Where to Stay in Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai is relatively small.

If you want to give your legs a stretch and have an hour you could walk right across most of it.

Short term visitors to Chiang Mai tend to hit hotspots such as the Old City and Nimmanhaemin with the occasional jaunts to the Thai markets.

Mainly the nightlife areas and Tha Phae Gate are the most often visited.

That being said, if you’re only in Chiang Mai for a short period of time, say under a few months then these two areas are undoubtedly the most convenient places to stay.

Whilst they are certainly rich and interesting areas (should you be visiting I would definitely recommend you visit these locations) they are not the only areas in Chiang Mai worth viewing.

Tucked away among the backstreets are areas where Thai people and longtime visitors, for the most part, choose to live.

Exploring these suburbs can often give you a whole new perspective on what Thai culture is really like.

Chiang Mai’s Old City

Measuring 1.4 km square the Old City is a maze of streets surrounded by a normally serene moat that attracts tourists like flies to a flame every season. With good reason as well, as here you will find the city as it has evolved over hundreds of years.

Market stalls, century-old temples all mixed with Thai traditions and the necessities of modern life produces an exotic area with enough things to see and do that will satisfy almost anyone.

Many parts are still untouched by time and most tours will start at the city’s most famous landmark, Tha Phae Gate.

It is the easternmost gate facing the Ping river and huge swathes of its walls still stand. This area is also the centre for cultural nightlife and the city really does come alive here once the sun goes down.

Rachadamnoen Road (the main road running through the old city) magically transforms every Sunday evening into a huge night market filled with hundreds of stalls from Tha Phae Gate all the way up to Wat Phra Singh temple.

Chiang Mai’s Old City, while remarkable in its own right, would perhaps suit people who like to be around activity most of the time. The area can feel like a bustling metropolis depending on when you visit. It’s a large area and the southwestern part of the Old City is relatively calm. Expect prices to be a little higher because of the cache of being within the walls.

Things to visit and see inside of Chiang Mai’s Old City:

• Wat Lok Moli
• Chang Puek Market
• Wat Chang Yuen
• Wat Pa Pao
• Wat Chiang Man
• Tha Phae Gate
• Walking Street (Sunday)
• Chiang Mai Gate Market (South)
• Three Kings Monument
• Sompet Market
• Wat Pan Tao
• Wat Chedi Luang
• Wat Phra Singh

Nimmanhaemin

Nimman is an area where streets branch off of the arterial route of Nimmanhaemin road.

Situated west of the Old City and separated by 1.3 km of Huay Kaew Road the area has become the defacto area for a strange mix of aspiring digital nomads and Chinese tourists.

It’s what you might call Chiang Mai’s shopping, eating, coffee, and sleeping area. With its many coworking spaces and eateries for all tastes, the area has been developing for years.

With Maya mall situated at the top of the road, there is everything you could possibly need, all within a few minutes walk.

Nimman can be a bit of a mixed bag sometimes and due to its popularity with newcomers, the housing and eateries are generally overpriced. On the other hand, there are some secluded areas where great deals can be found for what might be considered ‘normal prices’.

While there are a few high rise buildings in the area the whole place has a relaxed urban feel to it. There’s a blend of western activity and Thai lifestyle that mixes effortlessly. It’s an active and bustling area where many tourists can be found on a routine basis. Not necessarily a bad thing at all but the area will reflect that atmosphere.

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Chang Khlan

Situated as a sprawling area in the South East of the Old City. Chang Khlan can feel a bit sparse in parts but does actually contain the night bazaar; an area mentioned later on in this post.

Many people in Chiang Mai enjoy being away from the digital nomad scene and tend to prefer to live a lifestyle more catered to an expat.

There is plenty of nightlife if you need it, with the daily night bazaar. There are also plenty of karaoke bars as well.

One of the problems with this area, certainly if you plan on retiring here, is that the land is flat and shallow. This occasionally causes flooding in the area. Although uncommon, this is said to happen every 5 years or so, so those choosing to live in this area should bear this in mind.

If you’re a digital nomad, then this is quite far from Nimman and the meetups that you may wish to attend.

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Chang Phuek

A good walk from Nimman and Old City is the area of Chang Phuek. It’s a cheap place to live with a mix of new apartments, old Thai style houses, and traditional street markets.

Coffee and good meals can be purchased at around 50% of the prices found in the more popular areas of Chiang Mai. Incidentally, this area has a lot less Western style food outlets. While they are available, mostly it will be Thai local places where local residents would eat.

It is also easy to get around Chang Phuek with Songthaew’s passing regularly (getting around Chiang Mai – link?). From Huay Kaew road you can ride a songthaew into the city and to the popular nightlife areas for around 20-30 baht.

The area is a nice blend of local Thai living and immersive culture.

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Ban Sathaphon (Santitham)

Ban Sathaphon (popularly referred to as Santitham) is an area of Chiang Mai that may not be that familiar to most newcomers.

As such, it’s a much more affordable area of Chiang Mai.

Ban Sathaphon is a suburban area running up to Route 11 and just north of Huay Kaew Road. It is quite a large area.

It’s an up and coming area with old Thai houses and street markets.

Because it’s very near the University, you find plenty of cheap accommodation and budget condo apartments starting at less than 4,000 baht per month.

The area is also within easy transport to all other areas of the city. If you desire a place to stay that won’t cost the earth for a few months, this would be a great area to check out.

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Night Bazaar

Technically a part of the Chang Khlan area of Chiang Mai, I have separated this out as it is a sprawling metropolis of activity every night.

Sandwiched between Tha Phae Gate and the Ping River, the Night Bazaar has many hotels, especially luxury hotels and would probably be considered the beating heart of Chiang Mai’s nightlife.

It’s a very popular area for shopping, tourist attractions, great bars, and restaurants. It’s also open every day of the year despite the weather.

This ‘market heaven’ is at the crossroads between Loi Kroh road and Chang Khlan road but the area sprawls out for over a kilometer in each direction. The area is a densely populated mass and should be considered a must-visit for any tourist or holidaymaker.

Be prepared to devote some time however as it can take many hours to explore all the alleyways and side streets that this market has to offer.

As the sun goes down every night, the night bazaar starts to get going.

Around 10.30pm the area starts to wind down but food and bar activity will continue late into the night.

If you are looking for an active area of Chiang Mai, this should be top of your list.

By day, the area is quite different and looks like a different place so this area is definitely more for those with a predisposition for nightlife activity.

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Hang Dong

Following Route 108 out of Chiang Mai towards the south west of the city will bring you down into the Hang Dong district.

The Hang Dong area started out making wooden furniture and handicrafts and still has a ‘furniture highway’ located within it.

The district is quiet and has less of a tourist presence than Mae Rim.

It still possesses all the markets and supermarkets that are needed as part of modern living, with big DIY retail stores present as well.

For the same price as a condo in Nimman, you can get a 3 bedroomed house with an office and a garden in Hang Dong.

This isn’t an urban area and has much more of a countryside feel to it.

Surrounded by large swathes of unused lands and rice paddies you can visit the huge markets that the area has as well as explore the food stalls and late night entertainment.

The area also is home to the Chiang Mai Night Safari, Hang Dong Golf course and the Grand Canyon (Chiang Mai’s version of the Grand Canyon). Also, the Kad Farang village is becoming an increasingly popular area.

Anyone I’ve ever met from Hang Dong, have told me it was a great decision to move out there as the area has so much they rarely have the need to go into Chiang Mai’s Old City any more.

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Mae Rim

To the North of Chiang Mai are the suburb districts of Doi Saket, San Sai, and Mae Rim. Mae Rim is a small town just North of the Old City.

The town itself sits astride the 107 road approximately 25 km from Chiang Mai.

Outside the town are many of the tourist activity areas associated with Chiang Mai.

Tiger Kingdom, snake farms, elephant camps, ATV activity centres and shooting ranges you name it, this area has it.

There are even more activities along 1096 in Mae Rim.

Mae Rim town is along the road and has many side streets where hidden restaurants and activities can be found.

Many Westerners live out in Mae Rim to be away from city life but you’ll find a lot of tourists visiting the area for the attractions.

Mae Rim tends to attract a lot of long-term Chiang Mai expats. Westerners who have fully immersed themselves into the Thai way of life and have built a life for themselves here in Thailand.

You will need transport in Mae Rim as it is a sprawling area with many things to do. It is still perhaps better suited to people who have a more long-term objective in Thailand.

There are a lot fewer signs written in English but you will find many small Thai owned shops for the goods and services you need.

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Chiang Mai University

A busy (very) little area at the westernmost point of Chiang Mai before you start going uphill towards Doi Suthep.

As you might expect near a University it will busy at certain times and can be quite cheap.

It’s a vibrant little area and contains the nature parks and the Huay Kaew waterfall.

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