# Chiang Mai accommodations



## Serendipity2 (Feb 22, 2009)

Could anyone recommend a short term place to stay in Chiang Mai [ one or two weeks] that is inexpensive, clean and located close to the night market? I'm on a limited budget - retired & fixed income - so I need to be frugal.

I would also appreciate any suggestions on a real estate company or rental agency to help find a "permanent" condo or apartment to rent in Chiang Mai? 

Any suggestions on what to be wary of or avoid are also appreciated. Thanks in advance to all. 

Serendipity2


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## Guest (Mar 11, 2009)

Serendipity2 said:


> Could anyone recommend a short term place to stay in Chiang Mai [ one or two weeks] that is inexpensive, clean and located close to the night market? I'm on a limited budget - retired & fixed income - so I need to be frugal.
> 
> I would also appreciate any suggestions on a real estate company or rental agency to help find a "permanent" condo or apartment to rent in Chiang Mai?
> 
> ...


See my reply to your 'disappointed' thread... plus just to mention that the condos in question can also be rented all year round. 

Things to be wary of? Generally speaking, deposits aren't easy to recover. Don't pay for in-house laundry (at the Night Bazaar Condos) - twice the rate of the little ol' lady round the corner (any corner). Try to negotiate (unaggressively) - it sometimes works. Air quality is poor in town, so a few floors up isn't a bad idea. Check the aircon before signing on the dotted line, some are ancient and make a real racket. WE-TV (local cable) is rubbish but better than nothing if you need the occasional fix of English-language news channels and B-movies, and their basic package is very cheap. 

There are loads of places to be had cheaply - worth asking around the bars too.


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## Serendipity2 (Feb 22, 2009)

Thanks FrogBlogger! Do the condos have HS Internet? Sounds like one should pay several months up front [I've heard 3-4 which includes the first, last and deposit and then use the deposit as last month's rent. 

Is the open air restaurant across from the night bazaar still there near the band shell? They're [or were] behind the stores across from the night bazaar and offered several different foods incl. curry, roast chicken and desserts as well. 

Serendipity2


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## Guest (Mar 12, 2009)

Can't remember whether they have wireless internet, I arranged for a friend to stay there a few months back, I'll ask him.

Yes the Kalazar (sp?) buffet thing is still there, voucher system as before, same quality, great place. If you stay at the Night Bazaar Condos, it's about a 3 or 4 minute walk away.

To locate the Condos, they are on the next parallel road to the Night Bazaar road - just behind the 'Foxy Lady'. You may or may not have heard of this place, a go-go bar.

Staying in town works out at somewhere between 50% and 100% more expensive than, say, outside the superhighway ring. For the same money (5000 bt) you can rent a small 2 bed house on the outskirts of town. But then there's the cost of transport, plus of course if you would rather be in the livelier parts of town it takes a while to get in.

When I first went to Chiang Mai I rented a house for 10000 bt per month plus water, electric that would have cost maybe 6000 bt outside (I was about a 10 minute walk from the Night Bazaar). Stayed in that house 2 years, great location. I'm away in France at the moment, then going to Isaan, and finally back to Chiang Mai in July. But I've done the centre of town thing, this time I'm looking to rent or buy a small house just out of town somewhere.

(EDIT)

Sorry, although my friend had his laptop with him he doesn't know if they have wireless internet because he didn't think to ask, he just used a local internet cafe, they cost next to nothing ...


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## Serendipity2 (Feb 22, 2009)

Hi Frogblogger,

Thanks for the information. Glad to hear the ?Kalazar? buffet is still there - one of the best and cheapest places in town to eat!  There are a lot of excellent restaurants in Chiang Mai but I try to stay away from those that cater to tourists - too expensive!

Internet cafes are cheap but I worry a bit about security on the Internet - but that is true of wireless too. I'd like to find a place that has a high speed connection [cable or ADSL] which is a bit more secure. 

I've heard housing in Chiang Mai -both to rent and to purchase- is depressed just like in the USA due to the economic meltdown. Might be a great time to buy IF this is the bottom or at least close. Thanks again for the information!

Serendipity2


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## Guest (Mar 12, 2009)

Serendipity2 said:


> Hi Frogblogger,
> 
> Thanks for the information. Glad to hear the ?Kalazar? buffet is still there - one of the best and cheapest places in town to eat!  There are a lot of excellent restaurants in Chiang Mai but I try to stay away from those that cater to tourists - too expensive!
> 
> ...


I installed high speed internet in the house, not the entry package (which tends to be slow for surfing internationally), but the next one up. Not so cheap at 900 bt a month, but was stable with rare outages. Only problem was the occasional power cut! The livebox arrived promptly, installed first time. No complaints.

Plenty of reasonable guesthouses with wireless in the centre of town, but even if you negotiate a month in advance you won't be looking at much under 300 bt a day, so close to 10,000 a month. Stayed in one myself with wireless, centre of town, soi 3 off Loi Kroh (a couple of minutes from the Night Bazaar). 

Lots of food stalls as well wherever you go of course, I virtually live off these at times! Who needs farang restaurants...


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## Serendipity2 (Feb 22, 2009)

Frogblogger, 

Glad to hear there are a lot of food stalls now. I agree with you re 'farang' restuarants. Why would one want to eat in one when some of the best food in the world can be had at the food stalls and at a lot cheaper price! 

If you're buying a place it might be worth your time to look into setting up a solar panel for all of your electrical needs IF the power company would buy any excess you generate. Then, tied to the electrical grid, you always have power and [hopefully] the power company buys your excess - at a profit to you! Sweet - never to get an electric bill.  

Serendipity2


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## King Silk (Feb 25, 2009)

*Check this out Pal.*



Serendipity2 said:


> Could anyone recommend a short term place to stay in Chiang Mai [ one or two weeks] that is inexpensive, clean and located close to the night market? I'm on a limited budget - retired & fixed income - so I need to be frugal.
> 
> I would also appreciate any suggestions on a real estate company or rental agency to help find a "permanent" condo or apartment to rent in Chiang Mai?
> 
> ...


I am told this Guest House is VG so click on this.....The Garden Chiang Mai| Guesthouse| Home

Perhaps you will let us know what its like if you visit?


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## Guest (Mar 15, 2009)

Good location in Walking Street, but a fair walk to the Night Bazaar from there. Nice website...


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