Chiang Mai is the second largest City in Thailand and the only major tourist location without a coastline as it is located in the far north of Thailand and surrounded by a ring of mountains. History is the key to its interest to tourists as the city is home to over 300 temples dating as far back as the 13th century and there are also museums and ancient ruins everywhere. Even the main town is dominated by an ancient moat which is in plain view as you drive around the city. In addition it has national parks, waterfalls, mountain trails all within close proximity. Chiang Mai also has its own very distinctive culture, arts, festivals, and traditions as well as an exciting mix of local, ethnic as well as a small expatriate community.

Chiang Mai is a shoppers paradise, specially if you like a bargain - there is a virtual labyrinth of spectacular shops selling everything from cheap goods, beautiful handmade products and art. The bustling Night Bazaar in the centre of town is the best place to go for souvenirs; Hang Dong the destination for design and craft products; Nimmanhaemin's boutiques offer stylish home d้cor and fashion and the shopping malls are full of knickknacks and other goodies. There is also Ban Tawai for furniture and art and home goods which can be shipped back by the many export companies that neighbor the shops themselves.

There is no nightlife to speak of unless you are younger than 30 years old - the clubs and venues, whilst excellent, tend to cater for young Thai's with the occasional foreigner element. However as usual with any Thai city or town Chiang Mai is spoilt with excellent restaurants dotted all over the city.

Chiang Mai has been voted one of the top destinations to live in Asia and is a modern and cosmopolitan city, while not having lost its traditional old charm. The city tends to attract the more discerning expat - the writers, the intellectuals, the teachers (Chiang Mai has many international-standard schools) and the like.

Property searching - it is a tough place to find property quickly unless you are lucky - Chiang Mai is spread out over a large area and the real estate market is saturated with small real estate agents. It is a good idea to find one agent and commit exclusively to that agent providing them with a very detailed brief and budget. Prices tend to be lower than all the other major destinations such as Phuket, Bangkok and Pattaya. Please contact us if you are interested.