To save this: press Ctrl/Cmd + Pand choose "Save as PDF".
From the guide: Chiang Mai Guide: Cafes, Rent, Food and Nightlife
Chiang Mai Checklist
32 things to do, drink, check and decide. demontemag.com
✈️ Before you land
- Check your dates against the seasonNov to Feb is the cool dry window, 15 to 30C
- Check current air quality for your datesThe valley holds what is in the air. Most common reason people cut a stay short
- Book 10 to 14 nights onlyDo not sign a lease before you have walked the areas
- Base the first stay in Nimman or Santitham
- Have deposit money liquidUsually two months deposit plus one month upfront
☕ Cafes
- Ristr8to, NimmanLatte art pedigree. Power at nearly every seat
- Graph Cafe, Old CityMinimalist and quiet. Serious cold brew
- Ombra, NimmanSeveral rooms, fast wifi, plenty of plugs, a standing desk, garden inside
- Rustic & Blue, SantithamGarden seating, all-day brunch, slower pace
- Walk Sirimangkalajarn Soi 1 to 9Densest cafe and coworking cluster in the city
- Arrive at 08:00 or after 14:00 for a long session10:00 to 12:00 is the rush and some places limit table time
🍜 Food and drink
- Eat khao soiThe northern Thai dish Chiang Mai is actually known for
- Do one full night market dinnerDishes ฿30 to ฿50
- Price check: beer ฿80 to ฿120, cocktail ฿250 to ฿450Beer at the market, one cocktail somewhere nice
- Sunday walking street in the Old City
🍸 Nightlife
- One Nimman eveningThe refined end. Where people who live here go
- One Old City eveningLouder, cheaper, younger
- One Riverside nightLive music and dinner rather than a night out
- Night BazaarBest cheap evening in the city
- Know what Loi Kroh is before wandering down it
🔑 Finding a place
- View at least 3 condos before signing
- Compare Nimman against SantithamTen minutes walk for a noticeably lower rent
- Confirm utilities are excludedThey usually are
- Ask for the 12-month rateMaterially better than monthly
- Check the walk to a cafe you would actually use
🗓️ First week, in order
- Day 1 — Walk Nimman end to end. Get a SIM
- Day 2 — Sirimangkalajarn cafe crawl. Work a full afternoon
- Day 3 — Old City and the temples
- Day 4 — Doi Suthep in the morning, Nimman bar in the evening
- Day 5 — View three condos
- Day 6 — Night Bazaar and the markets
- Day 7 — Pick the area. Sign the lease
💸 Rent, baht per month
| Nimman, modern 1-bed | ฿8,000 – 18,000 |
| Nimman, larger or newer | ฿14,000 – 26,000 |
| City-wide, condos and townhouses | ฿6,000 – 25,000 |
Utilities normally excluded. Expect two months deposit plus one month upfront, and ask for the 12-month rate.
demontemag.com/blog/chiang-mai-guide-cafes-rent-nightlife