Cost of Utilities in Chiang Mai

[Serendipity2]

Here's a request to those now living in Chiang Mai. It would be beneficial to know what utility costs we can anticipate, any advanced deposits and what to be careful of when renting. I've heard some horror stories so hopefully some current expats [refugees] can advise us.

I realize every household is different - some are single, some married and some married with children. If possible it would be helpful if you indicated the size of your household.

Cost of electricity. This will be a major expense as utilities go as most want air conditioner 'on' much of the time. Other electrical draws will be for computer, refrigerator and television

Cost of Internet. Does "high speed" Internet readily exist in Chiang Mai? How much for unlimited service per month?

Water. I suspect one does not drink water from the tap so there could be two water bills. One for shower, washing dishes, shaving etc. and another to a company to provide bottled potable water to drink. So I suspect probably two different water bills.

I suspect sewer costs are included in cost of water piped to the apartment.condo.

Telephone. Here there are a ton of options including cellular, local dial-up and VOiP service [if you have a high speed Internet connection] If Voice over Internet has anyone tried a MagicJack? You can buy one and make unlimited calls back the the US or Canada but need HS Internet. Cost? $20 to buy the thing and $20 for an entire year's calling to US or Canada - and, yes, from Thailand or anywhere you are. Then there's Skype and some other services here or coming soon.

As for the horror stories, I've heard people were stuck paying some one else's bill as the former tenant skipped town. Is this true or are we only liable for current services? Are there any scams to watch out for from landlords?

Garbage. Is it included in the rent or an added service? Out of curiosity, do most apartments or condos have garbage disposal units? They really are handy.

Well, that's my lengthy list but hopefully others now living in Chiang Mai or those who have recently can fill in some holes in my [and others] knowledge. Thanks all for any contributions.

Serendipity2

[frogblogger]

*Somewhere* I've still got my bills for some of these - water, electric, cable tv, internet, phone line (only used for internet because mobile phones are so cheap to use).

There were two alternatives for an internet connection with the provider I used, Maxnet - Maxnet Indy costs 790b pm, Maxnet Premier 1090b pm, but I went for the Premier because I was warned that Indy was slow for surfing non-Thai urls, or for downloading torrents, etc. It was ok, but hardly fast compared to US/UK services. Yes they also have faster Premier services, but you pay extra for them. 2 Mbps was enough for my needs. Power cuts were a bigger problem!

Bottled water you can buy cheaply enough; I got mine from the 7-11 but some more organised folk buy those big plastic containers - don't know how many gallons they hold.

My water bill was dirt cheap for the two of us, as was the electric - but we don't use aircon much. Can't remember exactly, say 1000 a month tops (2 bed house with all the usual stuff, fridge, tv's, laptop, aircon, electric shower heaters...)

Gas bottle for the cooker, it was there when we moved in, never had to change it in 12 months.

Cable tv - within Chiang Mai city limits there's WE-TV - 350 baht a month for a reasonable selection of English language channels, given the cost. 5 or 6 News channels including BBC, Bloomberg and CNN, a couple of movie channels with Thai subtitles, two sports channels. Australia TV sometimes has some good stuff. The Money Channel. You have to get used to weird things happening, like being in the middle of a soccer match when someone at WE-TV suddenly switches to something entirely different without any warning.

Diesel/gas was a lot cheaper than in Europe, but probably about the same as in the US, I don't know how much it's gone up to in your part of the world.

I know you are thinking of living in town for convenience, at least to start with... but it's worth considering the outskirts for cost eventually. You can get a small partly furnished 2 bed detached house with a patch of garden for 5000 pm in the moo bahn estates around the super highway ringroad, for that money you've got a pretty manky condo in the centre of town. Don't go by the online ads in the agencies, word of mouth is your best bet once you arrive. I've just missed out on a (very) small, party furnished, 2 bed house, that was going for 3,600 per month! Close to the centre too, about a ten minute walk.

[Serendipity2]

Originally Posted by frogblogger

*Somewhere* I've still got my bills for some of these - water, electric, cable tv, internet, phone line (only used for internet because mobile phones are so cheap to use).

There were two alternatives for an internet connection with the provider I used, Maxnet - Maxnet Indy costs 790b pm, Maxnet Premier 1090b pm, but I went for the Premier because I was warned that Indy was slow for surfing non-Thai urls, or for downloading torrents, etc. It was ok, but hardly fast compared to US/UK services. Yes they also have faster Premier services, but you pay extra for them. 2 Mbps was enough for my needs. Power cuts were a bigger problem!

Bottled water you can buy cheaply enough; I got mine from the 7-11 but some more organised folk buy those big plastic containers - don't know how many gallons they hold.

My water bill was dirt cheap for the two of us, as was the electric - but we don't use aircon much. Can't remember exactly, say 1000 a month tops (2 bed house with all the usual stuff, fridge, tv's, laptop, aircon, electric shower heaters...)

Gas bottle for the cooker, it was there when we moved in, never had to change it in 12 months.

Cable tv - within Chiang Mai city limits there's WE-TV - 350 baht a month for a reasonable selection of English language channels, given the cost. 5 or 6 News channels including BBC, Bloomberg and CNN, a couple of movie channels with Thai subtitles, two sports channels. Australia TV sometimes has some good stuff. The Money Channel. You have to get used to weird things happening, like being in the middle of a soccer match when someone at WE-TV suddenly switches to something entirely different without any warning.

Diesel/gas was a lot cheaper than in Europe, but probably about the same as in the US, I don't know how much it's gone up to in your part of the world.

I know you are thinking of living in town for convenience, at least to start with... but it's worth considering the outskirts for cost eventually. You can get a small partly furnished 2 bed detached house with a patch of garden for 5000 pm in the moo bahn estates around the super highway ringroad, for that money you've got a pretty manky condo in the centre of town. Don't go by the online ads in the agencies, word of mouth is your best bet once you arrive. I've just missed out on a (very) small, party furnished, 2 bed house, that was going for 3,600 per month! Close to the centre too, about a ten minute walk.

frogblogger,

Thanks for the information! It would seem the two biggest expenses, not including rent, are Internet and water service to your home. At about $30 each per month that's not cheap. Right now I pay about $120 every two months but that's for water, sewer, garbage, recyclables and storm water runoff. Thankfully the Thai government or Chiang Mai government hasn't figured out how to take a THB 1000 bill and double it. I'm sure they will. The 10 words you will NEVER hear from ANY government, "Don't send us any more money, we already have enough"! The 9 most frightening words in the English language are, "I'm from the government and only here to help". If you hear that, RUN.

It sounds like a small home in a moo bahn is the way to go. I'm sure the living would be much more peaceful and with the difference in rent you could get a cheap car for transportation - or use the "public" transport. My biggest concern is theft or burglary. Is that a significant problem in Chiang Mai? In the Philippines it's a HUGE problem - mostly due to extreme poverty of so many there. It's a tragedy but the government fixes that problem by wrapping everything in razor wire and armed guards at shopping mall entrances etc. It seems the Philippine government's answer to that is - screw the people. :/

Serendipity2

[KhwaamLap]

Moo Bahn with 24 hrs old men sleeping, erm I mean, security - and a very big dog

[frogblogger]

Originally Posted by KhwaamLap

Moo Bahn with 24 hrs old men sleeping, erm I mean, security - and a very big dog

Still, not felt insecure wandering around CM at night, whatever the hour, and our place in town has been secure enough... helps to get on well with the Thai neighbours. Over the road they were up at all hours, mobile foodstalls til 2 am sometimes, then another part of the family awake preparing breakfasts first thing... so a burglar would have had a job breaking in unnoticed.

My gf is in CM in a week's time to find us a new place... it'll help to complete the picture of what's available right now, and at what price. I'll update here as and when...

[Serendipity2]

Originally Posted by frogblogger

Still, not felt insecure wandering around CM at night, whatever the hour, and our place in town has been secure enough... helps to get on well with the Thai neighbours. Over the road they were up at all hours, mobile foodstalls til 2 am sometimes, then another part of the family awake preparing breakfasts first thing... so a burglar would have had a job breaking in unnoticed.

My gf is in CM in a week's time to find us a new place... it'll help to complete the picture of what's available right now, and at what price. I'll update here as and when...

frogblogger,

That would be great. Nothing like boots on the ground intel!

If your previous neighbors were up until the wee hours were you able to sleep? Actually, a busy place is much easier to make illegal entry as everyone assumes they're just part of the 'group' and no one wants to challenge them - unless they see them prying open a door or someone yelling. A quiet burglar is much more likely to be noticed as they 'don't belong' and their actions usually give them away. Not that I'm in 'that' line of business but I've seen enough television!

Serendipity2

[frogblogger]

Yes sleeping was no problem, they were up late across the road, but discreet. But with lights on and a close relationship between all the neighbours, no one would have been able to get close to our place without being noticed. We all knew each other too well, and Thais are a curious lot... well, extremely nosey, actually!

[Serendipity2]

Originally Posted by frogblogger

Yes sleeping was no problem, they were up late across the road, but discreet. But with lights on and a close relationship between all the neighbours, no one would have been able to get close to our place without being noticed. We all knew each other too well, and Thais are a curious lot... well, extremely nosey, actually!

frogblogger,

Your moo bahn sounds like the perfect neighborhood with perfect neighbors.

I've always found Thailand to be relatively peaceful from a noise standpoint. Not so in the Philippines. They love their barking dogs and loud music! Even at 2AM!

[frogblogger]

Originally Posted by Serendipity2

frogblogger,

Your moo bahn sounds like the perfect neighborhood with perfect neighbors.

I've always found Thailand to be relatively peaceful from a noise standpoint. Not so in the Philippines. They love their barking dogs and loud music! Even at 2AM!

Not a moo bahn (in the sense of a 'safe' estate with single entrance, security at gate), but an ordinary back street in one of the poorer parts of town. Neighbours were Thai working families, or retired elderly, didn't hear a note of music all the time I was there. Just towards the end of last year the problems began when the ramshackle building next door was knocked down, and work began on a six floor condo building (posted some pics in the superstitions thread). It was time to leave!

[Serendipity2]

Originally Posted by frogblogger

Not a moo bahn (in the sense of a 'safe' estate with single entrance, security at gate), but an ordinary back street in one of the poorer parts of town. Neighbours were Thai working families, or retired elderly, didn't hear a note of music all the time I was there. Just towards the end of last year the problems began when the ramshackle building next door was knocked down, and work began on a six floor condo building (posted some pics in the superstitions thread). It was time to leave!

frogblogger,

It's ironic. You search and find a nice pleasant place to live that is quiet with good neighbors and some fool wants to "Gentrify" the neighborhood. I suspect it was a bit down at heel because it was a slum [Thai style] owned by the rich who suddenly destroy that neighborhood in pursuit of the all mighty Thai Baht. A thousand plagues upon their houses! Sounded like a perfect neighborhood. I hope you can find another. If you do tell me [but no one else! ]

Working family, blue collar neighborhoods are excellent - they don't usually have spoiled rotten kids

Serendipity2