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Region: Northern Thailand> Province: Chiang Mai> Location: Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai Thai House
Outstanding value
5/1 Tapae Soi 5, Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai Province
Tel: (053) 904 110, (053) 904 737
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Description
The Chiang Mai Thai House opened in mid 2005 and represents outstanding flashpacker value. While it is more of a hotel than a guesthouse, the rooms and bathrooms are immaculate and we mean immaculate. Warm water showers, comfortable beds and a choice of fan or air-con give a range of options for guests. There is also a beautifully finished pool on the ground floor and a comfortable soi-side area to relax in. A minor gripe is the service in the common area, but service is otherwise very friendly and professional. At these prices this is difficult to beat in Chiang Mai -- unless you happen to be Thai, as we've confirmed with the guesthouse that they prefer not to take Thai guests. There have been quite a few reports that the manageress Ms. Poy can be a bit unwelcoming if you don't play by the rules and book a tour, so perhaps avoid this place if you are easily annoyed by hustling and less than genuine staff. If you can overlook that it's one of the best places in town.
Dbl fan private b'room
450 THB (low season)
550 THB (high season)
Dbl A/C private b'room
850 THB (low season)
950 THB (high season)
Added to Travelfish on: 20th September, 2005
Last visited or updated on: 24th September, 2007
Guest feedback
Clean and Great Location - 
By carynmarks ( total comments: 2 
) Stayed here 1/2008
The location of the Guest House (which is very hotel like) is perfect, close to the night markets, bazaars and shopping. Rooms were very clean and adequate. They are intent on booking a tour, but the tour we took through them turned out to be fantastic. Would highly recommend for the price and quality.
Excellent value - 
By Mars ( total comments: 6 ) Stayed here 11/2007
We have stayed here a few times and have stayed in every type of room available.
We have been impressed every time with the cleanliness and presentation of the rooms. You will be struggling to find somewhere else with that level of cleanliness and facilities in this price range.
We also stayed there last xmas and they had a free bbq for guests including presents!! They also took guests onto the street to light lanterns. We had the best night of our holiday and met a lot of people who return to the guesthouse again and again.
I do admit that they are pushy with the tours and can come accross as a bit rude (especially Poi)but the quality of the place far outweighs any little gripes.
I will definately return!!
Oh yeah, it's great.... - 
By stilltravelling2007 ( total comments: 11 ) Stayed here 8/2007
If you like being hassled to go on one tour or another every waking moment, then you should definitely stay here.
It's not that this is a bad hotel, its rooms are clean and pleasant enough and the pool is nice.
But none of that matters when you're constantly pursued to go on a trek or a tour.
It's especially painful when the staff go from being super-friendly (too bloody friendly, if you ask me) to sour, unhelpful, rude and downright aggressive when they realise you're not interested. Ruins the place.
Oh and don't eat in the restaurant, the food is awful.
Oh yeah, it's great.... - No rating given
By stilltravelling2007 ( total comments: 11 ) Stayed here 8/2007
If you like being hassled to go on one tour or another every waking moment, then you should definitely stay here.
It's not that this is a bad hotel, its rooms are clean and pleasant enough and the pool is nice.
But none of that matters when you're constantly pursued to go on a trek or a tour.
It's especially painful when the staff go from being super-friendly (too bloody friendly, if you ask me) to sour, unhelpful, rude and downright aggressive when they realise you're not interested. Ruins the place.
Oh and don't eat in the restaurant, the food is awful.
What do you expect? -
By transki ( total comments: 13 ) Stayed here 1/2007
I agree that maybe people's expectations are way out of line. The hotel, pool, rooms, cleanliness, and service were all more than adequate. Maybe not the best in all of Thailand, but for 550 Baht, what do you expect?
(By the way, we did book a cooking course and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves)
Rude owner...... - 
By uffe ( total comments: 5 ) Stayed here 1/2006
The current price for aircon room is 950 Baht.
The staff was friendly upon arrival on 5 January 2007 but the next morning at breakfast the owner was scolding his staff in front of all the guests...we all felt mightly unpleasant and he would go on for almost one hour, nearly screaming to all our faces...He then caused one of the guests to get very upset as well...So this ruined our experience....
Mediocre - 
By yellowfellow ( total comments: 4 ) Stayed here 8/2006
Ok, so check it out... I stayed here last month and was not impressed. First the good:
The guesthouse is super clean. During our 3 week trip through out SEA, it was by far the cleanest place we stayed at. The guesthouse staff clean all day and are super friendly, well the workers who do the laborous tasks are (see bad section).
The location is perfect. One thing that is great about Chiang Mai is everything, for the most part, is easily accessible. This guesthouse is centrally located. 10 minutes to the Night Bazaar and to the new city. There's even a 7-11 around the corner.
Other good things about this place are Tom and the girls who clean the rooms. They are super nice and I did feel they were genuine!
Ok now with the bad:
Poi - chances are, if you are going to be staying here, she'll be the one to check you in. Don't be fooled because at first, she comes off as being very accomadating, sincere and not pushy at all; however, after a day or so, you notice a different side of her. Don't get me wrong, I think she's a nice person but I strongly doubt how genuine she is. Previous people who have defended her in their review say that she wasn't pushy but I totally disagree. She's not noticeably pushy but rather sneaky. She wouldn't be obviously pushy but rather give hints that we should eat at the guesthouse and book tours with them. An example would be like if we dropped laundry off to be washed, she would hand us a menu of the restaurant to tell us to have breakfast when we had no intentions of eating there or never mentioned anything about being hungry. This was a serious turn off to me and my travel mate.
Another bad about this place is the restaurant. The food isn't that great. We had breakfast there and were not that impressed. In a way, it's a little over priced for what you get.
Ultimately, it's all about preference. We preferred a welcoming, friendly environment and didn't feel that we got this there. If all you are after is a nice room to stay at then this is your place. If you demand a little more, then I wouldn't recommend staying here. I don't enjoy people who start out as being nice when they are after your money but after collecting all they can get out of you, their attitude changes.
Very clean and staff was ok -
By karibu ( total comments: 5 ) Stayed here 7/2006
Was surprised to read negative comments about the staff at Chiang Mai Thai House. True, it is not all smiles but they were competent and helpful. The rooms are spotless and the hotel is very conveniently located.
Butlins attitude, bang on pool -
By looklively ( total comments: 4 ) Stayed here 7/2006
Having read the reviews, I think it might be a case of 'if your face fits' with this place. It is undoubtedly in a great location, the pool is great and the rooms are spotless. But as we all know, over bearing intrusive service is almost as bad as none at all.
Perhaps it's that all-pervasive Asian charm that doesn't go past the smile, or perhaps it's just the full-on attitude of the management that wears a little thin after the 3rd day.
Either way, read what other's have to say and then take a view. For some it will be water off a ducks back, but for the travel weary, sensitive tourist you might be better taking your custom elsewhere.
BEST HOTEL IN THAILAND - 
By cree84 ( total comments: 2 ) Stayed here 6/2006
I have been to thailand twice now for periods of a few mounths and travelled around from the south to the north to maney places, and i can onestly say i have not come across a better hotel. The rooms are so clean like they were built the day before you got there,you have the choice of aircon,fan,fridge and every room has a tv. The prices start at 550 and go up to 1200 depending weather you stay on the bottom floor at the pool or not, you can not go wrong for what you get at this hotel for the price. The swiming pool is really well looked after.sparkling clean! You also can book tours at the hotel and eat some beautiful food,or drink bear in front of the huge wide screen tv with the staff if you chose, as the staff there were exerllant and made me feel so at home they would do anything for you,so helpful with everything,they also have inter net there too. I have read some of the comments from above and i find it so hard to believe there comments, to be onest i dont think they no what they are talking about.If you chose to stay hear i advise you to book the 4x4 day adventure,its a new tour that they have set up which we helped them to do as you will see on there website. oh my god.. if you do this trip you will remember it for the rest of your life promise 10/10, best thing i have done in thailand. I stayed hear for 6 days was ment to be 2 but just couldnt leave.lol I just want to say a big thankyou to all the staff for such a great stay and an exerllant time. And oodie and tom tom you are great geezers. THANKYOU SO MUCH.....
Thai house, you must stay here. -
By cree84 ( total comments: 2 ) Stayed here 6/2006
A few post below above are clueless. This is my third time in thailand, and second time i stay in thai house. The people are so helpful. They do not harass you to buy tour and stuff, they just want to help your stay more enjoyable. The food here is good, and well priced, the staff know what they are talking about, especially oodie and tom. The rooms are clean and very nice. Good shower, hot and cold water. The swimming pool is well looked after. Anyone wanting to go to chiang mai, you must stay here, its down soi five, close to city centre so you can stagger home from a drunken night. Ive stayed here for six nights now, and everyone very welocoming and just want to make laugh all the time. I recommend this place to all ages. YOU MUST take the 4x4 tour and ask for TOM to drive. If you are a a thrill seeker then this is right up your street. It was the best time of my stay in thailand. The 4x4 tour includes many things from elephant show , riding, bamboo rafting (great fun for swimming too), beautiful scenic views so much to see. This is a must do if you stay at thai house. HIghly recommend.
Fear and Loathing in Chiang Mai - 
By exacto ( total comments: 15 ) Stayed here 6/2006
After staying here for one night, it is easy to see why the previous reviews range from one to ten stars. Our room was impressive and ultra-clean, and the pool a real find. But the staff was absolutely joyless, and the uptight management bothered us, including how both of our passports were photocopied when we checked in, how we were handed a list of rules with our room key, and how we had to sign for our pool towels in a ledger book. We were particularly offended at the tactless way we were instructed to wait while our room was inspected at check out. I normally vacation in Thailand because I want to get away from people with over-tight sphyncters.
The 550 baht we paid for our room was an okay deal, but not as good as the value we got at CM Blue House. What makes it worth the money is the sparkling pool. I can't exactly recommend a stay here, but if you are looking for a day of relaxing around a fantastic blue-tiled pool, this might be your place. Then again, there is always the Top North Guest House ....
Another fantastic stay -
By christinashelley ( total comments: 2 ) Stayed here 4/2006
Well - I returned to CMTH in April to take part in Songkran. CMTH organised everything to make the trip as enjoyable as possible. I'm glad to see that, 4 months on from my previous visit, standards are as high as ever and the staff as helpful and friendly as ever. I can't recommned this place highly enough. A truly fantastic place to stay - in the best location possible.
Loved it! -
By cecily ( total comments: 3 ) Stayed here 2/2006
We stayed here for a week in Feb 2006. The rooms are really nice, super clean, and comfortable. I would recommend it to anyone. The staff was very helpful and provided good recommendations. We booked a trek through them and they spent time finding a trip that matched our interests. We were never pressured to buy any tours.
so nice i took my in-laws -
By mikey0909 ( total comments: 3 ) Stayed here 2/2006
i've stayed here twice, and i now recommend it to my boss when she's in town. spotless, well-decorated without being over the top. the staff are brilliant, we've never been pressured into anything and they are more than happy for me to watch rugby on their big screen in the middle of the night. they need to get the dogs across the road silenced.... apart from that, brilliant.
didn't have the chance to stay - No rating given
By narong ( total comments: 4 )
....because they didn't bother to answer to my 2 emails that i sent for reservation of 2 rooms. Having read all the comments it seems cristall-clear that they have an attitude problem. To bad, i live in Bangkok and take visiting friends upnorth regularly but will avoid this place because i don't want to take the chance to have ''to loose face'' in front of my companions!
AVOID -
By rociomsegares ( total comments: 2 ) Stayed here 1/2006
My parents just got back from Chiang mai and they decided to stay at this place, they were so rudly treated they could not believe it. Ploi was extra rude to my mother, when she asked her to call her a taxi, after she told her she was going to the elephant consrvation center ( a tour they don't sell). They were also asked to leave beacuse ''they didn't have any rooms for them anymore'' The hotel is very nice, I've stayed there myself, but those pleople on the desk GOT TO GO! It really doesn't reflect the great hospitality that Thai often offer.
nice place, BAD attitude -
By rociomsegares ( total comments: 2 ) Stayed here 12/2005
we stayed there for three weeks and UDI and Ploi gave us bad attitude the whole time we were there. The rest of the people that worked there were nice. BUT the two english speaking Thais the ones in charge of the desk and the travel agency were: sneaky, shady, pushy and rude not oly to us, but time and time again I saw them screaming at guests. the place is nice and great location, but the bad vibes might scare you away... sorry to say!
Comfortable, friendly and spotless -
By mari1210 ( total comments: 5 ) Stayed here 12/2005
We spent 6 nights there and felt really at home. The staff were generally very friendly and the rooms were immaculate, with very comfortable beds and tastefully decorated. (For some reason they made the beds with blankets under the top sheets, but we're being picky!) The location is excellent, close to the main action but in a quiet soi. The swimming pool was welcome, but quite cold. Breakfasts were average. All in all, an excellent choice!
A Fantastic Find -
By christinashelley ( total comments: 2 ) Stayed here 11/2005
A fantastic location, easy access to all the sights in a quiet Soi. Immaculately clean and a swimming pool as a bonus. You really couldn't beat this place for value, cleanliness and friendliness. (I beg to differ with the two negative reports - I've never been asked about treks and I'm treated like a valued customer although I eat outside) The staff are knowledgeable and friendly. It's up to you how involved you want to be with Thai culture - chose this place for a great experience and a family feel. I love it!
Decent place, awful service -
By blissT ( total comments: 2 ) Stayed here 11/2005
In 4 weeks in Thailand, from luxury resorts to modest guesthouses this is by far the worst place I stayed at.
The hotel staff will harass you into buying one of their tourist packages. If you decline you will instantly become a second class guest. The hotel staff attitude ranges from desinterest to plain rudeness. Not eating at their restaurant was also not well recieved!. We even had the last day of our reservation ''accidentally'' cancelled without further explanation.
I wish this was un isolated event as this place came highly recommended but talking to other guests at the hotel we found that is quite common.
To top it all, now after returning home I found 2 extra days billed by this hotel (we were not even in Chiang Mai by then).
Do yourself a favor, go somewhere else. There are plenty of really good hotels and GHs Thailand to put up with this kind of behavior.
Highly Recommended -
By mattyvlem ( total comments: 10 ) Stayed here 11/2005
Paid 550B for a double room with fan but this was well worth it. Rooms are spacious and clean with comfortable beds and hot showers. Excellent location - 5 min walk from Moon Muang road and 10 mins walk from the riverside. Staff are really helpful and organise numerous trips and tours. Be sure to try the Khao Soi for lunch.
great place -
By mariaismawi ( total comments: 3 ) Stayed here 11/2005
stayed there for two nights. a very nice place to stay in chiang mai..
the staffs are very friendly and helpful, and the room is just great for their price!
highly recommended..
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