Jo (somewhere near the Mae Rim turning), through the paddy fields to the East of Mae Rim and that it could link up to the main road through Mae Rim, somewhere past the temple. Considering the source I have no reason to believe the idea is based on even a single fact other than when looking at that area, it does make some sense.

If you go through Maejo and stay on the Phrao road, after 20 minutes of driving there's a left turn onto a fairly newish link road that takes you to the Mae Rim/Mae Taeng road just at the Pai junction. You miss the Mae Rim traffic completely.

[MaeJoMTB]

As a foreigner, you can't own land in Thailand, so why worry about the price?

I think you type this response to every topic involving land !

But we can and do buy land, so it's important to know land values in different areas.

You keep renting a condo so you never get caught out though

I live in a nice house, and pay my wife's home loan repayments.

If I live another 26 years, she will have had a free house off me.

If she dies, I get a free house from the life insurance company.

Happy to pay, but never in advance.

Edited August 11, 2015 by MaeJoMTB

[chiang mai]

I have heard from somebody who suggested there might be a road from just after Mae Jo (somewhere near the Mae Rim turning), through the paddy fields to the East of Mae Rim and that it could link up to the main road through Mae Rim, somewhere past the temple. Considering the source I have no reason to believe the idea is based on even a single fact other than when looking at that area, it does make some sense.

If you go through Maejo and stay on the Phrao road, after 20 minutes of driving there's a left turn onto a fairly newish link road that takes you to the Mae Rim/Mae Taeng road just at the Pai junction. You miss the Mae Rim traffic completely.

Yes I know that road but I think it's too circuitous for it to be a permanent widened bypass road. Also, the Phrao road narrows from four lanes to two, shortly after the Mae Rim turn plus it runs through some quite heavily built up areas around the market, another reason why it would be difficult to widen.

My wife was telling me yesterday that there's a road to the left, just before Mae Rim that appears at first glance to be a lane that runs into the army camps. She reckons it's an alternate road to Mae Tang and further North but I've not traveled it yet - I'll take a look and report back.

[Puwa]

My wife was telling me yesterday that there's a road to the left, just before Mae Rim that appears at first glance to be a lane that runs into the army camps. She reckons it's an alternate road to Mae Tang and further North but I've not traveled it yet - I'll take a look and report back.

That's known as the "Old Mae Rim Road." It runs from the turnoff you mentioned to the 1096, just south of Tiger Kingdom. It's definitely a better approach to the Samoeng Rd than using the intersections in Mae Rim market. If you can wend your way through a couple villages, it indeed does take you to Mae Taeng, via Saluang district, past the turnoff for the 4 Buddha Footprint temple.

Edited August 11, 2015 by Puwa

[chiang mai]

Thanks or that Puwa.

[evenstevens]

My wife was telling me yesterday that there's a road to the left, just before Mae Rim that appears at first glance to be a lane that runs into the army camps. She reckons it's an alternate road to Mae Tang and further North but I've not traveled it yet - I'll take a look and report back.

a decade or so back the hot goss was that the irrigation canal road would link up with the old mae rim road, going through the army land, but just hot goss as usual

up until the last year or so, i have always used the old mae rim rd to bypass maerim shopping centre, but now a days i go straight through on the 107 as more traffic are using it and at the end one intersection is rather dangerous and the last leg the pot holes are as large ,as bomb quaters,then u have a tricky turn into somoeng road to finish with

just my thoughts, see how u go c/mai

[cloudhopper]

Yes I know that road but I think it's too circuitous for it to be a permanent widened bypass road. Also, the Phrao road narrows from four lanes to two, shortly after the Mae Rim turn plus it runs through some quite heavily built up areas around the market, another reason why it would be difficult to widen.

Yeah exactly plus there's lots of slow ag traffic that is difficult to overtake. I keep to the 4 lane roads.

[cloudhopper]

And as to the OP, if the economy worsens (and IMO it will) the price of everything will drop as people need cash. Thailand is not immune to basic economic reality.

[MastaMak]

And as to the OP, if the economy worsens (and IMO it will) the price of everything will drop as people need cash. Thailand is not immune to basic economic reality.

I tend to agree with that, but in Thailand most land owner are the rich and they aren't really affected by a bad economy (or am I missing something)?

I know what I have to do now, just wait for that one person who needs to sell his land for money, and not those who try to sell just to see how much they can get from it.

[mcm991]

The asking price is always entertaining.

It is mostly agents or agents of agents or friends of the maid of the agent etc just making up silly prices whenever they see or smell a farang within a mile of the transaction.

A lot of land for sale but not a huge amount of it selling.

Good luck if they get it though.

Find the owner ... that is the trick. We bought land for 25% of the asking price once we contacted the owner directly.

A lot of people are just fishing .... if they can get big money, they'll sell. But not motivated at all.

Be patient and find the ones who really need to sell. That's where the true price discovery comes into play.

Good luck.

mcm.

[Loaded]

My wife was telling me yesterday that there's a road to the left, just before Mae Rim that appears at first glance to be a lane that runs into the army camps. She reckons it's an alternate road to Mae Tang and further North but I've not traveled it yet - I'll take a look and report back.

a decade or so back the hot goss was that the irrigation canal road would link up with the old mae rim road, going through the army land, but just hot goss as usual

up until the last year or so, i have always used the old mae rim rd to bypass maerim shopping centre, but now a days i go straight through on the 107 as more traffic are using it and at the end one intersection is rather dangerous and the last leg the pot holes are as large ,as bomb quaters,then u have a tricky turn into somoeng road to finish with

just my thoughts, see how u go c/mai

I remember when they were widening the canal road, I just assumed it would continue past the entrance to Huay Tung Tao in a straight line and bypass Mae Rim to the West. The sharp right turn seems 'unnatural'.

[Puwa]

My wife was telling me yesterday that there's a road to the left, just before Mae Rim that appears at first glance to be a lane that runs into the army camps. She reckons it's an alternate road to Mae Tang and further North but I've not traveled it yet - I'll take a look and report back.

a decade or so back the hot goss was that the irrigation canal road would link up with the old mae rim road, going through the army land, but just hot goss as usual

up until the last year or so, i have always used the old mae rim rd to bypass maerim shopping centre, but now a days i go straight through on the 107 as more traffic are using it and at the end one intersection is rather dangerous and the last leg the pot holes are as large ,as bomb quaters,then u have a tricky turn into somoeng road to finish with

just my thoughts, see how u go c/mai

I remember when they were widening the canal road, I just assumed it would continue past the entrance to Huay Tung Tao in a straight line and bypass Mae Rim to the West. The sharp right turn seems 'unnatural'.

It's conceivable that someday the army might allow public access to that road. There's nothing much to that army base. Maybe they would issue stickers like at Wing 41 by the airport. That would allow Mae Rim residents direct access to the west side of town via the canal road, without touching the 107 at all.

[beau thai]

Maybe most everything has been said. I can only add be very patient. We spent a long time looking for land and found that many owners were just sitting on vacant lots as they didnt need the cash, and expected land values to rise. So zip motivation to sell.

Then we found a few farmers who were short of cash (dont farmers all say that every country?!) and would sell small amounts to fund the next pickup or whatever. And that was a year or so back when government were very slow to pay farmers. We found land at ok prices but it tended to be too 'deep' so inconvenient access etc.

In the end we found it easier to find house owners under pressure to sell (from the bank often!) so bought a house. And it is relatively cheap here to bring a house up to your spec if you can find more or less what you want where you want. But you may not get your added- value back when you sell....

But patience, tapping into thai 'networks' of folk in areas where you are have an interest, and keeping well in the background as a farang, wil get you the best deal. Meantime rent somewhere nice and be happy!

Good luck.

[MastaMak]

Maybe most everything has been said. I can only add be very patient. We spent a long time looking for land and found that many owners were just sitting on vacant lots as they didnt need the cash, and expected land values to rise. So zip motivation to sell.

Then we found a few farmers who were short of cash (dont farmers all say that every country?!) and would sell small amounts to fund the next pickup or whatever. And that was a year or so back when government were very slow to pay farmers. We found land at ok prices but it tended to be too 'deep' so inconvenient access etc.

In the end we found it easier to find house owners under pressure to sell (from the bank often!) so bought a house. And it is relatively cheap here to bring a house up to your spec if you can find more or less what you want where you want. But you may not get your added- value back when you sell....

But patience, tapping into thai 'networks' of folk in areas where you are have an interest, and keeping well in the background as a farang, wil get you the best deal. Meantime rent somewhere nice and be happy!

Good luck.

Thank you. Indeed, patience. At first I was frustrated but now I start to understand, there really are two types of sellers, and avoid the ones with money who don't really need to sell.

I received a call from one of the plots I was interested in, someone in the family needs expensive surgery and is ready to drop the price. From 7mil it's now down to 4.5mil for 3 and a half rai + 1 normal size house and a smaller guest house next to it. On the 3 rais behind the house are lam yai, teak trees and a big fish pond. Price seems very reasonable now.

[beau thai]

From what you describe, and depending on location, looks like a good deal. Best of luck with it.

[Paul944]

How do these increased prices affect the rental market?

[chiang mai]

A farang with Japanese wife, working nearby, renting an older three bed two bath home with small garden, nothing special at all apart from the location, 25k month.

[puukao]

I have land to sell, 500 million baht!!!! farangs get so jealous I want big money.....but i like money!!!

i paid 500 baht 40-years ago....now farangs very jealous!!!

i sell to you at special price only today good luck best price of 499.99999999 million

[Loaded]

A farang with Japanese wife, working nearby, renting an older three bed two bath home with small garden, nothing special at all apart from the location, 25k month.

My mooban is full of nice 3-bedroom 2 bathrooms houses for rent. The ones priced at 25K stay empty. The ones priced at 14K always have tenants.

[bangmai]

I have land to sell, 500 million baht!!!! farangs get so jealous I want big money.....but i like money!!!

i paid 500 baht 40-years ago....now farangs very jealous!!!

i sell to you at special price only today good luck best price of 499.99999999 million

Manhattan Island sold for about 1000 USD in 1626...now worth 3 trillion USD.

[CharlieH]

7) You will respect fellow members and post in a civil manner. No personal attacks, hateful or insulting towards other members, (flaming) Stalking of members on either the forum or via PM will not be allowed.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

How do these increased prices affect the rental market?

Relatively little apparently.

[MaeJoMTB]

A farang with Japanese wife, working nearby, renting an older three bed two bath home with small garden, nothing special at all apart from the location, 25k month.

My mooban is full of nice 3-bedroom 2 bathrooms houses for rent. The ones priced at 25K stay empty. The ones priced at 14K always have tenants.

I was paying 5k/month for 2 bedroom bungalow with nice garden just outside Mae Rim.

Looked at several houses for 4-6k/month in Mae Rim.

One three bedroom house two sois up from Makro, they wanted 4k/month, nice roof terrace but I would have needed to put western toilets in myself.

Not so sure why all the foreigners need their 'farang hooker palaces' out in the wilds surrounded by a large estate and high walls, I'm happy to live in a normal house with Thais right next door.

[chiang mai]

That's because you're a retired old fart on fixed income, the couple I spoke of earlier; he's a chef at the Four Seasons and she's a housewife, hardly a hooker palace, but I suppose we speak of the things we know!

[MaeJoMTB]

That's because you're a retired old fart on fixed income, the couple I spoke of earlier; he's a chef at the Four Seasons and she's a housewife, hardly a hooker palace, but I suppose we speak of the things we know!

What a coincidence, my Thai BIL is a chef at the Four Seasons too.

PS. My income is index linked, not fixed

Edited August 13, 2015 by MaeJoMTB

[chiang mai]

This one is French, a nice bloke.

BTW what happens to index linking in times of deflation, ah, never mind, I'll google it.

[Johpa]

The post was clearly written dripping with irony and intended to be taken with a grain of salt and was clearly not a personal attack. As one who has maintained a home in Mae Rim for nearly 30 years, contrary to my clearly tongue-in-cheek statement, I am well aware of the options to bypass Mae Rim. Your actions were, to be polite, misguided.

[chiang mai]

Poster puwa was providing clarification to my post, for which I was grateful. I thought your subsequent post was less than polite.

[stament]

Maybe most everything has been said. I can only add be very patient. We spent a long time looking for land and found that many owners were just sitting on vacant lots as they didnt need the cash, and expected land values to rise. So zip motivation to sell.

Then we found a few farmers who were short of cash (dont farmers all say that every country?!) and would sell small amounts to fund the next pickup or whatever. And that was a year or so back when government were very slow to pay farmers. We found land at ok prices but it tended to be too 'deep' so inconvenient access etc.

In the end we found it easier to find house owners under pressure to sell (from the bank often!) so bought a house. And it is relatively cheap here to bring a house up to your spec if you can find more or less what you want where you want. But you may not get your added- value back when you sell....

But patience, tapping into thai 'networks' of folk in areas where you are have an interest, and keeping well in the background as a farang, wil get you the best deal. Meantime rent somewhere nice and be happy!

Good luck.

It does seem to me that you are better off buying a house that needs improvements rather than buying the land and building your own. Can you pm me about your experience please.

Thanks

[stament]

A farang with Japanese wife, working nearby, renting an older three bed two bath home with small garden, nothing special at all apart from the location, 25k month.

My mooban is full of nice 3-bedroom 2 bathrooms houses for rent. The ones priced at 25K stay empty. The ones priced at 14K always have tenants.

What's your mooban like and where is it?