r/chiangmai

I'm visiting Chiang Mai soon and love places with a cinematic vibe - think dark wood, warm lighting, vintage interiors, and intimate atmospheres.

I'm especially looking for boutique hotels, historic mansions, jazz bars, cocktail bars, restaurants, cafés, art galleries, or any hidden gems with that aesthetic.

I'd love your recommendations!

Hi! Anyone know where I could go to watch Mexican vs England tomorrow morning at 07:00? I would prefer to be sat with Mexicans since I'm Scottish, but if needs be I can watch along with the old enemy.

We're located in oldtown square. Thanks!

Hello everyone (male,28), i live in Turkey, not muslim, tattoed guy (thailand will be good for my mind, i think) I make average of $5k per month and thinking to apply for DTV visa.

I don't do freelancer,alcohol or partying allday, don't drink coffee, don't like luxury restaurants.

i do calisthenics and i will smoking weed (only in thailand if i can move), i like techno and rock/metal music maybe i can go a place for this once a week.

that's me, probably i will buy whey protein, multivitamins and eat protein all day and smoking weed while making money and going out for walking and working

but i want to do savings for financial freedom is 5k usd will be good for mylifestyle?

can you give me advices, i need any advice.

thanks <3

Going to do the move after 10 years in Bangkok. Curious what others miss from Bangkok.

Which restaurant offers Non spicy khao soi? I

It's for a friend that cannot eat the lowest level of spicy but wants to try khao soi in chiang mai.

Thanks

I can work remotely and currently getting a DTV visa.

After deducting a necessary small amount (for emergencies/extra travels, etc.) and probably health insurance, I can estimate to be left with around 50-55k Thai Baht to spend every month with my remote work depending on the month.

I'd prefer living in a house vs a condo - I've seen condos are small and bigger ones too expensive. Whereas a bigger house maybe far from the main areas can be cheaper. I don't mind this and paying up to 20k per month for it (hoping it's enough for a decent place)

Question then comes, is remaining amount of money, around 30k, enough for sort of a comfortable life for everything else and to eat and do regular things, go to a bar/restaurant once a week, maybe do some activity once in a while to not be stuck at home at all times? (For two, me + wife)

Also, I've been to Thailand before twice and I'm very okay with and actually enjoy most of the food. I don't need/want to live a 'western' life in that sense.

Might also have pets (cats) which don't really cost a lot unless they get sick - I'm aware many housing don't allow pets.

Edit: I do also have 600,000+ baht in savings already as emergency savings and for DTV. So for moving there I can spend some extra money in beginning for 'moving in' and anything needed.

EDIT: Thank you so much for all the comments, tips, experiences shared. Considering few things if I want to be extra safe and not be on survival mode or be thinking about the unexpected back of my head always, then it seems I do need a bit higher monthly budget. This is to make sure I always have a proper insurance, continuing to save up for the long term future, saving for any travels domestic and international and any other expected/unexpected things. In short, it's more than doable but have to compromise on some things which I'd rather not.

Hi everyone,

I am currently stuck in a frustrating bureaucratic circle in Chiang Mai and need tactical advice from anyone who has successfully navigated this. A local rental shop is refusing to return my cash deposit after the vehicle suffered an internal mechanical failure.

The shop is throwing every nonsense excuse at me to keep the money (claiming I owe them towing fees, claiming I shouldn't have driven on mountain roads, even though their own contract explicitly states it's only banned with a passenger, and I was riding solo).

I am trying to do things completely by the book, but the authorities keep passing the hot potato:

1. Tourist Police sent me to the Local Police.
2. Local Police told me it’s a civil issue and sent me to OCPB (Consumer Protection) at the Provincial Hall.
3. OCPB logged the case but directed me to the Mueang Chiang Mai District Office for a hearing.
4. The District Office just told me to go back to the Local Police, claiming it's their problem.

I am literally going around in circles. The documentation I have is solid. I have the rental contract, a copy of the initial Tourist Police report, and clear fact sheets separating my cases (a motorbike breakdown case, and a bicycle case where I'm asking for a pro-rated refund because the owner's hostile behavior made it unsafe to keep renting from them).

Has anyone dealt with this exact runaround in Chiang Mai?

• How do I get the local police or the District Office to actually take ownership and stop redirecting me?
• Is there a specific type of report (like a formal asset misappropriation/embezzlement or extortion complaint) I need to insist on at the police station to make them act?

BTW, everyone I've dealt to has been super nice. There's just no clear cut authority on who should be handling the case.

Appreciate any advice or local insights. Thanks!

Visiting Thailand soon & I'm looking for places to jog/run in Chiang Mai. I'm staying a little Southeast of the Phae Gate, so preferably anywhere close to there, if there are any places.

Also wondering, is it's considered rude to run on the sidewalks/streets in Thailand? I usually go for runs early in the morning, like 5am-6am, so people might not even be around at those times, but just don't want to be rude.

I saw there’s a small IKEA. I don’t suppose I can test out the mattresses in store but can anyone confirm they do sell softer ones there? Or recommend anywhere else to buy. Thanks 🙏

Travelling solo to Chiang Mai soon. I like watching muay thai and am considering doing so when I am there. However, I'm a bit worried I'll be out of place if I go alone. Is that something I should be worried about?

Hi there! I’m planning my november trip to Thailand and pretty much figured all transportation out but I’m not sure about Chiang Mai to Koh Tao.

Right now I’m thinking flying to Surat Thani and than getting a bus + ferry combo. Would that be a good idea? Has anyone done it like this before?

Hi everyone,

I'm planning a trip to Chiang Mai from 21–26 July and would love some local advice before I book.

I know it's the rainy season, but does it usually rain all day, or are they mostly short showers? Currently it is showing risk of flash floods & heavy rains for next 10 days.

We're mainly interested in temples, cafés, food, markets, and sightseeing—not trekking or adventure activities.

Would you still recommend visiting during these dates, or would you choose another destination instead?

Thanks in advance!

I’m flying to Chiang Mai Thailand for about a month of Muay Thai and writing at the end of July. I’ve been reading a lot of threads here and keep seeing two main pieces of advice:

• Don’t commit to a gym until you’ve visited a few and felt them out.
• Try to stay walking distance from your gym and avoid relying heavily on scooters because of accidents.

That makes sense to me, but I’m trying to understand how people practically handle housing around that.

My situation:

• I haven’t booked housing yet.
• I’d like a (at least mostly) private place (not gym dorms), where I can rest, write, and not be in a party environment.
• This trip isn’t about nightlife or tourism; it’s mostly training, nature and focus.
• I’d like to walk to training if possible.

Questions:

1. If I arrive, visit a few gyms first and then choose one, how realistic is it to find housing nearby afterward, for a full month, without everything being booked?
2. Or is it smarter to pick a few gyms in the same general area online, book housing near them first, and then check those gyms out once I land?
3. For people who didn’t stay in gym accommodations, how did you balance the “try gyms first” advice with needing to lock in a place to live?

Any specific neighborhoods or approaches you’d recommend for someone who wants privacy, walkability to training, and a low‑key, non‑party environment would be super helpful.

Thanks in advance for any insight.

The Hourly Grab (that works like car rental) looks like it's half the price for 8-12hrs than private drivers and doesn't really say I can't take it to the mountains from the city, unless there's something missing in fine print. Is it safe to rely on hourly grab OR pvt drivers are the way to go? The daily rate I am getting from pvt drivers is 3500 now, I remember paying 2500-3000 a year ago. Thanks!

Ps: I have spent enough time in Chiang Mai so this question is around Grab Hourly for the day or private drivers. The private drivers I have are more expensive!

https://preview.redd.it/aen1q1zrwjah1.png?width=1456&format=png&auto=webp&s=8b7ba2190087b508cf75757128a472562b3e9526

I spent time as the first Crypto Resident at 4Seas in Chiang Mai and wrote up some reflections on what struck me: how it functions more as an “embassy” model than a monastery, the deliberate openness (no gates, no membership fees), the blending of cypherpunk values with local Thai rhythms and Chinese diaspora experiences, and the emergent “third culture” that feels additive rather than extractive.

It touches on parallel construction, acculturation dynamics, and what it looks like when internet-first communities try to root themselves locally without becoming isolated bubbles.

Curious what others think about the embassy vs. monastery distinction in practice, or examples of other experiments trying similar integration.

Full piece here: https://www.parallelcitizen.xyz/p/4seas-2026

Hi, we are visiting chiang mai and first day today my daughter has sprained her ankle :/ hospital did x-ray and given her medicine. We made it back to hotel and she is struggling to put weight on. We are staying at chiang mai gate, does anyone know where I can purchase or borrow crutches from please?

I hope nobody here needs this. I had a scooter accident in Chiang Mai last month and wanted to share the actual costs in case it helps another traveler or expat later.

This happened while I was riding as a passenger on a Grab scooter. We hit a bump, I lost balance, and both the driver and I went down. I had pretty bad road rash on one side of my body, but luckily no broken bones.

I went to the ER at Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital. I arrived at midnight and waited about 15 minutes. The public ER bill was roughly 340 THB total.

About two weeks later, I still felt worried because I had hit my head. I went to Sriphat Medical Center OPD for a private head CT scan so I don't need to wait. It cost about 6,000 THB.

The biggest thing I didn’t know before is that Grab scooter rides include accident insurance through AIG.

The exact timeline, costs, and insurance checklist here in case anyone needs the details later: https://chiangmaicompass.com/guides/chiang-mai-motorcycle-accident

Not affiliated with any hospital, Grab, or insurance company. Just sharing because I had no idea how this process worked before it happened to me.

I'm planning a trip to Thailand, and I'd like to bring a small gift for my host as a token of appreciation.

Do you have any suggestions for what would make a good gift? (I'm Korean) If food is okay, I was thinking about bringing something that's popular in Korea these days, like Banana Milk. Or do you think that's not such a great idea?

I'd love to hear your recommendations. 😊