- Why you should live in Chiang Rai,
- What to do in Chiang Rai,
- The cost of living in Chiang Rai
After a year of traveling Asia, I decided it was time find a place to call home again. Constant travel strains your energy, motivation, and money. I needed a temporary home to chill out and recharge. I wanted a place to make friends and build relationships but not yet worry about going back to work.
I was lucky enough to discover a small village on the outskirts of Chiang Rai city, called Ban Lan Thong. The village is located about 10 km south of the Chiang Rai town center.
Follow the main road south from Chiang Rai, pass the Esso petrol station and head down the end of a small dirt trail. Here in this quiet corner, I rented a private little bungalow for just 1500 THB (USD 50) per month.
Yep, that’s right $50 per month!
The bungalow was surrounded by rice fields and hidden away from traffic. The local village community became like a family to me. I even had a stray dog which decided to live in my bungalow at the end of my bed.
Lazy days would be spent down the road at a friend’s house sipping cold beers. We’d lay in the hammocks, jamming on guitars and paint crazy paintings.
I’d frequently venture out of town making trips out to some of Chiang Rai’s amazing waterfalls, hot springs, ethnic villages and hiking trails.
I’d also explore the province on longer trips such as a 3 Day Chiang Rai Motorbike Itinerary up the mountains to Phu Chi Fa, Doi Patang, and Doi Mae Salong. With a bit more time off I also ventured past Chiang Mai and spent two weeks discovering Pai.
Why live in Chiang Rai?
Why should you choose to live in Chiang Rai over a bigger city like Chiang Mai or a tourist town like Pai?
- Chiang Rai offers plenty of genuine off the beaten track destinations.
- The cost of living is cheap. Really cheap.
- The lifestyle is slow paced.
- The food is great.
- The people are the friendliest in Thailand.
My main reason for living in Chiang Rai was the vast amount of travel opportunities available. Chiang Rai offers countless waterfalls, amazing hiking trails, ancient cities and hill tribe communities. Allow the right amount of time and you are sure to discover the most amazing province Thailand has to offer.
Cost of living in Chiang Rai
Answering how much it costs to live anywhere will always be difficult. It really depends on your lifestyle. What I can tell you is that the cost of living in Chiang Rai can be super cheap if done right.
In Chiang Rai, I didn’t have plans to work. The plan was to chill out and to do that for a quite a while. This lifestyle means that I’d have to live quite cheap.
Here is a basic breakdown of my cost of living in Chiang Rai:
- Long-term accommodation in Chiang Rai: 1500 THB per month. This is a private concrete bungalow without air conditioner or hot water for the shower. Western-style toilet with bucket flush system.
- Electricity: 300 THB per month. With no air conditioner or hot water, this is pretty cheap.
- Motorbike: 7000 THB. This is a motorbike without registration papers which depends on how legally correct you want to be. In Chiang Rai police will rarely if ever ask to see registration papers (blue slip) of a motorbike. In Bangkok, it is a completely different story.
- Fuel: 50 THB per day (motor bike). This really depends on how much you want to travel.
- Food: 30 THB per plate in the village. Up to however much, you want to pay for it in the town.
Renting in Chiang Rai
If you are moving to Chiang Rai for the first time then the easiest way to find a rental property is online. Retire In Chiang Rai’s sister company, Chiang Rai Real Estate provides a great service for locals and expats alike. Unlike some other local realtors, Chiang Rai Real Estate, only sells properties that are for sale at Thai prices and whether the buyer is an expat or a local, the price is the same. If you are doing your own searching, to get a property in the city you need to look for “Muang Chiang Rai” which refers to the city. Searching Chiang Rai will deliver results from all over the province of Chiang Rai.
After spending some time in Chiang Rai you will likely meet locals, who have family that can offer you a better deal. That’s how I got my apartment for just 1,500 THB per month.
Working in Chiang Rai
Unfortunately, there isn’t a huge range of work opportunities for foreigners in Thailand. Most expats in Chiang Rai are teachers either at one of the many local schools or one of the three international schools.
I taught private tutoring classes in Chiang Rai to a group of young students. I taught classes including; Maths, English, Physics, Cooking, and Art. I do not have any teaching qualifications, but a university degree, and an eagerness to try new things.
Friends who were living in Chiang Rai did all sorts of thing for work such as; playing professional online poker, running e-commerce stores, working in a hostel, and even long-term volunteering.