Covid is behind us, and Thailand is open and ready for your holiday!
Make Your Next Stay in Chiang Mai More Productive with CMStay.com’s No-Frills Apartments!
Looking for a comfortable and affordable place to stay in Chiang Mai? Look no further than CMStay.com! Our apartments feature everything you need for a comfortable stay, including a working desk, en-suite bathroom, and most importantly, great internet. Whether you’re a digital nomad or just need a quiet space to get some work done, our apartments are the perfect choice. With no unnecessary extras, you can enjoy your stay without breaking the bank. Book now and experience the best value for money in Chiang Mai with CMStay.com
We’ve recently changed over all of our mobile devices from DTAC to FINN. Turns our that FINN is using the DTAC network but offering rates up to 70% lower.
Why we switched:
LINE, and LINE TV are free – They do not count against your 4G allotment
4G is NOT throttled. Up to 100Mbps speed (depending on distance from tower)
NO Contract. Its month to month. Cancel, change packages, etc
UNLIMITED internet – After you use you 4G allotment, you still have unlimited internet at 256k (fast enough for messaging, FINN, Facebook, email….)
They even let you control when you use your 4G or the FREE 256k speed. You can switch anytime through the app! (Use high speed when needed, save it when you don’t)
PRICING – I got the XXL package. 600 minutes talk and 40GB 4G for 329THB!
Use the link below for an additional 10thb/month discount.
Use LINE pay and you’ll get an 10% refund on each monthly payment.
Move your existing phone number to FINN or get a new number
Do EVERYTHING on-line. You can request the new sim, sign up, etc from you computer/device. They will send a new sim to your home/hotel, etc. No need to go anywhere.
ENGLISH. The whole process is done in English. No translation issues
Save an additional 10thb per month (and reduce our bill by 10thb/month) by using our discount code:
EVERYONE. From local/long-term stay, to short-term/tourists. It the cheapest by far compared to any monthly plan and pre-paid/tourist plan. If you’re only here for a week or two, the 179thb plan with 150 minutes and 5GB data is cheaper that the “Tourist” sim card plans available.
The average Thai person in Chiang Mai is much larger in the mid-section than the last generations. Do you want to know why? Well, I don’t know, but fast food delivery could be part of the issue.
EVERYONE DELIVERS
Yes, that’s right. Just about every fast food place has their own delivery service, but that’s not all. There are services here that will pick up pretty much any meal you like. They’ll even stop at the 7-11 for some potato chips and Q-Tips.
REALLY?
That’s right fat boy.
Just imagine… You’ve joined the digital nomad life. (You’re reading this on your Macbook), you bought your tickets to the next Drop Shippers Mastermind, and you’re killing it so hard you don’t want to leave your computer for more time than it takes to replace the battery in your GoPro.
What do you do???
Well, if you haven’t already assigned this task to you Sri Lanken VA, you can order in. (Pro tip: You can even use those PayPal dollars you’ve been unable to use...)
We all expect pizza deliveries, but McDonalds, KFC, and Burger King deliver too!
“No, its not on the approved list of Paleo options?”
We’ve got you covered. You can order from ANY restaurant.
Yes, VEGAN cupcakes, Non GMO Cheetos and Raw Organic bell peppers can be
delivered to you without you ever leaving the “conversions ” count on you dashboard.
In all seriousness, between the delivery services of the fast food chains and services like MealsonWhees4U and FoodPanda, everything can be delivered to you for a small cost.
As you will see below, the fast food chains generally charge 40thb per order and will accept most credit cards. Many of these offer 24hr service as well. We’ll try to list the contact information (website/phone number) for ordering form the bigger chains and leave the information about the 2 main delivery services.
CMStay is offering discounts on long term scooter rentals. 4+ Months starting at 2500thb/month
For those of you that are planning a long term stay and are wondering about personal transportation, this is a must read offer.
You “Why?”
Me “For the money! Oh, you mean why should you take a long term scooter rental?”
No doubt you have heard from past tourists and read some forum posts from disgruntled residents saying to you “You should just buy a second hand bike and re-sell it before you go.” It makes so much sense until you try it. Then, you are stuck with an old scooter that you overpaid for, don’t legally own, and no one is willing to pay a fair price to buy from you.
Don’t believe me?
Look at ANY of the local classifieds, buy/sell, second hand sites in Chiang Mai. Sellers are selling their used bikes for double the actual price and the buyers are more like sharks out for the kill. They make “offers” of 25% – 50% of any asking price. In the end, you’ll over pay for the bike and have to settle on virtually nothing when leaving.
This does not even take into account the current state of the scooter. Its
registration, ownership, insurance and other legal issues! Is it worth it? For a very select few people, it is.
For the rest of you, this is better:
No need to haggle with a seller trying to pawn off their crap
No need to deal with the sharks when is time to leave.
No worries about having to deal with the “Yes officer, I bought the scooter, but didn’t transfer into my name because my visa doesn’t allow it… Can I please, please, please have “my” scooter back?”
No headaches about buying a lemon, you don’t even need to worry about maintenance. <–Its included.
Long term scooter rentals starting at 2500thb/month. A minimum rental of 4 months can get you a Honda Click 125i, in great condition.(My business partner is a bike mechanic) Everything runs smoothly and without any issues. We fix or replace the scooter immediately if there are any malfunctions.
All of our other standards still apply:
Perfect running order
2 Helmets
Maintenance is included (oil change, check brakes, etc)
Insurance is included – 3rd party Liability and medical coverage up to 80,000thb
Deposit by passport OR passport copy and cash deposit.
Local scooter delivery / pick up.
We have new scooters as well (< 1yr) . Just ask if you are interested.
Congratulations on booking your trip to Chiang Mai! Now is the time to start planning your days. What are you planning to see and do while in Chiang Mai? As you begin to look into the different options, you’ll come up with many many questions as most people do. Here are some of the most common questions we get and our best try at answering them:
“So, I want to (Insert your tour of choice here). Which company/group is the best?”
Unfortunately , this is one of those unanswerable questions. Unless you’ve actually been on every available option, there will never be any way to say that “this” tour is the best. Yes, I know your friend that came through Chiang Mai 3 years ago said “I went to xxx and it was amazing.” And they were right. In fact, just about EVERYONE goes home and says the same thing to their friends. Is it a conspiracy? No, it just shows that most of the tour operations are good at what they do (They do it everyday!)
Luckily, we have sent thousands of guests to various tours. So we have created a list of the tours that our guests have enjoyed the most. That does not mean that they are the best, it means that they have a great history as far as we are concerned. We have no financial/personal reasons to recommend these tours over any others. That being said, we are happy to book any tour you like. As stated before, we can get discounts on most tours, listed on this site or any other site. Just let us know the name or contact info and we’ll give them a call.
My Recommendation: Check out out the list we put together of the more popular tours. As explained above, they are tried and tested and we can happily recommend them. It will also help with ideas for those who don’t know where to start. –> THE BEST REVIEWED TOURS LIST <–
“Ok. I’ve decided on which tours I want, how do I make the booking?”
This is probably the easiest part! The simple answer is to let us make the booking for you. Yes, its that easy. If you are staying with us you probably already know that we prefer to book for our guests. If make sure that we don’t get calls early in the morning from lost drivers. We extend this to people using our website as well. If you contact us through CMStay, whether by booking through the tours page or by simple messaging us, we can arrange any tour on your behalf.
Here is the dirty little secret that most Westerners (non-Thais) don’t realize. The prices on brochures and most tour company websites are padded (include a commission for an agent). Yes, that’s right. When an agent books for you in Thailand, there is NO ADDED COST to you. In fact, that is how we get discounted prices for our customers. We simply cut or share the commission leading to a cheaper price for you. Why? It’s a long term investment. We give away what commission we make here and there and we get great reviews and great reputation. In the long run, that is worth much more to us than 100thb or so…
If it’s not completely clear, let me put it like this:
***The HIGHEST possible price you can pay is by going directly through the tour’s brochure contact or through their website! This is not a typo!***
All of my US friends and rolling their eyes or pulling at their collars now. Yes, I know its always better to cut out the middle man to save money in the US, but not here. Give it a try. If we can book at the same or cheaper, you’re welcome to book it yourself.
Now, there are some tour companies that do not have commissions built in, but in those cases using an agent will get you the brochure/website price and help with translation issues and location confirmations. You still get the same price, but with a bit of added service (FREE!)
“When should I book?”
The simplest answer to this question is: Book as soon as you are sure of the tours and dates. Most tour companies have a no cancellation/no refund policy. This is not a big issue for most people. If you let them know in a reasonable amount of time, most companies will allow you to reschedule or even change between tours that they offer. This is why its probably better to book just a few days before the actual tour as you’re schedule will be better defined and less chance of needing to miss the tour due to scheduling issues.
*HOWEVER, certain tours do book out completely during the high season and especially during holiday periods.
For example, during the high season, you may want to book the elephant camps a week or more in advance. If you are planning to come during Yee Peng, you may even want to book a month or more in advance.
“How do I pay for the tours I want to book”
This will depend entirely on how you make your booking and for what tour. More and more tour companies are creating websites where you can ask for a booking. Depending on the size of the company and level of sophistication, these sites will range from having a fulling functioning credit card payment system, PayPal, or simply provide instructions for a bank transfer.
Keep in mind that Thailand is still a mostly cash economy and most places will prefer not to use credit cards or PayPal as they will incur extra changes for using them. For this reason, most smaller organizations will not take online bookings at all or will charge an additional percentage to cover their fees.
This is another clear reason to use a local friend/host/agent to make a tour booking on your behalf. A local can easily run over to the office or even make a free bank transfer to cover the tour fees.
If you are staying with us, you already know we offer this service to all of our guests. For those of you not staying with us, we can still help. We currently accept online transfers of PayPal and BTC. We hope to have the credit card system up and running soon. If you’re not sure, or just have questions, send us a message at King@CMStay.com
“What do I do on the day of the tour? Where will they pick me up?”
Another often overlooked benefit of having a local book the tour for you is being able to arrange pick up/drop off and explaining where you are staying. This is no small feat, when you consider that addresses do not work here and names (non-thai) of streets, hotels, Airbnb’s get transliterated and can become impossible to find.
We’ve come across many travelers that did not realize that 99% of tours include transportation. And of course the tour company did not make a point to let them know either. So they diligently get up early and start walking across town to get to the office, while everyone else is being picked up.
So, on the day of the tour make sure to be prepared before the scheduled pick up window. Its a best practice to make it as easy as possible for the tour guide/driver to find you. If you’re at a smaller hostel/hotel, wait in front so they can simply ask for you by name. This is usually the best case scenario for large hotels as well, but there will be times to simply tell them your room number and have them ring you when downstairs.
TOURIST DISCLAIMER – Keep in mind that everyone going on the tour is a tourist on holiday. They may not be as puctual as they would be in their normal lives If one person is late, not ready, or hard to find when the tour driver comes, everything/everyone gets slowed down. And of course, if gets worse and worse if others are not prepared. Don’t be one of them and keep in mind that the pickup time window is a “best guess” estimate. They could be 15 mins late or more depending on the other tourists.
“What do I bring with me?”
Have your receipt ready. When you make your booking you will receive a payment receipt stating the tour name, date of the tour, price, etc. If you book online, this could be emailed to you. Please be sure to have a printed copy to give to the tour guide.
You should also bring your camera/phone, bug spray, and sunblock. These would apply to pretty much any/every tour in Chiang Mai. If you are going on a tour where you will get wet (Rafting, Elephants, Grand Canyon, waterfalls) a towel and change of clothes may be useful. If you are going anywhere near a border (Chiang Rai/ White Temple, etc) bring your passport. They have border police road blocks and they have the right to check that everyone is in Thailand legally.
Most tour will include a meal or food of some sort, entrance fees, and include transportation. Unless on a private tour, or specifically stated, the only thing you should have to pay for on the day of the tour are “extras” not included in the tour such as souvenirs and drinks (most tours will include bottled water in their price)
CONCLUSION:
Use a local agent/friend/host to book your tours. They can cross the translation barriers, help with getting you picked up from the right place, and save you some money. Seriously, give it a try. The worst thing that can happen is they get you the same rate, but save you the effort of doing it yourself.
Once you arrive in Chiang Mai, you will almost immediately realize there is no shortage of options for getting around the city. You should also know by now that there are so many different types of transport and ways of charging/pricing them, that you can easily be confused and end up paying more than necessary.
Read the basic guide below to get around Chiang Mai easily and as cheaply as possible.
There are the traditional/Thai ways of getting around and then the new/imported newcomers making life much easier for foreigners and Thais alike.
The traditional/Thai options are pretty well known and some (Songthaews) have already been covered in previous posts. We’ll add the links so you can can read a bit more detail about how they work.
In a somewhat chronological order:
Saam Lor (3 Wheel)
This is oldest public transportation method still in semi-normal use in Chiang Mai. You don’t see them everywhere, but there are a still a few working in the Old City area. Good for short distance trips (like from the market back home) they are definitely not the transportation mode of choice when trying to get across town. There are no set fees so you will need to negotiate your price if you want a ride.
My recommendation: I can not confirm, but I would suggest not overloading the Saam Lor nor its driver. If you’re on the larger side, you may want to try a different mode of transport. The drivers legs and heart will thank you for it.
Tuk-Tuk
Everyone in Chiang Mai has smelled one of these before. There are the small, motorized three wheelers “tuk tuking” around the city. Yes, they got their names from the popping or “tuk, tuk, tuk” of the old style engines they used a while back. While they have successfully created louder, smoke belching engines, they continue to call them by the old name of Tuk-Tuk. There are no set prices or routes for Tuk-Tuks, and they will travel pretty much anywhere in and around the city you want. They have a reputation for greatly overcharging riders at every chance. Unfortunately, my few experiences with them only confirm the rumors.
My recommendation: Try it once. Look at it more as an amusement park ride. You’re overpaying for a bit of death defying, adrenaline pumping fun in a undersized contraption with low safety standards. Its a story to tell, but not one you’ll want to relive if at all possible.
Songthaew
The next on our list is the Songthaew. This is still the preferred method of local travel for most Thais. You can still get fairly good prices for going across the city. The current rate for a shared trip is 30thb. While that is not all-encompassing, most local trips will be in that price range. Longer trips will cost more.
My recommendation: Don’t ask for a specific address/place for drop off. Asking for a close cross street, intersection, temple or other landmark will get you the normal price. If they have to drive into a back neighborhood to drop you off, they will charge you more to make up for the lost opportunity to pick up other riders along the way. Click this link to read about them in more detail–> REDTRUCKS If you’re planning to go further out of the city and need to find a Songthaew with a specific router try clicking this link: When Red Trucks Aren’t Red
Taxi
Taxis may not be seen as a “traditional/Thai” way of getting around, they are here and ever prevelant. HOWEVER, in and around Chiang Mai, taxis do not use their meters and NOBODY can make them. But “wait!” you say, “the Fromer’s says that I should make sure the taxi uses the meter or threaten to exit the taxi….” Yes, in other parts of Thailand this is actually watched and you can call the taxi company or police if necessary. In Chaing Mai, you pay the flat fee the driver says or get out. They do not use the meters and its a “known” thing.
My recommendation: Take a taxi from the airport to you hotel. Most places in the city area are a flat fee of 160thb from the airport. That is the last time to ever use a taxi in Chiang Mai.
Uber/GRAB
Yes, its Thailand, but its also 2018. Uber and GRAB have come into Chiang Mai with and amazing rush. There were the usual objections from the older modes of transports, news of harassment from taxi, tuk-tuk, and redtruck drivers. However, that has quieted down over the last year and now Uber/GRAB are free to operate on a normal basis. Consider this: There are no translation issues when telling the driver where you go, its pinpointed on the map/GPS. There is no haggling over prices, its fair and derived from the distance traveled and time taken. There is no foreigner tax, everyone pays the price listed on the app. No exhaust fumes from tuk-tuks and redtrucks nor Thai heat, you are in an air-conditioned car that will take you point to point.
My recommendation: Download both apps before you come. Use one of these services for every ride, other than from the airport to your hotel. On a ride to ride basis, GRAB tends to be slightly cheaper. However, Uber counters this by sending discount codes a couple of times a month. If you have a discount code (Usually good for 10 rides) Uber is the clear winner.
***UNFORTUNATELY, Uber has sold its interests in the area to GRAB and is no longer an option in Thailand*** April 2018
Affiliate ALERT!!! – ehh, why not try!
Both Uber and Grab offer discounts for referrals. Use the GRAB link and Uber code to sign up for both services. Both you and I will get discounts on your next rides!
Also, if you are looking for a place to stay in Chaing Mai, we have been working through Airbnb for many years. It’s worth the look. Airbnb also offers discounts for both you and I if you sign up as a referral. Take a look here : AIRBNB REFERRAL
Yee Peng Lanna International (YPLI / Mae Jo) has been approved and tickets are on sale now. This is held at the Thudong Center near Mae Jo University. This year they will have 4,000 people attending.
Buy them from the original, trusted source, CMStay!!!
Standard tickets are : – SOLD OUT
Premium Tickets are : – SOLD OUT
Tickets Include:
Ticket delivery to your hotel/hostel – Only offered by CMStay!!!
Transportation from Chiang Mai to the event (and back)
Food – 5 coupons for buffet service with authentic Lanna Thai Foods
1 Sky Lantern – No outside lanterns are allowed
1 Souvenir set
1 Assigned seat
We will make updates on the CMStay Facebook page as they become available. Please make sure to “like” the page to know if/when tickets come available again
Tickets for the YPLI / Mae Jo event are now available. This year there WILL NOT be a “local ” celebration and the “Private” event is SOLD OUT. This is the last chance to be a part of the mass lantern release celebration for 2017.
Please use the “add to cart” function below to reserve your tickets.
Standard tickets are: – SOLD OUT
Premium Tickets are: – SOLD OUT
Why buy from CMStay?
Trust – CMStay is the first and foremost in everything “Yee Peng / Lantern Release”.
Communication – CMStay has a 100% response rate, usually within a couple of hours.
Ease – CMStay does everything in English. You can ask and receive answers without any mis-communications.
Service – CMStay will provide the “full package” We can arrange almost anything and answer most questions you have about Chiang Mai.
We deliver your tickets to your hotel/hostel and have reception sign for receipt of the tickets. This is an exclusive offer ONLY through CMStay! – You DO NOT have to stand in long queues to get your tickets.
Our Pick Up point is in the Old City. This is also exclusive to CMStay! No need to travel outside to get to the transportation.
What to expect:
You will receive payment confirmation from PayPal within minutes. Another confirmation of reservation from CMStay within 24hrs. You will need to reply to the CMStay email with the requested email. Detailed information about transportation (times, location, etc) will be emailed/announced in October 2017.
What is included with the Transportation
We pick up you from our Old City Meeting Point and drive you back after the event **
Maximum of 10 people per van
A Comfortable Tour Van with an experienced driver is provided
YPLI Schedule (estimated)
3.00 pm – 3.30 pm : Meet at Old City Meeting Point
Enjoy Lanna & hill tribe cultural exhibition by local students sponsored by the foundation, take photos, use the restroom at your convenience.
5:00 pm : Opening Ceremony Speech by the President of Doungtawan Santipap (The Sun of Peace) Foundation and the organizing committee to welcome all guests to the event.
5:30 pm : Break for the bathroom
6:00 pm : All honored guests and ticket holders enter the ceremony area. Ceremony regulatory announcement by MC
6:30 pm : Chanting and Meditation
7:00 pm : Circumambulation Ceremony
7:30 pm : Lighting Ceremony
8:00 pm : Sky lanterns releasing ceremony to pay homage to the Lord Buddha.
8.30 pm : End of the ceremony
Security
Age of participants must be at least 12 years old in order to follow the security policy and to avoid causing noise disturbance to other participants.
Drones, Firecrackers, outside Sky lanterns, Weapons, Gambling Equipment, Alcohol/Drugs and any Illegal items are prohibited.
Rules/Requests
Participants are kindly requested to dress in polite clothing. (cover the shoulders and knees)
Participate in religious activities with respect and peace to keep the sanctity of the ceremony.
No alcohol & No Smoking on the temple grounds.
Photography
Guests are NOT allowed to enter the ceremony stage area to take pictures.
Guests may take photos only from the seating area, but NOT ALLOWED to use selfie stick / dolly equipment.
Other
YPLI group has stipulated that tickets are non-refundable.
Hundreds of Lanterns at a mass lantern release. Thanks to Race Photography for the amazing picture.
Big News!
A few days ago we were able to negotiate a small allotment of tickets to the Private Yee Peng Lantern Release. It will be held in the mountain village areas of Chiang Mai. With a maximum of 500 people this event is destined to be special. With more than enough people to get the iconic picture (like you see above), but not too many people where its loses the special feeling of the moment.
Originally, we were only allotted 50 tickets, but there were so many people interested that we oversold almost immediately. Luckily, all the work paid off. We have been given rights to help sell the rest of the tickets to the event!!!
That means ticket sales are open now for the Private Yee Peng Lantern Release.
***SOLD OUT***
You will receive a confirmation by email once payment is received. Names and passport number will be checked as you board the bus.
Some Specifics:
Final logistics are being ironed out, but here are the preliminaries:
Transportation is included in the price.
Buses are expected to leave from the Night Bazaar area about 3pm and should return to the city about 10 – 10:30pm
There is a temple next door with YP ceremony, but it is not mandatory to attend.
1 Lantern included with each ticket.
Local village people will be selling local foods on site. Please help support the local villagers.
Please dress and act respectfully. There will be people of all ages, nationalities and religions present.
This is NOT Yee Peng Lanna International. This is a private event.
We all expect pizza deliveries, but McDonalds, KFC, and Burger King deliver too!
Long term scooter rentals starting at 2500thb/month. A minimum rental of 4 months can get you a Honda Click 125i, in great condition.(My business partner is a bike mechanic) Everything runs smoothly and without any issues. We fix or replace the scooter immediately if there are any malfunctions.
Luckily, we have sent thousands of guests to various tours. So we have created a list of the tours that our guests have enjoyed the most. That does not mean that they are the best, it means that they have a great history as far as we are concerned. We have no financial/personal reasons to recommend these tours over any others. That being said, we are happy to book any tour you like. As stated before, we can get discounts on most tours, listed on this site or any other site. Just let us know the name or contact info and we’ll give them a call.
Another often overlooked benefit of having a local book the tour for you is being able to arrange pick up/drop off and explaining where you are staying. This is no small feat, when you consider that addresses do not work here and names (non-thai) of streets, hotels, Airbnb’s get transliterated and can become impossible to find.
Also, if you are looking for a place to stay in Chaing Mai, we have been working through Airbnb for many years. It’s worth the look. Airbnb also offers discounts for both you and I if you sign up as a referral. Take a look here : 
