Cheap guesthouses are clustered in a number of areas, primarily alongside the streets and lanes off Th Moon Muang and alongside a number of lanes running south off Th Tha Phae. You’ll also find a couple of along Th Charoen Prathet, parallel to and west of Mae Nam Ping. There are mainly two sorts of budget guesthouse accommodation - old family homes transformed into guest rooms (these often have one of the best environment, but the least privateness), and hotel- or condo-style places with rows of cell-like rooms. In each, the furnishings are fundamental - a bed and a few sticks of furniture.
You can assume that rooms underneath 150B won’t have a non-public bathroom but will most likely have a fan. The cheaper guesthouses make most of their money from meals service and hill-tribe trekking reasonably than from room fees, therefore it's possible you'll be pressured to eat and to sign up for a trek. Places that charge 200B or extra normally don’t hassle guests on this way. Most of the guesthouses can prepare bicycle and motorcycle rental. When you telephone a guesthouse, most will collect you from station or bus terminal without cost if they have a room available (this saves them having to pay a fee to a driver).
INNER MOAT AREA
Lamchang House (0 5321 0586; Soi 7, Th Moon Muang; r 90-170B) Operated by a Thai family, this picket Thai-fashion home is a good price range alternative and has loads of character. Rooms have some Thai decorations and fresh flowers, and there’s a small garden restaurant. The draw back is that every one the bogs are shared.
Julie Guesthouse (0 5327 4355; www.julieguesthouse.com; Th Phra Pokklao, 7 Soi 5; dm 60B, r 90-300B) This funky place has a colorful range of rooms and is a great place to meet other travelers. There are lots of areas to hang out, just like the covered roof terrace with hammocks and the garden café with a pool table. There's a travel company on site.
Supreme House (0 5322 2480; 44/1 Soi 9, Th Moon Muang; s/d/tr 150/175/250B) This nondescript three-storey, hotel-like building attracts mainly long-tremors. The environment is relaxed, the rooms are massive, the roof has hammocks and there’s a library on the bottom floor.
Montra House (Home; 0 5341 8658; Th Ratchadamnoen, Soi 5; r 200B; i) Opposite Chiang Mai White House, this place has good-worth, primary however spotless digs. Some rooms are in a wood house with shared bogs, others are concrete rooms behind the picket home, each with lavatory; all rooms price the same.
Safe House Court (0 5341 8955;
178 Th Ratchaphakhinai; r 200-350B; a) This friendly budget alternative features fundamental rooms with large bogs in an residence-court feel.
Baan Manee (0 5320 7133; nanthakwang@hotmail.com; Th Moon Muang, 31 Soi 2; r 250-350B; a) Subsequent door to Top North Guest House, this new place has well-equipped, tremendous clean rooms with cable TV. Should you fancy a swim, you should utilize Top North’s pool (100B per day).
Siri Guesthouse (0 5332 6550; www.siri.gh@hotmail.com; Th Moon Muang, Soi 5; r 300-350B) This new place presents unbelievable worth rooms, stylishly adorned with darkish wood furnishings and some Thai touches. There’s a fairly fishpond out front.
Eagle House 2 (0 5321 0620; www.eaglehouse.com; Th Ratwithi, 26 Soi 2; dm 80B, r 200-360B; a) This three-storey, fashionable constructing has primary rooms with a jarring yellow, green and crimson décor. There’s a nice backyard sitting area. It’s pretty quiet besides when the bars round Th Ratwithi get going from 9pm to midnight.
RCN Court (0 5341 8280-2, 0 53224619; fax 0 5321 1969; Th Moon Muang, 35 Soi 7; r 300- 450B; ai) This welcoming place has wellequipped, massive and light rooms with cable TV, fridge and security box. Services embrace a small health room, 24-hour web, laundry service and a kitchen. Monthly rates are available.
Chiang Mai White Home (0 53357130; www.chiangmaiwhitehouse.com; Th Ratchadamnoen, 12 Soi 5; r 250-400B; a) This guesthouse options clean, quiet, air-con rooms with cable TV.
Jonadda Guest House (0 5322 7281; Th Ratwithi, 23/1 Soi 2; s/d/tr 250/350/450B) Run by an Aussie-Thai couple, this place has spotless however bland rooms. There's a pleasant café attached and it’s convenient to the pub crawl space off Th Ratwithi.
Rendezvous Guest House (0 53213763; rendezvouschiangmai@hotmail.com; Th Ratchadamnoen, 3/1 Soi 5; r 300-450B; a) All the rooms on this three-storey guesthouse have TV, safety box and fridge. Ask for the slightly dearer ‘new rooms’ - these are a lot better value. There's a nice restaurant with red banquettes.
Top North Guest House (0 5327 8900; Th Moon Muang, 15 Soi 2; r 300-500B; as) Similar location as the High North Hotel - come here for the pool however don’t expect great shakes from the rooms. There’s also a small spa and sauna.
Tri Gong Residence (05321 4754; www.trigong.com; Th Sribhum, 8 Soi 1; r 600B) Situated on the end of Th Moon Muang’s soi 9, Tri Gong has a courtyard surrounded by trendy rooms. The big rooms feature sensible rattan and teak furnishings, massive bogs, cable TV, fridges and free wireless internet. There are cheaper fortnightly charges, a kitchen, plus free web on computer systems at reception.
Smile House 1 (0 5320 8661; www.smileguesthouse.com; Th Ratchamankha, 5 Soi 2; r 200-600B;as) This place gives plain rooms in an previous Thai home surrounded by a row of newer rooms. The small pool is a plus but the communal space is shabby. This home once served because the ‘protected home’ of the notorious Shan-Chinese language opium warlord Khun Sa every time he came to Chiang Mai.
SK House (0 5341 8396; www.sk-riverview.com; Th Moon Muang, 30 Soi 9; r 300- 600B; ais) Rooms here have conventional Thai scenes painted on the door, tasteful furnishings and a comfy feel. Air-con rooms have cable TV. Extras embody a big swimming pool, an atmospheric communal space stuffed with antiques, a restaurant and TV, and an internet room.
Awana Sleep and Swim Guesthouse (0 5341 9005; www.awanahouse.com; Th Ratchadamnoen, Soi 1; dm 120B, r 450-700B; ais) Down a quiet soi, yet proper by Thae Pae Gate, Awana is a good deal with its massive, neat and lightweight rooms with balconies, TV and fridge. The tiny pool is good for a plunge however not for sunbathing. Dorm beds with mozzie nets can be found on the lined roof terrace; there’s also a pool table.
Gap’s House (0 5327 8140; www.gaps-house.com; Th Ratchadamnoen, three Soi four; r 350-750B; a) Gap’s picket rooms have some beautiful antiquey furnishings but the partitions are thin. The cheaper, sturdier concrete rooms are more basic. All rooms encompass a lush garden and breakfast area, stuffed with cupboards of trinkets. A cookery course ( p293 ) and excursions are provided, in addition to a preferred nightly vegetarian buffet upstairs.
PRATU THA PHAE TO THE RIVER
Daret’s House (0 5323 5440; 4/5 Th Chaiyaphum; r 180B) A long-time backpackers’ fave with stacks of primary, properly-worn rooms. The large sidewalk café on the entrance is popular.
Sarah Guest House (0 5320 8271; www.sarahguesthouse.com; Th Tha Phae, 20 Soi four; r 250-400B; a) Run by an English woman, the rooms have chunky wooden furniture and large loos, with the option of fan or air-con. In a fairly garden setting, this is a quiet place with a café attached.
New Mitrapap Hotel (0 5323 5436; fax 0 5325 1260; 94-98 Th Ratchawong; r/suite incl breakfast 330-430/700B; a) This can be a basic Thai-Chinese spot on Chiang Mai’s small Chinatown, between the east moat and Mae Nam Ping. A serious renovation was near completion at the time of writing. The rooms are good worth but feel fairly little one-like with the skin of the doorways painted in numerous pastel and primaries, and matching paint work inside. It’s close to a number of inexpensive Chinese restaurants, in addition to the Talat Warorot.
Riverside House (0 5324 1860; www.riversidehousechiangmai.com; 101 Th Chiang Mai-Lamphun; r 350-600B; a) Next door to TAT, this quiet and friendly place is about again from the road. The rooms are giant, pristine, wellfurnished and great value. Arranged round a reasonably garden, all have cable TV and embody breakfast. There may be an adjoining travel agency, coffee shop and web service.
Roong Ruang Hotel (Roong Raeng; 05323 4746; fax 0 5325 2409; 398 Th Tha Phae; 350-800B;a) With a first-rate location close to Pratu Tha Phae, on the eastern side of town moat, all the properly-furnished rooms with cable TV have pleasant sitting areas out the front. The more expensive rooms have air-con and are in the new building. This can be a good place to remain for the Flower Competition in February because the Saturday parade passes right by the doorway, however for a similar purpose it’s most likely not the best choice for the raucous Songkran and Loi Krathong festivals.
TH NIMMANHAEMIN AREA
Thanasiri House (5321 5949; oulan51@yahoo.com; Th Nimmanhaemin, Soi 1; r including breakfast 400-500B; a) The easy yet stylish rooms listed here are an excellent-worth base for the area. Rooms have cable TV, and a small desk and chair.